Wilshire : One of those loveliness

Jakarta has a lot of pretty places.

No, it's not a pretty one like you can drool around the green grass under the prefect blue sky, it's not even close.

Jakarta has those kind of pretty restaurants.

You should be familiar with those pretty things with sumptuous ambiance. Wilshire is one of them. It is actually an area in LA of the wealthy and middle class neighborhood. And the restaurant is describing it well.

It was plush and modern. With those pretty decorations and ornaments, Wilshire succeed to impress me. I adored their comfy yet lavish atmosphere. The large glass window was contributing to their elegancy, too. A reminder to one of the famous restaurant in Jakarta.

Cotton Candy Cosmo (89k). A recommendation from the waiter. Basically it was a glass of Cosmopolitan served with cotton candy on top. Poured the vodka and it did melt!

Sauteed Escargot (82k). A well-cooked escargot with grilled mushroom at the bottom. It was rich and flavorful. The mushroom contributed the juiciness on it. What an appetizer!

Thin Beef Tongue with Rice (130k). A plate of sliced beef with sweet sauce served with broccoli, grilled corn and soft-boiled egg. It was good, but it was not great. The beef was just fine, I thought I would get a really tender one. The sauce was tasty, a rescuer to the dish!

Jumbo Fish and Chips (120k). It was a kind of fish and chips I could find easily everywhere. It was too ordinary. The fish, chips, and the dipping sauce was just fine. One bite and I did not crave for more.

Braised Pork Belly (136k), served with rice, grilled corn, soft-boiled egg and broccoli. The sauce was quite similar to the one they served with beef tongue. The pork belly was quite tender. I mixed it with the egg, turned out it was good!

It was plush and pretty. But it was not enough. It just one of those lovely places.

Wilshire

The Foundry no.8

SCBD

Jl. Jend Sudriman kav 52-53

Jakarta

021 51401018

Koultoura Coffee : my kind of brunch ( and coffee)

A cup of chocolate milk, comfy room, and thick blanket.

I could really imagine myself drooling on my possessive bed in a rainy Saturday.

A major boost was needed to make me pushed away my laziness.

Like a plate of good brunch would do.

Introducing Koultoura Coffee. This one is surely a new hype in West Jakarta!

Pretty glasses of theirs. I was hoping to sip from this one. Turned out they were serving with paper cup.

It was crowded outside and the rain did not make it any better. Luckily I could manage to find a comfort corner upstairs.

Spacious and comfy with huge window. It was beautiful when the sunlight meddle the room.

Soothing white walls with paintings on it. Quite an icon, aren't they?

The brunch menu was quite tempting. I remembered taking some time to decide.

Foxie's hangover cure(45k) was one of their favorite. Basically it was a well cooked potato-corned beef with egg. It was surprisingly good! I did wonder how such a simple dish could have a decent taste. The flavor was just right.

I am a fan of french toast. It was not a brunch without a palatable french toast in it. Black and yellow toast (35k) caught my eyes. The combination of oreo and corn flake toast was pleasant with pinch of sugar and a bit honey on top. It was sweet and joyful. 

The Croque madam (45k) was really tempting, served with potato wedges. Toasted bread, melted cheese, poached egg, and slice of ham. An imagination of how those flavors combine is filling my mind right now!

Hot green tea latte (29k) was such a companion in this rainy day. It was bold and thick. Everything I could ask from a good green tea latte.

Cold green tea latte (29k) with ice cream (10k). Pretty good, although it was a bit watery.

bon Appetit!

Cozy sofas, good food, great cups. It was nice to have a pleasant atmosphere in West Jakarta. Would be back to get another cup of coffee!

Koultoura Coffee

Taman Ratu Indah blok AA2 no. 33

Jakarta Barat

021 29520310

Pempek 123 Lampung : where everything was tasteful.

Been wandering in Bandar Lampung in 5 days and there is one thing I keep looking for.

Pempek.

Paid a visit to Pempek 88 (click here for review) few days ago and it was not enough for me. I was craving for another one.

Pempek 123 has always been my favorite since their first small stall in Teluk Betung. They were expanding much and opened their second stall in Pahoman area. The second one was more spacious and bright.

A bowl of warm Tekwan (15k). It was made of small cuts of fish and sago, served with savory broth. I was not a fan of Tekwan but this one was quite good. The soup was great though. A good companion in rainy days.

Choices of saus cuka (vinegar sauce). Dark sauce with combination of sweet, sour, and spicy. The white bottle was dominated by sweet flavor, recommended to children. The yellow one was the medium one. The transparent one with white cap was the most scathing. Picked the last one for sure!

Mixed pempek (4k each). Big chunks of them! It was very tasty and I could feel the fish was dominating. A tasteful one indeed. 

Too bad I could not find pempek kulit (pempek made of fish skin) that day, they were running out of it. I found pempek kulit was very rich in flavor, it surely was my favorite!

Pempek lenggang (16k). It was something I kept looking for every time I paid a visit to any pempek stall. Omelette made of cuts of pempek, served with cucumber and rice vermicelli. It was really tasty! The mixture of everything was just right. 

Their famous red bean ice (10k). A bowl of sweetened red bean with lotsa chocolate milk. I liked the sticky red bean, although it was too sweet for me. A great companion with spicy vinegar soup.

It could really freshened up your sunny day!

Choices of fish crackers and chips. They could be your stop to buy some food souvenirs, too!

I found everything was really yummy and tasteful. My favorite pempek stall so far. Some people said the other one was better. Well, people have their own delight!

Pempek 123

Jl.Ikan Belanak 15 

Teluk Betung

tel:0721474123

Jl. Jend Sudirman no 15

Tanjung Karang

0721255791

Mie Meymey Lampung : old-fashioned yet appetizing.

The old-fashioned noodle stall.

Outmoded cutlery.

Obsolete tables and chairs.

But still, people keep coming back.

Located in a busy street of Katamso, Mie Meymey (Meymey noodle) was quite hard to find. I did not see any signs, just relied on my childhood memory. It was a small noodle stall with 9 tables inside. Crowded as usual, I was lucky enough to be seated right away.

 It was a quick service. One minute and my breakfast was ready. A bowl of noodle with minced chicken and vegetables on top (17k). The meatballs was a good complement to be eaten with.

 

The noodle was soft. A good one while I used to find chewy noodles at Jakarta. The minced chicken was fragrant and appetizing. The flavor was just right.

 Mie Meymey was famous with their meatballs (1.2k each) . I could see it was something I could find on every table. The texture was fine but I found the soup need a touch of soy sauce and pepper to make it better.

It was a pleasant breakfast. I was enjoying every bite of it. I guess I know what do those people look for. Surely one of my fave!

Mie Meymey

Jl. Katamso

(near Simpur Center)

PS: dedicated to my beloved Vinella, this one is her own delight; and Clarissa Zhang, a noodle-enthusiast.

Pempek 88 Lampung : the best one, they said.

Hometown!

Been staying at home curing the homesick thingy for few days and out for culinary trip at last.

Comfort food, affordable, humble and authentic.

I've been living in Jakarta since high school and went to Lampung on some occasions. Still, their food is the thing I miss the most. (well, after my family of course)

 

So there is a street full of Pempek stall called Kupang street. Dominated by number-titled Pempek stall, the locals know what's best, Pempek 88 it is. Some people said theirs has been the best one since it is made of Belida fish. While some of pempek in Lampung is made of Tenggiri fish.

The place was very simple. Few tables with plastic chairs with noisy street sound. However it was never empty. Many people came to pick up the order too.

 

One of their specialty, grilled pempek. (Looks like a macaron, in my opinion) It was grilled and filled with dried shrimp and cabai rawit inside. The texture was quite chewy.

Combination of lenjer, telor (egg filled), and kates (dried papaya filled). My favorite one was the dried papaya filled, the filling itself was giving the unique flavor.

 (4.5k each)

Pempek lenggang (15k). Big chunks of pempek fried with egg, served with noddles, beehoon, dried shrimp and cuts of cucumber. It was very good!

One of people's favorite here was tekwan. But I did not give it a try. Basically it was similar to pempek without the frying process, it was served with savory soup.

The stall sold many kinds of crackers. Most of them are good. The combination of the crackers and the vinegar sauce was tasteful!

Do visit Pempek 88 if you happen to be in Lampung, it's one of the best!

Pempek 88

Jl. Kupang

0721 487471

Blue Elephant : a royal Thai

I was missing Bangkok.

I missed the richness I could find in Thai food.

I missed the hilarity of the city.

I missed the amazement of how affordable it was.

But still, their food was the one I missed the most.

Finding Thai food in Jakarta was not hard. The offer was quite tantalizing. I did have a great experience in Thai food once I was in Sydney and I put my expectation high in Jakarta.

Blue Elephant seems to be a great option. They claimed themselves as a Royal Thai Restaurant, which is quite promising. They spread their wings to Paris, London, Dubai, Bangkok, and many other countries, they have been managing this industry since 1980. I really hope my choice could remind me a taste of authentic Thai food.

I

It was a classic Thai restaurant, which could remind you to a classic Thai kingdom. Dominated with wooden ceiling and dim light, Blue Elephant offered the futuristic ambiance and its elegance in the heart of Jakarta. The cutlery was pretty as well.

A complimentary from the chef. Their chef was authentic, too!

Anyway it was a scoop of fresh Balinese orange, tasty fish cake, and tofu. Everything was nice.

Green Chicken Curry. The coconut green curry was thick and tasty. It was served with big chunks of tender chicken and slices of eggplants. The curry was such a winner!

And yes, you got four big slices of Roti Canai served with the green curry. I really like the mixture of the crunchiness of Roti Canai met the warm green curry. A pleasure one indeed.

 Blue Elephant Pad Thai. Their famous stir-fried rice noodle with the mixture of chives, tofu egg, and beansprout. Their Pad Thai was yummy, but I expected more. The flavor was a bit plain compared to the one I usually had. Or maybe this kind of Pad Thai was an authentic one?

Thai Sweet Cassava. Famous Thai cassave served with perfumed syrup and vanilla ice cream. It was funny to know that they were serving the cassava with ice cream, never had this kind of serving before. Anyway, it was such a sweet dessert to end the night!

It was authentic and their service was very friendly. I felt like being invited to a classic Thai dining. The food was quite a reminder of Bangkok, but could not beat the affordable prices, since Blue Elephant was quite pricey.

I would back for their green curry and other dishes for sure!

Blue Elephant

Jl. Cut Meutia no 2

Menteng

Jakarta Pusat

10340

021 3150980