Supreme Brunch at SATOO & Shang Palace, Shangri-La Hotel

Hi Eaters.

It's another hotel buffet review. But unlike any other, this one is extra special. 
I was invited to try the Supreme Brunch at SATOO & Shang Palace, Shangri-La Hotel. It was a nice sunny Sunday and the offer of trying out Shangri-La's buffet is not something to be missed out.
SATOO itself has already been my favourite hotel buffet since quite a while and coming there again was so exciting. Well, it's been a while since my last visit.

Supreme Brunch is held every first Sunday of the month. This brunch program has been going on since August last year and apparently has been attracting a lot of diners. The great thing about it is that you only need to pay IDR 408K ++/pax and you can enjoy not only the food from SATOO, but also from Shang Palace! It's like a deadly combo, and I certainly would take every punch of it.
Yes, only IDR 408K ++/pax for adults and IDR 204K ++/pax for children. It's an amazing offer you just can't refuse.

The highlight of Supreme Brunch Specialties:

On Supreme Brunch, the connecting restaurants will feature special stations that only available exclusively during the event in addition to the daily favorites such as:

"Very Important Kids" station, offering a range of fun food especially created for our young guests including animal face burger, watermelon pizza, smiley potato croquets, and funny sandwiches and cupcakes.
During the weekend, our little guests can also join the fun Kidszone activities by paying IDR 50K/child. The activities include face painting, colouring, pony ride, building blocks, and bouncing castle.

XXL carving station featuring roasted whole beef leg, chicken, lamb, prime rib, assorted fish and ham.

Tempura station serves selection of seafood and vegetables deep fried to perfection.

Thai Corner, presenting a selection of Thailand specialties such as Massaman curry, spring rolls, green curry, fresh Thai beef salad, grilled Thai style chicken wings and mackarel.

Virgin Mary station, where guest can create their favorite Virgin Mary mixed with their option of spices. Bloody Mary (alcoholic version) also available in a la carte option.

Juice station, "create your own" refreshing Sunday juice with the extensive option of fresh fruit available.

Ice tea station, where guests can choose their own fruit to be infused in their tea.

A carnival of Indonesian favorite traditional and street food will be available in the area between the Shang Palace and SATOO lobby.

My first target in every hotel buffet is the sashimis. Located near the live seafood station, I was amazed by so many seafood variants available. They even served lobsters and king crabs. Dang! The sashimis were so fresh and delicious. A big major plus point was that they also served Ahi Tuna besides the usual ones. 

Continuing to the next "must-try, must-eat" station of mine, the pork and meat. There weren't much choices of pork, and I truly wish they would have pork bellies or sausages sometime in the future. But tastewise, it's delicious. The beef went the same way. Perfectly cooked!

The pasta station offers quite a variative of pastas. And I loved how they presented it so visually appetizing. The aglio olio with the prawn is just a must try. I mean, look at how much juicy prawns they put in one portion. Absolutely da yumm!

Shang Palace offers a large variety of dimsums to try. I always loved the dimsums at Shang Palace and their cheong fan is a must try. It's great that in one price you can try all of their famous dishes. Not only the dimsums and cheong fans, but also their soups.

Last but not least, always save room for dessert. There is no doubt that SATOO has the best dessert station a hotel buffet can offer. Seriously, this is my most favourite dessert in a hotel anywhere in Jakarta. They offer a lot, and I mean a lot of choices for dessert, from macaroons, cakes, cupcakes, breads, chocolates, and up to ice cream cone. They all tasted fantastic. Never disappoint me.

Overall conclusion, you need a big tummy to try the Supreme Brunch. With so many variants of delicious food coming from two exquisite restaurants which become the pride of Shangri-La, you just can't miss out on trying each station available. I had an awesome feast and I believe you will have one too.
So, mark your calendar for every first Sunday of the month. This is one brunch you do not want to miss out.

Keep on chewing!

Jazzy Dee

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SATOO & Shang Palace

Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta
Phone: (021) 2939 9562
Kota BNI, level 1
Jl. Jend Sudirman, Kav 1
Jakarta Pusat

Botany Restaurant, Holiday Inn Hotel Kemayoran

Hi Eaters.

It's another hotel buffet restaurant. I think I've been writing a lot about hotel buffet lately, so please don't ever be bored by what I write in this blog.
But seriously, who doesn't love buffet? I mean, it's a place where you can eat whatever you want, as much as you want also. Seems pretty heaven enough for someone who loves to eat like me, right? LOL.
The next post after this one will also be about a hotel buffet. But let's not over-rush things. Let's talk about this particular place first, Botany Restaurant.

Hotel buffet seems to be an uplifted feature from a hotel since it is also a magnet to attract frequent visitors. Highly rated hotel restaurant has always urged to serve the best buffet as it is also a way to promote the hotel as most people really consider dining experience to be one of the main reason of choosing a hotel to stay in.

Botany, located at the heart of Kemayoran, a business district, sets comfortly in the ground floor of Holiday Inn Hotel. 
Holiday Inn itself is also under the same group as Intercontinental Hotel, a well known 5 star hotel in Central Jakarta. As I have previously tried the hotel buffet at Intercontinental with satisfaction, then high hopes also came along as I was going to try the buffet at Botany that Sunday noon.

The restaurant itself was not quite big as I thought it would be. There aren't as many food stations, unlike some hotel buffets I've visited before. But in the other hand, they provide some complete selections, and most importanly they have pork! Da yumm!
The interior was warming with big glass windows overlooking the road, so I get the sun and also the natural lighting to take pictures. The green color dominating the venue reflects the environmental color as the restaurant's name, Botany.

I was literally happy to see some pork bellies in their pork station. And not forgetting their Bak Kut Teh. Obviously there were so many people came and try the pork, so it kind of run out quickly. And to be honest I do think they need to speed up on refilling the empty stations.

The dessert was fulfilling. There were quite a lot of options of cakes, chocolates and other pastries to try. And they tasted pretty good too.

ALA CARTE

There are also some ala carte menus you can try here.

Deep Fried Calamari with Lemon Mayonnaise and Chilli Salt

A simple dish. Just calamari coated with batter. But nevertheless it took skills to make good fried calamari. If you overcooked it then you will be eating rubber. So hands down to the chef, this one was good. The sauce that goes with the dish, delicious. A perfect dipping companion for that crispy treats.

Veal Schnitzel with Steamed Haricot Vert

Pan-fried breaded veal escallop with cheesy mash potatoes and lemon sage sauce 

served with string bean

This one was also quite nice. The mash was so good. I really like the cheesy flavor, and also loving its smooth texture. The veal was nicely cooked and seasoned beautifully.

Caramelized Banana

Seared banana with cinnamon, palm sugar and vanilla ice cream

A nice dessert. Banana wrapped in puff pastry. Sweet but not too over so still decent.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake

Chocolate ice cream, Milk, Peanut butter and simple syrup

This one has a unique taste. They called it "Martabak". Chocolaty sweet with nutty texture and a nice milky taste. Basically things you will get in a conventional style Martabak. Sweet and refreshing.

Overall conclusion, I enjoyed the buffet selections. It might not be as wide and variative as hotel buffets I've tried but the taste of their food was far from disappointing.The other good news is that the menus change time to time due to availability and fresh produce, so probably you won't get bored from the food. To round it up, it's a recommended hotel buffet to try.

Keep on chewing!

Jazzy Dee

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | ASK.FM

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Botany Restaurant
Holiday Inn Jakarta Kemayoran

Phone: 021-29568800
Jl. Griya Utama Blok B No.1
Sunter Agung, North Jakarta
IG: @hikemayoran

Opening hours: 06.00 - 22.00

Agendaz Beach Club, Nusa Dua Bali

Hi Eaters.

Dating way back to February, me and my partner decided to take a break from work, from the hectic city of Jakarta and go somewhere for holiday.
As it was also happened to be Valentine then we decided to go somewhere romantic where we can enjoy private moments away from anything stressful.
According to the book Eat, Pray, Love then you will know for sure (if you have read it, or seen the movie) that the part love was entirely situated at our pride island, Bali. A perfect destination for a short getaway.
I've been thinking about blogging my entire trip of Bali, but now let me tell you first of my first destination as soon as I stepped my feet on the island of god.
Let me tell you about Agendaz Beach Club.

Located as a part of The Bay complex, Agendaz occupies a vast area and stretches widely at one of the finest beach in Bali, Nusa Dua. As I enter the premises I was astonished by the large swimming pool in the center of the club, the purple-ish environment, a radiant view of the beautiful ocean, and by so many gazebos spread throughout the vicinity of the club.
It was a hot day and yet the gazebo was the perfect lounging place to avoid from the striking heat of the sun.

I can imagine this venue to be so alive by night with the massive sound system (even at day) and the huge stage used for hosting DJs and party host.
So why choose the name Agendaz? If you notice the name starts with the letter A and ends with Z, just like the alphabet. This referring that you can find all sorts of entertainment you need in one place, Agendaz Beach Club.

But I didn't come there to party. Nope, not indeed. It was still noon and I'm not much of a party-goer. I came there to eat. Most definitely. And to my surprise, Agendaz has a number of casual dining areas which serve Thai food. The Siam Kitchen of Agendaz serves up an authentic selection of Thai favourites, from soups, vegetables, chicken, seafood, and up until pork.
I was literally amazed since I thought Agendaz will serve yet another western or international cuisines like most of the beach clubs in Bali. Thai food seems to be a good option considering there's not much Thai restaurants in Bali (not that I know of).

But FYI, now Agendaz has changed its concept from serving Thai, now it serves Western food. But I still believe if they can make delicious Thai food, then the new Western concept is worth to try.
And again I apologize since this is a late blog post, which means that on my day of visit all the food I tried was still their Thai food, then this blog would only talk about those dishes. I consider it as a nostalgic moment. I mean, I am seriously missing their Thai food and really regret why they have to change concept. Hiks..
So here goes those delicious Thai food which I missed so bad.

BBQ Pork Spare Ribs - IDR 197K++

My indulgence kickstarted with this delicious dish. 4 massive pork ribs on top of Asian greens and drenched over by Thai BBQ sauce. OMG, I was overlyjoy to see pork. Bali is the perfect place to try many variants of pork dishes, and trying out pork in Thai BBQ sauce is a new experience for me.
The taste? Super delicious. I took a lot of time taking photos til the dish became quite cold but yet it still tasted so good! I can imagine just how good it will be when it's still steaming on the table. The pork ribs were so juicy and succulent. Yummy! I can literally peel it off the bone. The champion still has got to be the sauce. Damn, now I just wanna go back and have another portion! Too bad it's not available anymore.. (sobbing..)

Tom Yum Goong - IDR 85K ++

Coming to a Thai restaurant will not be complete without trying its Tom Yum Goong. For me personally, this dish is like a benchmark for the other dishes in the restaurant. If the soup is good, the others should follow.
The spicy and sour coconut broth had 3 huge prawns inside, and the soup tasted delicious. Pretty close to the Tom Yum Goong you'll find in Thailand. I truly loved the heat, though it was a hot day and the soup was quite spicy. 
I'm sure gonna miss this dish too.. (sobbing again..)

Agendaz sunrise - IDR 55K ++

An instant refreshment from the hot weather came from this fresh beverage. Really liking its citrusy, sweet, and relaxing taste. Truly an oasis in the middle of the heat.

Frozen Mojito - IDR 100K ++

As if the first round of drink was not satisfying enough, I was again indulged by the refreshing mojito. This one is a non-alcohol mojito, since I had other plans and places I have to visit. But you can request for the alcoholic version from the baristas at their Purple Bar..

The Vert Matcha - IDR 55K ++

It didn't look too dark-green-ish as matcha should be. Looks more like a melon juice, right? But I admit it's quite refreshing. A bit milky though, so the trace of the matcha was quite biased. 

Mango Sticky Rice - IDR 77K ++

A mandatory dessert in any Thai-serving restaurant. Who doesn't love the mango sticky rice? What I really (I mean really) like is the coconut milk. It's quite different from any other Thai restaurant I've tried. It's more savory, while the sticky rice was not overly sweet so it didn't overpowered the sweet mango. You know how it feels when the sticky rice is too sweet and so does the mango. I definitely don't want to get an early sugar-high. So this dessert fit me perfectly. Again, I regret that it's not available anymore.

Overall conclusion, I'm loving the atmosphere of Agendaz Beach Club. Its vast and beautiful panoramic scenery, its strategic location in the beautiful beach of Nusa Dua, its lovely interior, swimming pool, cozy gazebos, and wonderful yet impeccable service. 
Hands down, one of the best beach club in Bali. A perfect place to bring your family, loved ones, or colleagues to enjoy the sun while having fun in the water. 
One thing I regret was the changing concept of the food. I sincerely think their previous Thai food to be one of the best I've tried so far. But I'm also curious about the new Western menus now being served on the restaurant.
Maybe I should plan another visit to Bali and try them out. But their beverages are still up for grabs so you can try their delicious Frozen Mojito. Yeay!

So if you have plans coming to Bali, or if you're reading this blogpost right now and you are in Bali, then you should come to Agendaz Beach Club. Enjoy the view, the venue, the service, and mostly enjoy the food!

Keep on chewing!

Jazzy Dee

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | ASK.FM

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Agendaz Beach Club
The Bay Bali, BTDC Lot C-O

Phone: (+62) 361 894 8168
Jalan Nusa Dua
Kuta Selatan 80361
Badung, Bali

Opening hours: Mon-Sun 10.00–22.00