New Menu Launching at Blackball

Good news from Blackball! The largest Taiwanese Dessert chain restaurant in Jakarta is now bringing you something new to their outlets. And not only new Taiwanese drinks and desserts, now they're also serving food! Blackball has always been my favourite place when looking for Taiwanese dessert, as they currently have 22 outlets in Jakarta and other big cities in Indonesia, it's very convenience because I could find them almost everywhere. And they have the BEST red bean for me, just ask for their honey bean topping.

Not going to babbling much about them, I believe everyone has already know this famous brands. Here are their new menus.

Grilled Shredded Cuttlefish with Mayo Dip (IDR 40.000)

Yes I know it sounds simple and looks simple, but once you take a bite, you'll definitely craving for more. It's so simple yet so good, the texture's crunchy and chewy at the same time, and the mayo dipping compliments it very well. It's love at the first bite!

Taiwan Cold Noodle (IDR 40.000)

I'm not very familiar with cold noodle, but this one's quite okay. I like the texture of the noodle which is perfect for me. The seasoning taste like peanut sauce, not something you usually find together with noodles. It tasted quite funny for me, but well I'm a first timer.

Sticky Rice Yutiao with Beef Floss (IDR 30.000)

Another anti-mainstream menu from Blackball. It looks like sushi, but it's made of sticky rice with fried dough (cakwe) inside, and topped with beef floss and mayo. The taste kinda reminds me of lemper (Indonesian traditional snack made of sticky rica and shredded chicken), actually, but it's nice and worth trying.

Taiwanese Tea Egg (IDR 20.000)

It's one of the popular Taiwanese street food, and now you can have it here at Blackball.

Qffle with Beef / Chicken Floss and Mayo Dip (IDR 30.000)
Qffle is their new hero! You could have it sweet or savory, it's so good either way! The savory Qffle comes with choices of beef or chicken topping and mayo, while the sweet qffle comes with more choices of fruit and sweet toppings. What I love is the Qffle itself, the texture is crunchy at the ouside but soft and a little bit chewy at the inside, with perfect balance of sweetness. It's not too sweet, so it could match both the sweet and savory toppings.

Qvomaltine (IDR 50.000)

Banana, chocolate, vanilla ice cream, and Ovomaltine! Couldn't get wrong with this choice.

Very Berry Qffle (IDR 35.000)
I always have a thing with berries, so yes, this one's my favourite. Taste fresh with great balnce of sweetness and acidity. Definitely what I'll order on my next visit.

Matcha Snow Ice + Red Bean + QQ Gems + Boba + Vanilla/Matcha Ice Cream (IDR 38.000)

Not only food, Blackball also comes with new choices of dessert. This one is such a cutie, with that oreo panda ears :3 Perfect option for matcha lovers.

Black Sesame Snow Ice + Red Bean + Mini Ball + Caramel Pudding (IDR 33.000)

Milk Snow Ice + Strawberry + Kiwi + Mango + QQ Gems + Vanilla Ice Cream (IDR 40.000)

Milk Snow Ice + Honeydew + Watermelon + Honey + Vanilla Ice Cream (IDR 33.000)

Honey Lemon Mint Tea (R IDR 23.000/L IDR 28.000), Matcha Fresh Milk (R IDR 25.000/L IDR 30.000) 
 And also new drinks! my favourite was their matcha green tea. Love the strong green tea taste.


I was very full that night, it was such a feast! Thank you BlackBall for inviting me :D

Blackball 

Central Park shop 132
Level 1, Opposite Tous Les Jours
Central Park Mall, Jakarta Barat
T. 021 2920 0213

Comfort Chinese Cuisine at Paradise Inn

Paradise Inn is one of my family's favourite Chinese Restaurant.Especially here in their Puri Indah Mall branch, it's near my house so we've dined here for God knows how many times. The ambiance of the restaurant is very casual, yet you still can feel the Chinese atmosphere inside. It's dominated by the greyish concrete color, combined with the contrast pastel blue color. Not the combination you usually see, but that's why it's unique.

One of the reason why I love to dine here is because they serve non halal food. Oh you know how much I love pork :p Lately Paradise Inn is having new dishes published on their menu, and we tried some of them.

Crisp-fried Eggplant Tossed (IDR 28.000)

Deep fried battered eggplant topped with chicken floss. It's one of their new menu. It was crispy and flossy, but you can barely taste the eggplant. Well I'm not really a big fan of eggplant though, so I found this dish to be quite nice. You can eat it with rice or without rice, it's still good either way.

Hot Plate Tofu with Preserved “Cai Xin” and Minced Pork (IDR 48.000)

This one's not a newcomer. It's one of my must-order dish. Their tofu is so smooth and silky, and the minced porkk and mushroom sauce was just as good. It's served on a hot plate, and the bottom of the hot plate is coated with egg, so dont forget to dig it up.

Crisp Pork Ribs with Marmite Sauce (IDR 88.000)

A new signature dish from Paradise Inn. You better enjoy it while it's still hot, so you could taste the maximum juiciness of the ribs, and the good sweet yet savory marmite sauce. But I still prefer their old signature, the Imperial Pork Ribs, as it is not as sweet as this one, and it comes with no bones. But this one's still worth trying if you're looking for something new.

Prawn Mayonnaise with Katsuobushi (S IDR 88.000 / M IDR 108.000)

My favorite dish of the night! It's basically the everyone's favorite mayonnaise prawn, but topped with Katsuoboshi, the fermented fish you usually found on your takoyaki. It's a brilliant idea to add katsuoboshi on the top, as they work really well together. The crispy and crunchy battered fresh prawn, together with mayo and the fishy (in a good way) katsuoboshi, that was heaven in my mouth.

Poached Chinese Spinach with Egg Trio and Minced Pork in Superior Stock (IDR 58.000)

 The Chinese spinach with three eggs is my favorite vegetable dish to order in Chinese restaurants, and believe me, Paradise Inn served one of the best of this dish. Loving every spoonfull of the fresh spinach, warm and savory soup, and of course the eggs.

Keep up the good work, Paradise Inn! Oh and loving their creative Christmas tree made of dimsum pot lid. Uber cute! Merry early Christmas, everyone :D

Paradise Inn

Puri Indah Mall, Lt.1
Unit #102, Jl. Puri Agung Puri Indah,
Jakarta 11610
Tel: 021-5822-459
Fax: 021-5822-895

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

OpenRice Meet the Chef Event with Hog's Breath Cafe and VMAD Vegetarian Restaurant

Got invited to OpenRice event: "Meet the Chef" at Central Park Mall last Sunday. Well who doesn't know OpenRice? I bet you've at least heard of them, as they're the 1st culinary site in Indonesia, providing an online dining guide written by local people, featuring more than 71.000 dining places in Indonesia. This time, collaborating with Central Park Mall and Local Taste ID, they are organizing "Meet the Chef" event, a live cooking demonstration by restaurant's head chefs. Not only the visitors could learn how to cook a restaurant quality dish, they can also taste it on the spot, for free!

The first cooking demo was held by Chef Anto from Hog's Breath Cafe. Hog's Breath cafe is a chain of steak house restaurants which originally came from Australia, and now they've opened their first Indonesian outlet at Central Park Mall. Not only specializing in steak, they're also serving choices of burgers, sandwiches, and pizzas.

Aussie's Burger (IDR 89.000)

Time to judge the book by it's cover, guys, because this burger tastes as good as it looks! Hog's home made all beef patty in BBQ sauce topped with cheddar cheese, crispy beef bacon, lettuce, beetroot, pineapple, tomato, onion, and sunny side up, served with soft bun, salad, and curly fries. What's not to love? Me personally, the thing I love most -- other than that thick juicy patty in BBQ sauce of course -- is the pineapple inside the burger, which is unusual, but gives the burger the fresh and tangy sensation.

Prime Rib Steak Sandwich (IDR 149.000)

Tender prime rib char-grilled steak with cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion, and hickory BBQ sauce on a toasted Vienna loaf, served with salad and curly fries. Another jaw dropper, I just love everything on the plate.

Virgin Mojito (IDR 40.000) and Strawberry Mixed Smoothies (IDR 38.000)

Both of them were so good and fresh, a great companion for the meal in such a hot day. The mojito has the perfect balance between the lemon and mint flavor, while the smoothies is tangy and sweet. Oh please note that this glass is not their actual servings.

The second cooking demo was held by VMAD, a Vegetarian Indian Restaurant located in Sarinah and Sunter. I know some people are being skeptical when they heard the word "vegetarian". They immediately judge the food to be plain and tasteless. Well I was one of them, to be honest, but lately I've tried some vegetarian restaurant, and I even tried the vegan diet for health purpose, and not all vegetarian food is plain and tasteless. I found some of them to be delicious and addictive too. VMAD here is also trying to let people know that vegetarian food can be as good as the non vegetarian food. And they're obviously healthier.

Hakka Bakka Noodle (IDR 49.000)

Fried yellow noodle mixed with sauteed vegetarian chicken and mixed vegetables, and gently mixed with black pepper sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, and olive oil. Even though it looks like a normal fried noodle, the taste was not just normal. It was BOLD. It's sweet and savoury and peppery in the balanced way. The vegetarian chicken they used here are actually made of soya bean, but it tasted quite similar to chicken.

Murtabak Ceylon (IDR 29.000)

Thin crusted pancake stuffed with spicy minced vegetarian chicken filling, served with Indian curry sauce. As expected from Indian food, this one's also bold and spicy. Nicely done, love the crispy outer layer and also the spicy chicken filling.

Jamaican Cooler (IDR 36.000) and Green Fantasy (IDR 35.000)

Jamaican Cooler is made of mocha syrup, vanilla ice cream, milk, and cashew nuts, while Green Fantasy's ingredients consists green veggie, lime, and pineapple. Both are cold and refreshing, but I love the Jamaican Cooler more as it's sweet and creamy but not heavy.

Thank you OpenRice for inviting me to this event :D 

Oh and for you who loves to capture your food and share it with others, you can now download OpenSnap for free. It's OpenRice's mobile apps which let you share your food experience with lot's of foodies from all across Asia! Download now on your AppleStore or Android PlayStore. Because sharing is caring, rite? ;p

Hog's Breath Cafe
Central Park, Tribeca Park, GF, Unit 15
Jl. Letjen. S. Parman Kav. 28, Slipi
 ph. (021) 29200114 

VMAD Vegetarian Madness
Jl. Danau Sunter Utara Raya Blok R No. 46 - 47 - 48, Sunter 
ph. (021) 6516075
Sarinah Building, Jl. MH Thamrin no. 11
ph. (021) 3903533

Sarang Oci

Hello, it's been more than a week without blogging. Actually I am currently quite busy with work and stuffs that I haven't got much time to try new restaurants and edit the photos. That's why I decided to find something in my drafts, and I found this, my favourite Manadonese Restaurant in Jakarta! It's been in my draft for quite some time (just look at the old watermark), but it doesn't mean that I'm not eager to write about it. Sometimes I just feel kinda lazy to write about Indonesian Restaurant because the menu is written in Indonesian and I have to translate it into English.

Anyway, Sarang Oci is located in Jalan Panjang in Kebon Jeruk area. Finding the place is easy because it has huge red "SARANG OCI" signboard at the front facade. Especially on weekend, it's even easier to notice the place because there's so many cars parking in front of the place that most of the time the parking lot is full and they park the car on the road area and cause traffic jam.

Entering the place, it looks like a two storeyed house decorated in colorful ambiance. At my first visit here years ago, I actually think that the interior kinda more suited for Morrocan restaurant than Manadonese, because of the colorful mozaics and lamps. The dining area itself is separated into several rooms in the first and second floor.

The food they served here is of course Manadonese, mostly cooked in the famous "Rica" and "Woku" style. Rica (literally translated as chilli) is Manadonese style of cooking chilli, while Woku is another tradional dish usually cooked with some spicy herbs and coconut milk. Both could be served with some choices of protein like chicken, fish, or prawns.

Ekor Tenggiri Bakar Rica (IDR 73.000)

Grilled Mackerel Fish with Rica Seasoning

It is one of customer's favourite in Sarang Oci. Despite the not-so-photogenic look, expect a fresh mackerel with thick meat and spicy yet flavorful rica seasoning when you take a bite of this. It comes in two levels of spiciness, Medium and Hot. For me, Medium is just right. But feel free to challenge yourself ;)

Perkedel Jagung (IDR 25.000 for 5 pcs)

Crispy Corn Fritters

Even though I said before that rica and woku is Sarang Oci's specialty, these crispy corn fritters is the true champion amongst all. This is the one thing that keeps the customers craving for more and more. Being a fan of Manadonese (and also all kinds of) corn fritters, I must say that I haven't found any other place that serve corn fritters as crispy, as flavorful, and as good as Sarang Oci's. It taste so d*mn good, you could find the taste of shallots and chives somewhere between the crispiness. See for yourself, not a single table could dine in Sarang Oci without ordering this dish. 

Perkedel Nike (IDR 30.000 for 4 pcs)
Manadonese Anchovy Fritters
Another Manadonese fritters! To be honest it's not as good as the corn fritters. Not that this dish is not delicious. It is delicious, but for me the corn fritters is just too hard to beat. It's not as crispy but also tasted good. Worth trying if you're up to something new.

Kuah Asam Fillet Goropa (IDR 38.000 for Small Size)

Grouper Fillet cooked in Manadonese style Sour Soup

This is my daddy's favourite, but I kinda like it too. It's Manadonese traditional soup, basically it tasted sour but you can also taste a hint of spiciness and other seasonings. It is nice and warm and healthy, because the ingredients are fish and vegetables like tomato and spinach.

Kangkung Tumis Jagung (IDR 23.000)

Sauteed Water Spinach, Corn, and Shallots
Water Spinach is a very common vegetable for Indonesians. But to make it more authentic, Manadonese usually cook their water spinach with corn, or papaya flowers. I like it more with corn, because the papaya flowers tasted a little bitter, but some people like the papaya flowers too.


That's what we had in our visit some times ago, but not only that, Sarang Oci also have great woku and lots of Manadonese traditional snacks and desserts that are worth trying.

And as I said above, Sarang Oci is currently my most favorite Manadonese Restaurant in Jakarta. I actually have two favorites, Sarang Oci and Beautika Restaurant, but Sarang Oci is much more affordable in price and easier to reach from my house. It could even do delivery to Kebon Jeruk area! I don't know if it's because my half Manadonese blood from my mother that I love Manadonese food so much, but a lot of my friends also love this place and the place couldn't be always packed for nothing. So give it a try and I'll be glad to hear your opinion :D

Sarang Oci

Jl. Panjang no.99

Arteri Kelapa Dua

Kebon Jeruk 

Jakarta Barat

ph. (021) 532 9791

fb. Sarang Oci

web. Sarang Oci 

other branches:

Jl. Tebet Raya no.78A

Tebet - Jakarta Selatan

ph. (021) 829 5237

Jl. Bulungan no. 24

Kebayoran Baru - Jakarta Selatan

ph. (021) 722 2403 

(opening February 2014)

Koultoura Coffee

Koultoura is a new addition in Taman Ratu area, and quite a happening place right now for the West Jakarta's resident. One of the founder is the famous Axioo's photographer Ivan Mario, so no wonder the design is creative. It looks simple but spacious, but they got animal character's pictures and murals on the wall, I assume that each character represents one of the founder. The place was packed that day when I came for brunch with my highschool girls, so I didn't take many pictures of the interior.

Pink Lemonade (IDR 25.000) and Vanilla Iced Tea (IDR 20.000)

The pink lemonade taste sour and refreshing, but it's just like the ordinary lemonade. I can't find what's the 'pink' taste. Maybe just for the coloring. Meanwhile, the Vanilla Iced tea was the 'iced tea of the day'. Apparently they are changing their tea flavor everyday, and getting the vanilla flavor was quite lucky since I love vanilla scent.

Foxie Hangover Cure (IDR 45.000)

I was quite impressed on how they could turn such a simple ingredients into a stunning dish. This was basically pan fried potatoes and corned beef, topped with a sunny side up, but it turned out great somehow. Definitely my favorite so far.

Mr. Big (IDR 60.000)

Sausages, Bacon, Sauteed Mushrooms, Toasts, and Sunny Side Ups. What a complete brunch! And tasted pretty decent too.

Egg Florentine (IDR 45.000)

Sourdough toasts topped with spinach, ham, poached eggs, and poured with hollandaise sauce. Another nice dish, but I hate that they don't even put the same amount of hollandaise sauce to both eggs, it made the left egg taste bland.

Chicken Maryland (IDR 55.000)

Unfortunately I didn't taste this dish, but presentation wise, it looks good! And it looks like my friend was quite enjoyed it.

Koultoura coffee is definitely a nice place to hang out, and the food was quite decent too. I'm not a coffee person and we didn't order any coffee this time, but will do it soon, I hope.

Koultoura Coffee

Taman Ratu Indah blok AA2/33

(Just a few steps away from Pizza Hut)

Jakarta Barat
f. Koultoura Coffee