Tokyo Belly

Another subsidiary restaurant branch by Ismaya Group. Just to let you know, Ismaya is a holding company of a handful successful restaurants & lounges such as ; Social House, Kitchenette, Ismaya Catering, D'Journal, Pizza e'birra, Fook Yew, Skye, Sushi Groove, Pasta de Waraku, Blowfish, and a couple more of others. So anyways, this fusion Japanese eatery is an exchange of the previous place called 'Mr. Curry'. I'm not sure what happen to Mr. Curry but I guess business wasn't doing well and thus they refurbished and changed the concept to this 'Tokyo Belly'. Will it be doing well, or follow the declined footsteps of Mr. Curry? Hmm....let the food do the talking. After all, the taste buds never lies.

Menu : Blossom Belly

Price : RP 55,000 ++

Score : 3.0 / 10

>> I don't like the food. The waitress recommended on this but not my taste! The salmon in the middle was a mush, and the cheese in the middle only became an additional mush. The crunchy bit on the outer layer was okay but hey come on, for Rp 55,000?? The sauce drizzled over wasn't great either. To add on it's overpriced but the only positive note is the fact; it didn't contain any rice. So maybe those who are doing Atkin's diet can have this hahaha. And lastly just for your info, there was 6 slices to this dish and not just 3 (only in the picture).

Menu : Beef Kimchi Ramen

Price : RP 58,000 ++
Score : 6.0 / 10

>> This was better than the appetizer and thank God for that. The soup was slightly too thick but it became less viscous as the temperature cools off. The ramen was still al dente and the seasoning was well balanced. I got the kimchi kick and the chili punch (I ordered extra spicy), thus a much welcome change after the above ' Blossom Belly '. But to talk about the toppings inside?! It's pretty much empty! There's two half sliced egg, a single piece of seaweed, a few strands of kimchi cabbage and maybe two very very thinly sliced beef. Bottom line for sixty thousand, you're getting plain noodle in a fairly good broth. 

Menu : Beef Steak Rice

Price : RP 68,000 ++
Score : 5.0 / 10

>> Issues with a couple of thing. Number one the salad. Very much over dressed in a mango flavored mayonnaise. How hard is it to proper dress a salad? Light dressing equally spread is not that difficult I suppose? Number two, when you read 'Beef Steak', I was hoping for a decent piece of meat, yet what came out was a very very very over cooked chunks of beef. It was like chewing a rubber tire. Utter disappointment. What give this a mere pass is only the curry sauce. I like the taste, slightly sweet but could still settle well on the taste buds. 

Over all, faced with the ultimate question of 'Will I come back'? Hmm...sadly the answer is a 'No'. Don't get wrong, Ismaya cooks great food at Kitchenette and Social House, I go there regularly but this branch over here was a surprise for me, definitely needs additional help in the cooking department. Nevertheless, do visit and tell me your thoughts. I might be seriously wrong. Cheers !!

Tokyo Belly

Grand Indonesia Shopping Mall

West Mall, Level 3 A.

Angke

There's no single Chinese Indonesian that I know that hasn't ate at Angke. A complete nobody, everyone of my acquaintance knows Angke and nearly everyone likes it. What is there not to like? Well I love it, I might be biased because I'm a Hakka and Angke serves Hakka traditional food which reminds me of all the food that my grandmother used to cook back when she was healthier. So every time when I missed a good Chinese meal, Angke pops up into my head and luckily I got to visit there 2 weekends ago with a bunch of friends. It was a crowd of 10 and that equates to many dishes...nyummmm!!

Menu : Lindung Cah Fumak
Price : Rp 155,000 ++ (Large)
Score : 8.0 / 10

>> Damn ! What to say about Lindung Cah Fumak. It's probably my favorite Hakka dish, a must have on the table. I'm not a big fan of eel to be honest but when it's deep fried and sauteed together with Chinese red dates and Fumak veges...geeezzz... goodness is all painted all over my smiling chewing face. As a matter of fact, Angke cooks one of the best dish, perfect crunchy texture, together with the sweetness and the saltiness of the veges. A must have !

Menu : Udang Rebus Yamha
Price : Rp 160,000 ++ (Large)
Score : 8.0 / 10

>> A plate full of fresh steamed prawns with a generous amount of ginger, garlic and a touch of soy sauce just to balance everything. Loveee this one! Beware of the cholesterol though, might be troublesome for some of you guys but a hand full of these beauties on rare occasion shouldn't be a problem. This taste reminds me with the dish below; " Ayam Rebus ".

Menu : Ayam Rebus
Price : Rp 140,000 ++ (Large)
Score : 8.5 / 10

>> For the taste, I'll give a 8.0 over 10 but an extra half point goes to the small amount of bones in it. There wasn't much bones around the chicken meat and thus better value and more importantly easier to eat. You just need to pick it and chew it whole. The condiments poured all over is pretty much the same with Udang Yamha (Above) which are : lots of ginger, lots of garlic and a good drizzle of oil to glisten and moist everything up. Another must have dish in the heart of Hakka tradition !! *Note : There is another dish on the menu called "Ayam Garam", don't get mixed up.

Menu : Angsio Bakut
Price : Rp 180,000 ++ (Large)
Score : 7.0 / 10

>> This is basically pork ribs deep fried and sauteed with sweet and sour sauce. The size of each cut might look huge but bearing in mind the thick bones that are inside....not so big after all. The sauce was balanced, not as sweet as I thought or compared to "Babi Kuluyuk" (below). A better dish than Babi Kuluyuk I suppose.

Menu : Babi Kuluyuk
Price : Rp 100,000 ++ (Medium)
Score : 6.75 / 10

>> No bones in comparison to Angsio Bakut. But on general, the taste is pretty much similar. A good hit of sweetness coming from the tomato condiment and a kick of sour coming presumably from lemon or pineapple juice. I'm not a big fan of Babi kuluyuk but a lot of people are in fact.

Menu : Cingkong Kepiting Goreng
Price : Rp 108,000 ++ (Small)
Score : 6.0 / 10

>> Some of my friends looove this dish (you know who you are haha) but isn't the same case for me. It's just a seafood ball deep fried with a sweet and sour sauce on the side for dipping. Well it taste pretty much like a decent fish cake, but with a good amount of crab added to it. It's well made and definitely a good appetizer but when compared to the other dishes Angke got in store, I'll pass on this and leave more stomach room for the other dishes !

Menu : Bakmi Goreng Ulang Tahun
Price : RP 90,000 ++ (Medium)
Score : 6.0 / 10

>> Well...I like their 'bihun' much much more. But in the first place, I'm not a huge fan of fried noodles therefore I might be biased. Don't get me wrong, a lot of people love this dish and as a matter of fact I finished my bowl but just felt that their fried bihun is much tastier. I'd probably won't order this if it wasn't for my buddies' choice. But in general a good solid noodle dish.




Angke Restaurant
Jl. Zaenal Arifin (Ketapang Raya)
Komplek Ketapang Indah Jakarta Barat 14440
Phone : 021 - 634 3030

La Creperie

A new addition in Pantai Indah Kapuk! La Creperie is situated along the stretch of Ikkudo Ichi Ramen and in fact only a difference of only 2 or 3 stores from Ikkudo. Therefore, easy to locate. The concept of this restaurant is somehow fresh and unique amongst the densely populated store opened in the area. La Creperie basically sells crepes in both savory and sweet. 

The price ranges somewhat in the fifty thousand Rupiah and above (Rp 50K >). I personally don't mind forking sixty thousand for a plate of savory crepes but what concerns me is the fact that it's not tummy fulling. I need an additional sweet crepe to satisfy my mouth. I'm not sure whether I'm just a pig but I'm just a girl trying to speak out hahaha. Therefore bottom line; pretty well done concept in PIK area, sells only crepe base food both in savory and sweet, casually sailor theme decor and remind me of a slightly cheaper version of Kitchenette in Plaza Indonesia.

Menu : L' Eckmuhl
Price : Rp 53,000 ++
Score : 6.5 / 10

>> This is a savoury crepe made with gluten free buckwheat flour. On top of this thin crepe, there's french camembert cheese, bacon, potatoes, onions and served with a small portion of fresh salad at the side. The fillings were moderately generous and well seasoned. What I love best about this dish is the fact that the crepe is not thick, nor taste of raw flour. It's thin and has a plain taste that goes well with any toppings you choose as your dish. Overall, it's didn't 'wow' me, but suitable as a light lunch or brunch.

Menu : La Piano
Price : Rp 48,000 ++
Score : 6.75 / 10

>> This crepe is also made with gluten free buckwheat flour; basically an exact base with L' Eckmuhl. But instead the fillings are; smoked salmon, spinach, cream and top with half cooked egg that oozes when pierced with your fork. Again, it didn't 'wow' me as previous but well done in terms of overall specifications. *Sounds like a engine or a machine, hahahaha*. What gave this an extra 0.25 point above L' Eckmuhl is the smoked salmon itself. Pretty generous and combines harmoniously with the egg, spinach and cream. Keep it up ^_^ v.

Menu : La' Defi
Price : Rp 38,000 ++
Score : 7.5 / 10

>> My favorite among the 3 crepe that I ordered. On top of the thinly grilled crepe, there's sauteed caramelized banana, homemade salted caramel with chocolate ice cream. The salted caramel is the star of the dish, not only it is yummy, it's balanced with the sugar and the salt level. It ties up the dish together and will definitely have this again the next time I'm here. Yumm!!

La Creperie
Pantai Indah Kapuk 
(Next to Ikkudo Ichi Ramen)

Dessert Company

I didn't realise that Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) was lacking of a good dessert hang out place and when this eatery opened, I thought 'of course it make sense' After all, chocolates, strawberries, pancakes, milk and sugar can bring no harm. I very much welcomed this new addition, situated next to Bobbabits.

I like their concept of the store and I sincerely thought it was a good one. They serve mainly desserts, which covers the basic of what a bakery should sell. For example, cheesecake, chocolate lava cake, pana cotta, etc. They make their own ice cream and everything was claimed to be freshly made in the kitchen. Fresh equates to delicious in my brain. Next, they also pitch themselves into the 'bubble tea' society, but they made it more simple by explaining the variety of flavours and tea on the menu (rather than having a lot of things written on the board, hanging on the walls). They also provide a choice of snacks, nothing too major, but simpler menu like french fries, nachos, nuggets, etc.

Menu : DC Chocolate Lava Cake
Price : Rp 32,000 ++
Score : 6.0 / 10

>> What I'm about to say may sound strange to your ear but hear I go. This lava cake 'has toooo much' lava in the middle. I was actually surprise, due to the fact that there is too much choc oozing out, I couldn't have a taste of the sponge. There was thin layer of sponge and that's it. The overall taste gets too dense and heavy. I couldn't finish it. It was really chocolate overload.

Menu : Sticky Date Pudding

Price : Rp 30,000 ++

Score : 7.5 / 10

>> This is so much better than the choc lava cake above. I like this a mile more. The date inside was not only generous but also the sponge cake was very much moist and gooey. I like this and all it was missing was an extra spoon of butterscotch sauce and a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Turn on your favourite reality show, savor and relax !

Dessert Company (DC)

Pantai Indah Kapuk, besides Bobbabits.

Le Bistro

In the mood for love? Well... I am ! I'm not a romantic or too much of a drama queen but yes I would wanna celebrate Valentine's day. It's something every couple should make an effort to celebrate. I agree that every day should be a Valentine's day but splurging on that particular day makes it more special somehow, someway. So guys, buy your girl a bunch of flowers, take her to a dinner and open a bottle of wine. Have fun and savor the moments ^_^

 

Last night FW took me to this secluded French Restaurant called 'Le Bistro' at Gedung Jaya, not too far away from Plaza Indonesia. It was a beautiful place, a little bit cheesy as the fact there are hearts and a lot of pink everywhere; the table cloths, all of the waitresses wore pink, shapes of cut out papers in pink hanging from the chandeliers. In short, the place screams "Happy Valentine's Day" to you. 

 

Le bistro has that very intimate feeling. The service was good, the people makes a point to pay attention to you, makes you feel at ease, comes back to you every now and then  to add on, the entire atmosphere makes you feel at a real french home. The set menu dinner consists of a salad, a soup, a main course and lastly the dessert. How do I find the food? VERY VERY GOOD except for the dessert hahaha, here goes the reviews :

Menu : Fresh Salad

Score : 7.0 / 10

>> Fresh salad with king prawns, dressed in a creamy dressing. A good way to start a romantic dinner I suppose? The greens were fresh, king prawns were succulent and the creamy dressing wasn't too overpowering. A great combination, a good starter and this keeps you wanting for more.

Menu : French Onion Soup
Score : 7.5 / 10

>> Onion infused soup with parmesan grated bread on top. Very very much in love with this soup. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Onion Soup but this experienced might just turned me into one. Love the sweetness of the onion and the whole balance of the seasonings was just splendid. The touch of grated parmesan on top of a toasted bread became a good combination. Love it !

Menu : Tenderloin Steak
Score : 8.0 / 10

>> I asked for a medium and I got a perfect medium. Looove this piece of juicy steak. This menu is basically tenderloin pan fried, in creamy chopped mushroom sauce, with sauteed potatoes and string beans. Not to mention, the size given was a good portion, by the time I was half way cutting into this, my tummy was three quarter full. In short, will I want to come back and order this steak again? Answer is a definite yes !!!!

Menu : Lamb Rack
Score : 7.5 / 10

>> I didn't order as my main, FW had this. I tried his and must agree it delicious too !! I don't eat lamb nor goat because of the 'smell' that can be annoying to me but yesterday when I had a cut of his lamb, hmmm I enjoyed it ! This grilled lamb is coverd in honey, sprinkled with crushed almonds, sided by mint sauce, mashed potatoes and string beans. Those lamb lovers, I recommend you to try on this one !

Menu : Sauteed pears with ice cream
Score : 4.0 / 10

>> I was really looking forward to be blown away by the dessert because al of the food was top notch. But sadly to say, I was disappointed. This sauteed pears with ice cream wasn't good at all, probably only the canned cherry on top was rather forgiving. The pear taste raw to me and I'm pretty sure the ice cream was supermarket bought.

The bottle of Jacobs Creek cost RP 545,000 ++ and the set menu cost Rp 550,000 ++ for 2 person. The entire bill came down to around RP 1,300,000. But most importantly both FW and I enjoyed each other companion and found a new restaurant that serves good food with reasonable price tag.

Le Bistro (French Bistro, Piano & Bar)
Jl. MH Thamrin Kav 1 - 2
Phone : 021 - 3909249

Sumiya - Revisit

This review is actually a revisit to this place. I did a post on Sumiya on the 16th October 2012 and thus if you have the extra curiosity on this restaurant, scroll your arrow to the left margin and find it under 'Previous Burps'.

This hidden gem is situated at Senayan Trade Centre (exactly beside Plaza Senayan) contained pretty much the same crowd as my previous visit. Filled with Japanese ex-pats having bottles of sake and of course a minority of Indonesian families. I came at around 9.30 pm and the place was still hassling and bustling with chatters and laughter.  Both the essential factor of telling that they must be enjoying their food !!!

Menu : Momomi
Price : Rp 15,000 ++ / Per Stick
Score : 7.0 / 10

>> This is your usual chicken yakitori or better as known 'chicken skewers'. It has the right amount of char, yet still maintaining the juiciness of the meat. As for the sauce, they kept it fairly simple, light soy sauce and light drizzle of oil which made the real taste of the chicken meat to pop in your mouth. Easy to gobble down 10 sticks with a bottle of beer. Good stuff !

Menu : Kara Kara Nabe
Price : Rp 85,000 ++
Score : 8.5 / 10

>> I made a review on this same dish on my previous post. This soup is something that I wouldn't want to miss. Definitely in tune with my palate. This picture on the left is already been scoop and poured onto individual bowls. The real thing comes in hotpot, piping hot, and serves for 3 adults. I shared this only between 2 people, so yeaahh go figure my big tummy in addition to the other Ala-cartes. This is the closest super good tasting soup to the one I had over at 'Gyu Kaku'. Very good balance of spices and herbs, packed full of ingredients too. Multiple meatballs, tofu with a generous amount of vegetables, sums up to a fulfilling bowl of soup.

Menu : Shake Kaibashira Ishiyaki Meishi
Price : Rp 73,000 ++
Score : 8.0 / 10

>> This is a salmon and scallop rice placed in a hotpot. A very very yummy dish, the fact it sits on the sizzling hotpot gave the rice a slight burnt base which translate to YUMMY !!! That crunchy salty bit gave a different texture and adds a new dimension upon chewing the rice. It's difficult to explain and I guess you need to order one and see if we connects hahaha. As for the seasoning ... spot on !!!

Menu : Chicken Teriyaki
Price : Rp 48,000 ++
Score : 7.0 / 10

>> Not a disappointment at all but maybe slightly under perform in comparison to the other dishes. Nevertheless, a good balance of sauce; the saltiness and the sweetness kicks and love the viscosity of the teriyaki sauce. It's turning more like a sticky paste and that actually covers and hold on to every meat and vegetables instead of the plate.

Menu : Crab Cream Korokke
Price : To be advise
Score : 6.0 / 10

>> I'm sorry, I didn't took notice on the pricing, I slipped up. As for the taste, slightly disappointing for me. The rest of the dish was 'WOW' on top of 'OMG' and thus I expect too much on every dish that arrive on the table. This was fairly okay, the taste was alright but what bothers me was the cream inside, it was tooooo 'milky and eggy' as a filling.





Sumiya Japanese Restaurant
STC , Senayan IT Mall Ground Floor 128
Jl. Asia Afrika Pintu IX, Senayan
Phone : 021 - 5793 1826

A Brand New Year - 2013

What I got from the blind gift exchanging

Hi readers!! How did your X'mas and New Year celebration went? Good times I'm sure! I had a great time with my family and friends. Ate so much during X'mas feast that actually falls exactly the same date with my Grandma's 75th birthday. We all gathered up and had a traditional 'Hakka' food festival at her house. Then not forgetting my bundle of friends, we had a solid dinner at 'Nutmeg', Kemang Jakarta Selatan and follow by partying after that. 

As for new year, I went to Bali for a week, had soooo much food that I'm pretty sure I gained at least 3 to 4 Kilos (which is AAaaallllooooootttttt for females). I now fear to get on my weighing scale and waiting to loose it all first and then only stepping on the digital scale *fear fear fear*. UUgghhh....

But nevertheless I had a good ending week in December and a great opening week this month of January and therefore nothing to complain about :) I'll definitely be active on my blog this year and thus hopefully you'll bear with me and be my faithful companion. Come back soon for my first post on food !!! *Bookmark this page www.trythismenu.com* hahaha ^_^