Godiva Chocolatier

Godiva is one of the most recognized chocolate brand, famous for its premium chocolates. Opening their first Indonesia store in Plaza Indonesia, Godiva Chocolatier definitely have made all the chocolate lovers spoiled. A gallery of curated chocolate tucked in the corner of 1st floor. It's something you definitely do not want to miss. Plus, the employees were so helpful and hospitable, you'll feel like you're in some best friend's house.

The minute I walked in the store, it almost felt like a wonderland. A bright white store full of chocolates! I must be in heaven! Pralines, truffes, carres, chocolate bars, the heavenly Godiva biscuits and.. the infamous chocolixir. I am one blessed girl. So that night I was accompanied by the lovely, cheerful Ms. Fredericka Rendy who was very kind to introduce me to the world of Godiva. Come and join me.

First, let me introduce you to chocolixir, chocolate-base drinks made of the premium Godiva chocolate. The chocolixir series consisted of the classic dark chocolate decadence, milk chocolate decadence, dark chocolate mint, dark chocolate raspberry and the new white chocolate matcha. All ready upon your orders. Priced on a stunning 70k each does not impact the enthusiasm of loyal customers.

I was given the privilege to taste one of the classic series, and I wasn't quite sure whether to pick the classic dark chocolate decadence, or the attractive dark chocolate raspberry. Somehow I fell for the charm of dark chocolate raspberry and there I was, sucking the most delicious combination of the holy 72% dark chocolate and fresh raspberry sauce. It was really surprising to taste just how good the combination could be. Definitely one of a kind taste, which should go to your must-try list.

Godiva keeps innovate and finally introduce the latest innovation called, White Chocolate Matcha Chocolixir. This one is a white chocolate base drink with a touch of green tea. I was quite skeptical when hearing the name of white chocolate. Well, white chocolate is not my favorite, as it often taste too sweet and too creamy. But a blogger got to do what a blogger got to do. A nice, greenish and very appealing chocolixir appeared before me and I had my first sip... then my second, and third, and I just couldn't stop. It was one of the most delicious drink I have ever tasted. Surprisingly light and not overly sweet, with a strong kick of matcha. It successfully exceeds my expectation. I even finished my cup, until the last drop. That's how much I love it! Not exaggerating.

Of course, it's not official to visit Godiva Chocolatier before having their famous curated chocolate, right? On top of their famous truffes, praline and carres collection, Godiva continues to innovate by introducing new flavors. All these to satisfy your craving, chocolate die-hard fans! And again, I was so lucky given the chance to try their latest addition to the truffes collection.. These babies will cost you Rp300,000/100gr.. Now, let's meet the gorgeous Godiva's babies..

Truffe Praliné Brésilienne

Truffe Praliné Brésilienne is my favorite of the latest collection. Milk chocolate filled with hazelnut praline then coated with crispy caramelized hazelnut. It was sweet-nutty burst in your mouth. What not to love. 

Truffe Mousse Matcha

Attention all green tea lovers! This is not to be missed! Green tea custard inside Godiva's dark chocolate, dipped in green tea powders. It was so good. A bit bitter due to the dark chocolate and green tea powder definitely kick you tongue to taste and welcome the new addiction.

Truffe Caramel Salé

This is dark chocolate-milk chocolate filled with rich liquid salted caramel. See the oozing liquid caramel coming out after the first bite? Yeah, it's sexy! Loving this till the last drop!

Truffe Mousse Vanille Mieal

Lastly I tried Truffe Mousse Vanille Mieal, wildflower honey infused ganache with light vanilla mousse, wrapped in dark chocolate and dipped into the creamy white chocolate flakes. This was too vanilla-ey and too sweet for my taste buds. Actually there is another new truffe addition, the Truffe Speculoos which is filled with cinnamon speculoos biscuit mousse, famous from Europe, but it was sold out and I didn't get the chance to try.

After trying their truffes, Ms Fredericka was kind enough to show me how to differentiate good from bad chocolate. And I'm sharing this little secret with you.

1. See. The surface of a good chocolate is slightly oily but very clean.

2. Touch. A good chocolate has the smooth, clean texture, not too dry and rocky but not easily melt

3. Smell. Of course, you have to be able to smell strong cocoa from a good chocolate.

4. Hear. Try breaking the chocolate next to your ear and hear the sound which should be just right, not to loud (means too dry) and not without sound (means too much milk).

5. Lastly, my favorite part.. Taste. A good chocolate should not be leaving any trace on your mouth, tongue or throat.

50% dark chocolate carres

Godiva Chocolatier
Plaza Indonesia, Level 1 Unit 114

Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav 28-30
Jakarta 15350
Ph.: 6221 2992 3972
www.godiva.co.id

Publico Bistro & Winebar

One of the best feeling in the world is sharing great food with great friends. Well, that's basically how I felt eating out in Publico Bistro & Winebar. Tucked in the most busy area in Jakarta, Publico Bistro & Winebar has stolen my attention since a while ago, however the chance to try had just came last month. It was a regular dinner where I shared table with my favorite 5 girls. We had our youth together and now spending our maturity ages by seeing each other regularly. Talking about spending the old days by playing mahjong together sounds really realistic haha..

As usual, we went there after a busy day at office. Lucky for us, the traffic was quite nice and I managed to reach Senopati only in 30 minutes from Satrio area. If you're familiar with Satrio area, you'll know that's a blessing. The place was quite packed when we arrived, but we managed to get a table on the corner of their 2nd floor. I fell in love instantly with the place: high ceiling, white stone walls, geometric tiles and black-yellow dining chairs, completed with brown leather sofas in the corner. Now let's get into business. It's dinner time!

Started slow by having our drinks coming first. We had hot cammomile tea (Rp35k), iced lychee tea (Rp35k) and doctor recipe juice (Rp50k), some other drinks were not photographed due to the thirsty customer haha.. I had the hot cammomile tea which tasted just okay, it was ordinary cammomile tea anyway. The lychee tea was a bit bland, I blame the amount of ice put into it. Luckily, doctor recipe juice come to save the day. A blend of fresh green apple, lychee and lime juice, this drink really refresh the night.  

cammomile tea - lychee tea - doctor recipe juice

We spent almost half an hour picking our dish. After some rough discussion, we finally made our choices. We picked 24-hr marinated chicken wings (Rp70k) to start. Six pieces of succulent chicken wings grilled in charcoal grill oven and served with spicy smoked paprika and mint aioli. The chicken wings were juicy completed with that finger-licking good sweet, spicy sauce. However, in my opinion, it was a bit overpriced looking at the serving size.

Onto the pasta selection, we had vongole pasta (Rp70k). A bowl full of creamy spaghetti with generous clams. Well, I have always been a fan of vongole pasta and of course I love this dish! The cream sauce was not overwhelming the pasta was al dente and the clams were served really fresh. We finished the whole bowl in split second. 

Next, we had grilled assorted sausage (Rp90k), served with sauteed mushrooms, coleslaw and triple cooked fries. On our first impression, two sausages do not meet the standard to be classified as "assorted". Sadly, the best thing on the plate was the coleslaw and mushrooms. The sausage were actually quite good, with a nice crunchy texture on the outside and tender on the inside. The fries were just mediocre. Perhaps we were expecting too much looking at the name.

From the fish section we picked steamed-grilled barramundi (Rp145k), fllet of barramundi in garlic, ginger, fish sauce and lemon marinade, steam-grilled in banana leaf. It definitely looked like pepes ikan right? An expensive one I suppose. But it was probably my favorite dish of the night. Love the tender, smooth texture of the barramundi. Simply cooked giving a nice, balanced taste where everything falls just right into place.

We still have some more food to go. Stay with me! Continuing our dinner that night, we had grilled peri-peri chicken panini (Rp75k), succulent grilled chicken homemade panini with smoked peri-peri aioli. The chicken was huge, served on top of panini bread, along with potato chips and salad. The chicken was tasty with a hint of spiciness from the peri-peri sauce. Their panini bread was fluffy and light, giving a nice texture to the whole dish.

Still from the chicken section, we also had grilled oven chicken breast with pesto (Rp90k), served with basil tomato concasse and butter mashed potato. The dish was very pretty! Loving the colorful food arrangement on the plate. The taste was as good as it looked. The chicken was tender and pesto sauce perfectly blend with the tomato concasse. The butter mashed potato was delightful side dish. The whole plate was just perfect in the eye and in the mouth.

Of course, there's always room for dessert. So we had varlhona mars bar (Rp60k) and vanilla creme brulle (Rp60k) to end the night. Warning, food porn ahead. The varlhona mars bar was a must order item for you, chocolate lover. The famous Mars bar with varlhona chocolate mousse, chocolate crumbles, vanilla chantilly then topped with salted caramel. I would say that varlhona chocolate mousse was the star of the plate. I really love the smooth, tender chocolate mousse especially when eaten together with the crumbles and salted caramel.

The vanilla creme brulee was served pretty to tickle our almost full tummy. It was served with caramel disc, banana passionfruit compote and coconut gelato. It was a dessert pick for non-chocolate lover. The creme brulee was not like the ordinary as the caramel was served separately. It was soft and not overly sweet with the right texture. The coconut gelato tasted a bit weird for my taste buds, though.

At the end, it was a nice dining experience we had in Publico. There were several hit and miss, but overall we had a great time, with great ambiance and delicious food. I, personally, will be back for their desserts. Yums!

Publico Bistro & Winebar

Jl. Senopati Raya 65, Kebayoran Baru

South Jakarta 12190

Ph.: 6221 5296 4960

www.rystgroup.com

Ninety Nine

I love February. It's my birthday month and the same month everybody celebrates love. This year, another number has been added to my age and I couldn't be more thankful to the Lord. I am blessed with so much love and I couldn't be happier.

On my birthday, a very good friend of mine took me on a birthday dinner date. As I got the priviledge to choose our dining venue, I decided to pick Ninety Nine in Pesanggrahan area. The reason is quite simple, it's close to our neighbourhood so we will avoid any unnecessary traffic and I love the ambience. Located in the 2nd floor of Ranch Market building, the eatery is very homey and cozy. Dimmed lights and wooden furniture with vintage tiles are enough to keep me coming back. 

When we arrived, the eatery was quite crowded, butt we managed to get a table quickly. The menu is quite extensive with selection of Asian, Indonesian and Western cuisine. But that night, we decided to go Western. I was having sor throat so I decided to have a cup of hot honey lemon to warm my body. As for the main course I went with dory fillet. My company chose mushroom cappuccino to start and picked her favorite vegetarian aglio olio fettucinne for dinner.

My honey lemon was hearty. It was warm and sweet, perfect for that rainy Saturday night. The mushroom cappuccino is actually mushroom soup topped with milk froth, so it looks like a cup of cappuccino. The soup tasted just okay but we wished it was a little thicker. However, I dislike the milk froth as it tasted a bit weird. Her vegetarian aglio olio fettucinne consiste of sundried tomato, garlic, olive and spinach. I didnt't try it, but it's her favorite, so I assume it was fine.

My dory fillet looked very appetizing. A plate of pan-fried dory in crumbs served with tomato rice and sauteed green veggies. I love dory fish, it was fresh and tender. I prefer not too much crumbs though as they retained too much oil. The tomato rice was a nice surprise. Tasted a bit sour from the tomato, the rice was pretty much my favorite. It went well with both the dory fish and green veggies, which tasted a bit bitter. 

Overall, I had a nice dinign experience in Ninety Nine. I love the ambiance so much and the service was also satisfying. Moreover they have a 20% off neighbourhood promotion, which means you can get a 20% discount if you're living nearby. I cannot mention any price tag as this was a treat and I'm not allowed to look at the price tag. 

Ninety Nine

Ranch Market Building 2nd Floor

Jln. Pesanggrahan Raya no.2

West Jakarta

Ph.: 6221 5830 4797

www.ninetynine.co.id

The Holy Crab

Calling all seafood lovers! Be prepared to get your hands dirty for these finger-licking good crabs! Brought to you directly from Alaska, prepared in Louisiana style, this is a hit definitely not to be missed.. Located in the hustle Senopati area, The Holy Crab has come to satisfy your hunger for delicate seafood.. The eatery is schedule to be opened on Feb 3, 2014, managed under the Ersons Foods which has brought you the famous Santouka Hokaido Ramen.. 

Stepping in to the newly established restaurant, I can feel the strong ambiance of Southern American influence (those I saw in Hollywood movies).. Decorated in wooden, red furniture with of beach accents, it's just so homey.. Not to mention the bright lights, which made everything seems more cheerful.. They even paint 'The Dummies' Guide to De-shelling' for those (like me) who have limited clue  on what to do with the crabs.. How considerate :)

I actually read those guidance when I'm dealing with my crabs.. They're helpful!

Start slow with their appetizers to wake your taste buds up.. First up is fish and chips crispy fish finger 60k and cajun fries 25k.. Deep fried dory fish in a bite-size cut is the classic American dish.. The tender and silky fish texture combined with the crunchy coating are the best American classic.. I love the fresh fish texture, but found the seasoning a tad too salty for my palate.. Their cajun fries is a darling, though.. Well-seasoned crunchy shoestring fries are my favorite! I know how many calories they contained, but I just could not resist to have some more.. Just a little bit more, please?

Next up is house deep fried chicken wings 45k.. Chicken wings drenched in generous BBQ sauce.. I used to think that chicken wings can only be delicious at certain level, then nothing more.. I was so wrong.. This, my friend, should make to your must-try list! Those juicy-chicken-wings-in-lots-of-BBQ-sauce are to die for.. Go grab yours!

By now, your tummy must be ready for the star.. The main reason why we all came to The Holy Crab, the CRABS! *crowd cheering* There is no plates whatsoever for the crabs.. They are delivered to your table in a plastic bag, then you can pour all of it to the paper-covered-table.. Then get your hands dirty by eating those directly from the table.. New, exciting way of eating.. Before we go further, I need to equip you with some weapons in this crab war, just to ensure you get the best of it..
1. The Holy Crab's plastic apron.. It's to keep your clothes from the devilish, delish sauce and succulent crab meat..
2. Shellfish cracker shell opener (crab zipper) and wood hammer.. The important tools to ensure you get all the meat from the poor crab.. Especially the crab zipper, I adore whoever found this magical tools!
3. Lots of tissue.. Because you're eating with your hands and it's just not polite to clean your fingers by licking them, you're an adult and you have to be classy, right? Well, screw this! Just lick your fingers!

Ladies and gentlemen, here come the best part.. Let me introduce you to the mighty Dungeness Crab.. Imported directly from Alaska, exclusively by The Holy Crab, it is one of the most popular crustacean in the culinary world as one-quarter of their weight is meat.. Now that's considered a lot of meat for a crab.. Spoil your eyes with the food porn ahead..

I did not use that wood hammer though, it's photo props.. I simply follow the guide for dummies.. All you need is pull up the shell to open the crab then break the remaining part into two pieces.. Continue with breaking each crab leg, then unzip it using the magical shellfish cracker shell opener.. Voila! The delicate, succulent crab meat are all yours! Or if you are too busy to read, simply ask the waiters.. They are more than willing to help you.. Loving the service here :)

Way beyond my expectation, the crab meat is heavenly! Nice meat texture with a slightly sweet taste.. I have never tasted anything like this before.. The crabs were very fresh and you won't find any fishy smells whatsoever.. Add more to the goodness by dipping the crab meat into the superb Louisiana chili sauce.. It is a match made in heaven.. I finally understand the meaning of finger-licking-GOOD!

Second is the snow crab legs.. It is named so due to the sweet, delicate, snow-white meat.. Also brought from Alaska to your dining table, this crab legs are another recommended menu in The Holy Crab.. Attention peeps, another food-porn ahead..

Those are surely gigantic crab legs.. Snow crabs are served in a plastic bag, drenched in The Holy Crab's secret chili sauce.. Actually, The Holy Crab offers one type of chili sauce for the seafood selection, only the hotness level is ranging from mild, medium, spicy and Holy Moly! Mine was medium and I, as a chili-holic, found it not spicy at all.. I think I probably should try the Holy Moly! some other time in the future..

How to eat those gigantic legs? I broke the crab joints then again, unzip the crab leg shell using the magical shellfish cracker shell opener.. I was just so stunned with the way this tool works.. Opening a crab shell has never been this easy.. In the below picture, you can see the crack in the crab leg as the result of the shellfish cracker shell opener.. Oh, and of course, the sweet, delicate, snow-white meat.. Do excuse all the chaos in the back, you just can not eat crab neatly..

Other than crabs, The Holy Crab also offered lobster, shrimps and clams.. Too bad I didn't try any other menu.. The shrimps looked very appetizing though.. Pretty, eh?

The imported crab and lobster prices are seasonal, so we all have to pray for our luck.. The shrimps are priced 28k per 100 gr, while clams are 20k per 100 gr.. To accompany you eating the crabs, The Holy Crab offers various sides selection, from sausage, sweet corn, cajun fries, and even steamed rice, ranging from 15k to 25k.. But if you are looking for something light, grab their snacks selection, which includes calamari, fish fingers, chicken strips and chicken wings ranged from 25k to 50k..

The Holy Crab will be opened for public on February 3, 2014 5:00 PM sharp! Overall, it was a (more than) great experience I had in The Holy Crab.. Thanks to Executive Chef/Owner Albert Wijaya and Willy for being such a nice, helpful host.. Wishing you more success in the future and cheers to the opening of The Holy Crab!

quotes in a wooden board, placed in the restroom wall :)

The Holy Crab
Jln. Gunawarman No. 55
Senopati, South Jakarta
Ph.: 6221 2923 6155
www.theholycrab.co.id
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Goedkoop

Goedkoop is a small Dutch cafe, located in Bendungan Hilir area.. I have heard of this so-called small gem several times, thanks to the social media, and finally got the chance to visit.. Goedkoop literally means 'cheap' in Dutch and their tagline is 'warung kopi belanda' or Dutch coffee shop.. So, you know that I expected good, cheap coffee coming to the small cafe.. :)

It was Saturday afternoon after lunch hour when Jakarta's traffic was quite friendly.. The cafe only have 4 parking lots, which was already full, that we have to park across the street.. Inside, a small cafe, decorated in combination of vintage and modern furniture with dimmed lighting and ivory walls.. We picked a nice, personal spot in the corner, at the back of the cafe, which was quite nice.. Too bad this little cafe has no separation between smoking and non-smoking section..

The menu was quite simple in a single printed sheet, dominated by coffee and tea selection, then a few light meals and main courses.. So I decided to have hot koffie bon bon 18k, while my friend picked hot goedkoop latte 25k then we shared poffertjes 23k..

I honestly do not know whether those drinks are actual Dutch specialties, so let's just go on to the verdict time! The hot koffie bon bon was pretty! I love the coffee-milk-foam layer which.. The coffee itself was quite strong.. I would not recommend this to those who are not a frequent coffee drinkers, as your heart may not able to handle the effect.. The taste was balanced, bitter-sweet just the way I like my coffee, though my non-coffee drinker friend said it's too bitter.. 

The goedkoop latte was mediocre.. The tea and milk taste were too overpowering, I can barely taste the coffee, plus it was too sweet for my liking.. Definitely not my favorite..

The poffertjes were perfect! It was fluffy and soft and light and not overly sweet.. I love those tiny round mini Dutch pancakes.. Delish! Too bad the portion was a bit small.. One plate consisted of 8 small pieces, which I believe I can finished all in split second..

Overall, it was a pleasant coffee and snack experience in Goedkoop.. Our bills came in a small traditional clog, which was really cute.. The price was quite reasonable though may not be classified as 'cheap' for me.. One thing that bothers me is the service, which, in my opinion, needs some improvement.. The waiters were not friendly, but I gave credit for their speed as our orders came real quickly.. It was during our one-hour visit that not a single smile was given.. Started from taking our orders, delivering the orders and until handing us our bills.. It's quite disappointing for a 5% service charge..

Goedkoop

Jl. Bendungan Hilir Raya no. 62

Central Jakarta
Ph.: 6221 573 4430

www.goedkoopjkt.com