Kinokawa : A Japanese Hidden Gem

Hello everyone,

How was your weekend? I hope everyone rested well :) Last week on Wednesday, one of my colleague treat me and my other colleague for lunch and she let me choose the restaurant. Isn't she just nice? I was craving for Japanese food the day before, so I went to search high and low for an authentic Japanese food that serves really good chirashi and sashimi. So, based on the recommendation from my fellow IG friend, we went to Kinokawa Japanese. It's not far from where I work, and I heard they serve very nice sushi and sashimi. And boy, we had such a sumptuous lunch that day!

The place is located in an office building in Thamrin area, you can easily access the restaurant from the parking lot on the 8th floor. The place surely is a hidden gem, it is small and authentic. You can really tell that the restaurant has been there for quite sometime. For lunch they have limited menus, such as varieties of donburi, sushi, and sashimi. So we went and ordered the 2 portion Sashimi Teishoku (148K each) and Nigiri Sushi (142K). It is quite pricey, but you get what you paid for.

The sashimi was amazing. They were super fresh and delicious! If you are a sashimi lover, you should definitely give this place a go. And the Sushi were not disappoint either. They were fresh and flavorful :)
The only feedback I have for them is the service could be improved a little and some staff are lack of knowledge. Other than that my dining experience was a hit! Please enjoy the pictures :)

Our 2 bowl full of Sashimi. Oops the first one is almost finished :p

 All menus come with a bow of gohan (rice) and miso soup. The soup was really nice too :)

And at the end of your meal, each of you will get free ice cream for dessert. You can choose ogura, lime, orange, or green tea. Yeay!
Final verdict : will I come back? Yes, definitely!

Kinokawa
Menara Thamrin 8th Floor
Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav. 3
Phone : 021-3158877

xoxo, Jessica

Mango Tree Bistro : Lovely Thai

Hello everyone,

How was your weekend? I hope yours is as excited as mine was. I was all grumpy last Friday, because it happened that I have to work on a Sunday last weekend. But, in the end last Sunday was very exciting for me. I feel so blessed having invited for a tea time at Otel Lobby and dinner at Mango Tree Bistro. Both in Epicentrum, Kuningan. This post is dedicated for Mango Tree Bistro, a intricately designed restaurant with extensive Thai food menu. Thai food is one of my most favorite food, ever.

It was my mom actually who introduce me to the owner of Mango Bistro. She is a super nice person, with a humble heart who will appreciate your opinions on the food even though I'm certainly not a food critic and can only cook simple meal :)

Last Sunday, the owner hosted a dinner for 25 people and I was lucky to be among the lovely people invited to the event. The food was served non stop, until we filled up and stuffed. In total there where about 9 to 10 dishes served that night, but I only managed to take pictures of less than 10, I guess.
All I can say is, it was one memorable night. Good time, good food, good people. Can't get any better than that!

We were seated at the long table for dinner, but later on we moved to the semi outdoor area for teas and dessert. I love the ambiance the chandelier created.

The backside of the Bistro, it's a semi alfresco style, but don't worry they have air conditioner and comfy cushions and carpeted floor. I fell in love with this place immediately after i stepped my foot on the carpet <3

Now, on to the food. The first thing I noticed about the food here is that they're all carefully thought of. The beautiful platting, the garnish, condiments, seasoning, and all menus come with their own dressing or dip. They are really doing it super seriously. And as the owner explained, all chefs including herself were trained in Bangkok for weeks until they have mastered the cooking methodology. Another jaw dropping fact :)

The first to be served is none other than the famous Tom Yum Goong with fresh squids and mushrooms. There are many variations of this dish, this one has pretty light broth but super tasty and spicy. Sip them slowly to appreciate the taste. The squids was juicy and fresh.

When they brought out the Pad Thai, I was amazed. it was so beautifully presented. And the taste was so refreshing, with super big fat juicy shrimps.

This is one of the staple menu in Thai food. The chicken basil or Gra Praw in Thai. This is my personal favorite, I often cook them at home myself. This one is tasty, but I've tasted better to be honest.

Mango Tree sampler consists of Chicken wrapped with pandan leaves, some fish cakes and wontons.

Grilled beef neck, juicy and succulent. The dipping was divine :) One of my favorite that night.

 Blackpepper chicken. Tasted average, I prefer the Lemongrass Chicken down below :)

Lemongrass Chicken. Loved this!

Thai cassava was tender and cooked perfectly. Love the dipping sauce too. Not overly sweet.

Mango sticky rice, durian sticky rice, and sangkaya all in the same plate. Major love :)

I'm sorry for not being able to put the price of every dish, but most of the main course starts at 40K and up to above 100K for fish menu. For me it is quite affordable considering the food, the ambiance, and the top notch service. All waiter has knowledge on the food and have been trained extensively. 

If you love Thai food, you ahead and visit this place. My personal favorite menu in Mango Tree Bistro is Their Lemongrass Chicken and Grilled beef neck. How about you?

Thanks for reading,

xoxo, Jessica

Yo Panino : Tailor Your Own Sandwich

Hello everyone,

I love Instagram. I do. I can devour myself in luscious food pictures and beautiful people. One day I spotted Wulan Guritno, one of Indonesia's famous celebrity ensemble a mouthwatering sandwich right on the stove. Later I found out that the sandwich place is called Yo Panino and it's so close to where I work. Located in Plaza Indonesian Extension, the decor is bright and colorful, slim chance that you will miss them when you pass by. Yo Panino is originally from Singapore, it's a place where you can tailor your own sandwich to suit your appetite.

Here are the steps :
1. Choose your sandwich and sides

There are so many types of sandwich you can select. Our orders that day was Grilled Chicken Sandwich (35K), Angry Prawns (63K), and Tuna Mayo (43K). You can make a combo by adding another 15K for value combo or 30K for premium combo. You will get selections of side dishes and drinks to go with your sandwich. Side dishes selections are Java Slaw (coleslaw with peanut sauce, I didn't like it), Fries, and Cookie. If you are not that hungry opt for the cookie!

2. Choose your bread
    There are 4 types of bread : Multigrain, Turkish Pide, Brioche, Farmhouse Artisan.

I chose turkish pide which is chewy and flavorsome, while my friend  chose brioche which is a bit sweet and has very soft texture.

3. Choose you veggies

All veggies are free of charge so go ahead eat your greens!

4. Choose your sauce/dressing

5. Go ahead pay your sandwich and have a seat. They will bring your sandwich to you :)

And you can get a free cookie if you follow Yo Panino and mention them in your tweet! I got two cookies that day. My favorite is the almond cookie. It was so good! :) A fresh crisp cookie with the right amount of sweetness and a heavenly smell of cinnamon. LOVE. Maybe I'll go back for their cookies soon!

Will I come back? Yes, I want to try all the bread and cookies! Thanks for staying with me on this post. Till then :)


xoxo, Jessica

Quickreview Chandara : Fine Thai Cuisine

Hello everyone,

How was your day? I just wanted to do a quick review. Since I didn't really take pictures of the interior of the restaurant and all. But the food was good, I feel like I need to share with you all. Last night me, mom, and my auntie went to have dinner at Chandara in Plaza Indonesia. They serve fine Thai cuisine. And I must admit their Thai food is one of the best I've tasted in Jakarta so far. Last night's dinner was very tasty and such a pleasure for my tastebud. Price wise they are on the expensive side, being located in one of the most upscale mall in Jakarta. But I tell you, the food and service were not disappoint. Usually when I want to know whether a Thai food restaurant serves good and authentic food is to order some of world widely known Tom Yum and Pad Thai. So that's exactly what I did last night.

Tom Yam Goong (with King Prawn) 60K. Super yummy soup! Tangy, sour, tasty, spicy!

Very nice Pad Thai (65K) sour, sweet, tasty, refreshing!!!

And for the drink I ordered the Butterfly Pea tea (20K), from the herbal tea range. Taste just like your normal green tea. The color was very interesting though.

We also ordered the grilled chicken (Gai Yang) 60K, unfortunately I forgot to take picture of it because I was so busy eating haha. If you love Thai food, this place is definitely worth visiting. Oh, they also charge a 10% tax and another 7,5% for service. So get ready to have some extras on your bill.

Thanks for reading and staying with me on this post. Have a good day readers :)

xoxo,
 Jessica

Kwang Koan : Superb Bao and Coffee

Hello everyone,

How was your weekend? Hopefully you all have a wonderful one, like I did. Last Saturday morning, I woke up quite early in the morning for a purpose. I wanted to try having breakfast in an old kopitiam like place in Kelapa Gading area. The place sits on the corner of the street and occupied a small building, jam packed with people at 8ish AM in the morning. The street outside the premise is also packed with cars and bicycle. It is also well known as a post workout hang out place for the bikers. The place is called "Kwang Koan". It is basically an old kopi (coffee) house, Hainan Style, that only sells Bapao (Bao), half boiled eggs, and coffee/tea. Your typical local kopitiam.

The Bapao will cost you 8K, the skin is fluffy and soft while the inside is pretty generous topping. I liked it. The size of the Bao is quite big, one is big enough for me.

 The coffee and tea tarik will cost you 7K, the coffee i think is superb. I loved it. I ordered my 2nd cup right away. While the tea is also decent. They also serve Milo and Iced Coffee. Both are pretty decent. Come on! They use sachet Milo, what's not to love about Milo? :P

That morning I ordered both Peanut Bao and Minced Pork Bao. Both are good. I had a very fulfilling breakfast that day. Will come back soon to have more coffees and Bao!

If you happen to live nearby or thinking about having a good old style coffee in the morning, go here. Although you have to fight for your seat. Take away also available. And there are also many other food stall under the same roof with this kopitiam, such as Pempek (Palembang fish cake with vinegar sauce), Sotomie, and Medan cooked food. Thanks for reading, enjoy your stay!

Kwang Koan
Jalan Kopyor Raya Blok Q1 No. 1
Kelapa Gading
(behind WGP Apartment)
Opens from 06.00 AM until sold out (2 PM)
xoxo,
Jessica