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

Pho Hoa - Wisma Metropolitan : Vietnamese Noodle Fling

Who believes in love at first sight?

I don't really, but I do believe in love at the first taste. The latter is much less complicated compared to the earlier. Ehm. Let's not get drifted away. 

Pho, this Viets-pride noodle has been on the top of my mind lately. "Rubs, what would you want for dinner?" ask a colleague and instantly my nervous system will react "I'm feeling for something soupy." Didn't know how the thought manage to park herself in the subsconcious real estate of mine, but she's slick. In the past two weeks I've savored as much as four bowls of pho goodness. 

Pho Hoa here was an adventurous attempt. Hearing its reopening from a friend of a friend of a friend who knows the ... You know where this is going, scratch that. Plus when I tweeted it, a few friends confirmed that it was once a hit in Jakarta. Google maps still put its previous location in Barito, Wijaya, and BEJ. They are now reopening Pho Hoa in Wisma Metropolitan I, Sudirman. 

I like how the menu is presented. Straight up, no hassle. Your eyes will be directed into the selections of pho, from the simplest (IDR 45k) with just meat, to the ones with the most variety of toppings (IDR 55k) with meat, tendons, and whatnot. You can pretty obviously guess which one I put my choice into. 

Yes, the top of the line. Pho with steak, brisket, tendons, tripes etc. 

Pho with Beef Brisket, Beef Steak, Tendon, Tripes (IDR 55k)

As I sipped the broth, there's this slightly bitter taste that gets annoying after a while. Adding a few aromatic basils helps to distract it, but not for long. The only way to get away was to munch in the extra sweetness from the beef together with pho and soup. 

Jamie Aditya Graham was dining a few table for us! =D

The Fling. Sexy isn't it? But sexy is just barely what we want right?

Physically I enjoyed the meal. But mentally, I couldn't help to compare it with Will Meyrick's pho at Mama San. It was as if it has a few layers that waited to be uncovered, and with every addition of ingredients, it gets better and better. I know it's probably a different playing field here, but I need to point out that once you've tasted the superior the other becomes mediocre. It is human, and I'm sure you've had that moment too at least once for one particular food. 

Should I admit my love to pho? Absolutely. For this particular one though, I'd say a mild liking is probably at best. Or for the lack of a better word, ehm ... a fling? ;)

Cheers, 

Fellexandro Ruby 

Food Photographer / Storyteller

Snack on my tweets @Wanderbites for #Livebites and more food / travel stories ;)

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Pho Hoa

Wisma Metropolitan I

Office Tower 

Jalan Sudirman Kav. 24

(Left side of the road, heading Blok M) 

Ph: 021-5228970

Opens weekdays only. 

Ah Poong (Pasar Apung) Sentul : Curated Good Food

Curated (v.) : select, organize, and look after the items in (a collection or exhibition).

Ah Poong, a wordplay of apung (or floating in English) is an example of extensive collaborative work. This time between Pak Bondan and the gang behind Eat & Eat. Applying the similar concept but moving the whole food court into a private secluded area in Sentul. Twist it with a few fun stuff for the kids to play with and voila, you got yourself a new go-to family spot.

Speaking of la familia, I went there with my crowd of Sydneysiders who happen to be back in Jakarta for a few weeks, and man do they have the appetite. An enormous craving for Indonesian food I must say. Here's what I love culinaring (yeah I just made out that word) with them : the communal spirit. It's never about one personal satisfaction but rather the enjoyment of trying as many food as possible as a group. You can see where this is going, can't you? Yes, we had on our table more than 20 different dishes and drinks to share with. Bazinga! That's the way to dine.

What you're about to see is a series of photos. What he ate, what she drinks, what I see, and what we experienced. I couldn't recall most of the prices, we don't keep count at the tab anyway. You could make an approximation yourself if you've dined at Eat & Eat before.

Interesting sight to see here are: (1) That some of the stalls are not available in Jakarta or other Eat & Eat branches, (2) with the space this big (2.670 m2), there are a lot more options to choose from, (3) when Pak Bondan curated the stuffs you can safely confide to his maknyus tongue.

I suggest coming here with a group of friends or with your family. Its quite a long drive to Sentul, you might as well chill around here for a while, or head to Bogor after for more culinary delights just like we did.

I really enjoyed being the culinary tour lead that day. Thank you for the company, Sydneysiders. Until the stars are aligned again. =D

Without further adue, let me welcome you, Ah Poong, Pasar Apung Sentul (just inside Sentul City).

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food /Travel Photographer & Storyteller

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Mie Kepiting Kalimantan (Close to the original).

Martabak Kupang (One of my favorite on the trip).

Teh Tarik

This Batagor is so friggin' good.

Kiamboy w/ Soda (On a hot day, this is superb thirst quencher)

Cing Cau with Ginger (Ehm, a bit too serious for a hot day)

One of the many Soto Stalls.

See the happy faces?

One of the rides. What makes it 'apung' I suppose.

Word on the street. The best Nasgor Pete in Bogor.

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Ah Poong (Pasar Apung)
Inside Sentul City
(Exit Tol Sentul Selatan)
Ph

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