Bistronomy Jakarta : Good Food And A Meet-Cute

Saturday, March 2nd, 2013

Dear Diary,

Today was splendid. Not in a winning-a-lottery surprise kind of way. Instead, today I was reminded, its the little things that adds color to my life. The little things that I often overlook being the ignorant prick I sometimes am. This heartwarming moment happened in the course of three hours in Bistronomy the newly opened foodplace in Ciranjang, Jakarta.

Was sitting in one corner, with a DSLR in hand and an Ahok-looking face, I suppose its almost impossible to not draw attention. I tried to reduce my presence as minimal as possible. I had my ordered secured. I believe I succeeded, until a cute looking face appeared on the other side of the window next to me. This girl stole my heart within seconds. I tried to make contact. The E.T - Elliott kind of connection, and I succeeded big time. She laughed at my silly face, a few minutes after I got her sitting across me, sharing the same table.

Meet Isabel ;)

And her playful side.

And her cheerful side.

As I fork in my Grilled Salmon Teriyaki with Wasabi, she had her nanny feeding her one spoonful at a time. Two decades apart but we had the time of our life for fifteen minutes or so. I reckon this must be how little Jenny in Big Fish feel upon crushing on young Edward Bloom. "When I'm 18, you'll be 28, and when I'm 28, you'll be 38, that's not much a difference." she said. Its a lot of difference though as it turns out. Same thing goes with my fish. Having wasabi boldly stated in the menu, I would only expect more of its influence in the dish. It ended up as a chunk of decor on the side of plate. While the teriyaki take on the fish really comfort the tongue, I still think they are taking the easy way out. Especially for the price that they printed on it.

Grilled Salmon Teriyaki w/ Wasabi (IDR 100k)

I asked her what's her name. "Isabel", she answered with lotsa giggles, right when my cold Edamame Vichyssoise arrived. I offered her to take a sip, but it appeared that what's on her plate was a lot more interesting. I myself find the Edamame equally interesting. A strong flavor of the japanese bean, marked with the green color, and the distinct smell of pureed bean, potato, cream and stock. My palate usually prefer warm dishes but I had to admit this one had win its approval, despite being a bit boring halfway through with its rather flat texture.

Edamame Vichyssoise (IDR 30k)

Shooting half eaten food, just because I can!

Right before my dessert came, the little queen made her exit as her parents called her out. Those little feet run in excitement towards the receiving hands of the father. Cliche but there's a tiny clinch in my heart. I smiled. Twice. One for that, and one for the huge Rare Mango Pudding that arrived right on time to sweeten the goodbye. It took less than three bites to get acquainted with this delightful dish. Hints of mango all over the place, even without the extra addition of mango sauce. I decided to go all the way though. It might went a bit overly sweet for normal people but hey, no such thing for this sweet toothed gentleman. Added with the crisp biscotti style topping, it was right from flavor, texture, to price.   An eight-out-of-ten closure to my lunch.

Rare Mango Pudding (IDR 55k)

Shooting finished mango pudding, just because I can!

There's only one thing left to do after all the eat-xercises: cleanse the palate. This cup of Twinings' very own Pure Camomile did exactly that and achieved what it is destined to do, it soothed and calmed me down.

Today is a good day. I'm writing it down to help me remember. Remind me dear self when I forgot what it feels like to take a pause and enjoy the tiny things in life. Remind me to realize that its not the light at the end of the tunnel, but also the light in the tunnel.

To infinity and beyond.

Fellexandro Ruby 
Food Photographer & Storyteller

More daily food thoughts and whatnots on Twitter at @wanderbites

I imagine more afternoon like this, with you.

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Bistronomy 
Jalan Ciniru 1 No. 2
(Jalan Cikajang, the street next to Helen's Cake) 
Kebayoran Baru
Jakarta Selatan
Ph: 021-739-6655
T: @bistronomy_jkt

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

The Tuck Shop / Cornerstore at Seminyak Bali

"Buongiorno, Principessa. Come stai? Spero che tutto va bene in toscana."

"Oh amore mio, vorrei che tu fossi qui con me. Il cibo in bali è incredibile. Il tramonto. Il tempo. Il ritmo. Tutti questi mi fanno ti manca di più. Ti amo..."

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Percakapan ini bukan yang sesungguhnya diucapkan, dan bahasa Italia-nya pun tidak benar adanya. Google translate did all the work. =p Kalau di kuping gue mungkin hanya terdengar Buongiorno lalu sisanya spaghetti al fungi penne marinara pizza de la margherita dan aiueo nama-nama pemain sepakbola lainnya. But this guy is real!

Kurang lebih atmosfir seperti ini yang bisa ditemukan di sudut-sudut jalan di Seminyak, Bali. Tuck Shop misalnya. Diposisikan di perempatan antara Jalan Laksmana (Oberoi) & Petitenget, coffee shop yang juga menyediakan menu sarapan ini padat dikunjungi bule Australia yang kerap kembali karena vonis the best flat white (slang Aussie untuk espresso yang dicampur langsung dengan susu panas instead of foam seperti layaknya cappucino) in Bali. Ditambah lagi dengan desainnya yang simple & casual, I swear I could be in Manly beach if I just forget the surrounding neighborhood.

Pagi itu, gue & Jie bertekad menelanjangi area Seminyak berbekal skuter sewaan (plus helm yang super apek), dan kamera DSLR. Tanpa mengetahui letak pasti Tuck Shop, off we go, shades on!

Setelah pusing-pusing beberapa kali, perut kosong yang sudah berbunyi tampaknya menjadi radar yang cukup baik, kami sampai dan siap makan!

Gue pesen Carrot/Beetroot juice dan Panini with smoked ham, tomato, rocket, & avocado. Sementara Jie sang coffee aficionado asik menyeruput Cappucino, pesanan yang terulang terus everywhere we go and eat in Bali. Buat gue, sarapan emang paling pas di sini. Ingredients yang dipakai terlihat & terasa fresh, made to order with least seasoning, sehingga rasa yang muncul benar-benar kombinasi dari tiap komponennya. I feel healthy just by eating here. Bahkan di jus-nya gue bisa mencium wangi rumput sebelah. Saking organic-nya, efek samping muncul satu jam kemudian dan lima jam kemudian. Yes, hari itu saya BAB sampai tiga kali. Jadi buat yang jalan-jalan di Bali dan kesulitan pencernaan bisa mampir ke Tuck Shop. =p

Kalau notice, tempat ini juga dinamai Cornershop karena ada pojokan di dalam yang menjual beberapa brand pakaian pria & wanita yang sudah dikurasi. I love the items, but damn they are expensive. Untungnya sarapan pagi itu masih affordable di kantong. Total damage sekitar IDR 70.000 untuk kedua makanan yang saya pesan.

Would I come back to this place? Yes, but only for breakfast (dan mungkin kalau mau mendapatkan suasana internasional, plus inspirasi & wi-fi).

Gak pa pa yah sekali-sekali gue nulis dalam Bahasa Indonesia? I hope you enjoy. ;)
Yang mau ngobrol" bisa di komen bawah atau toel gue di Twitter @wanderbites.

Makanlah sebelum makan itu dilarang,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food & Travel Storyteller / Photographer


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The Tuck Shop 
Jl. Laksmana (Oberoi) 10
Seminyak, Bali

My Very First Kitchen Table at Otel Lobby Jakarta

A chef's table is a table located in the kitchen of a restaurant reserved for VIPs and special guests. Patrons are served a themed tasting menu prepared and served by the head chef. (Wikipedia)

Every foodie must have dreamed about it at least once in their life to have a feel of dining behind the scenes, in the kitchen with all the mess, steam, screams, clings and clatters. It just so happen that I had a chance to experience it a while ago in one of my favorite food place on invitation by Ve Handojo and the head chef herself, Chef Maya Aldy.

As it is with corporate CEO who usually influence his company, the same thing applies here at Otel Lobby. I see the kitchen is somewhat a representation of who Chef Maya is and how she likes to do things. It is totally the opposite of Gordon Ramsay in the TV. It was a rather calm evening, where most things are done in perfect order. I suspect it was intended, the calm was to double the surprise Chef Maya have for us in the meals.

The whole experience felt like a living rendition of Stars, a pleasant 7-minute song by Fun. Long enough to listen to but doesn't bore you, in fact it comes with jolts of excitement, change of pace, and high pitch falsetto in between. 

Excitement
The first of those was Foie Gras & Duck Confit in Salak Sauce with sliced red & green apple. Served as the opening meal, it continues what Chef Raj left behind on our previous dinner. Playful with an attitude. And a jumpstart for my appetite. If I were a chef, I'd be sitting and thinking "why didn't I thought of that ..."

Change of Pace
Tomato Tart with Mushroom on Pineapple & Tomato sauce. Sweet but not to the edge of being repelling.  As I savored it slowly and feel the play of texture. Everything in the dish was just right for me. The acidity, color, presentation. I'm not a tomato fan, but yes, I'd come back just for this.

Falsetto
The high pitch exclamation came nearing the end of the dinner in the humble form of Mascarpone ice cream. Served with fruits, it enhanced the mix of flavors. Added with the crisp caramel-like bar. I was hooked from the first bite. Overall, every one of the 7-course dinner was a hit in their own way, but I suppose its no fun telling them all here. Its a personal mystery you can uncover yourself. =)

Not only the food but also the companion of Ve Handojo, Jen from Jenzcorner, Daniel Kaurranny, Kenny Santana and Imel Budiman has also played a part in making my very first kitchen table experience a pleasant one. I went home with a smileful of happiness and the tunes of Fun at the back of head playing as the soundtrack.

"And I'd be saying that you, you're always holding on to stars. I think they're better from afar..." 

Cheers to more night like this,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Conversationalist & Photographer

Munch on my tweets @Wanderbites 

Now Cooking - Hartwood Bandung

Humongous neon light, crowds of stylish looking yuppies in their prime, breeze of air contained with smoke of cigars, low lights, tight seating, continuous conversations and sudden burst of laughs in the background.

This is Hartwood.

As a brand new establishment in Bandung, Hartwood looks to appeal against the typical Bandung foodplace, probably segmented to the middle upper manhattan people especially looking at its pricing. Does it serve a previously uncharted market? I'd like to believe so.

Take a look at this Braised Short Ribs, claimed as one of the chef's specialty. Too bad, on my visit, it was not up to par with its price tag (110k). I admit the meat was well cooked. Soft, tender, well seasoned and the likes. Somehow reminds me of the dinner I had at Otel Lobby. However, on my third bite, as I began to incorporate my other senses, in this case, my nose, I found a rather distasteful smell which kinda ruin the whole thing. Not to mention the cold pieces of broccoli that serve more as a decor rather than a compliment to the whole meal.

Braised Short Ribs (110k)

Tenderloin Steak (58k)

Determined to find the best menu to represent Hartwood, we decided to have Tenderloin Steak as second main course, but I guess luck is not on our side that night. Although the steak was prepared in good manner, it was not particularly special to my liking.

Being only on their second month of opening, I suppose these things are expected. Tolerance are extended. A little inconsistency within limit is arguable. If fate allows I might like to venture this place once more and hopefully find the one thing that make Hartwood stood out among the rest, other than its fancy-cozy interior.

In comparison with the many clueless new foodplace in PIK with little sense of direction in taste, I hope they could prove themselves soon. At the mean time for me its not more than a place to see and be seen. I'd go anywhere next door to please my appetite.

Cheers,


Fellexandro Ruby
Food Conversationalist & Photographer

Munch on my tweets @Wanderbites, snack on my instagram @Captainruby. ;)


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Hartwood - Gourment  & Grind
Jl. Cimanuk 12, Bandung
Ph: +62224240655
Twitter: @Hartwood_

Antipodean Kemang - Reminiscing Life Down Under

There's something compelling about this place that I couldn't explain. Maybe its the name? Or the simple yet inviting design? Well, what I can definitely say is that being here in Antipodean transported me back to the year I spent in the world down under, Australia.

Runs only by one man behind the kitchen, and one staff to wait on the patrons, Antipodean resembles many of the likewise cafe in Sydney suburbs where customers are expected to self serve. Tiny joint, nine tables inside and two outside. It's a perfect place to have all-day-breakfast in solitude, or for afternoon light reading. With the amount of foreigners visiting this place, I felt even more "out-of-Indonesia" especially when having people conversing in English in the background.

Lovely.

At this particular occasion, I had Eggs with Salmon and Toast, also Sweet Paprika Chicken with Chickpea Salad. 

Sweet Paprika Chicken w/ Chickpea Salad (50k)

Scrambled Egg w/ Salmon & Toast (60k)

Both are equally delightful for my tastebuds. Chickpea is a new thing for me, therefore it added a good dose of excitement into the meal. The chicken is well cooked, not to dry, although I find it boring after several bites. Probably because the marinade they use is very similar to that of kalasan fried chicken. The eggs melt just right with the salmon, I enjoyed the play of flavor between the two while the toast added a good portion of texture.

To fill in the thirst in between the gap, I had Hot Lemon Honey and Original Lassi. I favor the earlier as it's unlike most lemon honey I tasted before. It used a particular type of honey. I couldn't recall what it was, but I reckon it's not local. That makes all the difference. While the lassi is just as what you could expect from any place that serve lassi.

Hot Honey Lemon (20k)

Original Lassi (25k)

There's still so much I'd like to explore from Antipodean. There's the coffee! Oh, and I haven't tasted their Carrot cakes which I believe is one of the favorite. One lady took away two slices. Another table had one slice. And that's it, they ran out of Carrot cakes.


I'd come back just to fulfill my curiosity. And also whenever I feel like recreating the experience in a small cafe in Surry Hills, Paddington, or Leichhardt. If the owner of the foodplace really meant Antipodean as what some people call Australia and New Zealand, then she has accomplished that I suppose. Well done, mate!

You've successfully made me all teary and nostalgic. Man, I miss Sydney!

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Conversationalist & Photographer

Snack on my Tweets @Wanderbites

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Antipodean
Jl. Kemang Selatan I (Hero Kemang Complex)
Jakarta, Indonesia
Ph: +6221 7192364
www.antipodeancoffee.com