AWkitchen by Akira Watanabe

Hey! I'm at AWkitchen as we speak, as the food slowly trickles out of the kitchen. Service could be improved greatly, but so far the food are simply delish (though tad too salty for our taste), with top notch quality. Even Auntie P approves! And she's a tought nut to crack! We think this is so as the Japanese chef is still here. 

It's located at Plaza Senayan, right next to Garçon. I don't think I could be back anytime soon for a review, so do drop by some time soon before the Japanese Chef leaves ;p

대한민국 - South Korea

Hiya! Le Sister here! 

I know I've promised this post since weeks ago, heehhehe 

Sorry! As always /.\

Anyways! I was in South Korea for about 5 weeks! And it definitely wasn't enough!

Mommy can I just stay there forever? :D

It was dead winter when we were there, during the first few days the temperature was the lowest for that winter. Daydreaming about the next trip and it should probably be fall/spring :D

Anyways. Focus. Food blog. Ok. 

The Traditional Must Eats

What's a trip to South Korea without 비빔밥 Bibimbap? There are different types of ingredients to go in your Bibimbap, you can add in any ingredients actually and it'll still be Bibimbap. The one we had in the picture is 고기비빔밥 Beef Bibimbap. 

We've had ours at MyeongDong Lotte Dept Store, I don't remember it being pricey but look at that heap of meat! We ordered a Large size, and for 2 girls it was definitely enough. 

Fire meat! The direct translation for 불고기 Bulgogi. Hahahah

The best ones that we've had was from Bulgogi Brothers, they do have a branch here at Lotte Shopping Avenue, but please please just avoid the one here and go to the one in Korea. 

They have branches everywhere, and we chose Hongdae area as it's personally one of my favourite spots for everything; to hangout, eat, sing, dance, shop, or simply just to people watch.

Ginseng Chicken Soup, or more commonly known as 삼계탕 Samgyetang; is a summer must eat for Locals. Chicken stuffed with ginseng and glutinous rice, it's a summer dish as the ginseng will help to keep their body temperature lower, thus help us feel cooler during the hot heat.

For the best Samgyetang, do visit Tosokchon! If you plan on visiting during summer, try to visit earlier. We came during lunchtime and the queue was crazy epic, it made us make a u-turn. Even during winter the whole place was bustling with both locals and tourists. It tastes so clean and light, not a single drop of soup was left in the bowl.

순두부찌개 Subdubu Jiggae, one of my all-time favourite Korea dish! Our favourite one is from Dongdaemun, the street right behind the shopping malls. Though this time around we didn't manage to visit, memories of having our dinner there some 2 years ago still lingers.

본가의 우삼겹!! Woosamgyeop from Bornga! Marinated thinly sliced beef, from my favourite restaurant ever in Hongdae, Seoul! Bornga! Don't get me talking about this. I could finish 2 servings of it all on my own! Definitely one of the reasons to visit Seoul! Don't even try to compare to the Bornga here, they're on an entirely different level!

삼겹살 Samgyeopsal! What's Korea without some pork belly and soju! Though we skipped the soju, but out lovely house manager treated us to the famous 팔색 삼겹살 Palsaik Samgyeopsal! Where the pork belly is marintated in 7 different types of seasoning. Definitely a dish to share with some great peeps and chat over some soju!

My new love!! 알밥 Albab at Alchon! Alchon is a chain where they serve really affordable food for students. It's basically kinda like bibimbap, but they use fish roe, crab stick and some meat and greens. When I was obsessed, I had it 4 times in 1 week! It was THAT GOOD! Love the normal Albab and Curry Albab the most, the Jajjang Albab was just okay. Since I've been back, this is one of the dish that I miss the most ㅠㅠ

I think most of you reading this post should be familiar with this one if you've been to Seoul before, for its 명동교자 Myeongdong Gyoza!! Can't believe we didn't have time for this on our first visit, and we actually stayed at Myeongdong then! Such fluffy steamed dumplings and uber soft noodles! If you're a noodle fan like us, you would definitely go crazy! 

When in Busan, eat like the locals. Kinda. Hahahah Busan is known for the seafood as they are by the sea. We were already in Jagalchi Fish Market anyways, so a sashimi seafood is a must! This whole set is actually for 3 person, as it also comes with a pot of soup, but the 2 of us swept it almost clean. And this is coming from me, I don't eat any other sashimi other than salmon. Not sure what it's called in english, but the ones we had, had a crunchy texture to it, which was really interesting.

The Everyday Eats

One of the many fried chickens that we had. This particular one was from Kyochon Chicken.Wa~y better than the ones here, wa~y better. Those were finger licking good and didn't taste greasy at all. Can't remember the other names of the ones we've tried, there are simply too many chicken chains, and Kyochon is definitely one of the better ones!

Drama watcher should be familiar with this one, a 도시락 dosirak. It's basically rice with some tuna, kimchi, egg and seaweed in a thin metal contrainer; and you shake the whole box with all the energy inside of you until everything is mixed together. Rather than taste, it's one of the food that you eat for the experience.

Kimbab and chobab. We had kimbab every other day for breakfast, either from the convenience store or homemade one from this shop at the corner of our street. Though i'd like to say both are equally good, but seriously, who could beat a good ol' fashion homemade kimbab. We also made kimbab at our guesthouse, together with the awesome house manager's adorable 3 kids. Such great memories.

Another one of my favourite breakfast option, bread and drink from the local bakery of convenience store. (You could probably tell that I love the convenience store. I really do visit it almost every day for 5 weeks.) This one in particular is awesome! It's a sandwich, but the bread is made like croissant, with it's many layer and flakiness. Happiness in every bite! And only for ₩2,000, what more could I ask for.

A warm bowl of Udong to beat the chilly winter nights. I'm aware it's not exactly 'korean food', but you can find it easily at every other mom and pop shop. Cheap and filling supper that won't make you feel bloated the next day. Other than Udong and Kimbab, I'd be getting a bowl of Eomuk from the same shop, the portion is so huge and cheap, makes me so happy!

The Street Eats

떡볶이! I guess you guys don't need any further introduction on this one, Ddeokbokki, or rice cake. Fluffy chewy rice cake, with some fish cake coated in red pepper paste. It's almost lunchtime time now in the office and I'm salivating just by looking at them. Oh! You could ask for refills on the broth, which is heavenly with a stick of fish cake during the dead winter.

I don't think there's a specific name for this, but it's grilled ddeok and sausage. Had this on one of my shopping trips in Myeongdong and it's quite filling. Enough to last me 2 hours of non-stop shopping :)

One of the trends when we were there was waffles with cream. What originally attracted us to this cart was the kitchenaid mixer. We did eventually try it after dinner, and they were yummy! They were always surrounded with a crowd every time we passed by.

The New Eats

Modern take on the traditional Ddeokbokki; Carbonara Ddeokbokki! Though both Ddeokbokki and Carbonara are both one of my favourite foods, I'd rather have them separately. Not that it didn't taste good, but I'd like my Ddeokbokki the good old way. 

Ask any of the people I'm close with, they'd tell you that I don't eat any shellfish. At buffets where others would make a beeline to the oyster bar, I would slip away to other stations.

The back story was that a friend and her family was visiting while I was there; and they chose this well-known restaurant in Myeongdong. The whole menu revolves around shellfishes! Being a guest it would be totally rude to sit out of dinner.

Boy am I glad I forced myself to eat! They tasted heavenly! Out of 10 of us, I was one of the last ones to put my chopsticks down. Pretty sure they were just steamed and then drenched with seasoned Gochujang paste, but it was so so addictive! Never have I had so much shellfish in 1 seating.

Not that we were bored with Korean food, but there are many pasta places scattered around Seoul. So if you think you might not enjoy Korean food, fret not, there are many other options as well :)

Grill 5 Taco! JUST LOOK AT THAT CHEESE! Their fries are crazy good! Skip everything and just head in and order some fries!

Aren't they pretty! They tastes as good, or better even, than they look! Which rarely happens here in Jakarta. Even though they were located kinda far from where we were, that didn't stopped us from coming back for more!

One of the cafés along Garosugil, one of my favourite district is Seoul! I'd visit the street every other day, even if it took almost an hour ride, because it never fails to sweep me away. Just the street alone, it's pretty. And it's filled with pretty shops and cafes. Hop in into any random cafe, bring along a book or simply people watch :) 

Another dessert from one of our visits to Garosugil.

You might think it's some fancy smanchy cake shoppe, but it's actually Baskin Robbins! Aren't they adorable! Look at that unicorn! They even had an Olaf cake when The movie 'Frozen' came out.

And their flavours options are crazy, they totes carry 31 flavours, and uniques ones! I'd kill to have a pint of Korea's Baskin Robbins right now. 

The latest spring trend (prepared this post since Springtime in Korea, and now it's already full-on summer. Heheheh) Macaron ice cream! And soft serve ice cream and popcorn ice cream was a hit too! 

Why can't we have such cute trends here too :( 

_______________________________________

I didn't specify much restaurant or locations, but feel free to drop me a comment or email if you want to know more about the foods in Korea, or simply anything about Korea. :) 

I can guarantee you that you'll have a ball of a time when in Seoul! Hope the post comes out right on time for those of you travelling for the Lebaran holidays.

Thank you for reading:):)

[Review] Sesto senso

Sesto Senso by Hide Yamamoto, is a casual Italian restaurant that first opened their doors in Tokyo, Japan in 2010. 3 year later, they finally reached Jakarta. Lotte Shopping Avenue to be exact, which is where his self-named  Hide Yamamoto restaurant resides.

The cozy restaurant has a open kitchen concept, and a baby grand piano where guests are more than welcomed to play some tunes. We love visiting during the day, where it's nice and warm, as the sun shines through the floor-to-ceiling windows. We could just sit there all day and chat over a cup of tea and some cakes.

Pizza Prosciuto e Insalata Herbe - 115thousand

We've had their pizzas before on prior visits, and it definitely a must order on every visit! This time we ordered prosciutto and some greens which is served on a thin, crispy dough, which tastes heavenly.You know a pizza is really good when you see Le Sister munching on their crust, every other time it's just not worth the extra carbs.

Agnello alla Griglia - 199thousand

Grilled lamb chops served with balsamic and green sauces. If you're a fan of lamb, you would drool over this dish. The meat was tender and fragrant, simply made with finesse. We're aware it is on the pricier side, but treat yourself to a good lamb chop once in a while!

Parmigiano Risotto - 120thousand

Basic cream based risotto with some shrooms and parmigiano. Even though they were delectable, the ones at Bistro Garcon, Plaza Senayan were more suited to our taste.

Manzo Controfiletto alla Griglia - 189thousand

Saving this for the last, grilled US prime beef sirloin served with balsamic sauce. We requested for medium well, but it came medium; yet despite being on the thinner side, it was still really tough. We mentioned this to the server, and his replied was that it was because we ordered it medium well, which made it tough, whereas in fact it wasn't true, we was served medium.

The Japanese server came up to us if we were enjoying our food, so we relayed him the same message. His reply was just as disappointing, he said that shouldn't be a problem, and the texture was right as they use US beef. As if implying we aren't familiar with our food. We weren't expecting for a change, yet their response was really a disappointment, a simple apology would do the trick.

However, despite the minor setback, we would probably still be back for their pizzas and pastas. They've also worked together with Chef Kenji Kawasaki to bring in pastries and cakes. There are some hits and misses, mostly hits though, so do give them a try :)

Sesto Senso

Lotte Shopping Avenue 1-01

Jl. Prof. Dr. Satrio Kav 3-5

Jakarta Selatan

Telephone : 021 - 2988 9153

Operation Hour :

Monday - Sunday : 10AM - 10PM

[Review] Okane Shabu Shabu

The first time we knew of Okane, was because we passed by this street and was attracted to their beautiful building. It's probably been more than a year since, as we couldn't recall exactly which street it was on.

Finally, after passing by the same street again, we made sure we remember where it was.

After fighting the crazy Friday traffic, we finally arrived at Okane on night. It was definitely calming  as we leave the hectic traffic and stepped into the calm surrounding. The concept was simple and minimalistic but cozy, makes you wanna stay.

Okane Special Shabu Set - 318thousand

We ordered a set to share amongst the 3 of us, it came with mixed fish balls, assorted mushrooms, veggies, homemade noodles, and a choice of Australian Wagyu beef or Dori fish or King Prawn. Also a bowl of Okane special fried rice and Dessert of the day.

For those who can't eat spicy food, please stay away from it. The only reason Le Sister enjoyed was because she was down with a really bad flu, so her taste palette was failing on her. Otherwise, it was a really flavourful dish.

And the Wagyu Beef, don't get us start talking about it. We were still talking about it days after we dined! So fragrant and tender. It's worth the traffic to get there!



Spicy Ddeokbokki - 119thousand

Unlike the Shabu-Shabu, we weren't a fan of this dish. We felt that this was spicier than the soup base, either that or our tongues are still tingling from the soup. :p In addition, the ddeok (rice cake), was too tough for our liking; so different than what we were used to the ones in Korea.

Even though we enjoyed the Squid Rings that comes with it, it's not worth ordering it again for our next meal. But if your a fan of Ddeokbokki to begin with, you must know how hard it is to find in Jakarta, as not much Korean Restaurant serves it. Then it is worth to satisfy that craving.

Merry Berry Bingsu - 79thousand

Despite getting a bowl of aloe vera dessert each that comes with the Shabu-Shabu set, nothing could come between a bowl of ice and Le Sister. Not even a really bad cold. 

What a great dessert to end a meal! All the elements are Le Sisters favourites! Blackberries, Strawbbies and mochi, on top of soft shaven ice. It also comes of rounds of dragonfruit.

Hailing from Gangnam, Seoul, they claim to use zero MSG! Which is always good for our generation as we tend to eat out alot. Since they specialize in Shabu-Shabu, they don't have alot of food options available. But we will be visiting Okane often when we're craving for some heat and ice.

Okane Shabu Shabu

Jl. Joko Soetono No. 11

Jakarta Selatan 12140

Telephone : (021) 726 0999

Operation Hours :

Monday - Sunday : 10AM - 10PM

[Review] Genki Sushi

 

The well-known Shinkansen sushi train has made its way to Jakarta. They are located at Plaza Senanyan, right outside Sogo Foodhall. At a glance, it looks like just another sushi restaurant, but don't let that fool you.

Genki sushi is known for their Shinkansen sushi train (though the ones here does not resemble one); where the food are delivered to each table by a "bullet train". You order the food through the provided iPad, and then the food will be directly sent by kitchen.

At first, it was interesting, as it was kind of like having a new toy to play with. After a while, we slowly got disturbed when the food comes one by one as you need to push the button to send the train back. Another concern for us is that it's not 'elderly' friendly, in the sense that the older generation might not be used to ordering trough an iPad.

Now, to the food! They were pretty average, slightly better than Sushi Tei but lesser choice. One thing we'd like to highlight is the Salmon Fish Head (35thousand). They were uber juicy, and they served a bigger piece than the ones we've had so far. Though a tad sprinkle of salt would made it so much better.

Overall, we had a good experience. We'd probably be back with other first timers for them to experience the "Shinkansen sushi train". :) 

 

 

Genki Sushi

 Plaza Senayan, B Floor

Jl. Asia Afrika No. 8

Jakarta Selatan

Telephone : (021) 5790 0063

Operation Hours

Monday - Sunday : 10Am - 10PM

Oops!

Hiya! Le Sister here! Sorry for the hiatus, again. I have 1,001 excuses for going MIA, but it really is just me being lazy. I have few drafts, with pictures uploaded but never got down to writing(or rather typing) down the reviews. It's been so long that I've forgotten how the meals went. Sorry!! 

Also with Le Brother away, I haven't been to anywhere new or 'in'. And it didn't help that the oven at home is spoilt so I can't posts any recipes in the time being. Oh! I was away in South Korea for 5 weeks, so I'll do a short post on the food soon.

-edit

I had the post above types out 2 weeks ago but never got to posting it! It was meant to go up 2 weeks ago, the week before Stacks Burger post. But work got the best of me, and I've never got around to finishing this. >.< 

Long story short, I'll try my best to keep this space updated, a new post is coming this Thursday. And hopefully I'll be able to get my draft ready for next Thursday's. 

Uploading this from my phone cus I'm having a short window of 'nothing to do', so I'm not sure how it's gonna show up on the computer. 

Til' next time! :) 

[Review] The Stacks Burger

Was wondering around Kemang and we found a pretty cozy place for lunch. They just opened their doors not too long ago, and is right next to our favourite ice cream shop! You could order your favourite ice cream through them as well, or just scoot over next door.

The ramen/noodle burger have been the "IT food" last summer in the US, now we can easily have them here, for The Stacks Burger claims to be the first noodle burger place in Indonesia!

Grilled Beef with BBQ Sauce - 54thousand

Upon the first bite, we found it to be intriguing. The 'bun' were so soft that it resembles an actual burger bun, it tastes nothing like noodles. Though however we found the beef patty wasn't fragrant enough and wished that it had more textures to it. Otherwise, it felt and tastes like how a normal burger would.

Though, we have to point out that on the brochure they described the bun as "crispy on the outside yet succulent on the inside noodle bun". The bun we had definitely wasn't crispy and tasted just fine the way it was, but it made us wonder how it was actually meant to be served.

All in all we felt that it's an interesting new food to try, but we won't particularly look for it again. The only reason you might spot us there was probably because we were craving next door's ice cream ;)

The Stacks Burger

Jalan Taman Kemang 1 No. 6

Jakarta Selatan

Telephone : (021) 7179 3774

Operation Hours :

Monday - Sunday : 11AM - 11PM

[Review] Lin Artisan Ice Cream

Lin Artisan Ice Cream, a must have every time we're in Kemang. They are the pioneer of nitrogen ice cream here in Indonesia, and have been around for quite a while now. It's a nice cozy hangout spot right at the entrance/exit of the Kemang area.

The ice cream is made upon order, and done in matter of minutes. Liquid nitrogen is added to the liquid mixture(all natural ingredients!), and in seconds it'll start to harden and come together. We've seen the process a couple of times, yet it still never fails to fascinate us.

Our all-time favourite is their Silky Hazelnut and Tea Leaves; we can't choose between the two. If we're feeling for something light after a meal, we'd go for the Tea Leaves, otherwise it'd be Silky Hazelnut. 

 They have quite a few choices, and also special flavours that comes and go. They once had rainbow cake ice cream, and Le Sister couldn't choose between that and Silky Hazelnut, so she ended up with 2 cups of ice cream!

Price ranges between 36thousand - 75thousand, the most expensive being Smiley Bailey's. They also serve some light bites and coffee, we've tried their affogato and boy was the coffee good and rich. Even better than most coffee shops! 

Do give it a try if you haven't, it's worth a trip all the way to Kemang!

Lin Artisan Ice Cream

Jalan Taman Kemang 1 No. 6

Jakarta Selatan

Telephone : (021) 7179 4393

Operating Hours :
 Monday - Sunday : 11AM - 11PM