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 ;)

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

Nasi Campur Kenanga Wijaya : Pork In South Jakarta

When I tweeted this particular Nasi Campur some time ago, a fellow foodie, Aris mentioned that he doesn't trust nasi campur that resides in places other than North & West Jakarta. I have to agree with him to a certain extent. The reason is pretty obvious, both area probably has the strongest population of pork-eating Indonesians. As a result, there are more Chinese cuisines available and more authentic too.

However, I beg to differ on this one. Kenanga, located in Grand Wijaya Centre, Kebayoran Baru is an oasis of pork in South Jakarta. I trust the taste of the elderly in the photos below. Man, their tongue must have tasted more delectable food than me, and especially Chinese culinary for that matter. If they come here, there must be something good about this place. 

Here, you can choose either rice, noodle, or bihun as the base. You can also custom order the different variation of pork that suits your taste buds the best. There's pork satay, chasiu, roasted pork, gohiong, siewmay, and pig ear. 

Nasi Campur Kenanga (IDR 35k)

Its a meaty affair in one plate. However, I must say the roasted pork tasted best among others. Thick juicy cut with a crispy fat skin. Phew! I mean, you can find a better chasiu or siewmay some place else, but I'd definitely comeback just for the roasted pork. See? The elderly are right. 

Trivial questions must be running in your head whether it is the same with Nasi Campur Putri / Putra Kenanga that is more commonly available in malls. In a quick glance, the ingredients are quite similar, but from the look of it, they are of different management. Judging from the old building that houses Kenanga, I have a feel that this place is the genesis of the appropriately named daughters and sons of Kenanga. Coincidence? 

In short, if you're around the area and curiously starving for pork delicacy. This is one possible options, aside from Kacamata that's just a block away.

My fellow demographic from the North and the West, let me tell you that there's another world out there other than your current comfort zone. Explore! 

Cheers from the guy who sacrifice getting fat to fulfill your curiosity for good food, 

Fellexandro Ruby

Food Photographer / Storyteller

I tweet more pork and whatnot @Wanderbites. Keep the conversation going! 

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Nasi Campur Kenanga

Grand Wijaya Center 

Blok F No. 19

Twitter: @KedaiKenanga

Taipan WTC Mangga Dua : You Can't Get Anymore Chinese Than This!

Its holiday, as usual, this particular Chinese Jakartans family has nothing planned. Yeas, they are the laid back ones, hiding beneath excuses of "this is the best time of the year to enjoy trafficless Jakarta." Their typical vacation include a major amount of lazying around in bed and extra dose of TV hours. The only time they exercise their brain is to answer this question:

Where to eat? What's for lunch? What's good for dinner? And many other variations of that.

Of course there's heavy amount of exaggeration, but you get the idea. Welcome to my demographic! Indonesian born and raised Chinese. That means 300 out of 365 days in a year we enjoy most Indonesian & Chinese food as our mother flavor. Taipan at WTC Mangga Dua is one such place. Its one of our favorite go-to place to satisfy our insatiable desire for original swine goodness and their friends.

Dining here is not complete without the companion of the elderly who speaks fluent Mandarin. Trust me, bringing one was the best decision I made. I got instant access to their VIP room while out there a line of crowd waiting to get seated. That's right, I even did a Chinese-mob entrance with my old man. Just without the suit, the guns, and the windblown half blondie hair.

As soon as we were seated, we know exactly what to order. If you even have to take a small peek into the menu, then your Chinese-o-meter has just decreased by several points. Here's a recap of what we had and how we had it.

Chinese Tea. This is 101. Never ever order anything else to drink. Its a disgrace to your Chinese-eating experience. Choose their Oolong, its one of my personal favorite. Aromatic to both senses, taste and smell. And forget those blooming-flower-in-your-glass tea. They are tasteless and nothing but cosmetics.

Then go to the appetizers. Should I remind you that this is not for the faint hearted. Literally. Because the way we prepare our belly for the main pork course is by cleaning our palate with some more pork. Meet Taipan's Chasiu. Red as its should be. Juicy as it should be. Sweet & fatty as it should be. The only drawback is that its been sitting quite a while in the open in the dim-sum section. Otherwise, all would be perfect. My second choice of appetizers would always be spicy jellyfish with vegetables and sesame seed. These two can really play the game.

Good good foreplay, marked by the wet watery mouth.

But as it is written, the longer you manage to arouse it, the better the climax would be. And so I listen to the wisdom of the crowd. Here comes Quail Soup in bamboo case. Clear broth yet tasty. A work of few hours slow simmer that brings out the meat's goodness. Salty sweet kind of pleasure.

With three appetizers, I spare no time for nonsense. To keep the momentum alive, I say we go straight to the intercourse. I mean, main course. Meet the glorious Mini Roast Duck. I don't think I need to waste too many words on this. This is grand! We all had one duck each for maximum pleasure because once you bite it, you don't want to share it. The same goes to their Wheat Fried Shrimp. It successfully add texture to our previous menu. And it did it with flair. Coming in hot and crispy.

Exhausted. I simply maxed out.

I leave no meal behind though. There's three more in line to savor. Here are the comforting kisses and hugs. The desserts.

Of all three, I'd say these Small Round Thing with Egg Yolk filling is the must-have closing bit. A sweet closure to a beautiful climax. The secret is the addition of butter aside from the crispy outer skin and savory sesame seeds.

Before leaving, my old man expose his one final trickery. Called out the manager, spoke to her a few lines in Mandarin, and before long we got a 200k discount off of the bill. Let me tell you, this is the only time I feel like going back to those boring classes and actually learn Mandarin. All in all, we paid almost 800k for all this. Worth it? Hell yeah.


Have I sound Chinese enough? I hope I make justice to my demographic. Even if I don't, I hope the food here does it. Give it a visit, and you'll get what I meant.

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food & Travel Photographer / Storyteller


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Taipan 
WTC Mangga Dua, 6th Floor
Ph: 021-3001-8877

In The Mood For Dessert : Otel Lobby

Have you ever had that cravings for sweets? The dire needs to consume a high dose of sugar, it almost like an addiction? This is one of it. It happened on one Sunday afternoon. I don't know whether it was the pastor's preaching that provoke it, or the fact that I was having mood swings. I just needed my sugar-fix. And I needed it fast.

Otel Lobby was the first thing that came to my mind, and I'm glad to met Toblerone Puff. A well crafted choux with chocolate ice cream and vanilla cream fillings. The first dessert that made the touchdown that afternoon. The house-made ice cream with the subtle hint of Toblerone is well worth tasting, especially for those who love chocolate.

Toblerone Puff - Otel Lobby (IDR 35.000)

Toblerone Puff - Otel Lobby (IDR 35.000)

Red Velvet Cake - Otel Lobby (IDR 35.000)

Red Velvet Cake With Vanilla Ice Cream (IDR 35.000)

The second was OTL's Red Velvet Cake. It actually came in pair with Rainbow Cake, but I would rather take it out of the equation, for I subjectively loath all rainbow cake. From what I tasted, this particular RVC is a breed of its own, with a modest amount of cream cheese and a denser piece of cake. I enjoyed the addition of ice cream, but I suppose having two dishes consecutively with ice cream was a redundant choice after all. My bad.

No worries though, I got what I came here for and leaving the place sugar-high was it! If only I could show you the happy grin on my face. =)

Poke me on Twitter @wanderbites and let me know where you get your sugar-fix.

Happy weekend, Sweet-tooths!

Fellexandro Ruby
Food & Travel Storyteller / Photographer

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Otel Lobby
The Annex Building of Bakrie Tower 
Jl. Epicentrum Tengah, Kuningan
Jakarta Selatan
Ph: 021-299-41324
Twitter: @OtelLobby

Casa Kemang : A Home Away From Home

Imagine an intimate space resembling your living room, with the complimentary comfort of lounge sofa and eye-pleasing Herman Miller chairs. A home away from home. A place where I could sit at one of relaxing corner, and simply read, write, and get inspired. Come here in the afternoon nearing sunset and you'll get what I mean.

Casa at the top floor of Aksara Kemang has started to hold a special place in my heart after a few visit. Not only because of the creative wavelength that it conveys for photographers and writers like me, but also the selection of food that it caters. Rarely do I meet a foodplace that serves a range of culinary treat from local nasi goreng to Italian pasta and present it equally well. 

At this particular occasion, I happened to taste a variety of flavor which I find quite satisfactory. For those who love details like I do, let me take you through it. For quickie fetished, I wouldn't mind you simply drooling over the pictures. ;) 

The very first two menu that always came to my mind is their Javanese Oxtail Fried Rice (IDR 65.000) and Baked Nachos with Guacamole & Jalapeno (IDR 45.000). The earlier because of its flavorsome fried rice served at the right warmth. The grilled oxtail easily complement the rice with each bites. While with the latter, it is a perfect snacking devices while having conversation about whatever with your food safari partner. 

Javanese Oxtail Fried Rice (IDR 65.000)

Baked Nachos with Jalapeno & Guacamole (IDR 45.000)

Ice Lychee Tea

On the runner up list are Salmon Teriyaki (IDR 75.000) and Banana Pannenkoek (IDR 45.000). As a dessert, something this sweet rarely fails me, the only set back if there was any probably was the cushy texture of the pancake and the banana that makes it rather one-dimensional on the tongue. However, if you ever only needed one dessert, I would surely recommend you their Chocolate Fondant  (IDR 45000) instead. Dip in the soft choux in the depth of melted chocolate, shatter in the sugar powder. As diabetic as it might sound, it is that good. 

Salmon Teriyaki with Rice (IDR 75.000)

Banana Pannenkoek (IDR 45.000)

Chocolate Fondant (IDR 45.000)

Bitten-proved by W! 

Here goes lazy reader, to sum up: inspiration-inducing ambience, great variety of food, good music and a lot of sunlight. Happiness is that simple. Take a visit, and tweet me what you think @Wanderbites. 

Cheers, 

Fellexandro Ruby 

Food Storyteller & Photographer

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CASA

Jalan Kemang Raya No. 8B 

Ph: 021-7199289

info@casajakarta.com

Twitter: @casa_kemang

Super Suikiaw - Mangga Besar

Having nowhere to go on Sunday, I figure I should get away from malls and fancy restaurants once in a while. I decided to venture out Super Suikiaw after hearing a lot of happy-praises from too many friends. Also credits to Selby Food Corner for successfully drools me into coming here.

At the first sight, the signage was a clear hunch that I was about to enter a strangeland. But I did not expect that until I set foot inside and started to see faces that looks like my second cousin from another great-grandfather that sailed right away from Mainland China. I'm exaggerating of course, but I need to so that you can visually see and hear the Mandarin / Hokkian that was being conversed fluently by one patrons to another.

The red lampion hanging from one end to the other end of the hall adds a strong Chinese flavor to the room. Not too mention the Buddhist praying table hidden at one corner.

This is a good sign though. I sense originality.

And without further adieu, there came our boiled & fried Suikiaw. I must admit, the fried one is a notch better that the boiled. I suppose when it's fried, the flavor of the fillings (shrimp, pork & garlic chives) was better released. Even without the addition of dipping sauce (vinegar, soy sauce & garlic) it tasted super! But for those of you who prefers a hint of spicyhotness, dip it in!

Suikiaw Rp. 40.000 / Portion (12 Pieces)

Fried Suikiaw - Rp. 40.000 / Portion (12 Pieces)

Siao Lung Pao / Xiao Long Bao - Rp. 28.000,- / Portion (6 Pieces)

Believing that we would not be satisfied with one portion of Suikiaw, we had an extra portion of Siau Lung Pao that turned out to be a disappointment. Pork fillings were not seasoned enough, soup was rather mild, and the worst of all the super-thick skin. The ideal kind of Siau Lung Pao in my mind was the one that you have to carefully pinch with your chopstick to avoid being torn because of the super-thin-slick skin. But that dream was shattered. Good thing it wasn't that pricey.

Putting all the pieces together, I suppose by now you know what to order and what to expect right?

For me, it was a wonderful afternoon. Trying out new food always put me in a good mood despite of the taste, and most importantly for the joy of having a great company, who shared a liberal view on things, food, and happens to be an awesome stylist / hand model as well. Haha.

Anyways, by the end of this experience, I felt so Chinese that I think I'd stay away from anything remotely related for a while. I'm afraid if I keep coming back and eating this, I'd turn more and more into Stephen Chow as I've been warned a lot for the past few years. Or maybe not. ;)

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Storyteller & Photographer


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SUPER SUIKIAW
Jl. Mangga Besar Raya No. 3B
Ph: 0815-7464-8999

Super Steak : This is it!

What's the first thing they ask you after you decide on your cut of meat? That's right, the sauce. And almost every time, you'll stumble upon the usual three: blackpepper, mushroom, and barbeque. Guess what? You will not find any of them here.

Super Steak begs to differ on their choice of flavor. You'll have these instead: Beerloin, Butter Garlic, Honey Hot, Lemon Herbs, Asian Delight, Cajun Delight & Honey Herbs. 

What are they? Let's rewind to two hours before our first encounter with the 'it' steak.

Me and Jie didn't know what to have for dinner. As a host, I try my best not to screw my friends' experience while he is in Jakarta. After a quick brainstorming session, we were in between. Super Steak or Super Suikiaw. I guess its only natural that super men eat super food. =p Well, both has come with commending praises from people, but failing to choose the right one might end the night in disaster.

Good thing, we sailed our ship to Jalan Dempo I No. 76 where the small secluded house receive a wide variety of patrons. Judging from the wall of fame, you can see expats has come over, celebrities (that includes me & Jie =p) and people from all walks of life. Almost everyone enjoyed their visit here. I can understand why, and the reason is twofold.

Lemon Herbs Part II - Sirloin - 200 Gram (115K)

Beerloin - Sirlon 200 Gram (115k)

1. It all comes down to the food

I had one of my most memorable moment among my many carnivorous adventures. The Lemon Herbs Part II was a treat. As a foodie who likes it hot, it is a rare occasion that I don't request chili sauce when I have my meat. But as it turned out, I didn't have to. The flavor was all there. The 200 grams of meat was well seasoned and marinated. Cooked just at the right 'medium', resulting in one appetizing fleshly pleasure.

Same thing with Jie's Beerloin, beer marinated to add tenderness to the meat with an extra kick of unique flavor. Subtle but it makes the difference.

On a side note, I also find the french fries quite lovely. It's like a cross-pollination between straight cut french fries and wedges. You still have the potato skin and the size is just a notch thinner than usual wedges. With the sprinkles of salt and greens, it was one bowl of fries.

2. And the experience

Tell you what, when you dine here, it won't be just a meal. In my case it transformed into an enticing conversation with Om Mashud, the father of the owner (Windu). Being a photographer and a reporter himself, he welcomed both me and Jie taking photos of the steak. I even stood on the chair to get the birds eye view shot. Such a cool dad. Seventy and still kicking it like seventeen.

Homey Super Steak. 

With all these in mind, part of me can't help to share it and the other part wants to keep it in secrecy. It's one of those less known place that offer good food. I'd like them to stay original. I would hate it if it became a national franchise one day at the risk of becoming generic. But I suppose, that's not for me to decide. You Biters, deserve to know and to taste it.

Let me know when you do. Twitpic me the photo @Wanderbites.

So long, carnivores

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Photographer & Conversationalist


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Super Steak
Jalan Dempo I No. 76
Kebayoran Baru
Jakarta
Ph: 0817 639 6255