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

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

Nannini Jakarta : Rejuvenated

It is quite an achievement of its own for a restaurant to prevail more than a decade in Jakarta, and not just barely existing, but also continually adds color to the industry. As such is Nannini, established in 1995, and much known for its former name, Alesandro Nannini. At the moment the brand is being refreshed along with the addition of the new branch in Plaza Indonesia.

I had the opportunity to experience first hand what the fuzz is all about last week. Goorme, one of the leading culinary portal in Indonesia, prepared a tasting dinner, gathering almost all of the prominent food bloggers in Jakarta. I arrived with my default expectancy, that is full curiosity and a ready belly. Let me take you through it.

Beetle Juice (Orange, Pineapple. Kiwi, and Passion Fruit) 35k

A glassful of Beetle Juice welcomed me as I was taken to my seat. Loved the proper table arrangement, and the details right to the ribboned menu. As the name suggested, it was a clean refreshing fruity mix of Orange, Pineapple, Kiwi and Passion Fruit. A good thirst quencher and exactly what I needed to warm up my appetite.

While waiting for the appetizer, I took a short stroll of the surrounding to see the furnished design. I guess many foodplace nowadays are going for the similar approach, different in details but feels the same, wood panels, basic earthy colors, and unusual lights as eyecandy. The interesting feature for me was the high ceiling that gives a breathable sense of space.

As we waited further, Fitrah Bya, the operational manager gave a demo of his skillful hands mixing drinks and cocktails. Was interesting to watch, but as I'm not too fond into cocktails, I didn't give it a try.

Fitrah Bya, Mixing Cocktails w/ Fire

A little while after, we were presented with the first meal of the night, Wild Mushroom Soup. On a first bite, it was delish! I find the garlic bread is a good complement to the soup. The mushroom debris also added a good feature on the texture. Creamy and flavorful. A great meal for an opening.

Wild Mushroom Soup 50k (A medley of wild mushroom drizzled w/ truffle oil)

Up next was a trio of Nannini's signature Salmon, Striploin, and Cordon Bleu. Out of the three, if I have to score out the most likeable, it would be the Salmon. I might be biased as I favor fish over others. I liked the grill and the fresh fish, although the sauce was contradictory for my palate. The next would be Striploin and then Cordon Bleu being the last. As I tried the Striploin, I couldn't help but noticing that it was a bit cold on the plate. A little warmth could really help to elevate the taste. Steak lovers would agree with me. However, the saucing was delightful. In my opinion, it might help if they did not force themselves to have three main courses on a same plate. The outcome was obvious, we waited two hours for them to come out. Not to mention, the small portion that has to be shared for two. It's better to have one coming after another as it would be served at its best timing.

Fortunately, I had filled up my belly an hour before with Oh La La's Red Velvet. That piece of cake saved me from madness (seriously, you don't want to see me hungry!). So, as it turned out, I enjoyed the waiting with my dinner mate, Daniel Kauranny and Harry Soetardjo. From coffee processing, to photography, to a debate about wine and the questionable marketing behind, we talked and talked. I really enjoyed the company, thanks to you two.

Nannini Salmon 85k (Grilled fresh norwegian salmon w/ mesclun salad, balsamic dressing)

Nannini Striploin (Grilled striploin served w/ creamy champignon sauce & mashed potato)

Nannini Cordon Bleu 75k (Chicken breast stuffed w/ smoked beef, cheese, red wine gravy)

In between conversation, we had these two drinks: Pineapple Cinnamon Roshka (a mix of vodka, pine, lime wedge, and cinnamon) & Sangria (brandy, mix fruits and red wine). I haven't had any encounter with these two before, so I don't have a yardstick to benchmark with. I do remember noting down the roshka was sweet with a bitter end. Light cinnamon so it does not really annoy me who dislike cinnamon. The sangria was stronger on the liquor, it almost wipe out the flavor of the fruits. I liked the earlier than the latter.

Pineapple Cinnamon Roshka 80k (Vodka, Pineapple Liquor, Lime Wedge, Mix Sugar)

Sangria 125k (Brandy, Mix Fruits, Red Wine)

To close the dinner, we had Nannini Tiramisu, or in their best description: "Mascarpone mousse covered sponge cake drenched in Kahlua and Baileys." I liked it, the soft moist texture and the tasty mouse. It was an enjoyable dessert and a sweet closing, although my favorite is still the one made by a friend of mine.

Nannini Tiramisu 65k (Mascarpone mousse covered spongecake in Kahlua & Baileys)

And that was it. I hope I did a complete write up of what we had. Curiosity killed. And I went home with a happier belly. Thanks again to Nannini & Goorme for having us. I'd like to come back soon to have the 'full version' of your main courses. In the mean time, I wish you all the best with the new rejuvenated Nannini.

Cheers,


Fellexandro Ruby
Food Conversationalist & Photographer

Snack on my tweets @wanderbites and instagram @captainruby

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NANNINI
Plaza Indonesia 2nd Floor, Unit L2, No. T. 111
P: (021) 2992 3650
T: @nanninijakarta
www.nanninijakarta.com

Karē Frenzy at Mr. Curry

"Mr. Curry was a legendary chef from Curry Land. Together with Mango-nyan, they travelled the world in search of the ultimate curry. They finally stumbled upon the finest curry in Japan & now are coming to introduce the goodness of Japanese Curry." 

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While sounded a little corny, the description they put out in their website reveals more that it meets the eyes. Mango is the very ingredient that shaped their curry. It resulted in a proportionate mixture of sweet and savory that's more suitable to the Indonesian tongue, as compared to its spicier counterpart, Indian curry.

As I recall there's only several foodplaces to go to in Jakarta. While my favorite is still my hometown Bagan Siapi-api pork curry, Mr. Curry is definitely one of the select few to consider. As another establishment under Ismaya Group you can expect a good combination of strong concept, creative execution and continuous innovation. I discover these on my last visit to Mr Curry at their newly opened joint in Pondok Indah Mall 2.

To cut the story short, let's have dinner shall we?

Korokoro Tofu - Crunchy exterior, soft interior. Perfectly enjoyed with chilli dip.

Korokoro Tofu was the first meal summoned to jumpstart my appetite. It did just right with the bite size diced tofu. Crunchy
exterior meets soft interior. Dip it in the chili sauce that accompanies it for an extra kick.

For the mains I had Chicken Katsu Curry, Curry Ramen, Assorted Mushroom Omurice, and Spaghetti Curry. Among them all my favorite was the Omurice and Curry Ramen.

Chicken Katsu Curry - Your typical katsu with Mr. Curry Original Sauce

Assorted Mushroom Omurice - Go for Tomato rice instead of Butter rice.

As someone who love egg, my tastebud was entertained by the well cooked buttery omelet blend in very well with the mushroom sauce. And the great thing is that you get two sauce for the price of one. I had fun tasting them in turns. I don't think you'll get bored with this dish. Especially with the option to change into tomato rice, and several other interesting sauces and toppings. I'd definitely come back to Mr. Curry for this.

My second favorite is the curry ramen which I personally consider as the most promising meal in the menu. Why? Cause you see in the photo a crowd of toppings but when it arrived, it was nothing more than a pair of egg cut in half and a slice of salmon. Disappointing knowing that its a small improvement that Mr. Curry can bear I guess. On a side note, I loved the idea of having a ultra thick curry broth on a ramen which I rarely find anywhere else.

Ramen Curry - Especially attracted by the thick soup. More toppings please?

Manggo Smoothie - Sweet, fruity, lovely thick juice. Like!

In between the meal, these two drinks was the thirst quencher. A fun, fruity, refreshing Mango Smoothie and the equally refreshing Berry Lassie for those who fond of soury taste. It is a bit hard to describe precisely the taste of lassi, but just so you have an idea, it is a yogurt-based drink originated from India.

Berry Lassi - For those who fond of soury taste.

As the dinner getting near to the end, I was presented with these two lovely desserts. Macha Caramba and A Dash of Fruit Splash.

Matcha Caramba - A must try!

There's something different about Macha Caramba. Its green tea ice cream connects very well with the toasted bread. And the interesting part is that all sides of the cubical toast gets toasted equally. Word from the kitchen is they brought a specific oven from Japan just to get it perfectly toasted. Give it a try and then you'll know what I meant.

Along with the Omurice, this is another menu I'd surely crave for from Mr. Curry. Plus it's definitely worth the price tag.

All in all it was a belly satisfying night. Many thanks to Mila and Grace from Ismaya who made the night enjoyable despite of the long two hours traffic just to get to the place. It was all worth it I guess.

Until the next tasting, so long Biters.


Fellexandro Ruby
Food Conversationalist & Photographer


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Mr. Curry
Pondok Indah Mall 2, Restaurant Row, Level 3
Ph: 021-75920666
T: @mrcurry_

Now Cooking - Krispy Kreme Doughnut Cafe Central Park

 Before we start, I'm gonna set this right. I've never been a big fan of doughnuts. When everyone's hyping about J.Co all I did was sit and stare at the strange sudden increase in people's liking toward something that has been there for years. Its the same thing with a tweak on fancy names, added with a couple of downlight in the room to create enjoyable atmosphere, an extra free wifi and bingo! You've got a whole new crowd lining up behind you.

With that in mind, when an invitation came to the so called "VIP Opening Party" at Central Park, I was quite intrigued to see what's more there to offer. What innovation could possible be made in the already saturated market. Which additional market segment they can target now. Would they be the first to successfully alter my doughnut indifference a step forward toward 'liking'.

And so I went.

To my surprise, I'm not surprised. Well, of course the new colorful and cozier interior helps in boosting the mood. Of course the outdoor open space looks inviting especially for smoker. Of course the addition of new menus adds curiosity. But is that it? I kept questioning but stayed expectant. I should hold my director's commentary until I get the taste of the new menu, Baked Creations.

After a long queue, me and fellow food bloggers finally have Baked Creations in hand.

1#, Pull Apart, which is another name for a doughnut like sweet bread with four selections, Pepperoni Pizza, Double Cheese, Sausage & Cheese, Smoked Beef & Cheese.

2#, Kruffins, which simply means muffins with a hole. It comes with a few different flavors: Triple Chocolate, Apple Streusel, Blueberry and Chocolate Banana.

Up to this point, I'm still not surprised. The Pull Apart series is something I would let you try just to cool off the curiosity and that's it. I didn't find anything special. The Kruffins though is worth several try. As I'm a good consumer of muffins, well my opinion is bended, I enjoyed most muffins, particularly the ones that are served hot. Too bad, that night they weren't as freshly baked as I expected but still worth the bite.

For the doughnuts, they only served the original glazed that night. I might have to pay another visit to assemble opinion and find which is acceptable for my liking. A visit, that might be delayed into another week, another week or even a year. I'm still as indifference as I was toward doughnut. They are still a bunch of pricey piece of bread with a hole and a junkful of calories and sugar that I don't need.

That's just me. How about you, Biters?

One thing I know they surely look drooling.

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Conversationalist & Photographer

Munch on my tweets @Wanderbites

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Krispy Kreme Doughnut Café

Central Park Mall -
Ground Floor - Tribeca Park
Jl. Let. Jend. S. Parman Kav. 28
Jakarta

Jun Njan - Timeless Chinese Cuisine

I've always been curious about this food joint. Whenever I pass by one of their many branches in Pluit, long lines of cars are always parked out front. Being in this neighborhood for a while, I know that residents from this area are one the pickiest foodie. Every year, I witnessed numerous foodplace rise and fall. However, once you win them, you own them. I kinda think Jun Njan is one of the few good ones that will last.

You can imagine then, how excited I was being invited by Jun Njan and Grand Indonesia to break-fast with fellow food bloggers. Finally, I get to taste what the fuzz is about. Eat up!

Early in the event, two chefs present their cooking technique by cutting and serving the Lobster Salad right in front of our eyes. You can tell how special these two expensive jumbo prawns are by the way they were carefully delicately treated. As special as this occasion and the food bloggers who joined, Jun Njan created this meal specifically for the night. 

I must admit, it was delicious. Its not common to mix longan fruit with lobster, however I find the taste mashup quite delectable. It adds a sense of freshness to the palate.

As we move along with the dinner, starting up with such a tongue provoking entree, you would expect nothing less than a tasteful main courses as well. To my surprise, Jun Njan successfully brought us forward, slowly but sure to a series of upward enjoyment ended in a luscious climax. Let me take you to each of the mouthwatering meals.

Fried Squid with Jun Njan Sauce (63k) - It is proven. What some of my friends eagerly proclaim as their signature dish is indeed a must try. Fried, but easy on the teeth and juicy. The sweet savory sauce is one of a kind.

Fried Chicken with Butter Sauce (49k) - It reminds me of Ayam Kuluyuk in a way, but this is like a super sophisticated luxurious mutated version of it. Don't get it? Alright, give it a try and you'll get it once the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious taste hit your tongue. I'm not helping I know. Haha.

Fried Prawn with Salted Egg Yolk (88k) - Crispy savory skin teamed up with big meatful shrimp. Nothing less than scrumptious. And don't worry, the yolk on these shrimps are plenty to keep your tongue salty enough to demand another sip of water. Me likey!

Black Pepper Beef (63k) - While many would rank this on their favorite list, I've never been a fan of black pepper. Something about it turns me off. Maybe because most blackpepper sauce is so strong smelling that it overpowers the taste and flavor of the beef. I prefer blackpepper beef in conjunction with several other dishes. As on this one, it makes a good variety filler, but definitely not as a main / single dish.

Braised Soft Tofu with Jun Njan Sauce (46k)- I always love tofu. Give me all kind of tofu, fried, deep fried, in a soup, crushed, braised, in whatever sauce, I'd eat it. The tofu itself is enough goodness in its own. For this one, I like the generous amount of mushroom, the mix of scallions and Jun Njan sauce served my tastebud well. However, a little addition of seafood would be nicer though. =p

Deep Fried Carp with Sweet & Sour Sauce (88k) // Seafood Fried Rice (35k - 75k) - There's a reason they're in the bottom of my list. Lets' just leave it at that and everyone's happy. =)

Ice Fruity Cream for dessert. Too bad they ran out of coconut pudding. I haven't had one for quite a while. It rans out in other restaurants too. Anyway, for this particular drink, while I enjoy the rich creamy soup, and the fresh fruits, it would be much nicer if its sweeter. I find it bland without the fruit.  

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All in all, the dinner was lovely, Jun Njan is definitely above par with many other Chinese restaurant that I've tasted. One thing I notice and fell in love with this establishment is the respect for history. The name itself, as the owner explained,  Jun = forever, Njan = roots, together combined means "always remember your roots / background". This message is amplified everywhere. Started in 1956, I saw how the third generation raise and build it into a bigger empire, being relevant to the modern world, without losing its Chinese essence. I saw the youngs and the elderly work hand in hand. Not many family businesses could flourish and stay collected as a group as they are. I wish their culinary legacy could be long lasting and timeless. Salute.

And salute to Grand Indonesia as well for taking care of us bloggers, Adhi Tawakal their representative for being such a warm host, you make the evening pleasant with your witty sense of humor. Mbak Nuniek from Fimela.com and Multiply ID for supporting the event. You are an inspiration for serving the online world with your expertise. Can't wait until our next dinner at Tatemukai! HAHA.

Salam Mampu! (pardon for internal jokes)

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Conversationalist & Photographer
Munch on my tweets @Wanderbites 


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Jun Njan Seafood Restaurant
Grand Indonesia, West Mall Level 5 No 11 A-B
Jl. MH Thamrin No. 1 Jakarta 10310
Ph: +6221 23580647/48
Fax: +6221 23580649
Twitter: @JunNjan