TRATTORIA CUCINA ITALIANA ST. MORITZ - JAKARTA

I’ve mentioned so many times how kiasu I can be whenever there are new places opening and I am proud enough to admit that I am one, but Puri - the neighborhood in West Jakarta - is an exception, has never been my favorite area and I tend to be a little careless whenever there are new places opening in Puri, actually the reasons are pretty personal, and when I think about it again and again they’re quite silly. First, it’s kind of far from where I live, but then I realize I would be very happy to drive all the way to Kemang, where in distance comparison, actually further than Puri (I live in West FYI), but the thing that irks me the most, is the fact that Puri’s actually located halfway to my college. For some reasons, I NEVER really like my college moments, my college was like the darkest moments in my life, and in a way, the moments that taught me to keep my head up and freaking face the life, and I have to thank the past as it creates who I am at the moment, the personality that I am VERY VERY GRATEFUL for, almost like a newborn! I think I’m going to need one single post to tell you everything and maybe some time in the future.

Meanwhile, let’s just focus on this one. I visited this restaurant around two weeks ago, I don’t think I even need to introduce this restaurant anymore as I think it’s one of the most popular Italian restaurants in town, but if you don’t, lads and gents, I give you: Trattoria Cucina Italiana!

Trattoria started evolving into what currently an established Italian restaurant from 2002 and its first outlet was in Oberoi, Seminyak-Bali. So far, they already have three outlets in Jaakrta, but I heard each outlet has different owner. I came to the one in St. Moritz Puri Indah (surprise!), it’s located just next to Fctry (I also haven’t come here) and Electronic City. FYI there’s a quick access to Trattoria from Electronic City (like a little back door).

The restaurant had this minimalist, simple and homey feeling to the ambiance. It’s properly designed with glass material decorating almost all of the front and sides of the building allowing that straight access to the sunlight! Area wise, I wouldn’t say it’s exactly spacious, but they have this small dining area located on the upper floor that I assume functioned for the smoking area and for those who wish for a little more private dining experience.

The food here, undoubtedly, dominated by Italian cuisine selections. Tried several menus and here they were!

Complimentary Bread

Okay, their complimentary breads were really good but my favorite one has got to be the crispy sticks, once you had it you just couldn’t stop munching! The fluffier ones were also soft and fragrant, best served when they’re fresh from the oven.

Bruschetta with Tomato
This was another complimentary, the fresh diced tomato was lightly seasoned and placed on a crunchy Bruschetta bread.

Ravioli di Pesce

IDR 87k

The fact that the filling of this ravioli was the mixture of three kinds of fish already sounded too good to be true and when I ate it, it was divine. I never had a fish ravioli before and I was quite impressed with the outcome. The pasta was cooked al-dente, the fish filling was fresh without fishy smell or flavor and dressed beautifully in homemade Bisque sauce. A “virgin” like me liked this!

Lasagna alla Bolognese

IDR 85k

This was their take on the homemade Italian goodness, lasagna, and they serve it in the classic Bolognese style with tomato based sauce and minced beef. I think lasagna has never been really photogenic, the thing that makes lasagna photogenic was actually the plate, but don’t misjudge and underrate this, the consistency of the pasta might be a little less al-dente than I expected, but the creaminess, thickness and seasoning of the sauce was beautiful. The minced beef was very smooth, there’s almost no texture, but in the tastiest way <3.

Rosticiana di Maiale con Potato Mila

IDR 169k

First of all, I was quite stunned with the portion. Damn this grilled pork ribs was BIG, no way I am having this just for myself, it’s more like the portion for two or three people. That I already felt like the IDR 169k seemed worth it. The aromatic herb scent suddenly lingered when it got served, I noticed they’re using a lot of rosemary and other aromatic ingredients which I love, that beautiful scent really lived up my appetite for Christ’s sake. The meat was thick but quite tender on certain parts and crunchy on the other parts, seasoning was light but it’s good hence the initial pork flavor dominated the dish (which should be the important point!).

I feel like the fact that they claim 100% authentic to the dish might cause a little mis-communication to the Jakartans, or generally, Indonesians. I mean I have friends who owns authentic restaurants franchises in Jakarta and it’s the matter of commitment and regulation that the recipe needs to be 100% the same as the original outlet, and if you’ve travelled to let’s say Italy or Europe before, you might know that European' palate is kinda different comparing to ours that’s stronger and used to rich Asian and local spices, but judging from my experience having European food straight from their origin and compare it to Trattoria, I think Trattoria did a great job in bringing that authenticity and delightful flavor to the locals. I do hope that the customers would be more open to this kind of knowledge and experience. The food here is good, service was kind, pricing still makes sense and I am definitely coming back to try more pastas! DAYUM!

Trattoria Cucina Italiana

Lippo Mall Puri @St. Moritz, GF, G-99

Puri Indah Boulevard Blok U No. 1 CBD

Jakarta Barat 11610

O21 - 2911 1312 / 2911 1313

Opening Hours:

Mon-Thu & Sun: 10 AM - 10 PM

Fri-Sat: 10 AM - 12 AM

Pricing: $$, IDR 300k for two

Dresscode: casual

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Map for Trattoria St. Moritz

TURNING POINT COFFEE

Instead of #AkhirnyaAdaDiSerpong, my case was pretty much #AkhirnyaGueKesini!

Been wanting to visit Turning Point for quite sometime, well, I am a coffee liker, I wouldn’t say I am in the state where I am worthy to be called “enthusiast” (probably in the previous posts I’ve mentioned it) because I don’t have that deep knowledge about coffee (just some basics like balance and acidity), but I like having coffee.

I don’t know how to measure my love for coffee, but I don’t think it’s really neccessary. At least I am not those people who try so hard to look cool on the social medias uploading pictures of coffee when in fact, some of them have BIG ZERO knowledge and don't have any idea what they're doing. #nomention

Turning Point is located in Gading Serpong (near my university) and around the Pahoa school area. Some might find the place a little isolated because there’s minimum signage and located in the clusters area where each cluster looked exactly the same, but once you find it, you’re going to notice this white space (probably the only one) with people inside, minimalistly designed and homey. Not much going on with the design, just simple and proper just how I like it.

They separated the smoking area at the back of the coffee shop, and frankly, I am loving the back area more, it’s an open space, semi-outdoor with more earthy ambiance, minimalist and chic wooden furniture, the roof part is mechanically adjustable depending on the need. Not to mention, they also have this photogenic back door area I've seen some friends took their Instaworthy picture there.

Currently, they only serve coffee and pastries here, so don’t expect mains. The cakes and pastries are supplied from Lareia (that famous Mille Crepes cake online shop) and BEAU by Lalita Setiandi. Okay when I know that Lalita is supplying cakes here, I release all doubts, she is such a humble genius and I heard she’s opening BEAU in Plaza Indonesia! Yay!

If you are not that enthusiast about coffee, they also have other selections such as teas and blended beverages!

Since I came here after having my lunch in Fat Belly, Karawaci, I only ordered a little. One cup of Hot House-Blend Cappuccino(IDR 37k) with Kouign Amman (IDR 38k) and one Iced Passionfruit Tea (IDR 35k). Based on an amateur coffee drinker like me, I found the coffee had a pretty good balance, I don’t really like coffees with high acidity, but again, it really depends on how the coffee shop does the blending and roasting, and based on how I rate it, the cappuccino was quite good and subtle. The beans they’re using came from Morph, Common Grounds and Tanamera.

PS: freaking love the latte art! So tidy and professionally made. Anyway, not sure if this is right or wrong, but I heard the owners are husband and wife who used to be Melbournians and worked at Market Lane (famous coffee shop in Melbourne) as Baristas, and Oh My Freaking Gosh, Melbourne probably has THE BEST COFFEES I’ve had, I couldn’t help not having coffee every single day of my visit there, just so so good almost unexplainable and in a sense, subtle!

Forgot snapping a pic of their tea, but frankly, I wasn’t exactly the biggest fan of their tea, I found it tad too sweet instead of sour (as how I expected from passionfruit).

I had no complaint about the Kouign Amman, it’s crazy good with crispy and sweet glazing coating and moist on the inside. I love the buttery scent and taste and the fact that it didn't overpower my palate! The sweetness balance was beautiful! MUST TRY!

I must say I had a pleasant visit here, the coffee’s good and even better when you have good friends accompanying you and gossiping chit-chatting around, cheers and thanks to Shelmi from Delicacies Journal who lives near by and a new friend I made there: say hi to Maxie! Shelmi's unbelievably cute pom!

 Hi Maxie!

Will I drive back just for this? Absolutely! I think this coffee shop is promising and the fact that it’s pet friendly and I can bring  my pet here got me a little more biased, well I love my dog so much it's nice to take him on a good and friendly "retreat". I am wishing them all the best of luck!

Turning Point Coffee
Jalan Ki Hajar Dewantara
Ruko Golden 8 Extension Blok K No. 10 (near Pahoa school)
Gading Serpong, Tangerang 15810
0811-1131-894
Opening Hours: 10 AM - 7 PM (currently closed on Sundays)
Pricing: $
Dresscode: casual as can be!

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Map for Turning Point Coffee

MOTTOMOO HAMBURG PANTAI INDAH KAPUK - JAKARTA

This will be a short review about this newly opened Japanese restaurant in Pantai Indah Kapuk named Mottomoo. I wasn’t exactly in the mood to take a lot of pictures as I went here right after I landed on the airport from Bangkok (more stories about Bangkok coming very soon!).

Mottomoo’s located align Cake-A-Boo and the recently opened Abura Soba Yamatoten, something about the place that’s quite catchy but honestly very simple, wasn’t sure if it’s the minimalist-industrial design or the cat illustration on the wall. Anyway, their concept is Japanese Hamburg house and align with that you’re going to find hamburg selections on the menu. Honestly, I would see this more like a Japanese modern fusion cuisine instead of authentic Japanese, as I saw some menus  heading towards the western side. 4 main food genres here would be: appetizers, hamburg, rice and pasta dishes.

Enough yakking, let’s move on to the food!

Tebasaki

IDR 45k

I was happy for the chicken wings as they’re beautifully cooked (very juicy and tender) and dressed in glazy caramelly soysauce, the flavor was the lovely combination of sweet, savory and garlicky. Best have when it’s hot!

Hamburg Gratin

IDR 99k

The main idea of this dish is hamburger meat cooked and presented in Gratin style. They’re using Australian Black Angus Rib Eye with NO FAT for the meat, and dressed with Bechamel Sauce and topped with Mozarella and Parmesan cheese. The meat was beautifully cooked with tender and juicy inside. Surprisingly, as I was digging in, I noticed that they also put spaghetti below the hamburg and consistency wise, the spaghetti was cooked on a good temperature, quite al-dente even though not completely.

For some reasons, aside from the generous amount of sauce, I feel like the consistency of the sauce wasn’t thick enough for my liking and in a way, I also expected the flavor to be richer and bolder, my experience was like 75% out of the full expectation, but I am not saying that it’s bad, in fact nowhere near, it just can do better.

Premium US Beef Stew

IDR 150k

I freaking love the presentation of most Japanese rice dishes, it’s just that generous amount of sauce not only make the food look prettier, but it drooled the hell outta me! Now I found that the sauce here was thicker and tastier (better seasoned) for my liking and OMG that beef stew was cooked perfectly with uber tender beef. Pairing it with a rice was in fact a genius thing to do. I wonder how would it feel if they actually put omelette into the portion. I GOT DAYUM ON MY MIND.

This time, I don’t want to conclude because I barely had a lot of their menus, but my experience was not bad, even though generally I feel like they can do better with certain things, but that’s normal, there will be positives and negatives on every visit. I like the range of the menu and the three outcomes I tried, pricing wise, I wouldn’t say that it’s exactly cheap.

Anyway, goodluck Mottomoo!

Mottomoo Hamburg
Ruko Garden House Blok B/21
Pantai Indah Kapuk, Jakarta Utara 14470
021 - 9505 1043
Opening Hours:
Weekdays: 11 AM - 10:30 PM
Weekends: 11 AM - 11 PM
Pricing: $$ (IDR 300k for two)
Dresscode: casual
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Map for Ruko Garden House

Geoduck, sea snail and giant mantis prawn at Rainbow Seafood Restaurant, Lamma Island, Hong Kong

There are no two ways about it. The geoduck clam is the most phallic looking creature on the planet. The neck of this clam extends in a very suggestive fashion from its shell, and because it can live to more than 100 years old, record lengths of up to two metres are not unusual. *Ahem*

Originally hailing from the west coast of the United State and Canada, geoduck (pronounced gooey duck) isn't

FEATURED IN: HELL'S KITCHEN INDONESIA - SEASON 1 EPISODE 9

Not much to say but a lot to be grateful about! Totally one of the most astonishing moments among my blogging adventure! Thank you God for this amazing chance and cheers to many more good things to come <3. AMEN!

Special thanks for Hell's Kitchen Indonesia! The taping was really fun <3.

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CAFFE MILANO GRAND INDONESIA - JAKARTA

First of all, the first few paragraphs is my thought, not exactly about this particular restaurant.

I’ve always loved eating, I think you guys know about it.

I love exploring new places, I think you guys clearly know about it, and how kiasu I can be whenever there are new places opening, but lately I’ve been thinking and wondering if I am really enjoying the scene. I know I am happy wandering around Jakarta and eat, but lately I don’t know if me, personally really entertained with all those glamorous new restaurants opening and what they have to offer, because frankly speaking, I am quite hard to be impressed but when I do, I will rave so much about it.

It’s not often that some of the new restaurants opening turned out to be just the typical good looking restaurants with disappointing food and service. There are so many things that could be wrong but throughout this blog, I am telling you WHAT I FELT AND EXPERIENCED on the day of my visit, things could go better and worse in the future and I am sorry-not-sorry if in the future I didn’t manage to go back and updated, and no I am not judging, I am sharing, so either you go with it or leave whatever I wrote here out of your brain and trust some other sources.

Anyway, don’t take it emotionally, I am actually writing it feeling very neautral while wearing the lumpiest cloth I have in my drawer while sipping on my Nestea Iced Thai Tea I bought in Thailand. LOL.

Okay, back to the main focus, I’ll be talking about this new establishment by the UNION group. I don’t know if they’re expanding a little too fast because after UNION DELI and BENEDICT, even before the hype got the chance to slow down (well hopefully never), here comes CAFFE MILANO.

Caffe Milano is located (again) in Central Department Store, I don’t know if the department store itself actually sells well or the crowd came just for the restaurants, but I got a good feeling there must be profit sharing tsk tsk! Okay, I must be completely honest here and this is my thought. The first time that I noticed even before the ambiance was this yellow light surrounding the area! As someone who loves taking picture and enjoying restaurants’ ambiance, the yellow canopy wasn’t my favorite thing! It’s horrible for photo taking and when the sun’s on its lightest it could illuminate this neon-yellow color that’s sort of displeasing to the eye, and on my visit, the weather wasn’t the nicest, it started off raining very hard and in 15 minutes suddenly went moist and hot and that’s when the sunlight was shining brutally bright. Trust me, most of the photos here have gone thru major editing to leave out the yellow.

The interior design somehow reminded me of UNION Plaza Senayan, only this one happened to be a little more vintage and moody, but still very chic, stylish and classy! And since UNION PS happened to be one of my most favorite restaurant’s interior, I am loving it. They also have a bar area where you can sit more casually while having your choice of drinks!

Iced Cappuccino

IDR 30k

Loving how they put the balsamic vinegar and olive oil on every table. Perfect dip for the complimentary bread (see below).

Complimentary Bread
Super love the complimentary bread!!! It’s not often that I am impressed by simple complimentary bread, but this one, with the crispy surface, swirly-fluffy inside and how they’re seasoned, left good impression for me. In a way, the bread tasted a little like pizza with chili flakes.

I guess the name of the restaurant gave you the idea of what they’re (mostly) serving here, yup, it’s Italian cuisine with pasta and pizza as their highlights. The choices for both seemed quite inviting but I managed to try out some of their best sellers, due to the limited “storage”, I didn’t order any special mains, so I guess I’ll keep that for upcoming visits. Oh, the executive chef of Caffe Milano is Chef Luca Pezzera who used to be the head chef in Scusa at InterContinental Jakarta MidPlaza Hotel and over the last 20 years, his experience included some he earned in Italy, Switzerland, Scotland, Istanbul, Dubai and of course, our beloved city, Jakarta ;).

Veal Ragout Linguine with Sun Dried Tomato

IDR 125k

I have never been really a fan of tomato based pasta, especially when it’s plain and watery. The sauce’s created from tomato and minced veal and I was glad that they made it thick and sort of creamy (ragout type)!!! The linguine was perfectly al-dente and this dish was seasoned beautifully, just savory, meaty and interesting flavor and very fresh! MUST TRY.

Assorted Mushroom Pizza with Truffle Oil

IDR 135k
Crispy dough with generous Mozarella cheese, mushroom topping! So damn happy that the truffle oil dressing was generous as well it’s almost drenched! Tip for better eats: apply two rounds of olive oil dressing on top!

Homemade Angel Hair Pasta with Black Truffle and Light Butter Sauce

IDR 175k
Was quite surprised when Chef Luca came to my table and gave this as a complimentary (thanks Chef!). The angel hair was so so good! The texture of the pasta was amazing and my amazing means not exactly thin, fluffy and chewy, konyaku like but not exactly konyaku, okay the explanation gets confusing. The light butter sauce was also beautiful, indeed very light but creamy without overpowering my palate which usually very contrast to the flavor of milk, butter and cream. Pricing wise, since they're using an expensive ingredient like Black Truffle, it's a little hefty.

I don't know if you can communicate people to understand how rare and exclusive black truffle is, but I honestly think, besides the target market, not a lot of people seemed to care.

Tiramisu Tradizionale

IDR 80k
Hands down, the Tiramisu was such a perfect sweet ending to my lunch! Short to say, one of the best Tiramisu in town (true Italian did know how to make the perfect ones, didn’t they?). The Mascarpone cream was creamy and the flavor was perfect to me because it’s not that milky and buttery! The cake was very moist and kind of wet, but it’s good because you kinda get that beautiful balance from the creamy part and the wetter part. DAYUM!

As expected, the hype of Caffe Milano was immense! When I came for lunch, the tables were almost fully booked, couldn’t imagine how it’s on the weekends. Based on my visit, the food here was quite tasty & service was nice. Pricing wise, not the cheapest, but what I ordered seemed worth it tho. Just like what I mentioned, there’s that classy feeling to this restaurant, so you might want to dress up a bit as I think shorts and sandals are not allowed here.

Best of luck and will be back for the mains!

Caffe Milano
Central Dept. Store Ground Floor, Grand Indonesia Shopping Town
Jalan M.H. Thamrin No. 1
Jakarta Pusat 10350
021 - 2358 0638
Opening Hours: 10 AM - 2 PM
Pricing: IDR 500k for two
Food starts from IDR 85k - IDR 300k
Drinks (cocktails) from IDR 100k - IDR 200k
Dresscode: sporty casual
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Map for Grand Indonesia Shopping Town