Loewy - revisit

We've been to Loewy before for a dinner, but we never try their brunch.. Yup.. It was a lovely brunch @ Loewy.. We are not always have a time for brunch, but we really enjoy the brunch menu sometime..


The interior of the bistro with its high ceiling and beautiful white brick walls was designed to bring a New York style bistro atmosphere.. Such a nice ambiance to enjoy your meals..


We promptly seated at this gorgeous little terrace by overlooking the building's front yard..


It was really refreshing to start your day with a glass of fresh juice.. This was a Guava Juice (20K), this is the real 100% juice made from guava..


I was prefer something sweets for my brunch, so this Pancake (65K) would be a great choice, I choosed blueberry pancakes which came with maple syrup, sausage and fresh fruits.. There are three choices of pancakes that you can choose; plain, blueberry, or dark chocolate chips.. Not only that, you also can choose either sausage or bacon.. It was simple and such an enjoyable meal..


And E opted a complete 2 Eggs Any Style Breakfast Menu (40K), 2 scrambled organic eggs comes with sausage, hash brown, and whole wheat toast.. Yup, you can choose any style of egg you like; fried sunny side up, hard boiled or soft, scrambled or poached.. And do you like sausage or beef bacon? It's all your choice.. The dish was fulfilling, E said the sausage was great and he enjoyed the rest as well..

Maybe some people would say that the price here is pricey, but we would say, quality comes with a price rite? hehe..I definitely recommend the brunch lovers to check out this place..


LOEWY
Shopping Arcade @ Oakwood
Premier Cozmo Ground Floor North
Jl. Lingkar Mega Kuningan
South Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 25542378

The Taste Resto

This time I would be introducing the local food which I had a last week at Grand Indonesia.. Again?? Yup, Grand Indonesia has been one of my fave mall in Jakarta.. The Taste Resto serves an Indonesian cuisine and it's originated from Bandung..


The place is so simple, bright and comfy enough to enjoy your meals..


We very excited to try this Indo Sushi (27K), five pieces of sushi that comes with different Indonesian dish on it.. There are sushi with tempe, sushi with floss and topped with kremesan/crispy batter, and sushi with spicy chicken liver.. We never find a sushi with an Indonesian taste before.. Apparently, the taste is not as special as it looked.. It was so so only, the sushi was made from ordinary rice..


Tempeh Penyet - Smashed Tempeh (9K), two pieces of deep fried tempeh/soybean cake flatten and topped with some chili..


I ordered Mie Tek Tek Rebus (28K), an Indonesian noodle with tomato, veggies, shredded chicken stewed in some spices topped with tapioca crackers and fried shallots served on mini wok pan.. The dish was slightly soupy, a bit spicy with a hint of sweetness, it brought out the best of both flavors..


And E was craved for rice dishes.. So he ordered Nasi Langgi (35K), a warm rice packed in small cone shape served with empal (fried beef), tempeh orek, shredded omelette, beef floss, chili potato chips, and belacan/shrimp paste chili.. It looked nice yaa and the tasted good too..

The foods here is pretty palatable and the price is also affordable.. It's quite a decent place to satisfy your Indonesian foods cravings..


The Taste Resto
Grand Indonesia - West Mall 5th Fl. MD 2 No. 3
Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 1
Central Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 23580513

WARAKU Japanese Casual Dining

We were walking around in Grand Indonesia and found this newly opened Japanese restaurant Waraku.. Watching how people streamed in this restaurant, we couldn't help it but curious..


Attractive food replicas display in front of the restaurant.. Really makes me droll.. ^_^


The interior is casual and it gives a warm & friendly ambiance here..


The other side of restaurant..


There is a wide array of Japanese foods here, So many different dishes to sample..

So what we ordered here..


We got Potato Mochi Cheese (33K).. The name itself tempted us to try, you can taste the cheese in every bite of deep-fried potato.. It had a delicious crispy outside but the inside remained moist and chewy, tasted nice but the only fall back is too oily..


Tonpei-yaki (29.8K), stir-fried sliced beef with shredded Japanese white cabbage covered in soft golden omelette and dressed in generous okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise.. It's a mix of subtle sweetness and saltiness, and the portions was enough for sharing..


What a generous filling.. Mixed all shredded fresh cabbage with all ingredients.. Nyum nyum..


And decided to try the large potion of Mapo Tofu Udon (57.8K).. Mmm the aroma was absolutely captivating.. The bowl is real big, though the noodles only filled half of it, but it quite fulfilling dish..


It was not spicy enough for me so just put a dash of chili powder to boost the taste..

Feel satisfied with our first visit and still curious to try their other dishes.. So here it is, our second visit..


We started with Dashimaki (22.8K), it's a thick tamagoyaki or Japanese type omelette.. It had a soft texture which blended in the saltiness and sweetness of dashi stock..

That nite we decided to order two types udon dish in small portion..


E ordered Hotate Cream Udon (57K), a creamy soup udon with hotate (scallops).. I gave it a few sips.. Mmm the cream cheese sauce is light but it's very cheesy & tasty and the succulent scallops are also fresh..


We savoured every thick chewy stand of udon covered with a luscious creamy cheese sauce.. Yummy..


As for me, I ordered Tori Tamagotoji Udon (38.8K), the thick and smooth udon noodles comes with eggs poured in clear soup.. Ever so ordinary looking, the soup was pleasant.. The ingredients were simple but fresh..


And it was a comforting slurp for me..

This Waraku restaurant is different from Pasta de Waraku.. If you looking for regular Japanese cuisines this Waraku is the best choice, but if you like a fusion Italian-Japanese cuisines go with Pasta de Waraku.. Yup there are still a few dishes on the menu like okonomiyaki and takoyaki which we want to try, but unfortunately they run out of stock that nite.. So maybe on our next visit hehe.. We've been to this place for two times and we don't mind going back again..^_^


WARAKU Japanese Casual Dining
Grand Indonesia - Sky Bridge 3A Floor FD 1-10
Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 1
Tel. (62 21) 23581188

FJ Bistro

We're really satisfied with our dinner a couple months ago in FJ Brasserie and after the visit we found out that they have two others restaurant one is FJ Rotisserie in Dharmawangsa area and the other is FJ Bistro in Kemang area.. This time we tried FJ Bistro first and FJ Rotisserie maybe in some other time..


The restaurant is placed behind their boutique, unfortunately the boutique was closed already when we arrived.. The concept is really very simple, a cozy restaurant with a minimalist approach..


The interior is stark, spacious and lofty dominated by white and... Tables are arranged in a good distance apart for dining and your conversation privacy.. With an open kitchen concept we can see their pizza grill, which I believe it's actually not a wood fire but it still can baked a perfect pizza crust..


They also have a sizeable and nice outdoor seating area to enjoy your tea time and indulge yourself with some cakes and pastry from their deli..


And here it is their deli, they serve assorted homemade cakes, breads, and cookies which is really nice to go with your tea..

This cozy restaurant serves a contemporary Italian cuisine..


Of course the Italian meal always begin with a basket of breads served with butter..

We always has a pasta and pizza for Italian dinner, so no different this time..


When we had a dinner in FJ Bistro, we really like their spicy cajun sausage on pizza, so this time we try it on pasta.. We ordered Spicy Cajun Beef Sausage Fettuccine (90K), a homemade fettuccine sauteed with spicy cajun beef sausage and chili pickles in a light olive oil and white wine.. Tasted like we expected, the cajun sausage is crunchy, juicy, and full of spice.. The dish was light and flavourful, and the fettuccine was cooked to a perfect bite.. Mmm loved it..


On the menu they have several toppings for pizza that we interested to and we can't decide which one the most delicate pizza topping.. So we asked the waiter to combine all four topping that we like to try hehe.. So here it is we had the Mixed Pizza (90K), it's a combined of four toppings; Hawaiian Pizza, Pollo Con Fruitti di Fungi Pizza, Jalapenos Pizza which is come with a really spicy jalapenos chili, and Prosciutto & Cherry Tomato Pizza.. It's really nice, each topping came with two slices.. I liked the pizza crust was thin but not too cracker-like and they quite generous with the topping.. The cheese and tomato was in perfect balance..

It was a very satisfactory dinner, the pasta and pizza were beyond our expectation.. The price might be on the high side, but I think its worth it due to the excellent service and great food taste using quality ingredients.. And the place is really perfect to impress your dates..


FJ Bistro & Deli
Jl. Kemang Raya No. 25
South Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 7182736

Hacienda

Yeayy something new here.. This is the first time we try an authentic Mexican cuisine in Jakarta, because it's quite rare to find a Mexican restaurant here..


Hacienda is the most authentic Mexican restaurant I found in Jakarta, located in Plaza Senayan Arcadia..


The ambiance here is really outstanding.. It was dimly lit and the layout was nice.. Once you step into this restaurant, you can really feel the warm Mexican ambiance..


The bar is a good place to enjoy your fave Mexican drink and to wait while waiting for your table..


And small lounge area right in front the bar.. Its decorated with some Mexican paintings hanging on the wall..


Move to their dining area.. The decoration is simple yet elegant, surrounded by glasses all over the dining area with wooden dining tables, comfortable sofas, and romantic dimmed lightnings really make the place suitable for just hanging out with friends or romantic couple dinners too..

Back to the food, so what we had here..


This was a one nice compliment, a big basket of Tortilla Chips that were accompanied by salsa dip to kick start our taste buds.. How can you eat in a Mexican restaurant without trying their salsa rite?


A non-alcoholic Shirley Temple (25K) for the drink.. It's a mix of lemon-lime, soda, grenadine with a touch of touch of cherry.. Tasted sweet and refreshing..


E had a Beef Burritos (79K), it's a huge burrito filled with lots of beef, cheese, rice, bean and salsa, then covered with tomato sauce and melted cheese.. The filling was well seasoned, the rice was subtly flavored, while the salsa and bean was just right.. I must say that this burrito was quite fulfilling dish, packed with flavor and delicious.. The filling was well seasoned..


I went with a much more simpler dish, a Chicken Quesadillas (59K), a grilled flour tortilla filled it up with cheese and grilled chicken breast served with trio of dips, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.. It grilled until the cheese has melt and glued the tortilla together in a supremely rich taste.. I love the tortilla's texture and the chicken meat was tender and tasty, it's very nice..

I think Hacienda has made us impress, they are success in serving a good authentic Mexican foods with a great taste and a high quality ingredients..We were very satisfied with the foods, services, and of course the ambiance here.. It's not a usual ambiance you can get in every restaurant in Jakarta.. Really a nice place to visit..


Hacienda Mexican Bar and Grill
Plaza Senayan Arcadia Unit X-105
Jl. New Delhi No. 9 Pintu I Senayan
South Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 57901444

Blue Elephant

Looking for a spicy food, we decided to go for Thai cuisine this time.. We stopped by at The Blue Elephant restaurant in FX.. Since we haven't try this restaurant yet, so we decided to check this place out..


The place is small yet comfy, and they also have an outdoor balcony dining area..


We ordered a Kratong Thong (19.5K) to start our dinner.. It is a lightly crispy golden shells filled with savory minced beef fillings.. The shells was so crunchy that you can hear the crackly bite and the filling was quite tasty.. This dish is one of popular Thai appetizer, it's like a kueh pie tee we ate in peranakan dishes..


And surely I opted Pad Thai (39.5K), my fave Thai food.. It's a Thai stir fried rice noodle with bean sprout, egg, tofu, and ground peanut.. Tasted decent, it has a sweet, spicy, and tangy flavor on it.. Like it..


E craved something soupy that nite, so he ordered Spicy Beef Noodle (39.5K), a smooth, slippery fine rice noodle/kway teow served with meat balls and sliced beef in savory beef soup..


It's a simple dish but flavourful soup..At first, E thought the portion moght not be enough, but turned out to be just nice..

Overall the dinner was quite fulfilling, the food here is just OK.. Blue Elephant serves a decent Thai cuisine at reasonable price..


Blue Elephant
Plaza FX, F2 No.3
Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Pintu 1 Senayan
South Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 25554021

Tian Xi

Tian Xi is a Chinese restaurant situated in Senayan City shopping mall, and this restaurant is run by the same management like The Red Duck Restaurant in FX..


The place was a typical Chinese restaurant, spacious yet comfy dining area..


Simple and modern interior style..


The food here is quite various, they have some dim sum selections, single dish menu, and also complimentary dishes.. But that nite I was not really in the mood for dim sum..


But E was curious with this Otak-otak Fried Cheong Fun with XO Sauce (16K) from their dim sum selections.. It's a pan fried cheong fun filled with otak-otak and topped with fried salty fish.. Otak-otak is like a fish cake with a mix of spices.. Actually the dish came out pretty well, the otak-otak was a bit spicy and fragrant..


Not to forget the greens.. We ordered Belacan Water Spinach - Kangkung Terasi (35K), water spinach stir-fried with a shrimp paste/belacan.. It was a slightly spicy, pungent, and fragrant, the water spinach was also crunchy and fresh..


Hmm What is this? Haha it looks nice yaa.. It's a Tian Xi Fried Tofu (42K), a homemade tofu bowl stuffed with stirred seafood and braised in starch thickened oyster sauce.. I think this is one of their special menu, and the dish has a unique appearance..


Open up and see a generous ingredients inside the tofu bowl.. It's a stirred mix seafood and mushroom and carrot.. The tofu has a very smooth texture, and the seafood inside was nicely stir-fried and fresh.. Definitely, the best dish of the dinner this time..


We also shared Sliced Beef and Fish Congee (45K) and of course what's best to match it with is a Fried Cruller/Cakwe (5K).. The congee was boiled till soft and fine, the beef and fish was cooked with congee gives a sweet and flavorsome dish..

All in all, we had a nice dinner in Tian Xi.. Tian Xi restaurant serves a decent range of dim sum and Chinese foods for fairly decent price.. It's good to try..


Tian Xi
Senayan City, LG Floor #06-08
Jl. Asia Afrika Lot. 19
South Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 72781532