Friday, March 29, 2013

Mangia : Brunch at its prettiest


I am secretly hoping there would be a homey place with colorful wooden chair, white walls, old windows, and brunch menu on the list. And, voila! Here it is : Mangia. 
Located at the cafe-dominated Panglima Polim, Mangia surely shouldn't be underestimated. 
It was 1 pm, the traffic is kind of hectic, I was expecting it would be worth my trip.
Mangia resides next to TacoLocal, they doesn't have an area big enough to park the visitor's cars, so they provides a valet service.










I headed to the second floor, which was more spacious.It was divided into 2 area upstairs, smoking and non smoking one. I love the soft pink chair, I love the old-style window, I love the vintage plate mat on my table. And when the menu came, I was so excited that they're serving breakfast for all day long!






Remember the famous Ikea's Swedish meatballs? Yes you can get it here! 5 tender meatballs were served with brown-sauce-poured-mashed-potato, and of course a little touch of berry sauce on the side of it. It was a tasty one indeed! I think I will pay another visit for it.


Swedish meatballs

And brunch won't be perfect without poached egg in it, right? Got myself a plate of Egg Florentine, which was basically composed by an Italian bread on the bottom, spinach, poached egg, and Hollandaise sauce on top. The yolk of the egg was beautifully pouring everything on the plate when I cut it open. The dish alone needed a pinch of salt and pepper to make it a palatable one.


Egg Florentine

The waiter suggested me to try the wheatgrass shot, he said it was like drinking 1 kg of vegetable. Actually it tasted like a fake one because this one was too sweet to be a healthy juice, maybe they used too many sugar on it. The tropical twist was a bit sour it could make you crinkle.


 The wheatgrass shot

Tropical twist





Mangia succeed to impress me with its warmth. A pleasant one indeed.

Mangia
Jl. Panglima Polim V no 38 , Kebayoran Baru,
Jakarta 12160, Indonesia
+(62)2172799647

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Carlo de Hut : my Sunday hut

It's was Sunday. Sunday afternoon have been always be my favorite part of the week. Family gathers around. Stories being told. An addition of a nice lunch would be exquisite. 
So I made a plan for a brunch at a newly opened restaurant at Senayan, but too bad it was fully booked so I headed to the nearest mal.
This restaurant have caught my eyes since long time ago but never really had a chance to take a crack at it. And I think it's perfect for our plan b lunch.

Bricked wall, wooden dominated furniture, hanging glasses, I felt like having a fireplace in the middle of the restaurant. Carlo de Huts surely offers a warm touch of a suburban home.


They recommended the Dutch Baby, but too bad there was something wrong with their kitchen so it couldn't be served. So my cousin got herself a plate of smoked salmon fettuccine. Creamy sauce over the al dente fettucinne, it was satisfying my tongue.


Cheese Kumpir. I thought it was a small one, but apparently the potato was so big. Kinda uninviting, to be honest.


My brother indulged himself with their old times favorite chicken steak. It was good, the sauce was yummy, and the chicken was tender.


The chick's sandwich bar. I love the panini, any kind of bread always win my heart. The panini was stuffed with lettuce and grilled chicken. And the salad was refreshing withe balsamic dressing.


Overall I enjoyed my lunch, I enjoyed the ambience, and I enjoyed my Sunday. 


Carlo de Hut
Senayan City #L45, LG Floor Crystal Lagoon,
Jakarta
+62(21) 72781653


Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Bangkok, baby!

3 days, 2 nights, 7 people, it was fun!

Never been on my mind to have a weekend overseas. It was popped in our mind, tickets booked, hotel confirmed, and suddenly it was the time to go!

 A highlight from day 1 was Mango Tango. It was a small corner of dessert house which sells mango and its varieties. Each of us had to order 1 dessert if we wanted to sit inside, so we grabbed 3 items and enjoyed it while we were walking around.


My friend's favorite. Mango pudding. An enjoyable one under the heat of the sunlight. It was a mango pudding poured with fresh mango syrup.


And here was my favorite! A cup of mango sticky rice was the one which won my heart (and tongue). A sticky meal always my preference, anyway.


 Some photos of Siam area




 I spent my Sunday at Chaktucak Market, which is apparently a weekly market in Bangkok. It was very famous and boisterous. It was like, super hot, and all we need was a cold coconut ice cream to save the day!



A crowded ice cream corner



 Thai massage, anyone?


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

The Belly Clan : clan in your belly

This restaurant was a big hype several months ago. Everyone is talking about it. I've seen several photos were posted with the famous rainbow in the jar from The Belly Clan. The Belly Clan offer the modern atmosphere in the middle of the old ambiance of the building.
It was a quite Sunday night when I was there, with only 4 tables occupied.


The belly clan did't offer the Italian dishes like I thought it was. Apparently they offered an Asian fusion cuisine. It was something unique for me. 


So I ordered a plate of Orange Yuzu Glazed Chicken. The chicken was a bit plain and the sauce was just not right for me. It was surely not my favorite one.


The chicken came with a bowl of mashed potato. I was looking forward for a luscious smell of it, but it was only an average mashed potato.

And here it is, my most pleasant dish of the night. A wrap with a korean style beef inside. The beef was kinda sweet and the sauce was a hit to my tongue.
Overall it was not my most remembered night. The food was so-so. Am I going to be back for the food? I don't think so.

The Belly Clan
Intiland Tower Lobby
Jl. Jendral Sudirman kav.32
Jakarta Pusat