[Review] Luciole Bistro

A new bistro opened at Central Park not too long ago, it is located at the Tribeca Park just in front of Liberica. It's a chic pavilion, with windows and black panes. Looking even prettier at night, with all its hanging lamps lighted up. One thing however that bothers me, is the standing air con. With an immaculate interior, we don't expect to have a view of a bulky air con right in front of us.

Hot Honey Lemon Tea - 27.5thousand

It was a raining heavily that night, so Le Sister went ahead with a hot cup of Hot Honey Lemon Tea. This was literally undrinkable. (Is it a legit word? Undrinkable?) She only filled half her cup and added in most of the honey, and it was still far from decent tasting. The lemon tea itself, tasted like an old lemon juice; and you can barely taste any tea.

Miso Baked Tofu - 30thousand
Baked miso tofu, served with tempura enoki mushroom with ginger tofu. The sauce to this dish is tad too sweet for our liking. And it seems like it was prepped before hand, as the dish got cold pretty quickly.

Tuffle Mayo Fries - 25thousand

Being a fan of french fries, we were definitely not impressed with this. It was no where near crispy, and not seasoned enough. The tartar sauce wasn't much of help either, just tasted like normal mayo.

Mushroom Risotto - 55thousand

The risotto was slightly undercooked, another minute or two would've been better. Yet, this was the only dish that was decent.

Pan Roasted Chicken with Potato Lasagna - 55thousand
Roasted chicken served with lasagna and fondue sauce. The chicken itself was not seasoned and dry, and the sauce tasted bland, a dash of oregano or rosemary would make it better.

Ralph's Burger - 60thousand

This was such a disgrace to all burgers, such a waste of meat. The meat patty was chewy. Chewy. How is that even acceptable?

Another thing we'd like to point out is their poor service. The servers weren't attentive nor well trained. We asked for tomato sauce, only to receive chili sauce. Furthermore, like we previously mentioned, it was raining when we dined, and the ceilings were leaking, We spotted 4 leak points and 1 of them is exactly above our heads.Overall, it's another "pretty decor, sub par food" kinda place. Not one where we would re-visit.

Luciole Bistro

Tribeca Park Pavilion #1, Central Park Mall

Jl. Let. Jend S. Parman Kav 28

Jakarta Barat 11470

Telephone : (021) 2920 0333

Operation Hours

Sunday - Thursday : 10AM - 12AM

Friday - Saturday : 10AM - 2AM

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On a much brighter note, our blog has reached slightly more than 1,000hits! It may not seem alot to you guys, but we are definitely thankful for the hits! We'll try to continue putting out a new review weekly. Do let us know if there are any new or old place that you would like us to review. :)

[Review] Yellowfin

Nestled nicely at a corner of Senopati area with Japanese lanterns hanging on the trees, it's not to be missed. We've passed by every time we're in the area but never seem to have time for it. On a Friday night we decided to give it a go. TGIF!
First off, we'd like to apologize for the picture, the place wasn't exactly dim, but we were seated at a corner; and we're depending on our phone camera. So, yeah ;)

Ebi Tempura Spicy Salad - 48thousand

Chopped shrimp tempura with lettuce served with creamy spicy sauce. The tempura was crispy and coated with cream sauce, while the lettuce was lightly drenched with teriyaki sauce, which goes really well, giving it a fresh burst, as opposed to what the name suggest, spicy.

Agedashi Tofu - 35thousand

Unlike the regular agedashi tofu, this was served in bite-sized cubes, which we appreciate, since it tends to be difficult to tear apart its' skin. We liked this dish as the skin was crispy, and the tofu is soft, together with sweet soba sauce. A classic Japanese appetizer.

Sisamo Yaki - 38thousand

Sisamo is a Japanese fish, with roe still intact in its' belly, giving it a grainy texture. Similar to tobiko, that is used often in sushi rolls, but in a drier consistency.




Volcano Roll - 45thousand
Deep fried shrimp roll with spicy mayonnaise sauce; not sure if Japanese have lower tolerance for spice, but this wasn't spicy as well, Le Sister could eat it just fine.

 

Soft Shell Crab Roll - 47thousand
Deep fried soft shell crab, with avocado and cucumber.



Tebasaki ( 3pcs ) - 25thousand
This was a letdown, coming from the Yakitori section of the menu, we expect it to be grilled, a reasonable assumption no? Even its description on the menu says 'grilled chicken wings', but they came out fried. As a fan of chicken wings, you could imagine the horror on our faces when this dish was placed on the table.



Hamachi Kama Teriyaki - 140thousand
A grilled yellowtail head with teriyaki sauce, it is bigger and has more meat as compared to a salmon head. This was well worth its price tag, it was super smooth and flavourful.



Gindara Saikyo Yaki - 165thousand
Another fish dish - grilled black cod marinated with saikyo miso. It is well marinated, but we recalled it being ever so slightly overcooked.



Beef Katsu Curry Rice - 118thousand
You can select your own spice levels for the curry, Le Dad had wanted the medium, but the waitress suggests low since they are spicy. True to their consistency, it wasn't spicy. There's nothing to write home about both the katsu and curry, just that they weren't piping hot. 



(L- R) Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away - 35thousand
Castle in the Sky is a concoction of peach puree, peach syrup, soda water and grape fruit, while Spirited Away is lychee syrup, lime, mint and soda water. Between the 2, we'd say go for Spirited Away. It comes with real lychee fruit, which could double up as dessert. ;)

Sojus and sakes filling the right side of the entrance, they are available for consumption. You could ask the server to recommend one to suit your taste. Pretty sure there's one for everyone, be it hot, cold, sweet, bitter, or dry.

Slightly unclear picture, as we were trying to capture it in action, but failed. At the end of the meal, we were given this, on one side white tablets, and water on the other. Simply place the tablets into the water, they'll expand and become wet tissues. It wasn't the first time we saw these tablets, but definitely a first we've experienced given out in a restaurant in town.

The dishes served were of  izakaya dining, which is supposed to focus more on drinks. So the portion tends to run smaller and pricier, which is common. They are however, not enough for Le Dad, thus the Curry Rice off the lunch menu. It is a good place to wind down with colleagues after a day in the office.

Yellowfin Sake Bar & Kitchen

Jl. Senopati I no. 42

Jakarta - 12110

Telephone : (021) 722 0394

Operation Hours:

Monday - Sunday : 11AM - 2AM 

Note: This is the 2nd time we're typing this out. Le Sister accidentally deleted it, so the opinion may be slightly affected, since it is almost 2 months since we dined.

Convivium Take 2

We've blogged about it previously, and we're back! (Read it here.) We happened to be around the area, so we stopped by for late lunch. Although it looks prettier during night, it's also cozy during the day. 

Calzone - 85thousand

A pizza wrap filled with mozzarella, prosciutto cotto, and mushroom. The crust is crispy and well seasoned, and this is coming from someone who'd usually toss away the crust.

Cannelloni al Salmone e Spinaci - 90thousand

Pasta rolls with smoked salmon, spinach and cheese sauce. It doesn't looked appetizing as the plating were tad lacking, but it was really good. The salmon was smoked really well, and matched really well with the cheese sauce. The only setback was that it was slightly too salty.

Tagliata su Insalata di Funghi Champignon - 150thousand

The last time we came, we named it The Best Steak; this time round, it didn't quite lived up to its title. We had it medium too, and it's cooked perfectly, just that it was slightly burnt on the outside. Otherwise, the meat was still very fragrant, not a single piece left behind, the mushrooms too.

Strawberry Lemonade - 32thousand

Albeit sour, it was really fresh and refreshing. Do try it! But don't forget to ask for some additional syrup. ;)

They stand by the motto of serving "homemade Italian cooking", and props to it. It's not an easy feat to maintain good quality dish, and they've been around for quite some time already. Definitely visiting back for an Italian fix.

Convivium Cafe Deli

Jl, Panglima Polim IX No. 1

Kebayoran Baru

Jakarta 12160

Telephone: (021) 7269963

Business Hour :

Tuesday - Sunday: 11:00AM - 10:30PM

[Review] Caprese

The first time we dined here few months back, we were impressed. App was good, pasta was good, pizza was good, so it deserves a second visit.

 Creamy Mushroom Soup - 29thousand

Such a disappointment. It didn't taste like mushroom at all. Just a microwaved cup of brown liquid smelling like herbs. We only managed to swallow half of it. A pack of instant Campbell's would've tasted way better.

 

Spaghetti Aglio Olio - 45 thousand

 Looks good no? 'Our famous aglio olio style topped with fresh chili, crispy garlic and parmesan cheese' - quoted from their menu. For real? What crispy garlic? They were soggy even though the pasta was dry. With a handful of crispy lemon zest and parmesan cheese, it tasted nothing like an aglio olio,. How could it be famous? 

Chocolate Melt - 45thousand

The only saving grace! The chocolate melted so beautifully! So soft and fluffy in the inside, if only it was tad crispier outside. We'd definitely come back for this! This shall be crowned The Best Chocolate Melt until we fine a better one.

Taken off Le Sister's instagram. Isn't it pretty!

Overall, we were definitely disappointed with their soup and pasta. It was only 2 months ago, we were raving about their pasta. Such a vast difference since we first tried it. In addition to the disappointment, the waiters weren't attentive too. We had difficulty in trying to call them, and it wasn't even crowded. We'll only be back for their chocolate melt, and since it's far from us, it's not gonna happen any time soon.

Caprese Restaurant

Kota Kasablanka F65-02

Jl. Casablanca Raya Kav. 88

Jakarta Selatan 12870

Telephone : (021) 2946 5333

Business Hour
Weekdays : 10AM - 12PM
Weekends : 10AM - 2AM

[Review] Ocha & Bella

Even though it has been around for quite some time now, it's the first time we had a meal here. Under the same management as Moovina, in Plaza Indonesia, Ocha & Bella is located at the Morrisey Hotel. We came on Sunday for lunch, and the place is decorated for a luaua - a Hawaiian party.

 

The entrance, with an open kitchen on the right.

The view of the open kitchen from the other side, with the traditional pizza oven.

Indoor dining area.

Al fresco area.

The Peach Blossom Ice Tea! Le Sister decided to try this out compared to her default Strawberry Ice Tea, and she loved it! You can taste the peach really well, and there's a hint of cucumber, thus the cucumber as garnish. On the other hand, Le Cousin T had the Raspberry Lemon Tea, and it didn't taste like raspberry at all!

A regular ice tea already costs 20thousand, whereas the Peach Blossom Ice tea is 35thousand. So if you're planning on trying something new but safe, we recommend the Peach Blossom!

The Rock and Roll Salad from their Japanese Menu. Asides from the typical greens, they added fish flakes (the ones you'd normally eat with takoyaki), peas, and walnuts, topped with teriyaki dressing, refreshing but not overwhelming, giving it the hint of Japanese food.

Quattro Formaggi Pizza - which is basically pizza topped with 4 different kinds of Italian cheeses. The pizza served were of thin crust, which Le Sister prefers compared to the regular ones you would normally get at Pizza Hut.

Pappardelle e Salsiccia - pasta tossed with pork sausage and broccoli with cream sauce. Pasta was decent, nothing out of the norm,but it's probably best to share this dish, as eating it all at once the cream could be a little bit overwhelming.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina - grilled T-Bone served with mushroom sauce and garlic spinach on the sides. The average size of this dish is around 1kg, and the chef personally showed us the meat first before he proceed on grilling it. Although it was tad too red to Le Sister's liking, she enjoyed this dish alot! It was juicy and aromatic, everything you would want of a good steak!

At around 750thousand per dish, it'll costs around 200thousand per person, which we think is well worth it for this dish!

Ocha & Bella

Morrissey Hotel

Jl. K.H. Wahid Hasyim No. 79

Menteng, Jakarta

Indonesia

Telephone : (021) 310 5777

Fax : (021) 315 6777

Business Hour :

Weekdays : 11AM - 11PM

Weekend : 11AM - 12AM