Trattoria at St. Moritz

Had lunch earlier this week at the newest Italian restaurant around my neighborhood, Trattoria. It's one of my favourite casual Italian dining restaurant! They have pretty similar concept with PePenero, but based on my dining experience, I've always liked Trattoria better. I've been dining in their Kuningan outlet several times before, and everything I ordered was never a let down.

The new St.Moritz outlet was designed with the simple industrial look. It was quite spacious, loving the high ceiling and lots of sun light. The dining area consists two floors, the ground floor and mezzanine floor.

Another reason to love Trattoria is the generous complimentary bread. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a basket of bread and another plate of tomato bruschetta. Couldn't ask for more, the bruschetta was fresh, and the bread was warm, salty, and fluffy.

They have various food selections from Antipasti to Pizza and Pasta, but their menu comes in Italian language, so it may took some time to decide your dish. The food they serve may contain pork, but you can request it to be halal.

Prosciutto Cotto E Funghi (IDR 78.000)

This is what we chose from their Pizza selections. Thin-crusted Italian Pizza topped with pork ham, mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, and tomato sauce. I have no complain about this dish, the pizza was perfectly crusted, the toppings were generous, it was such a nice dish.

Penne Alla Vodka (IDR 86.000)

Penne and salmon cooked with vodka, red onion, olives, and cream. To be honest I couldn't taste the vodka in this dish, but anyway it still tasted so good! Well you know I'm a big fan of cream based pasta, and this one also didn't fail me. It tasted rich and creamy, but not too heavy. Very recommended!

So glad that my favourite Italian Dining Restaurant is coming to my neighborhood. Couldn't wait for my next visit! 

Trattoria Cucina Italiana

St. Moritz Apartment Ground Floor

Jl. Puri Indah Boulevard

West Jakarta

ph. coming soon

Lasagna Lasagne by Virra Vinsenssa

I am a big fan of lasagna. And not only a big fan, when it comes to lasagna, I'm also a picky fan. Well as you might've known, there are three important components in lasagna: the pasta, the tomato beef sauce, and the cream sauce. And for me, it's hard to find a lasagna with balanced tomato-ey and creamy taste. I just hate it when I ordered lasagna in the restaurant and it came too creamy or too tomato-ey for my tastebud. But you know what, I think I just found the perfect lasagna for me.

Meet Lasagna Lasagne, the famous online brand which specializes in lasagna. The store was established just recently in mid 2013, yet they've made quite a number of loyal customers till now. The owner, Virra Vinsenssa said that the key is "Fresh From The Oven". Lasagna Lasagne always make their lasagna based on order and deliver it right away to keep them fresh. 

Classic Beef Lasagna 

The Classic Beef Lasagna is everybody's favorite. It was layers of lasagna cooked till Al Dente  filled with generous tomato beef sauce and white sauce, and drizzled with mozzarella cheese. All the components were made into perfection and balancing each other really well. The perfectly cooked pasta, ground beef, tomato sauce and white sauce, all of them tasted great together without any of it overpowering the others. Not to mention the mozzarella cheese, which is melted perfectly with crusty texture at the top. Major Yum!

Bratwurst Lasagna

Well when you started to think that lasagna couldn't be possibly better than the Classic Beef Lasagna, here comes this: Bratwurst Lasagna! It is basically the same perfection as the Classic Beef Lasagna, but with generous slices of THICKLY CUT BEEF BRATWURST SAUSAGES! Oh I don't think I need to explain the flavor, you fellow meat lovers must've been able to imagine the heavenly taste of it yourself.

To end today's review, of course here's the variants, size, and price of Lasagna Lasagne.

Classic Beef Lasagna

Mushroom Tomato Lasagna

Mix Beef and Mushroom Lasagna

Large: oval 18x8x4,5cm - IDR 95,000

Small: rectangle 15x7x3cm - IDR 55,000

Bratwurst Lasagna

Large: oval 18x8x4,5cm - IDR 110,000

Small: rectangle 15x7x3cm - IDR 65,000

Thank you for the superb lasagna, Lasagna Lasagne. Couldn't wait to place my next order soon! 

LASAGNA LASAGNE  

ph. 0856-1300-086

line. lasagnalasagne                        

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Bacchus Bar at InterContinental MidPlaza Hotel

Bacchus Bar is one of the restaurant at InterContinental MidPlaza Hotel that specializes at Asian Food. Last Thursday, I was honoured to get the opportunity to enjoy Lunch at Bacchus Bar.

Located at the Lower Ground Floor of the building, the venue itself wasn't too spacious yet it gave you the warm and private ambiance. Most of the seats are bar stools, but they also have nice comfortable sofas at the back. And they got their own wine storage room with lots and lots of wine selection. 

For the appetizer that day, we tasted two favourite menus from their Pan Flair Asian selections, Thai Beef Salad with Mango and Chilli Vinaigrette (IDR 98.000) and BBQ Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce (IDR 98.000). Their Beef Salad's presentation was such a feast for the eye, isn't it? Really love the bright colors. Taste wise, it was tangy and fresh, it also got a nice dressing, but for me the aroma of Basil was too strong. In the other hand, the BBQ Chicken Wings came in a generous portion, thickly marinated in a nice sweet BBQ Sauce. 

For the main course, Bacchus Bar have two options, you can either order the main course from the Pan Flair Asian selections, or order it from the live cooking stands. The live cooking stands is a collaboration between Bacchus Bar and Deli Restaurants, every weekdays during lunchtime, they served Pasta and Nasi Bakar (Indonesian style grilled rice wrapped in banana leafs). We ended up trying both of them, for they were both really tempting, especially when you see them cooked right before your eyes and you can smell the aroma.

Pasta Set (IDR 90.000 including bread and choice of Iced Tea or Iced Lemon Tea)

Here at the pasta stand, you can build your own pasta! Here's what you need to do:

1. Pick your pasta. The pasta selections varies everyday, that day they got penne and green linguine

2. Pick the sauce. There are tomato based sauce, carbonara sauce, pesto sauce, or simply aglio olio

3. Pick the meat, veggies, and cheese. You can choose up to three meat and veggies available. For the meat they have chicken, prawns, squid, beef bacon, pork bacon, sausages, etc. And for the veggie selections they have broccoli, tomatoes, onions, asparagus, mushrooms, etc. 

Easy right? And only for IDR 90.000 nett, you get your pasta served with bread and butter and also a glass of drink, which is a very nice deal, for having lunch in Sudirman area. That day I decided to have Penne Carbonara, but I was confused on which meat and veggies to choose, so I'll let the chef decide it, and it came with Prawns, Beef Bacon, Sausage, broccoli, mushrooms, and tomatoes! Phew that was a lot of toppings. But the taste was really great. The penne was al dente, the carbonara sauce was amazingly balanced between the creamy and savory taste, and for the toppings, I especially love the generous amount of fresh prawns. Oh I'll deal with you later, cholestrol, for now please just let me enjoy the fresh and crunchy prawns.

Nasi Bakar Set (IDR 82.000 + including a choice of Iced Tea or Iced Lemon Tea)

For the Nasi Bakar, you only have to pick your rice flavor (it also varies everyday), and it will be served with Balado Eggs, Sauteed String Beans, Shredded Chicken and Duck Meat, and Fried Tempe. That day they only have two flavor of rice, Oncom (fermented products of soy beans) and Ikan Peda (Indonesian salty fish). I'm not familiar with oncom, so I play safe and choose the Ikan Peda flavor. And that was a decision I wouldn't regret. The rice was very very fragrant and tasty, and all the side dishes were great and compliment it well. It was spicy but still tolerable for me. Well I'm not a big fan of Nasi Bakar before, but I am now. This dish was really satisfying for me, even better than the pasta! The best Nasi Bakar I've tasted so far!

I'm really impressed that their simple yet humble live cooking stands could create such an awesome food. Thank you InterContinental and  Catrina (Social Media Officer of InterContinental MidPlaza) for inviting me and being a really nice lunch companion! I definitely will come back to this place :D

Bacchus Bar

InterContinental at Jakarta MidPlaza Hotel

Lower Ground Floor

Jl. Sudirman Kav 10-11

Jakarta - 10220

ph. (021) 2510888 (front desk)

Bene Ristorante

Bene Ristorante is an Italian Restaurant located in Living World Alam Sutera. I am actually a regular visitor of the mall, but honestly I've never seen this restaurant before because it's located far at the end of the mall (near Bon Chon Chicken and Kafe Betawi area), and the music stage in front of the place kinda hinder it. But thanks to the food tasting invitation, I've got the chance to get to know more of Bene Ristorante and taste their food, which is actually good!

The food they serve here is mostly Italian, but they also have some interesting fusion menu to try. One of their specialty is the Pizza, which comes in three different sizes: Single Fighter (fit for 1-2 persons), Gossiper (fit for 3-4 persons), and the 1 Metre Pizza (1 metre long pizza with 3 different toppings). The 1 metre pizza really sounds fun to eat with your best buddies, isn't it?

Patate Fritte Alla Bolognese (IDR 37.000)

Thick-cut potato french fries topped with bolognese sauce, melted mozzarella, and yellow cheddar cheese. An awesome starter! I've always loved thick-cut french fries, now even better, it came with generous bolognese sauce and cheese. The beef bolognese sauce is really good, the sweet and sour taste are perfectly balanced. 

Paella Pasta (IDR 55.000)

Inspired by the famous Spanish dish, the pasta is tossed with curry-saffron paste, sauteed seafood, and shredded kafir lime leaves. This was my favorite dish of the night. Pasta was al-dente, while the saffron curry sauce is very rich and fragrant. A new way to eat your pasta, I'm definitely addicted to this.

Bene Classico Pizza, Single Fighter Size (IDR 71.000)

It is the specialty of Bene Ristorante. The Pizza is topped with homemade tomato sauce, grilled chicken breast, jalapeno pepper, pineapple, onion, melted mozzarella cheese, drizzled with mayonnaise and garnished with chopped beef bacon. I really like the pizza dough, it's thick and fluffy, the topping was also nice but it's just not my kind of pizza, since I don't like jalapeno and onion.

Iced Strawberry Caipiroska (IDR 39.000)

My drink that night, a nice iced tea with lime, strawberries, and mint leaves. Lovely presentation, it tasted cold and fresh.

Panetone all 'Aanas (IDR 32.000)

Lastly we were served with the dessert. It is basically a hot pineapple bread pudding, served with cold white cream sauce. It tasted quite decent, but the inside of the pudding was kinda mushy and it would be better if they add more pineapple slices to add the flavor.

After tasting several menu of theirs, I find all the food were nice and decent, and some even very good! That's just a little of them I've tasted, I'd really love to come back and try the other menus. And it's also a nice place if you like live music since it's located near the stage. I came there on Friday night and the band was really nice. Thank you Bene Ristorante for having me.

Bene Ristorante 

Living World Alam Sutera G 71

Jl. Alam Sutera Bulevar Kav. 21

Tangerang

ph. (021) 29239570

fb. Bene Ristorante 

t. Bene Ristorante

[Bali] Finn's Beach Club

If somebody asks me what's my most favourite part during our trip to Bali last month, I would certainly say that it was the afternoon we spent at Finn's Beach Club. Hidden deep behind the sturdy southern cliffs of Bali, the venue is surely a perfect hideaway from daily routines.

Let me take you for a quick tour to reach the venue. After a long ride by car, following GPS and signs on the road, we finally reach Semara Villas at Uluwatu. Finn's reception desk is located at the right side, so we went there and register our name to get the ticket. The ticket is IDR 250.000 per person, but that amount could be use to purchase food and beverages at Finn's. 

After purchasing the ticket, we need to walk down the stairs to the cable car station, ride the cable car down the cliff, and take another steps down the stairs before we finally reach the venue. It was quite a long way, but it was paid when we saw the beautiful sparkling ocean from the cable car. And even more worth it when we stepped at the soft wet sands and the cold water of Indian Ocean.

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The beach club itself couldn't be more relaxing. Semi outdoor bamboo structured restaurant, beanbags, sunbeds, umbrellas. PARADISE, that might be the perfect word. Even better, Finn's Beach Club is limiting their customers everyday so the venue wouldn't get overcrowded. Our privacy is their priority here.

And the best part is, Finn's Beach Club is providing Kayak, Stand Up Peddle Boards, and Snorkeling Masks for the customers, and its FOR FREE! And also FREE WIFI, so you could still connect the outside world if you wish. Oh there's just too many best part of Finn's that I'm getting confused which one is the best of the best.

Anyway, no matter how beautiful the venue is, it's still goes down to the food. So here's what we had that day.

Classic Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken (IDR 120.000)

You know I'm not a big fan of Salad, but I found that this Caesar Salad fresh and tastes nice. Vegetables were crunchy and nicely dressed, even more better to combine it with the grilled chicken, bacon, or the egg.

Ebi Spring Rolls with Sweet and Sour Sauce (IDR 90.000)

Served hot, generously filled, and that tangy sauce that could certainly raise your appetite, this menu has made it to my favorite at Finn's.  

Home Made Hummus with Toasted Pita Bread (IDR 75.000)

Well this is my first time trying hummus. Hummus is a Middle Eastern and Arabic food dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. Didn't expect that peas could taste like this after mashed. Quite nice, I wouldn't mind ordering that again next time.

Balinese Pizza (IDR 150.000)

Thin crusted Italian Pizza topped with Chicken, Mushrooms, Chilli, and Sambal Matah. There's a lot of restaurants in Bali selling Balinese Pizza, and Finn's Pizza wasn't the best, but it was still decent.

Nachos (IDR 90.000)

Their Nachos were served with Grilled Cheese, Salsa, Sour Cream, and Guacamole. I looove that it was served hot and the amount grilled cheese was generous.

Well there's one more thing that deserves another paragraph: Service. It was flawless. All the waiter were very kind and serve us well from the table to our sunbeds. Maybe because of the fall of their neighbor, Nammos, which I heard keep losing it's customers because their service is poor, that Finn's waiter and waitress are trying hard to win their customers heart. And they have win mine. So if you're planning your visit to Bali, don't forget to put Finn's on your schedule. You know you won't regret it.

Finn's Beach Club

Semara Luxury Villa Resort
Jalan Pantai Selatan Gau, Banjar Wijaya Kusuma,
Ungasan 80362 Bali, Indonesia

ph.+ 62 (361) 848 2111 // + 62 853 3941 1907

[Bali] Sundara at Four Seasons Resort Jimbaran

Our first evening in Bali was spent at Sundara. It was an impromptu visit, and yet it was quite a memorable one. We accidentally passed it by on our way to the Villa, and we decided to pay it a visit for early dinner.

Situated right by the Jimbaran Bay, the architecture of the restaurant is modern and classy, yet very tropical. The dining room is extending along the bay and designed with contour, so all customers could enjoy the ocean view. Other than the luxurious dining area, they also have outdoor beach club with live DJ show and poolside bed if you want more comfortable option.

Sundara is serving international food. They serve quite various meal, from the Italian delicacy to Japanese sushi and fresh seafood from Jimbaran Bay. Our choice goes down to their wood fired pizzas: Florentine -- soft egg, bacon, spinach, fetta cheese, arugula (IDR 110.000) and Prosciutto --prosciutto, arugula, tomato, mozzarella (IDR 140.000). Both were delightful! Pizzas were thin and crispy, and I surprisingly loved that they topped their Pizzas after the wood firing process, so that the topping were still fresh, especially the arugula. 

We also ordered their signature non alcoholic cocktails: Ipanema  (IDR 75.000). Made of fresh passion fruit, lime, and pineapple, it was surely tangy but refreshing. And it was served in such a huge jug that it was more than enough for the four of us.

Well great place, great food, quite reasonable price, and flawless service, all in one place. What more could you ask?

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay

Jimbaran, Kuta Selatan, Bali 80361

Indonesia

Ph. (62 361) 701010

www.fourseasons.com/jimbaranbay

Basilico

In the mid 2011, me and David were having an architecture internship at 1Park Residences, an apartment built by Intiland Development near Gandaria City. Back at that time, we almost always looking for lunch in Gandaria City, and this fancy Italian restaurant located right at the main lobby has always attracted me to come and try. But that time, being an unpaid intern employee, we always ended up eating something more budget-friendly.

Almost two years passed by, and last week we finally give it a try. The venue was packed with customers that lunch time (later I realized that most of them are expatriates), only a few table were empty. The interior was basically dominated by the warm wood texture combined with black color. At the center is the bar area,   with attractive hanging wine display at the ceiling, then surrounded by the sofa seats.

Upon arrival we were greeted by the welcome bread, the deep fried bread served with fresh tomato sauce. The bread's still warm and soft, and the tomato sauce was freshly made from real tomato puree. 

To company our lunch in such a hot day, I ordered Lychee Ice Tea (IDR 23.000), and David went with Lemon Juice (IDR 25.000). Both of them were very refreshing.

Basilico offers a wide variation of Pizza and Pasta, so we decided to share one pizza and one pasta dish. The problem about me and David sharing dish in Italian restaurant is, our taste don't match at all. David has always loved sour tomato-based sauce, while I preferred rich and creamy sauce. After long discussion (which almost ended up as a quarrel), David chose the pasta, Chicken Parmigiana (IDR 85.000), and I chose the Pizza, Ghiottona Pizza (IDR 75.000). 

The Chicken Parmigiana -- breadcrumbs-coated chicken breast baked with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, served with spaghetti -- was quite good, but I barely touched it because I was too busy with the pizza. Two layers of thin crusted pizza filled with chicken, spinach, mushroom, and mozzarella cheese, I am currently still drooling while writing this post. 

The pizza didn't really meet David's liking (too creamy he said), so I ended up finishing most of it (with no regret), and David finished the pasta. One little drawback for the pizza is the amount of filling. It was concentrated in the center, but when you reach the outer side, it's almost empty. 

Being satisfied with my lunch that day, I kinda regretted why I didn't try it earlier when I got everyday to spent there. But I'm glad we did try it.

Basilico

Gandaria City Mall

Ground Floor Unit #m-g01 

Jl. KH Syafii Hadzami No.8 

Kebayoran Lama Jakarta Selatan, 

Jakarta, Indonesia 12240

ph. (021) 29053333

f. Basilico