Kitchenette: Christmas Feast, New Menus

Hi Eaters.

It's another Ismaya's foodtasting invitation. And this time I got the chance to try some new menus from Kitchenette, one of the stunning restaurants affiliated under the management of Ismaya group.

A short description about Kitchenette, it is a homey restaurant with a concept of giving you the feeling that you're inside of a bestfriend's kitchen who happens to be a crafty cook.
The interior supports that concept by showcasing items you might see in a daily basis kind of kitchen, like cabinets and kitchen utensils. Unique right? Well, welcome to the world of Ismaya then, LOL.

Kitchenette called this foodtasting invitation as Christmas Feast. Indeed Christmas is the time of the year to be happy and enjoy great things, including food. And in this Christmas Feast, Kitchenette introduced 12 new kind of menus, ranging from appetizer to main course, from Asian to International food respectively.
Please take note that I didn't get the chance to try all 12 menus. Some were skipped, but I will try my best to describe those that I tried.
So what are those 12 menus? Scroll below! 

Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls, Minced Chicken, 

Carrots, Jicama & Chilli Vinegar Sauce

This appetizer kickstarted my day. Spring rolls are just like crispy small pillow filled with happiness. This one is uber good. If you're not familiar with the name Jicama, you might know it in Indonesian as "Bengkuang", the kind of fruit you might commonly eat in a Rujak dish.
Actually this spring rolls tasted pretty salty, but in a good way though for me. I kinda like salty food and I think it's still pretty decent. The whole package seemed right and I find this dish quite delicious for my palate.

Tokyo Style Tater Tots with Togarashi Spice, 

Japanese Mayo, Roasted Seaweed & Sesame

I always find potatoes best as snack. You know, the kind of french fries, hashbrowns, and even tater tots like this one. Tater tots combined with togarashi (the kind you find in takoyaki or okonomiyaki) turned out pretty good. A well balanced dish, with good seasoning, and the portion was plentiful too.

Enchiladas "Carne Molida" Baked with Chilli Con Carne, 

Jalapenos, Cheddar Cheese Sauce & Sour Cream

Picture courtesy of Jessica Gaby (Instagram: @jessica_gaby)

Haven't had much share of enchiladas, well I mean I don't eat this pretty often, but I have to say this is a good executed dish. It's got all kinds of flavors like savory from the chilli corn carne, a bit of heat from the jalapenos, decent saltiness from the cheddar cheese, and sour from the cream. It's like a party of flavors but the combination was all good in the end.
Anyway, I must thank my friend, Jessica Gaby, for this pic. It was a crowded event, and somebody seemed to took this dish out of those which were supposed to be the displayed dishes, before I can take photos of it. I suggest for that person to better wait more patiently next time. I'm sure the event organizer will provide the dish to your table. What you've done is just so unprofessional.

Oriental Chicken Salad, Kale, Grilled Corn, Cucumber & Sesame Dressing

It's got all those freshness and deliciousness a healthy food could give. The chicken was cooked perfectly, and those fresh vegetables combined with the peanut-ish sesame dressing was just excellent.

Spaghetti Albacore Tuna with Chilli Aglio Olio & Poached Farm Fresh Egg

A nice plate of perfectly al-dente cooked spaghetti, with spicy cooked tuna. Some of my friends found it spicy but I still think it's pretty decent. It may looked like so spicy with all those chilli mixed in the spaghetti, but the taste was delicious for my palate. Don't forget to break the poached egg and let the runny egg yolk drizzle up the spaghetti. Yumm!

Tuscan Chicken Leg Parmigiana Pasta tossed in Fresh Basil & Garlic

Nope, the green color is not because of pesto, but from basil. Actually the spaghetti is not green at all, but the basil oil just gave it a nice glazy green coating which is so visually beautiful.
Tastewise? It's tasty. I kinda like garlicky dishes (I always ordered my Ketoprak with lots of garlic, LOL) and I find this dish delightful. It kinda had that Christmas-themed color with the green and red. Agree?
The chicken was quite good, and juicy too.

Lasagna A la Nonna with Bechamel & A Hearty Tomato Sauce

Thick layer of pastas with abundant beef fillings and tomato sauce that looked like it's gonna sink up that lasagna. This dish was also nice. I seemed not able to find any dish that disappointed me up to this stage. The tomato sauce i think was the elevating factor. You know how it can get messy when you order a lasagna and ended up having the tomato sauce too sweet and it's too dominant and exceeding the pasta and the beef? Well, this one is not one of those lasagnas.

Classic Double Cheese Burger, 

Red Cheddar, Tomato, Lettuce & Pickles with Potato Chips

Nothing beats a classic. This burger is just oh so juicy! Look at that melting cheese! Who could resist that double beef patties which are drizzled in cheese? The patties were oh so juicy, like a tempation for my diet program, LOL. Well, enough said, I just got to wipe out my drool first.

Crispy Chicken "Cabai Hijau" with Hainan Rice

This one is pretty spicy. The cabai hijau surely delivered quite a heat to my tongue. Some of my blogger friends found it to be too spicy, but I sure as hell loved it. As an Indonesian, I think the spiciness was very good, and it combined nicely with the juicy and tender chicken. Btw, the hainan rice was fantastic.

Thai Chilli & Cashew Nut Chicken tossed in A Spicy Sauce 

with Steamed Jasmine Rice

If you prefer your rice and chicken to be not spicy, then opt for this dish. It may have the word "spicy" on its description, but let me assure you it's not that spicy at all. The taste was pretty fond, if you like kungpao chicken (my friend thought it tasted pretty similar) you might like this dish. It's more to the sweet and savory instead of spicy. The chicken was cooked perfectly, and I think the whole dish on the plate was delicious.

"Little Saigon" Grilled Pork Chop Platter with side of Vietnamese Spring Roll, 

Fried Egg, Chagio Dressing & Jasmine Rice

The seasoning on the pork chop was just delicious. On the other hand, I find the pork chop was not so juicy. If only it was to be juicy, it would have made a perfect plate. But yet again I was comforted by the delicious spring roll.

Wagyu Beef Brisket Balado with Jasmine Rice & Urap Vegetable

Save the best for last, the proverb says. Well, yes I did. This last dish on this review was DA BOMB. I'm super loving this dish. It is spicy, let me tell you that, but oh so deliciously spicy good!
The wagyu was clearly the star of the plate. It's so soo tender and juicy. I feel it was like melting in my mouth as I eat it. It was that good! Kudos to the Chef for such a fine execution on the wagyu brisket. I highly recommend this one, but again I warn you, it's spicy.

Overall conclusion, Ismaya has done it again. They never fail to deliver good dishes, and I think I am so lucky to be a part of this Christmas Feast. 
Again, this is a line of dishes surely not to be missed. Do highlight your holiday with delicious food from Kitchenette.

Keep on chewing!

Jazzy Dee

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Kitchenette

Plaza Indonesia Level 2

Jalan M.H. Thamrin No.28-30

Jakarta Pusat

Phone: (021) 29923580

[BALI] Pork Star, Seminyak

Hi Eaters.

If you follow my Instagram, you'll know that several weeks ago I went to Bali for 4 days to enjoy my holiday. Usually during holiday, I tend not to do any work whatsoever, even though it includes food. Well, maybe I took a bit of photos for my Instagram feed, but never go beyond that. I'd rather relax and have a nice warm (or maybe hot) meal instead of having it cold like during food tasting.
But on my last trip I made an exception during my visit to Pork Star. I just feel like I need to spread the word out!

Please note that this visit is not a food tasting invitation, and of course I paid for my own food. But it was all worth it. And that's why I feel like writing about this place, because it gave me the BEST foodgasm from all of the restaurants or cafes or other food tenants I have ever visited all my life in Bali.

So it was maybe the best decision I've made to enlist this restaurant in my Bali itinerary. Well, it was not purposed at all at the first time to even put Pork Star in my list. I was browsing through the internet on a website that provides restaurant directories at Seminyak, and came to see that Pork Star had quite a good rating. Eager to know more so I put it on my list, well besides of the other factor that my girlfriend thought the pink-ish kitchen-made-container in the front of the restaurant was something cute.
The inside of the restaurant also had its share of pink-ish color. I think the pink color must have been associated with pig's pinky color you might see in cartoons. But it's cute though, as it may look simple inside but it was indeed comfy enough for my group to have some dinner.
What? Dinner? Yes, dinner! That's one of my regrets to put this one on my dinner list. It's troubling to get good pics when the room is kinda shaded-dark and the lights were all yellow! Damn, I must get back to Bali and come there again in day time.
Note: I just realized when I was already about to go that the second floor has white lighting. Damn!

Well, we were confused on what to order that night so we thought of just ordering the platter, since it may accomodate a lot of people and also it might eased us to try many kind of Pork Star's dishes on a single large plate.

Pork Star's Platter - IDR 94K

250 grams of Pork Star's Pork Belly with 2 choices of sauces (choose from Truffle/Blackpepper/Sweet & Spicy Sauce) along with a choice of Baby Potatoes/French Fries, or you can choose Butter Rice for an additional IDR 10K.
I was mesmerized by the aroma as it was served on the table. And it was proven that the aroma was just an opening punch. This dish was SPECTACULAR! SUPER DELICIOUS!
The pork belly was just amazing. The crispy skin combined with the oh so juicy meat. It is to die for!  If you wonder what sauce to choose, I highly recommend the Truffle. It's heaven! 

Mix Platter - IDR 145K

3 pcs of chicken wings with a choice of BBQ Pork Ribs/Iga Bakar Kecap along with Pork Star's Pork Belly (with 2 choices of sauce like the Pork Star Platter) and a choice of Baby Potato/French Fries, or you can choose Butter Rice for an additional IDR 10K.
The chicken wings were nothing special, but I have to salute the french fries. It was seasoned nicely and made it tasted delicious. I have no other word for the pork belly besides AWESOME. I wish they put more of those on the plate.
The BBQ Pork Ribs were sooooo good! It's so juicy, tender, and succulent, as if it melts in my mouth. Super yummy! The BBQ sauce was exceptional too!

Why did I make a blog that only consists of 2 menus? Well, it's not the quantity that counts but the quality. And I must say that Pork Star could be the best pork-serving restaurant that I have ever visited in Bali. I will not hesitate to make so many other visits here if I should ever go back to Bali. If you have plans on visiting Bali this holiday and so eager for pork, I recommend you to come and try Pork Star's dishes and be amazed!

Keep on chewing!

Jazzy Dee

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Pork Star
Jalan Nakula No. 88 C
Seminyak, Badung
Bali
Phone: 0818 817 760

Caribou Coffee: Holiday Food and Beverages

Hi Eaters.

It's the holliday season yet again. The season so jolly, it got everyone waiting for it!
And it is a jolly of my own that restaurants, cafes and other food joints are handing out their holiday food. It's that one time of the year you can experienced unique food creations.
One of those is Caribou Coffee, and I was invited to try some of their holiday specialties.

Caribou may have come as a new comer compared to other coffee shop brands in Indonesia. But don't let the youthful mistaken you since it also has the balls to compete!
Well, I honestly loved the ambiance in some of its outlets. Being young in age surely brings the vibe and the freshness. Just look at their cup's design. Pretty catchy, right? And it is specially designed for this holiday season. Bearing their significant color, well, holiday doesn't always have to be red and green, or gold, right?

I tried some of their food, ranging from savory and sweet. Frankly, when it comes for food I would prefer savory ones, but on a special occasion like the holiday season it's okay to jump out of my comfort zone once in a while.

Macnara Pie - IDR 40K

A savory based tart filled with macaroni smoked beef, mushroom and topped with carbonara sauce.
This one was my favorite. Not because of its savoriness, but because it's uber good!
The crackling pie crust was perfect, and I really do find the macaroni fillings were delicious. And it went so well with the carbonara sauce too. A great option for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It's very nice to be paired with light beverages like Hot/Iced Tea, as well as any of Caribou Coffee's fruit based still tea, like the Green Tea Lemonade, Peach Black, and Lemon Ginger Pom.

Red Cream Puff - IDR 30K

Crisp puff topped with red crumblea and filled with cream cheese.
A sweet pastry option for the holiday season. It tasted pretty good although it got me quite full in the second bite. Maybe it's just my personal preference but I find the cream cheese a bit overwhelming and too sweet for my cup of tea.
But if you are a big fan of sweet pastry, you might love this one.
It is best paired with medium or dark roast coffee, to neutralize its sweetness. I recommend to pair it with Caribou Coffee's Reindeer Blend, Mocha Java, and Obsidian.

Salted Caramel Panna Cotta - IDR 35K

A silky custard topped with salted caramel sauce and caramel popcorn. Perfect as a dessert in any occasion.
This is one dessert I like from Caribou Coffee. The sweet, soft texture of the panna cotta was just in a perfect balance. The salted caramel sauce was good and the sweetness was just nice. I, myself, truly find it enjoyable.

Caribou Coffee also provides a line of holiday beverages, hot or cold, choose anyway you prefer. The price range: Small - IDR 53K, Medium - IDR 56K, Large - IDR 59K.
Actually they have 4 kinds of beverages specially made for the holiday season, but I only tried 2 of them. And they're all cold ones.

Ho Ho Mint Mocha

Coffee blended with ice, chocolate (dark, milk, or white) and mint flavor. Topped with whipped cream and candy canes crush.
I guess the Ho Ho must have came from Santa Claus' style of laugh, LOL. Well, this one looked cute with that red candy cane crush sprinkles on the top. It also had that hint of mint flavor which is quite strong. A bit too sweet for me though.

Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle Mocha Cooler

Coffee blended with ice, milk chocolate sauce, heavy cream and hazelnut syrup. Topped with chocolate whipped cream and chocolate drizzle.
This one suited my palate better. Maybe that's because I tend to like hazelnut when it comes for something to be blended with coffee.

For the holiday beverages, you can pick your whip and chip as you like it to replace the recommended holiday beverage topping. So if you want some candy cane crush on your Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle Mocha Cooler then don't let anyone stop you.

Holiday Whole Bean: Reindeer Blend

Reindeer blend brings together coffees from Central America combined with heavy-bodied and rich flavors from Indonesia - including a rare, aged Sumatra that gives a hint of caramel and a dash of spice. This blend will go well with most sweet dessert, especially Caribou Coffee's Salted Caramel Panna Cotta and Red Cream Puff.

Did you know?
Unlike most coffee shops, Caribou Coffee has different size of cups for Hot and Cold. The cold cups are larger than the hot cups. That's because Caribou Coffee doesn't want the ice to reduce the coffee in their guests' cups. They called it a Fair Cup.

Well, that's all the holiday food and beverages I tried at Caribou Coffee. Can't wait for more innovative dishes to come from this youthful coffee shop.

Keep on chewing!

Jazzy Dee

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | ASK.FM

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Caribou Coffee

Gran Rubina Business Park

Generali Tower, 1st floor

Jalan HR Rasuna Said, Kuningan

Jakarta Selatan

Phone: (021) 22057017