Monday, January 28, 2013

The Cafe at Pistos (Gunawarman) : Sandwich Coffee Breakfast



"Life is like a sandwich. You have to fill in the best ingredients."

Any of you are heavy fans of sandwich? I was, but not any more. It was one of my staple food back in my Sydney years along with sushi rolls and kebabs. They are convenient, good to go meal especially if you're mobile and always catching up buses and trains.

Different city, different treatment. In Jakarta, there's not much going on in the sandwich world. That's what I thought, until few weeks ago, two female Sydneysiders forced me to think of a culinary trip consisting only ... sandwich.

I Googled, blogwalked, tweeted for recommendations. While I was at that, we bump into this small joint on the street of Senopati, not far from the KFC. Two hipster / designer looking guys were in front and heck we might as well check it out. Turns out it is new and 3/4 of the real estate was resorted for jewelry display. The rest is this cafe. It is not more than five tables, a display and a counter.

The menu is dominated with sandwich selections. What a coincidence! And they are not cheap, ranging from IDR 59 - 70k.  With such confidence in pricing, they gotta be good, I said to myself. But you know what? It wasn't really worth the premium price we paid.

The Ruby Sandwich (Ehm, not a very smart way to choose a menu eh? XD ) 

Something with egg and tuna and friends. 



My salmon wasabi sandwich arrived with no smell, taste, or hint of that japanese green spicy thing at all. Other than the fresh veggies and salmon, there was nothing worth mentioning. The bread appears grilled but no warmth and no appealing crunchy texture that I look for. My friends' piece was equally disappointing. One of them took two bites and simply didn't want to pursue it further. She is the hardcore sandwich fans and eats sandwich religiously. I trust her taste. But I guess, we weren't lucky enough to find the one that could live up to the quote above. The search goes on though. I'll keep you updated.

WTF Prices for a handful of sandwich.


We have no idea what Pistos means but one thing for sure, we left Pissedoff alright. I should've known. Who sell jewelry and sandwich at the same time? Pfft.

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Photographer & Conversationalist

Munch on my tweets @Wanderbites ;)

---
The Cafe at Pistos
Jl. Gunawarman
(Not far from Turkuaz) 
Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan

20 comments:

  1. What kind of camera that you use? .-.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The kind that's heavy, you know with changeable lens, and and and digital you knoww.

      Delete
    2. Haha, I'm just messing with ya. I use a 7D, Canon. ;)

      Delete
  2. Hmm bummer. I thought the tuna sandwich looks really mouth-watering. But reviews are much more legit.

    Cheers from Jakarta,
    Putri Soe

    SUPERNICE -- win Blackberry Davis in my #giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well since they are new, a problem with consistency is quite common. You could try and give it a benefit of a doubt. Then let me know how it goes. ;)

      Delete
  3. itu tuna nya masih mentah yaaa ?????

    ReplyDelete
  4. And what lens that you use? .-.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, sorry it took me a while to get back at ya. I use only 50mm f/1.4. Hey, if you're that interested, I'm doing a workshop probably next month. I can share more there. ;)

      Delete
  5. Bread's thickness + quality doesn't look as promising either ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Stacia. You can tell from the bread thickness? Man, you're good.

      Delete
  6. This is what happens when rich people starts up an eatery business as a side business mainly because they think the food industry has a very high profit margin. So they just find a chef from somewhere, open up a fancy looking place, and then charge you cut-throat fees for sub-par food.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If there's an award for most truthful comment, I'd give you one.

      I suppose its the similar thing that happens in PIK. Most of the eateries are selling ambiance. I find the ones that stood out usually has owners that passionate in food. The rest is exactly like you said.

      Delete
    2. I think such an award is more deserving to those who can explain what's wrong with our society that makes these blood-sucking assholes eager to enter the food business, secure in the knowledge that the Indonesian consumers are merely orally-fixated imbeciles clueless what good food should taste like and how much it should cost. So what's wrong with us that we are encouraging people to sucker us?!

      Delete
  7. This review saves me from going there! I actually thought of trying this out, since I pass their resto every weekday on my way to the office.

    For 59k you better walk straight ahead and have a feast at Saung Galuh/Ayam Bakar Tulang Lunak Hayamwuruk, lol

    Thanks Rubs!

    ReplyDelete
  8. what a price for bummer sandwiches! I used to eat salmon sandwich at Doubledekker (Citos). The bread itself was great, fresh salmon and crisp veggies. The place is closed but you can have equally yummy sandwich at Pandor (Wijaya Street) for 60-70K. Pandor itself is quite a name in South Jakarta.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Noted. I'll check out Pandor. Wijaya is just a few minutes from here. ;)

      Delete
  9. Hi folks, i have been going to that place since it's open. I go there pretty often and get their deliveries also. I know their menu by hard surely as they hand out delivery menu for the customers. They dont have anything tuna so i dont know what the fuss is all about. I love their coffee, ba'chang and the sandwiches are good. Their price is reasonable around 60-70 thousand.

    ReplyDelete

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