Toscana

Do you all miss an Italian? It's been quite long time I didn't post any Italian food.. When I said an Italian here, I mean a TRUE Italian cuisine:).. And finally we found one, Toscana in Kemang..

An Italian cuisine = expensive? We've been here twice and trust me guys, you can enjoy a fine dining experience with an affordable price.. This is the best deal for a true Italian cuisine.. Let's check it out...


The inside of the restaurant looks pretty fancy, with its high ceiling and beautiful brick walls, the place is perfect for romantic or casual dining..


The restaurant was modest and cozy with dim lighting, this really gives an unpretentious and warm ambiance..


The bar area is filled with bottles of the restaurant's extensive wine collection..



Like any other Italian restaurant, basket of bread was served after we've been seated.. Fresh and warm Italian breads, nice..


On the 1st visit, E was in the mood for some soup so he tried their Zuppa Di Fungi (16K), a mushroom cream soup.. The soup was not overly creamy and this was a hearty start for our dinner..


For the pasta we shared Spaghetti Matriciana (37K), spaghetti stirred in matriciana sauce with a choice of smoked beef or bacon.. For this we choosed bacon, the mixture of bacon with spaghetti always worked so well..


We didn't forget the pizza, we opted their signature one Toscana Pizza (65K), topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms, olives, smoked chicken, egg.. We completely satisfied with this one..

There are still a few dishes on the menu which we wanted to try out, so we made it the second visit..


This time we ordered two pastas, E opted Fettuccine Con Sugo Di Polpette (40K). Huaahh complicated name yaa.. Basically it's a fettuccine with duck and chicken meatballs stirred in tomato base sauce and mozarella.. The pasta was cooked just right and the sauce was sweet, tangy, and spicy..


As for me, I ordered Ravioli Di Carne Al Pomodoro (46K), a meat stuffing ravioli in tomato and basilicium sauce topped with cheese.. They serve a generous dollop of the meat filling on each ravioli, and it goes well with tangy tomato sauce..


And we're tempted to try their new pizza menu, Diavola (65K), it's a pizza topped with tomato, mozzarella, parmesan, cooked ham, peperoni salami, and hot jalapeno.. And I asked to add some mushrooms on it.. They are really good with the pizza, it's a wood baked pizza so no wonder the texture is soft and moist..

Aaahhh we're very satisfied for both our dinners.. Here we can enjoy a good authentic Italian cuisine, friendly service, superb ambiance, and most importantly the prices are not cut-throat.. Toscana totally win our heart hehe..


Toscana
Jl. Kemang Raya No. 120
South Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 7181216/17

Red Tomato

We often walk passed this Red Tomato in Plaza Indonesia, but had never try it before.. We were curious to try as they claimed to serve a low cholesterol dish and use olive oil only.. Here it is, a healthy Italian food..


The inside of the restaurant looks pretty colorful yet minimalist, with tomatoes decor on roof..


With an open kitchen concept, we can watch the chef prepare our meals..

We were not in the mood for pizza that nite, so we got pasta for dinner..


I was into spicy food mood, so I ordered Penne Arabiata (41K). It's pretty simple, but the mix of mushroom and pasta always worked so well for me, with the fresh and hot tomato sauce made the dish turned out tasting good..


While E opted Pollo Spaghetti Cream Sauce (49K), pan fried breast chicken served with spaghetti tossed in creamy sauce.. The cream sauce was just right and the chicken was freshly fried.. This dish was good but not fantastic..

It was a simple dinner, and the food here was decent but "nothing to shout about'..


Red Tomato
Plaza Indonesia Unit LB #61
Jl. M. H. Thamrin Kav. 28-30
Central Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 31900386

Izzi Pizza

I love pizza.. I love pasta.. Basically I love Italian foods.. This Italian food chains restaurant has opened in Jakarta quite long, but this is my first visit it to try haha.. Izzi Pizza..


The menu here offers pizzas, pastas, and there is an extensive range of Asian foods such as; tom yum soup, fried rice, kway teow, and others .. A glimpse through the menu, we were impressed with their some choice of east meets west dishes..


The restaurant is beautifully decorated with a modern contemporary feel..


The bright colour and comfy seating make it easy to relax a while and enjoy the meals.. Seems like we were early for dinner, the place still empty..


The ambiance is simple accompanied with stylist opened kitchen..


For the appetizer, we ordered Izzi Dough Balls (18K), 6 pieces of small balls of dough served with a dollop of garlic butter.. The dough balls were soft and chewy when they're still warm, and it's getting harder when it cold..


We decided to go with something lite and healthy for the pasta, Fettuccine with Caysim Mushroom (48K), the fettuccine was nicely tossed with olive oil, garlic, fresh caysim, and mushroom.. It looks like a mess, but it tasted not bad tho and it's very good for you who want to keep your diet hehe..


As for the pizza, we opted the Obama Pizza - regular (66K) and this is what we called east meets west menu, it came up with the topping of chicken rendang, mozarella cheese, red capsicum, and sauteed onions on it.. Haha yup the name is picked up from Obama as in US President, because this Izzi Pizza located in Menteng area where President Obama spent his childhood..

I though the food was only alright, but if you a fan of thin crust pizza and love an Asian taste, you can try out this place..


Izzi Pizza
Jl. HOS. Cokroaminoto 122
Menteng
Central Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 3147220

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

FJ Brasserie [Closed]

It's almost a year since our last visit to FJ Brasserie.. FJ Brasserie is not a formal restaurant but a casual sort of restaurant.. And as I remembered they only serve Italian foods, but now I notice some Asian foods in their menu..


Although it's been so long since our last visit, but the decor remained roughly the same, which is clean, white, minimalist with some simple chandeliers..


The tables are spaced well apart so there is much privacy which make this place ideal for romantic dinner..


After browsing through the menu, we decided to share one homemade pasta and one pizza..

Although it's only several selections of pizza, but it make us confused to choose between Cajun Sausage or Pepperoni one.. Luckily, the waiter said we can combine those two flavors in one pizza with the same price..


Yeaahh so we got this Mixed Cajun Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza (76K), cajun sausage on the left side and pepperoni on the right.. These two flavors are nice, but I really love their cajun sausage.. And the pizza base also thin and soft, perfecto!


Next, we opted Cannelloni (81K), a stuffed chicken and mushroom in cannelloni shell served with white sauce and delicate tomato sauce..


They're generous with the filling and the homemade cannelloni shell was thin.. This really a great combination of tomato sauce, white sauce, and cheese.. Mmm yummy..

Well, I enjoyed the dinner and very satisfied with the foods.. Although the price may be on the high side, but it's worthed for me since they have a real good Italian foods here..


FJ Brasserie
Menara Rajawali, Ground Floor
Jl. Mega Kuningan Lot #5-1
Kawasan Mega Kuningan
South Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 5761601

Pizza Marzano

Every time I walk passed Pizza Marzano in Grand Indonesia, I keep asking E to eat here someday.. And finally, last week E took me to Pizza Marzano.. I saw Pizza Marzano is popular among locals, foreigners, and also families..


Simple and spacious dining area, designed to feel casual, relaxed, and warm ambiance.. It has very clean look, neat with white marble dining tables..


Cushioned sofas which are cozy comfort for the patrons..


All pizzas are freshly baked in their open kitchen..


The drinks, Hot Dilmah Chamomile Tea (20K) and Iced Lemon Tea (20K).

As usual since it was only 2 of us, it was hard to order many variants pasta and pizza, so we just ordered one pizza and one pasta to share..


For the pizza, we had American Pollo Pizza (67K), chicken and pepperoni on the thin pizza base.. True to the menu description, the pizza was freshly baked and thinly crusted, but not too crispy though, its just rite for my liking.. And the generous servings of chicken chunks, pepperoni, and cheese made a pizza such a refreshing delight.. Mmm we really enjoyed it..


And for the pasta, we choose Fusilli Pollo alla Genovese (58K), fusilli with chicken in pesto oil sauce and served with baked dough balls.. I love these baked dough balls, soft, warm, and so delicate.. Each fusili cooked to a perfect bite and look the pesto sauce is fully coated over the fusili.. Simple and oh so delicious..

Great stuff here.. Really worth going..


Pizza Marzano
Grand Indonesia - West Mall LG Floor
Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 1
Central Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 23580150

Pizza e Birra - revisit

Nothing new here, I just revisited some of my fave restaurants.. We've fell in luv with Pizza e Birra since our 1st visit, and have been their frequent customers ever since.. This time we came back with two of our friends..

When we returned to one place, we always order our fave dish and also wanna try something new on the menu.. And this time I found several new dishes on their menu since my last visit..

So let's check out what foods we had that nite..


Do you want pasta or pizza? How about both? Try this Big Papi Pizza - Regular (49K), parpadelle pasta on pizza with tomato mushroom sauce.. The parpadelle was cooked just right and the tomato sauce tasted fresh.. Mmm a good match..


Here you go, my favorite one Wakey Wakey Pizza - Regular (49K), pizza with scrambled egg and turkish meatballs on top.. I love both the eggs and meatballs.. Such a unique and nice topping for pizza..


And this is their new pasta menu, Penne Spinach Pesto with Crispy Chicken (65K), penne and spinach sauteed in pesto sauce served with crispy fried chicken.. It was tasty but nothing outstanding for me..

The dinner without dessert is not complete yet, right? hehe..


Of course I wouldn't skip my fave dessert here, The Black Eyed Pears Pizza - Small (25K), chocolate pudding and pears topped on pizza with a scoop Vanilla Ice Cream (15K).. As always, it was superb..


But we also curious to try their new dessert pizza, Oreo Cheesecake Pizza - Small (25K), sweet pizza base topped with cream cheese and oreo crushed.. It's really good, its like having cheesecake on pizza, a lovely combination.. But I still prefer the Black Eyed Pears one..This is more chocolate, the best choice for chocolate lover..

Still.. They have many dishes on menu, that we haven't try yet.. So, see yaa next time Pizza e Birra hehe..


Pizza e Birra
Plaza Indonesia Extension
5th Floor, Unit E 22
Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav. 28-30
Central Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 31928070

Puro Ristorante e Bar

Explored something new again. This time, we tried Puro Ristorante, Italian Restaurant in City Plaza which is the same place and still under the same management too with Blowfish..


I heard before from my friends that food here is really expensive, but now they have launched their new "Recession Bailout Menu", which is come with more affordable price..


The place is spacious and the interior is so white, they set up with an open kitchen concept..


The decor is elegant but not overdone, making this place stylist with a hint of coziness at the same time.. A nice place to hang out with friends or for your romantic dinner..


I love their complimentary Italian bread, the bread goes well with all their dips.. Nice texture of bread and absorbs the dip very well.. Mmm so delicate, nice starter..


The description on menu really tantalized me, and I confused to choose what is the best.. So the waiter suggested us this Salsiccia Bitz Pizza (65K), sauteed bell peppers, mushroom, beef sausage, and spicy salami on it.. This is one of their fave pizza.. The topping was complete enough and tasted good too..


Get bored with spaghetti and fettuccine, so we ordered this Tortellini Panna Piselli e Tacchino (49K), it's a turkey tortellini with peas and bacon in creamy sauce.. It was delicious, the sauce was nice and mild.. If you like creamy pasta, try this one..

Definitely a good place to dine in for Italian cuisine.. Their service was fine too, with the waitress very attentive to your every need.. And for the price is reasonable and more affordable now.. We wouldn't mind coming here again, to try their other dishes next time..


Puro Ristorante e Bar
City Plaza at Wisma Mulia, Suite UG 06
Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto No. 42
South Jakarta
Tel. (62 21) 52971234