MS. CHOO BRASSERIE & BAR SENOPATI - JAKARTA

If you’re familiar with Publico and wondering where it’s going, well, you can now consider Publico taking his retirement because Ms. Choo is the one substituting him.

According to one of the owner, the F&B scene in Jakarta is being dominated with the western themed cuisine and it was exactly Publico, as one of the strategies to survive in the fun-delicious-but could be intimidating biz, one needs to be unique, and executing the evolution to Ms. Choo was their idea. While Publico’s menu was highly dominated with western cuisine, Ms. Choo came with pan-asian themed cuisines on the menu with a little modern twist.

There wasn’t any changes from the interior, it was exactly Publico’s: still beautiful with industrial and raw elements to it, dimmed and urban during the night (the second floor is meant for smokers fyi), only the music sounds a little more “Asian” now, but stil have that modern lounge vibe to it. I came as a guest on its bloggers food tasting event, there were 20+ menus served and we all ate like crazy.

PS: opinion on each food remains my own, I didn’t receive any monetary compensation or whatsoever.

Let’s start off with the beverages, the price range for the beverages here is from IDR 35k – 100k

Pink Blossom

IDR 75k
Beautiful combination of Gin, raspberry, yoghurt milk and lemon juice. Lovely balance of sweet & sour, fruity and pretty light, the “it” ladies drink.

I forgot to snap a pic of their White Empress (IDR 65k) but it was my personal favorite cocktail served that day! I am not an alcohol drinker, and since it’s very light and not to mention, dominated by lychee, there I fell! White Empress is an awesome combination of Gin, lychee liquor, rose petal syrup, egg whites & lychee juice.

Watermelon Cooler

IDR 35k

Refreshing fruity drink, light and easy.

Soymilk Pandan Grassjelly

IDR 35k
Their soymilk pandan grassjelly was unlike the common soymilk I’ve tried as the palm sugar flavor dominated the taste, but in a good way.

I noticed that they are big on porks and when I try to they indeed claimed that pork became one of their main proteins here, well I think Asian food does have a strong connection to pork and I love it, that shouldn’t be a bit of problem.

Food price range started from IDR 35k to IDR 280k

Charcoal Oven Barbeque Pork “Mu Yang” with Nam Jim Jaew Dipping Sauce

IDR 48k
This was hands down one of my personal favorites! The red pork was beautifully marinated with sweet-savory sauce & cooked perfectly leaving the meat to be completely tender. The Nam Jim Jaew sauce had this beautiful sourness to it and somehow balancing the sweetness of the meat. MUST TRY!

Szechuan Chili Salt School Prawns with Shrimp Paste Chili and Sriracha Coriander Aioli

IDR 48k
Deep fried crisy prawns that won’t make you stop munching, it’s those little addicting treats that could go with rice and more like toppings.

Crispy Dry Tom Yum Salt & Pepper Soft Shell Crab

IDR 48k
I wasn’t exactly thrilled of the certain parts of the crab, I understand that you can eat soft shell crab just like that, but it’s just my personal thing, I wasn’t comfortable having all that when I know there are certain parts that I shouldn’t eat. I expected that extra Tom Yum flavor as I found it was quite lacking.

Deep Fried Prawn & Almond Ball with Sriracha Coriander Aioli

IDR 48k
One of those simple comforting treats that I like! Bouncy balls, meaty and all together tasty!

Soft Shell Crab Pomelo Salad with Cashew, Green Mango Salad with Nuoc Cham Dressing // Crispy Barramundi & Mango Apple Minta Salad with Green Nam Jim Dressing

IDR 55k/IDR 58k
I initially thought both salad was going to be the same, only different toppings, but it’s actually quite different. The crispy barramundi salad was tad too sour for me while the soft shell pomelo salad had better balance thanks to the pomelo. Both salad had generous toppings and the greens were majorly mint leaves.

Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab Yellow Curry and Kaffir Lime Leaves

IDR 78k
Unlike what I initially thought, their yellow curry was creamy, but less creamy than what I initially expected and tasted lighter, but in a way, considering we had so much food that night, something light would really do, and in a sense, the lightness of the sauce and consistency somehow match the soft shell crab’s character.

Twice Cooked Beef Short Ribs with Coriander Nam Prik Pla

IDR 95k
Lucky for me, I think I’ve always been lucky when it comes to short ribs, well I think one shouldn’t mistakenly cook short ribs as it’s an admirable part of beef. Their short ribs was tender, beautifully marinated and fragrant.

Crispy Barramundi Fillet with Choo Chee Curry and Kaffir Lime Leaf

IDR 85k
This particular dish reminds me of E&O’s winning crispy barramundi dish, only I found the naming wasn’t exactly what it was as the barramundi wasn’t crispy, it’s more like a smooth & silky fillet. The Choo Chee Curry sauce was homemade and sure was tasty!

Grilled Dry Spice Rib Eye Beef Fillet with Nam Jim Jaew

IDR 98k
The rib eye honestly looked a little dry to me but as soon as you tasted it, it was unexpectedly still pretty tender, lightly seasoned and still leaving the natural meat flavor to speak for it self.

Charcoal Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chop with “Matah” Chili Relish

IDR 95k
Frankly speaking, this was my least favorite of the night as the meat was dry, the seasoning was light, but I expected the common traditional sambal matah instead of the one with too much shallot (and smell) inside.

Roasted Seabass Fillet with Coconut Red Curry, Thai Basil Lime in Banana Leaves

IDR 85k

If you know “pepes ikan” then it’s the classier and more advanced version of the good old yummy treat. Another personal favorite of mine for the bold seasoning and smooth seabass meat, just the perfect pair with rice!

Crispy Twice Cooked Pork Belly with Caramel Tamarind Glaze and Nam Prik Pla

IDR 95k
This happened to be on my top 2 of the night (if I could rate it), the pork belly was big, chunky, incredibly juicy, tender and marinated beautifully! Some of you might not like the sweeter type of pork (and I do too normally) but when you pair it with pork belly, it just feels right, the fat & juicy part of the pork belly really add in a little texture & flavor play to the whole dish. I highly recommend you to have this on your order.

Crispy Pork Hock On The Bone with Tamarind Sauce & Nam Jim Jeaw

IDR 280k
We’ve come to my personal favorite of the night, short to say, their pork knuckle dish! It was HUGE chunk of pork knuckle, cooked just on the right timing & temperature with crispy coating, juicy fats and tender meat! The tamarind sauce played a big role here, it really lived up the overall flavor and my appetitite. I think one portion could be shared for four people.

Stir Fried Prawns Pad Prik King with Red Curry Paste Kaffir Lime & Green Beans

IDR 65k
Obsessed with the big chunky prawns as it’s very juicy!

Stir Fried Clams Nam Prik Pao & Thai Basil

IDR 65k
The clams were generous but unfortunately the actual meat pieces were small.

Pad Kee Mao Spicy Rice Noodle with Prawn, Bean Sprouts, Chinese Broccoli & Basil

IDR 60k
Pad Kee Mao can simply be translated as “drunken noodles” or “kwetiau”, and this dish was another favorite of mine for its proper seasoning (even though I expected it to be a little salty, but so far so good), proper default spiciness, that smokey wok hei aroma and flavor, and simply the scent of the cooked basil leaves that made it very Thai. Don’t mistaken Chinese Broccoli as it’s actually kailan, not actual broccoli. MUST TRY!

DESSERT!!!
We’ve come to my favorite part of the post! Gosh it’s freaking LONG my fingers are numbing.

Fried Hazelnut Nutella Sesame Balls with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

IDR 40k

If you normally find sesame balls with mung bean filling, red bean filling or chocolate (the more modern touch), here comes Nutella! I never expected a simple dish could taste this good, but in the end, it’s freaking Nutella and anything with Nutella is NEVER wrong, well that if you don’t mix terasi with Nutella, as what Aline told me because we’re raving about how Nutella changes out lives! Anyway, this is the dessert that you have to try: simple, sweet, tasty and one hell of a guilty pleasure!

Valrhona Mint Chocolate Mars Bar Peanuts with Salted Caramel Sauce

IDR 48k

This Valrhona chocolate dessert is such a Publico trademark, and now Ms. Choo is doing a more fun changes to it by changing the filling to mint cream. The dessert was ultra smooth, tasty with perfect combination of mint and chocolate and melt in your mouth! The salted caramel sauce was thick and add in that more pleasant flavor to the serving. Much love for this one, God I love desserts!

Vanilla Pandan Pannacotta with Salted Gula Malaka & Coconut Chantily

IDR 40k
This particular dessert was more Indonesian & Singaporean, in terms of ingredients and flavor. It reminded me of es dawet ayu for the salted Gula Malaka which played a big role to the dessert. I expected the pannacotta to be a little softer and creamier, but flavor wise: GOOD!

Deep Fried Chinese Doughnut with Valrhona Pandan Custard

IDR 35k
Underestimated this one for its boring cakwe look, but I actually mistaken it as it’s actually shaped doughnut. The doughnut was not greasy, but texture wise: soft & fluffy! The Valrhona pandan custard was not overly sweet and compliment well with the doughnut.

Coincidentally, some of the food reminds me of E&O signature dishes, even though E&O still won me over (until now there isn’t any restaurant that surpasses E&O on my personal list) for its more advanced & bolder flavor, but I must say that the food in Ms. Choo was fresh, refreshing and generally nicely executed! They used a lot of coriander, kaffir lime & Nam Prik Pao & Nam Jim Jeaw on the menu but all that just made the food tasted better. I really wish them all the best of luck and please keep up with the good quality, even better if they can always be creative with the menu. That’s what they really need to do to survive in the business. BEST OF LUCK!

Ms. Choo Brasserie and Bar
Jalan Senopati Raya No. 65
Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan 12110
021 - 5296 4960
Average spending: IDR 300k for two
Dresscode: sporty casual
WiFi: yes!
INSTAGRAM

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Map for Ms. Choo Brasserie & Bar

FIVE MONKEYS BURGER FOOD CENTRUM - SUNTER

It’s not a secret that I love exploring food, I think when you actually let yourself open to any restaurant, dining scene & concept, it could be one of the most unforgettable moment in your life. I’ve had quite a few unforgettable - some more like unbebloddylivable - culinary experience, some I haven’t got the chance to write, but truthfully, I would love to share it, please be more patient!!!

Speaking of exploring, there was this little burger joint called Five Monkeys Burger that I visited last week & I really want to share to you here. Truth be told, I haven’t even heard the name before as I am not entirely familiar with North Jakarta, and another truth, I am kind of lazy to drive all the way to Sunter/Kelapa Gading, because of the freaking traffic jam, but after all, it’s Jakarta and literally everywhere is the red zone for traffic jam.

The venue wasn’t exactly spacious, but I wondered why it got quite packed that day, you know, that feeling when a spot is crowded and you got kepo & curious about it. From the tagline, they served burgers and cold beers, their menu was actually pretty limited & they tried to keep it simple with few appetizers, burgers and hotdog, but somehow that’s good as I think it’s pretty focused hence they can try to serve the best of the simple. I also noticed from the menu that they also have another outlet in Legian.

For the menu itself, you can freely select french fries, chilli cheese fries or nachos for the appetizer, their burger creations range from the good old cheese burger, chicken burger, BBQ bacon burger, to the grand double cheeseburger and a common hot dog. LEMME TELL YOU THAT THE PRICING WAS HIDEOUSLY AFFORDABLE! IDR 45k for their Cheese Burger and IDR 55k for the double! The chilli cheese fries was a perfect simple treat for the day: tasty, yummy and easy, and I love the fact that the cheese flavor was very light hence it didn’t proceed to make me bloat. The burger menu might be common, but the not-so-common thing came from the flavor itself: the cheese burger was appealing to the eye and pleasing to my palate. I love that the patty was very fresh (you just can tell) and absolutely home-made. The size of the patty was proper for one serving, perfectly cooked, seasoned and their homemade sauce add in the flavor play and enchance the flavor in a good way. For some, the double cheeseburger could easily mean double the pleasure as you get double beef patty & double cheese!

Since I don’t drink, I didn’t try their cold beers, but I’ll surely come back and bring some friends who can enjoy ones. In a nutshell, it’s a good place to fulfill your craving for GOOD burgers, please let yourself be more open to the scene, what doesn’t seem very extravagant actually could be very promising, that’s what probably hidden gem is.

Five Monkeys Burger
Food Centrum Ground Floor Unit GD3
Jl. Griya Utama Sunter - Kompleks Puri Mutiara
021 - 2968 9886
Average spending: IDR 100k for two
Opening hours: 10 AM - 10 PM

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Map for Food Centrum

MIE HCM PLAZA SEMANGGI - JAKARTA

I am a BIG noodle lover and as far as I remember, I can NEVER say no to noodle, it’s my ideal comfort food, all-day breakfast, guilty pleasure and all that! I might not consistently upload local or traditional cuisine here or in my Instagram, but when I am in need of comfort food and peace, local food like meatball soup and noodle is my sweet escape.

This might sound crazy but at certain times, if you ask me to choose between a premium kobe beef and one bowl of “mie abang-abang”, the answer might surprise you.

Anyway, there’s this newly opened noodle house in Plaza Semanggi named Mie Hot Cwie Mie or to easen me on the writing of this post: Mie HCM. They claim that the brand originally came from Malang and is a franchise from Malang, but they tweaked the name and the branding to fit the Jakarta market better. If you’re familiar with Marugame Udon or canteen style order, their ordering style is pretty much like it, you start your way from one side to the cashier. You’ll get to choose the type of noodles you want, the toppings and the side dishes, if you’re greedy like me, one portion can cost you IDR 60k+, but regular portion (one noodle, one topping & one side dish) should cost you IDR 30k-50k.

I tried their signature Cwie Mie with crispy chicken popcorn, crispy chicken skin, fried meatballs, beef meatballs and wonton because I wanted to try everything. The original Cwie Mie alone already consist of thin noodles, chicken and one fried wonton and hello it was such a freaking comforting treat! Even though the noodle was thin, but it was cooked on the right timing and temperature allowing it to still have its firmness, the chicken was seasoned perfectly and given in an appropriate amount and the fried wonton was golden and cripsy. I love putting a little spice on my noodle and their tauco chili was DA BOMB! Spicy in the tastiest & most delicious way! I could rave about their noodle all day long.

As for their crispy chicken popcorn and skin, both are equally delicious! The popcorn was absolutely the more meaty one while the skin, consistency and flavor wise reminds me of KFC’s which is GOOD! The beef meatballs and steamed wonton was also good but quite common.

WHAT A FREAKING TREAT! Honestly, one portion is not enough for me because this is such a heavenly-easy-comforting meal (as how noodle’s always been), but I gotta give it to them for the twists: crispy chicken skin & popcorn, not everyday that you see noodle paired with them, but they execute it very well.

It could easily be one of the tastiest meals I’ve had in 2015. TADAA! TRY TRY!

Mie Hot Cwie Mie
Plaza Semanggi 3rd fl.
Jalan Jendral Sudirman Kav. 50
Karet, Semanggi
Jakarta Selatan 12930
Opening Hours: 10 AM - 10 PM

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Map for Plaza Semanggi

TOKYO'S BEST PATISSERIE - THAT I VISITED

Must admit, some of the desserts I found in Tokyo were yet the best I’ve tried in my life. I am a dessert person, and I enjoyed the long walks and train rides around Tokyo because I know I carried my fat body, including the expectations, curiosity and excitement in the heart. I WAS MENTALLY PREPARED FOR ALL THE SWEETS! In a nutshell, pastries in Tokyo were crafted beautifully, and in a way tasted - don't know if it's the proper word - premium (probably the ingredients), less sweet (since they’re VERY health conscious), but one thing for sure: PRETTY! Unfortunately, not every patisserie allow photo-taking (but suck on that bitch I am getting mine!). Pretty sure it’s not because they raise a spiritual “pet”, but it’s just the Japanese culture to appreciate the food more without the picture taking, some outlets even have the regulations for the customers to finish the pastries right on the spot! In a way, it’s crazy and nonsense, but I found it more as awesome! Okay, gonna stop yakking now and will let you guys enjoy the list.

I’ll make sure you drool! List is in alphabetical order.

Echire

2-6-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan

03 - 6269 - 9840

Opening hours: 10 AM - 8 PM

WEBSITE

Echire’s popularity & reputation as one of the most established butter producers needs no more recognition, but for those who don’t know, they also produce incredible butter croissants, butter mille feuille & butter ice creams. The awesome thing about their creations is the fact that the creamy butter flavor doesn’t overpower the palate with milky flavor, they’re more caramel-like flavor.

Henri Charpentier

3-6-17, Kyobashi 1F, Chuo-ku, Tokyo - Yonei Building
03 – 3562 - 2721

Opening hours: 10 AM - 9 PM (salon opens at 11 AM)

WEBSITE

Henri Charpentier is highly known for their premium desserts with high end presentation (which then came with high end pricing), but for those of you who appreciate the art of expert dessert & plating, this is one patisserie that you shouldn’t skip. I personally love their Ginza outlet, it looks like a royal tea saloon with class & elegance.

Hidemi Sugino
〒104-0031 Tokyo, Chuo 京橋３−６−１７ 京橋大栄ビル １Ｆ
+81 3353 86780
Opening hours: 11 AM - 7 PM (CLOSED ON MONDAYS)
FACEBOOK

Hidemi Sugino is one of the most popular as well as the finest patisserie in Tokyo as claimed by a lot of people. The small patisserie’s located somewhere in the alley of Ginza, I honestly didn’t expect Hidemi Sugino to be that isolated and small, but it’s still accessible by Google maps. It opens at 11 AM but the queue started to get very long at least 30 minutes before the opening hour so you really gotta come early, not to mention their cakes could easily sold out one hour from the opening hour. I know right, insane.

Hidemi Sugino is one of the patisseries that won’t allow photo taking being done inside their store, but you know me *evil smile*. I highly recommend their Ambroise (760 yen), ultra smooth pretty chocolate mousse cake (glacage au chocolat) wrapping the four layer cake: biscuit joconde au chocolat (base), mousse au chocolat noir, framboise pepins, biscuit au pistaches & mousse ala pistache, in a way, the multiple character and quality of petit gateau. Beautiful balance of flavor, texture and basically everything, and also their Bresilienne (650 yen) if you love the beautiful blend of coffee and caramel in a cake.

Laduree
銀座4丁目-6-16, 銀座三越 2F, 銀座三越 Chuo, Tokyo 104-8212, Jepang
+81 3-3563-2120
Opening hours: 11 AM - 8 PM
WEBSITE

Worldwide famous French patisserie, Laduree, also expand its existence by opening its flagship store in Ginza Mitsukoshi in Tokyo. I love their particular outlet in Ginza, especially when you’re lucky enough to get the window seating as you can see people crossing the road it’s like the mini version of Shibuya crossing. The outlet was also designed beautifully, parisian like with their signature pastel color and good access to the daylight. If you think their macarons are mainstream enough, I highly recommend their Fraise Laduree (1123 yen), the strawberry shaped cake with strawberry cream mousse, coconut flavored dacquise biscuit and some other glorious ingredients! Stay tuned as I’ll write the full review soon.

Sadaharu Aoki

WEBSITE

Sadaharu Aoki is another established Japanese pastry chef and already a household name in his origin country. Starting his career in France, the pastries are very influenced by the French pastries like croissants, macarons, and all that infused with the Japanese flavors. They also don’t allow photography taken inside the outlet, but as long as you take away, you’re fine. They are highly famous for their green tea croissant, assorted macarons (they have the genmatcha, yuzu and sesame flavor that you have to try), strawberry cakes & eclairs. The filling of the eclair was just fantastic, it's probably one of the yummiest I've had too! In Japan, they currently have four outlets (island and official flagship) located in Shibuya-Hikarie ShinQs, Shinjuku Isetan, Tokyo Midtown, and Maronouchi!

Pierre Herme

WEBSITE

When it comes to macarons, one of the most frequently asked questions is: are you team Laduree or team Pierre Herme? Well for me, I think I am stuck in between. I really like the texture of Laduree macarons, but as for the filling, Pierre Herme won me over, but really, both are awesome. One of the best pastries I’ve had on the Japan trip was Pierre Herme’s 2000 layers Mille Feuille. It was hands down, perfection! Crispy flaky pastry layered with rich creamy hazelnut custard filling, it’s a total must try! As they have several outlets in Tokyo, you should check their website for the complete address, but I went to the one in Shibuya Hikarie ShinQs.

Viron

33-8 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
03 - 5458 - 1770

Opening hours: 9 AM - 10:30 PM

Boulangerie Patisserie Viron, or simply known as Viron is a beautiful patisserie & brasserie located in Shibuya. While you can enjoy their beautiful breads & cakes on the first level, the second level is functioned as brasserie.

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