Food Tasting : Canteen at Pacific Place

I know maybe Canteen is already your favorite spot for hangout in Jakarta. But did you know that the one in Pacific Place has just been revamped? Bigger space, newly improved menu, what else could you ask for? 

That day I'm invited by Canteen to try some of their menu, and here they are !

We started with  Nachos with Jalapenos and Chili Con Carne - IDR 65.000,-. This classic appetizer are loaded with Jalapenos and Cheese, and don't forget to dip in to their homemade chili! It was good and a perfect starter.

Then next appetizer is CFC ( Canteen Fried Chicken ) Wings - IDR 50.000,-. This fried chicken is quite addictive! Crispy on the skin and juicy inside. They also put some sweet spicy seasoning on the skin. 

Then we're heading for the mains, Pork Chop with Onion Compote, Apple, Grilled Baby Lettuce Romaine and Baby Potatoes - IDR 135.000,-. This is one dish you can't missed !! The pork chop was cooked perfectly! It's juicy, and I love the sweetness kick from the onion compote and apple. Yum!

Next is Spicy Prawn Fettuccine with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil - IDR 80.000,-. I love how they mixed the pasta with rocket and some nuts, because it gives a nice crunch to it. However I think they need more seasoning of the pasta, because it's not spicy at all.

Last mains is BBQ Chicken with Grilled Corn and Baked Potato - IDR 95.000. I really love this chicken! The meat is still juicy, and the BBQ sauce wasn't too tangy. Just perfect.

Always save room for dessert! This one is Chocolate Platter - IDR 55.000,-. This is a dessert that you can share ( or not ! ) with your dining partner, because it consist of Dark Chocolate Pie, White Chocolate Pannacotta and Dark Chocolate Mousse. Both of the Dark Chocolate Pie and Mousse was really- really indulging! You will keep on digging in ! The Pannacotta also nice and balanced with fresh raspberries on top.

Looking for something unusual, you definitely have to try this ! Citrus Tart with Italian Meringue and Basil Lemon Ice Cream - IDR 55.000,-. Yessss! It's Basil Ice Creammmm ! It's actually pretty interesting, but I personally think it needs to be more sweet and creamy, since the taste is more like eating raw basil. Too strong, however it's pretty cleansing your palate. The tart has nice tangy sweet flavor, but the cookie-based needs to be more buttery and soft.

Canteen 
Pacific Place Mall, 4th Floor, 
Jl. Jendral Sudirman, SCBD, Jakarta
Phone : ( 021 ) 5797 3742
Twitter and IG : @CanteenJakarta
Facebook : Canteen Jakarta

Food Tasting : Weekend Brunch at Enmaru - Altitude The Plaza

Do you know that you can have All You Can Eat brunch every weekend at Altitude ? Yes you can ! Every Saturday and Sunday with a price of IDR 350.000++/ person and IDR 100.000++ for children 4-10years old, you can enjoy delish selection of dishes that they offer. Please takes notes that this only available for Brunch ( 11am until 3pm).

That time I was invited to the one of the restaurant at Altitude, Enmaru. With a view of Jakarta from 46th floor and lovely fusion Japanese food, you could tell that it was a great dining experience! 

Jakarta's view!

Appetizer 
For Appetizer we tried Maguro Cream Cheese Wasabi Ae. I really love this ! The tuna mixed with cream cheese, yum! Wasabi also added to gives extra 'punch'.

Something you cannot miss! Foie Gras Chawanmushi! The foie gras added more depth flavor to the chawanmushi. Soft, creamy but still light ! One is not enough I tell ya'!

Tataki Salad. This is Seared Wagyu Tenderloin that just melted in your mouth! The Japanese citrus sauce makes it balanced.

Zensai 5 kind of Moriawase. This is a chef's selections of appetizer. It was served in a box, and my personal favorite is the squid ink noodle!

Sashimi and Sushi 
What's Japanese food without Sashimi right?! So definitely could not miss Salmon and Tuna Sashimi. It was served in good quality and fresh! The second time we ordered, the chef gaves us this cutesy presentation! He served the sashimi in a box with fishes ! So cuteeee!

The Executive Chef of Enmaru, Takashi Tomie

kawaiiiii !

I also tasted some Unagi Nigiri Sushi and it was good. 

We also ordered Ikasumi Roll. This roll using squid ink on its rice, so be prepared to have black teeth when eating this ! :p But it was good though, not fishy even using the squid ink.

Charcoal Grill
A MUST  item that you should order, Buta Bara Pineapple! This pork belly was tasted very juicy and flavorsome! Yum! And I also like how they served it with small charcoal grill, so you can keep your kushiyaki hot!

Tori Momo Negi.  This chicken skewers with chopped leek was also good!

Soup
Soup is one kind of dish that I always like, so I tried some Kinoko Soup. This dish was very simple with some shimeji, but I think its need more seasoning on the soup. Using dashi would be better IMO.

Rice and Noodle
Salad Ramen. Omg, I love this ! The ramen was dressed in spicy mayo and vegetables and egg yolk ( oh yes! ) was also added to this dish. The noodle was springy and the flavor was perfect! Just too bad I'm already full that time :p

Main 
From the mains we tried, Salmon Teriyaki. The salmon was perfectly cooked, and the teriyaki sauce also sweet and yummy.

Beef Teriyaki. They use wagyu beef for this dish, and it was tender and juicy. Yum!

Oyako Toji 
If you love OyakoDon, you definitely love this. A savory combo of chicken and egg!

Buta Kakuni Potato An. This is Braised Pork Belly with Mashed Potato on top. I personally love the pork belly because it's very tender and juicy! Noms!

Dessert
Always save room for dessert! So the first one to try is Houjicha Brulee. I kind of like the flavor because it's not too sweet but creamy enough. But I think the Houjicha should taste more stronger.

Baked Yuzu Cheesecake. It's not like usual cheesecake that usually creamy. I think if it's more fluffy in texture, would be better.

Zenzai with Matcha Ice Cream. I always love Japanese dessertttt! And this one is the one that I also love! The red bean with mochi mixed with ice cream............... heaven in your mouth!

Their Kuro Goma (Black Sesame) Ice Cream was also oishii !

Overall I think it's really worth it to have AYCE brunch here. With their consistency and quality in food they served and lovely atmosphere, you will definitely  have a good time! Last words, thanks Sonya and Altitude for having me ! :)

Enmaru Restaurant
Altitude, The Plaza 46th Floor,
Jl. M. H. Thamrin, Jakarta
Phone : ( 021 ) 2992 2448
Twitter  : @Altitude_ID
Facebook : Altitude The Plaza

Recipe : Baked Cheese Tteokbokki ( Korean Spicy Rice Cake with Cheese )

I don't know what happen with today, but I just had a feeling about writing a recipe! As much as I love cooking, I know I haven't done many recipes in this blog . It's quite hard though for me to write a recipe. Because most of the time, when I cook, I just use my palate until I get the flavor that I want, and I didn't measured it. I'm quite amazed with the food bloggers out there, that could do cooking, taking a beautiful pictures, writing the recipe and yet.... still have to do the cleaning afterwards. Man.... it's a lot of works! Oh maybe, I just have to look for a photographer ( future ) husband, so at least it will cut the loads. Lol. 

Anyway, in this post, I make some Korean comfort food, Tteokbokki ! In Korea, this is a street food that you can found it everywhereeee. I always love Tteokbokki ! But not everyone could do it right. Sometimes it's too tough, sometimes it's bland and just taste like eating a rice flour. That's why, for me, it's better to do more flavoring in the sauce to balanced the bland taste of the rice cake. And yes, Tteokbokki is better to enjoy while it's hot, because it's getting tougher when it's cold. You don't wanna break your teeth don't you! ;p

I had this kind of Baked Cheese Tteokbokki in the Korean restaurant before, and I loveeeee it! That's why instead of doing the original one, I prefer this one ! Cheese and Tteokbokki actually really goes well together. The creamy melted cheese combined with the spicy rice cake......... Yum! 

You can also add anything you want in Tteokbokki . In this recipe I'm just using Shimeji Mushroom, but it's totally up to you if you want to add some vegetables or anything. Oh... I also don't have any dried anchovies and kelp at the moment. Usually they use that for the stock, but don't worries! You can use a regular water or chicken stock, or for me... I just used some Dashi. 

 
I tell you what, it is very easy to make this Tteokbokki, and don't worry if you don't have the perfect ingredients. Just use your creativity, and you still can make simple dishes, with great taste. So... grab your knife and here we go!

Baked Cheese Tteokbokki ( Korean Spicy Rice Cake with Cheese )

Cooking  time  : 20-30minutes
Servings            : 4

Ingredients  :
500gr Sticky Rice Cake Sticks ( You can bought it at the Korean Supermarket)
1 Onion, sliced
3 Green Onions, cut into 3inch long pieces
1package of Shimeji Mushroom ( around 200gr )
3cups of Water
1package of Dashi ( or the Dried Anchovies and Kelp, if you have )
3tbsp  Gochujang ( Korean Hot Pepper Paste )
1tbsp  Chili Flakes 
1tbsp  Corn Syrup ( or Sugar )
1tbsp  Soy Sauce
3tbsp  Honey
200gr Mozzarella Cheese

Directions : 
1. Boiled water in the pan, add Dashi, Gochujang, Chili Flakes.
2. Put in Rice Cake sticks, onions, green onions, corn syrup, soy sauce, honey. Stir gently, around 5 minutes.
3. Put in Shimeji, and keep stirring until 10 minutes, or until the sauce thicken and the rice cake soften. If you find it too spicy you can add more honey, if you want it more spicy, just add the gochujang.
4. Preheat the oven to 250°C, put the Tteokbokki on oven-proof pan or dish. Grate some Mozarella Cheese on top, and put in the oven for 5 - 10 minutes, or just until the cheese are melted. 
5. Take out from the oven, serve and enjoy while it's hot!

London : Warung Padang London ( East West Oriental )

Notes : This spot already relocated to a new bigger place! So this posting wasn't relevant anymore since I've tried it before they move to the new location.

___________________________________________________


What a great experience for me to actually meet another Indonesian during my last trip to UK! And yes, he's not a regular Indonesian, but he's an unsung heroes of Indonesian Culinary Heritage. Meet Firdaus Lanyau, or we usually called him 'Aa' ( brothers in Indonesian ). He's a very friendly and funny person with a big vision, "To bring Indonesian food 'heard' in London". 

You can tell that my simple conversation with Aa, actually light up the 'fire' in me. Because the thing is, everytime I go to the market/restaurants in London, I've seen a lotssss of Malaysian or Singaporean food or Thai and Vietnamese, or even..... Burmese ! But not any Indonesian! Oh come on Indonesiaaa! We have too many good dishes, it's such ashamed that the world hasn't known our cuisine yet!

So that day, I'm taking my lovely 'foodie' Switz friend to try this 'Warung' ( stalls in Indonesian) of Aa. This Warung Padang, is quite hidden in the bustling area of Chinatown ( Leicester Square Tube Station ). But don't worry, it's not that hard to find. Just look for the sign 'Omega Travel' then you go in and go to the first floor with the escalator. Go to the left, and you'll see the Indo's decor. Aa also selling Indo's groceries here, so if you're Indonesian who lives in the UK, you can just buy it online on his website, or just visit this 'warung'. 

Aa wanna focusing on Nasi Padang, even though he also served other Indonesian dishes. He wanna introduce the authentic Rendang Padang ( yes not the Malaysian one! ) to the Londoners. Aa's wife is native Padang, so there's no doubt of the authenticity.
So here I am, with my tummy rumbling, I just directly ordered Nasi Padang - £5. They served the Nasi Padang with Rendang, Lado Mudo, Veggies and Sambal, served over rice. Rendang is a Spicy Beef originally from Padang. And it's really good so it deserves as the NUMBER ONE dish of CNN's 'World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods'. Indonesian Rendang is usually dry and has black/dark brown color. Don't be scared by the color! It has that kind of color because of the slowww cooking process and caramelization. And Aa's rendang is tasted .... Authentic! He wasn't adjusting the flavor to local palate, because he want to preserve the 'real' flavor of Indo Food. The meat was actually tender, and you really can taste the spices.Yum! 
The Lado Mudo was also good! Made from the green chillies and fried anchovies, this one is tasted perfectly when you eat with the rice.

We also tried Lontong Sayur - £5. This typical Indonesian Breakfast dish is made with Lontong ( Steamed Rice Cake ), Boiled Egg and Veggies, cooked in curry-style soup. This dish is perfect for you who are vegetarian. Consist with many Veggies such as Tempeh, String Beans, Cabbage, and also, Jackfruit. This one tasted very savory yet light. Not too spicy though so it's perfect to balanced the Nasi Padang. 

After spicy food, I ordered Es Campur - £3.5 and Es Cincau - £2. This desserts slash drinks, is perfect to tone down after the spicy foods. Es Campur is mixed of jellies and fruits like coconut, jackfruit, buah Atap ( Palmfruit). Sweet and refreshing! 

Es Campur

Es Cincau

Overall, I could say this is THE BEST Indonesian Food in London! If you haven't tried any, I recommend you to try ! Last words, thanks Aa, it was nice meeting you, wish you all the best and hopefully I could visit again someday! :)

Warung Padang London ( East West Oriental ) 
Prince of Wales P H, Llewellyn St, 
London SE16 4XF, United Kingdom ( NEW LOCATION )
Opening Hours : 12pm - 10pm 
Phone : +44 20 7394 1146
Facebook : East West Oriental

Food Tasting : MOJO Kitchen & Bar

I'm back to my fave restaurant at Senopati for their new menu tasting! Well, it's been many times since my first visit ( that you can read my post HERE ), and I keep coming back. Mojo serves yummy food and great ambiance, that's why I always recommend this place to any people that looking good food around Senopati! :p

So that time, we're starting the lunch ( or brunch ) with their appetizer-platter. Fyi, This is not the real presentation, since they only serve small portions for the tasting-session.
First one to try is  Sweet Honey and Soy Sauce Chicken Wings and Korean-style Spicy Chicken Wings - IDR 40.000/portion. The Sweet Honey and Soy sauce one had enough crisp on the skin, the taste ... just like it's name. Sweet! haha... If you're a big fan of Korean style wings, you'll definitely like this. Then, the Spicy one, it was too much ginger taste in my opinion. Would be better if there's more gochujang taste in it.

Next appetizer is Grande Nachos - IDR 85.000. This nachos served with cheddar, chili con carne, jalapeno relish, pico de gallo and guacamole. You can tell it's bursting of flavor.

Next one, I don't know you can classified this as an appetizer or not, but oh well... it' Classic Lengua Taco - IDR55.000. This taco served with Beef Tongue ( oh yes ), pico de gallo, guacamole, jalapeno relish, taco sauce and chipotle aioli. The tongue was quite tender, but since it's in smaller cut, I barely can taste it. I think if it's in bolder slices, the tongue would 'shine' compared to the other ingredients.

And for the mains,  I should start with my most favourite, which is, Pork Belly Confit Burrito Bowl - IDR 89.000. This bowl is a heavenly combinations of rice, pork belly, creamed corn, mojo verde, nori strips, sour cream, KB sauce and mixed veggies. I don't want to think of how much calories in this one bowl, however, I just love the combo. Multi textured and flavorful. I love how the sour cream gives a nice creaminess to it, and the breadcrumbs gives a nice crunch. I also love how they use the Korean beansprouts!  ( which is longer and thinner compared to Indonesian one )


Next one is Chipotle Glazed Herb Chicken - IDR 65.000. I had this one before and I love it! The flavor wasn't that spicy even though they use Chipotle. The chicken had nice smokey taste, with refreshing sour taste in it. They served it with lime and cilantro rice, which goes really well with the chicken.

Fried Chicken and Waffle - IDR 88.000. Actually this is my first chicken and waffle, everrrr. This classic American dish also served with Maple Butter Syrup and Grain Mustard sauce. The fried chickens are cooked perfectly! Juicy but also crispy on the outside. The maple butter sauce gives a nice sweet taste in it. Sweet and savory!

One of their new menu is Mojo Fish and Chips - IDR 90.000. This breaded john-dory fish was served with pineapple coriander salsa and strawberry jalapeno cream sauce. I love the salsa! Refreshing!

Beef Tongue Fried Rice - IDR 69.000. Now you can tell Beef Tongue are starting to be popular here in Jakarta! The Fried Rice was quite nice with salted fish in it, the tongue was quite tender, but I think it's a bit dry. 

And they also served my fave Chipotle Pears Braised Short Ribs, that you can read on my previous post as well. Now are you ready for some desserttttt ? ;D First is Peanut Butter Cheesecake - IDR 69.000. Omg, this is heavenly!! You can still taste the peanuts chunks in it, and yet, it's not too creamy. 


Next is Waffle with Red Velvet Ice Cream - IDR 69.000. I love the cream cheese sauce on it, but the waffle wasn't crispy enough IMO.

Some Drinks you can try. 
Madeira ( Cucumber, Lychee and Lemongrass ) - IDR 40.000
G.S.L ( Guava, Strawberry, Lemon ) - IDR 45.0000
Ginger Berry ( Ginger Ale, Strawberry, Orange, Lychee, Lime ) - IDR 55.000
Nutella Hazelnut Smoothie - IDR 65.000 

Madeira

G.S.L

Ginger Berry

Nutella Hazelnut Smoothie

Overall, I still have good time and happy tummy. Thanks Rizky and Mojo for inviting!


MOJO Kitchen and Bar
Jl. Kertanegara No.70, South Jakarta.
Phone : ( 021 ) 700 70529
Facebook : MOJO Kitchen and Bar
Twitter : @eat_MOJO