Now Brewing : Djournal Coffee at Grand Indonesia

Because another coffee shop is just what we need, right?

No, that's not sarc, my favorite kind of -asm. It is what it is, a rhetoric. 

There has been quite a rapid shrooming of coffee houses lately. And not just that, the whole industry is getting exciting, from farmers to roaster to traders. It is only natural that a powerhouse like Ismaya crave for a share of the pie. Or maybe they just want to have it in their line of successful portfolio. Whether the earlier or the latter, when they're in the game, they never been less than serious in developing a brand. 

I visited Djournal in Grand Indonesia some time ago for a food photography production meeting. Remember the winner of our free photoshoot session? Yes, we are that serious even though for a pro-bono work. 

My eyes were astounded with the amount of details they put in the design to create an ambience that resembles none of the competitors. A bar that centers the whole area kinda tone down the barriers between patrons and baristas. Stools and chairs that look and feel as vintage as it needs to be. And the striking yet soft in the eye teal color woods. 

In one corner are the cold drip set, in another are the pour over station. It appears that Djournal is not just playing around. They really know what they're doing with the beans. Splat out a few hundred million espresso machine and prepare to be intimidated. At least that's what I thought, being a non-coffee-aficionado myself. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed their coffee too, just in my own amateur way. If I had to choose, I'd rather resort to their selections of dessert or cakes. And I did just that with their Nutella Cake, which was pretty close to scrumptious. It has a creamier outer shell with a layer of choco nutty goodness right in the middle. 

Should this write up do justice? Of course not. Especially for the coffee. I will need help on that part from you. But from what I experienced, as an alternate working space, this is splendid. ;) Right in the middle of the city, comfortable and opens before the mall does. A few cakes and desserts while meeting wouldn't hurt too.

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Photographer & Storyteller

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

Oh La La Cafe le Parisien - Plaza Indonesia

Words could not express how happy I am receiving my Macbook the other day. That means, I can access all my photos, and I can write another post, which is exactly why I'm so pumped to share with you this new establishment.

Yes, it is no longer Oh La La with colorful neon lights, food court trays, waiters in colorful uniform, and simple patisserie. It has got an upgrade in design and an upscale in class. The Oh La La in Plaza Indonesia make an effort to resemble outdoor cafe along Parisian streets. Champs-Élysées Avenue maybe, or rue de l'Hotel de Ville? Whichever that is, the typical wooden chair, round marble table, and street lamps on the background says it all. It is a good spot to simply sit on an afternoon and catch up on your readings. If only all this is really actually outdoor, and it be just perfect. But hey, that's just me and my ego.

As I recall, it was about 5pm. An in-between hour. Not the time yet for dinner, but the little dragon in my belly has made a quick announcement. So I decided to go for a coffee. Cappucino to be exact and a slice of Red Velvet Cake to shut the dragon up. It did just that.

I liked the Red Velvet, the body is soft and airy with proportionate cream cheese dividing them into three layers. Good size for a personal enjoyment. My taste bud was delighted with the quick treat, though I would prefer a sweeter tastier one any time.

As for the coffee, hand made by their very own manager, I have to say it was one of the best cup I've ever tasted. It has a bright, caramelly aroma, followed with a rather full body with subtle hint of peanut butter, a tiny dash of lemon and citrus. It was a rather complex but well balanced coffee, a characteristic expected from a well roasted arabica. On the following sip, it brought out a spicy, woody, tobaccoey flavor which is not entirely disagreeable. And finally, it closed with an aftertaste full of lie. Yes! I just made up all those tasting notes. Haha. I hope you enjoy the joke hidden between the line.

Anyway, as I'm new to coffee, there is no way at this point I would be able to discover such a deep insight from a sip of cappuccino. Still a long way to go, but I'm challenged to learn. So, really, the coffee for me was just as I expected. No acid. I dislike acid in coffee. Medium body and a creamy milky taste on the top.

All in all, I saw a lot of improvement attempted by Oh La La. Some of the things unthought of by others are well executed here. I really wish they would do the same to most of their major stores. It is about time for a little refreshment. I love the new logo. I love the menu designed in a newspaper. I hope it makes more effort to brings out the taste of Paris into life. And I'd surely comeback for more than just cake.

Until then, Au revoir.



Fellexandro Ruby
Food Conversationalist & Photographer

Munch on my tweets @Wanderbites or Instagram @Captainruby

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