Review: Shirokuma Cafe

Shirokuma - BGM, Pantai Indah Kapuk

Shirokuma means 'white bear' in Japanese, hence, the white bear logo on the rooftop. They specialise in Japanese style desserts like parfaits, anmitsu, and they also have some savoury snacks as well. This place is heaven for Matcha lovers like me, because most of their menu is matcha themed.

This newly opened dessert cafe is SO POPULAR right now that it was really really crowded when I came (waited for 30mins+ to get seated lol). I guess part of the reason why I waited so long is that most of the visitors (teenage couples duh), won't go home even long after they finish eating… Well that's their right, but I think they should 'care' that tons of people are waiting outside.

1. Matcha Anmitsu 

This one is a bowl 'filled' with red bean, mochi, shiratama balls, and a kind of matcha jelly served with syrup. You can add additional toppings if you want, I added matcha soft cream. Honestly, the soft cream is the lifesaver in this one, it's not bad, it's just so small. Maybe 1/4 of the portion of 'that other dessert place' HAHA. BUT, the matcha soft cream is SO GOOD, I don't think you can find ice cream like this in other places, it's so soft, smooth, milky, and just the right sweetness. I seriously LOVE the ice cream.

2. Shiratama Parfait 

Judging from the popularity of this one (most people order this one), I think it's their signature parfait (they have several parfaits). This one has soft cream, shiratama balls, cornflakes, mochi, red beans, and matcha jelly. Again, love the ice cream so much! And that wooden serving board is too cute!

3. Chocolate Parfait 

For those of you who don't like matcha (like my sister), go for this one! Vanilla soft cream, crushed oreos, cornflakes, mochi, shiratama balls, and pocky.

4. Deep Fried Oreo

Does the name make your eyes pop? Yeah, oreos- one of the world's most popular cookie, coated with batter and deep fried into perfection, served with the amazing soft cream! Can you say no? No.

5. Tonkatsu Japadog

Japadog = Japanese Hotdog (I think). They have several kinds of Japadog in their menu, but this one is the most popular. The sausage is deep fried and topped with tonkatsu sauce, japanese mayo, and mustard. It's okay, not that great. I would stick to their sweet stuff hehe, but if you want something savoury then go for this (or they have french fries too).

6. Iced Chocolate Float

This one is my sister's and she loved it so much, tastes milky and sweet and chocolaty. And you can;t ignore that swirl of soft cream! Yum.

7. Matcha Soft Cream

Last but not least, the matcha soft cream on an ice cream cone. I love the ice cream so much I ordered another one to eat on the way home hehee, better eat it fast before it melts!! <3

More and more dessert cafes are opening in Jakarta, I think Shirokuma will continue to be popular, because it has it's own Japanese-style and amazing ice cream while other dessert places offer pretty much the same dessert-style. I do think they need to increase the portion size a bit… hehee XD

Service was very friendly, though they seem to be not-so-organised. I can understand that though, they are, still new, and it was very crowded, so its understandable.

I will come back again and see how good they're doing ;)

Shirokuma Cafe 

Ruko Crown Golf Blok A No. 32 
Pantai Indah Kapuk
Jakarta Utara 14460 (beside Han OK Korean Restaurant)

website: shirkuma cafe

Review: Penang Bistro

Penang Bistro - Central Park Mall

Penang Bistro has got to be one of the 'prettiest' restaurants in malls that I have ever been to, seriously gorgeous. The president (Mr SBY) himself has been here too (that picture frame on the receptionist desk). You can't go wrong with that!

Here is the pathway into the dining area, pretty right?

These are the main dining area:

They also have a private room that you can book for special events:

Isn't the interior beautiful? And I think they put a kind of aromatherapy here, it smells amazing! Perfect for dates, business meetings, birthdays, etc.

Now, let's see what I ordered…

Singapore Chili Crab (ate this with additional rice)

Looking at this right now makes me…,, sad. I am now craving this yummy crab, oh my.. Some people might be unsure of ordering seafood dishes in restaurants like this instead of 'speciality seafood restaurants', but I think Penang Bistro's version of Chili Crab is actually more delicious than some seafood restaurant's version. I'm not saying that it's the best ever in Jakarta, but, it is very very good. It is sweeter than other versions in Jakarta (I ate lots of Chili Crab in Singapore and they were in fact, sweet, not spicy). So, it depends on your preference, you like it spicy, or sweet? :D

Chef's Special Fried Rice

If you love fried rice and curry, definitely order this dish! This is one of their most well-known dishes (I think), and for good reason. They give a generous portion (once you cut through the 'egg blanket'), generous meat, and seasoned nicely). This one is a real good curry fried rice! Thumbs up.

Prawn Laksa

Last but not least, the Prawn Laksa (ordered by my dad, who loves spicy-sour-sweet dishes like this). He said it was good, but not that 'great' either. But they did gave a quite generous portion and it smelled really great!

I didn't order that much today because we're planning on having dessert in another place later, so..

The service was friendly, but I found it irritating that I needed to wave & call the waiter several times before she noticed, too busy daydreaming (?) hahaha.

As for the price, I think it's average, if compare it to their interior though, I can consider it very affordable hehe. (I'm such an interior snob!)

I will come back again!!

Penang Bistro Central Park

Central Park Mall 
1st floor, unit L1 - 112A 
Jl. Let. Jend. S. Parman Kav. 28
Jakarta Barat

Starbucks Coffee: Secret Menus to Try!

Starbucks Coffee - Central Park Mall

Today's post is not about reviews but…,, I'm going to tell you about Starbucks secret menus that you can try here (some can't be made in Indonesia because the syrup is unavailable here) AND of course, tested = delicious.

Actually, the so called secret menus are NOT official from Starbucks itself but the creations of customers/baristas (special requests). There are TONS of different combinations out there but unfortunately, not all can be made here in Indonesia, again, because some of the syrups are unavailable. You can open this site for more, but not all are good, and not all can be made here, so I made a list of the 'good & can be made here' ones.

A very important thing to remember if you want to try these drinks is = please tell your barista the exact recipe, not the name of the 'creation', because not every barista is familiar with these secret menus. So save some time (and confusion) with your barista by telling him/her the recipe. ;D

Let's Start!

1. Cotton Candy Frappuccino

Probably most of you starbucks lovers already know about this Cotton Candy Frapp, its really popular among teenagers and some adults. It's sweet, and yes, actually tastes like cotton candy, so if you have a sweet tooth (or love pink?) go for this one.

Recipe:
Order a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino, add 1 pump raspberry syrup (tall), 2 pumps (grande), 3 pumps (venti).




2. Red Velvet Frappuccino

When I first saw this, I was like OMGGG Red Velvet! (red velvet is my favourite cake). So, tried this one ASAP. It's good, not 100% red velvet taste but still nice. Raspberry taste with a hint of chocolate. *the red velvet I usually eat isn't the raspberry type, I know.. there are lots of red velvet cakes*

Recipe:
Order a half Mocha, half White Mocha Frappuccino, add 1 pump raspberry syrup (tall), 2 pumps (grande), 3 pumps (venti).




3. Green Safari Frappuccino

One of my favourite starbucks drinks is Green Tea Frappuccino (and the hot latte too), so when I saw this, I knew that I need to try this !!! If you love green tea, chocolate, and caramel, try this !

Recipe:
Order a Green Tea Frappuccino, add java chips, add 1 pump caramel syrup (tall), 2 pumps (grande), 3 pumps (venti), top whipped cream with caramel & chocolate sauce.





4. Chocolate Caramel Chai Latte

Calling out all Chai lovers out there! This one is strictly for chai lovers, not everyone likes chai (my sister & mom hates it…). Perfect for chilly-rainy days when you just want to sip something sweet & warming..,, aahhh perfect.

Recipe:
Order a Chai Tea Latte, add 1/2 pump mocha syrup & 1/2 pump caramel syrup (tall), 1 pump each (grande), 1 1/2 pumps each (venti). Top with whipped cream, caramel & chocolate sauce.




5. Affogato Frappuccino (or Latte)

Finally, something with coffee eh? This one can be made with lattes too (I love it with Green Tea Latte), or other frappuccinos (green tea frappuccino!). But be sure to not let the barista blend the shot into the drink, you want to taste the 'contrast' between the espresso shot & the drink.

Recipe:
Order a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino (or other drinks), add in 1 espresso shot (tall), 2 shots (grande), 3 shots (venti). Optional: add in Javachips (I didn't add this). Top with whipped cream if desired.




So there you go, my TOP5 list of Starbucks Secret Menus ^.^ , you can experiment with your own flavour combinations as well (as long as the syrup if available)… I wish peppermint syrup is available here, so sad.. :(

Enjoy! and, Have fun experimenting!!! <3







Starbucks Coffee


Grand Indonesia Mall
Jln. MH.Thamrin No.1, Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10310, Indonesia

Review: Kiyadon Sushi

Kiyadon Sushi - Central Park Mall

Hey everybody! Today I'm going to introduce you to my current fave Japanese Restaurant (I love Japanese food so much!!!) = Kiyadon Sushi. They actually have outlets in other malls as well, I have tried the one in Central Park & the Emporium Pluit one. Both outlets serve yummy food and the interiors are both GORGEOUS.

And when I say GORGEOUS, I do mean it, really. From the entrance you will be surrounded with trees & flowers, and the lighting is kind of dark-romantic, with wooden tables & sushi bars (They have a unique sushi bar that carries sushi plates in boats -> floating on water). I'm seriously in love with their interior omg.

Isn't it just beautiful? I wish I can show you more pictures of their interior.. But now now, let's move on to the FOOD! XD

Salmon Tartare

This one is fresh salmon sashimi mixed with a kind of mayo sauce served with cucumbers & grated radish. My dad loves this dish (he loves mayo), I don't like mayo so it's OK for me haha. Light & refreshing for an appetizer.

Gyu Teriyaki Set (teriyaki beef, rice, miso soup)

My sister always order this dish when we dine here, can't blame her though, just look at that! Beautiful slices of beef drizzled with shiny-sticky-sweet teriyaki sauce, <3

Gindara Shio Set (grilled gindara, rice, miso soup)

MINE yay. I'm not kidding, this is one of the best grilled gindara dish I have ever eaten in my life. Worth the price! Perfectly seasoned & cooked, tender-flaky-juicy flesh, crispy-salty skin, what more could you ask for in a grilled fish? Enough said. ^3^

Cheese Roll

I think fusion sushis (non traditional sushis) are favourites of Indonesian people, think of cheese sushi, mayo sushi, etc. This one is simple: sushi rice, salmon, melty-gooey-delicious mozzarella cheese. Yep, you heard me, mozzarella, the kind they put on pizza, now on top of your sushi. Drooling yet? ;)

Squid Roll

This is the first time I ever saw a sushi roll like this, unique! It's so cool how they can compact the rice into the squid. It's quite good actually. :)

Overall, I'm very happy with my visit to Kiyadon. It is quite expensive for a Japanese Restaurant here but hey, price = quality right? I would recommend the set menus here as they are SO GOOD, and their unique sushis! The waiters are friendly & attentive so that's also a plus. And, once again, I LOVE the place. I will come back here again of course!

Kiyadon Sushi

Central Park Mall - UG Floor

Jl. Let Jend S Parman Kav 28

Jakarta 11470

Review: Pancious

Pancious - Grand Indonesia Mall

Pancious! This restaurant chain is very popular among people here, almost everyone I know have already tried dining at Pancious (and they love Pancious!).

Pancious just opened recently here in Grand Indonesia mall, I love the one in Emporium Mall, so I decided to try the branch here.

The interior is similar to their other outlets- red, wood, black, rustic *charming-retro*, I like it.

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Their new menu book is cute too!! (I don't have the picture though..)

On to the food!…

Salmon Risotto

Hands down my favourite dish from Pancious ever (risotto is one of my fave foods), they seriously serve one of the best risotto in town, and I've tried lots! People maybe wondering, this is 'Pancious' why aren't you ordering Pancakes? Well, I tried their pancakes in the past but they weren't that great, their risotto and other savoury dishes are SO GOOD though. They are also incredibly generous with the salmon, as you can see (unlike some restaurants hmph).. This is a MUST TRY. ;D

Prawn Risotto

You might be thinking, why risotto again, but seriously, it's that good! My friend ordered this one, risotto topped with crunchy deep-fried prawns. She said it's really good, prawns are crunchy, combined with the dreamy-creamy risotto = perfecto! Actually, my dear friend has never tried risotto before (I was shocked), so for those of you who don't know, risotto is an Italian dish that is italian rice cooked until it is creamy and then parmesan cheese is added (it takes a long time to make, usually contains white wine), if you like creamy pasta, I assure you that you will love this.

Fried Chips

Fried Chips, French Fries, Kentang Goreng, Fried Potatoes, or whatever you call it- is definitely one of the world's most popular food ever, from fast food chains to fine dining restaurants serve this. Pancious makes nice ones, crispy, right amount of saltiness (some restaurants serve soggy fries ew).

I have dined at Pancious numerous times really, and I will make a post on their other dishes so stay tuned! 

Sometimes the food takes a long time to be served but I think it's worth the wait.

Service is great, the waiters are friendly and attentive :)

The prices are not expensive too, that's great right! And don't forget that they aren't stingy with the portions- thumbs up.

Pancious Grand Indonesia

West Mall, Level 3A unit ED 1-01A

Jl. M.H. Thamrin No.1, Jakarta 10310
(021) 2358 0936

webstite: Pancious

Review: May Star

May Star - Emporium Pluit Mall

Alright, so, today I'm going to tell you about my lunch at May Star restaurant :)

May Star is, hands down, my favourite place to have Chinese food (I'm Chinese and have tried LOTS of Chinese restaurants ok). The food is nice, the interior is nice, it's also strategically located in Emporium Pluit mall, so I do like to dine here often.

I can describe the interior design as, the minimalist-elegant type (glass, dark wood, dark tiles) which is quite uncommon for 'Chinese' restaurants -> plus point from me! It makes the restaurant seem more modern than the usual old-style decors *ughh..*

As for the food, they serve very yummy dim-sum and of course, their main menu (roast meat, fried rice, noodles, steamed fish, stir-fry veggies)- you name it, are excellent. But I think they use MSG because my throat felt so dry and I was so thirsty after the meal, but that's okay, it's quite common for Chinese restaurants to use MSG though.

Now, time to show you the FOOD…,,

Xiao Long Bao (contains Pork)

This is my sister's favourite dim-sum (and Chinese dish) ever, but I don't like pork so this one's not for me. The Xiao Long Baos here are nice, though not the best in town (more on that later!), but still very good. That feeling when : bite the skin, slurp the rich-fragrant broth while inhaling the mouthwatering aroma, and finally bitting into the meat part… (okay, I'm trying to be a bit persuasive here)

Har Gouw (contains Shrimp)

Now! This one is one of MY faves HAHAHA..,, and I'm very pleased with the May Star one. That silky chewy skin, flavourful shrimp filling is just so yum! Thumbs up for this one!

Egg Tart

hey,hey, for me there is never a day where I don't order this in a Chinese restaurant. Egg Tarts are one of the few Chinese sweets that I love (I tend to like western desserts- cake, ice cream,etc). Flaky-buttery pastry crust combined with that sweet golden egg filling = YUM! But May Star makes sweeter egg tarts than other restaurants I think, so if you have a sweet tooth, go for this!

Turnip Cake / Luobo Gao 

Some people like this, some hate it, so it really comes down to personal preference. I 'personally' don't like this dish but my dad loves it. He said this one is good, not excellent, just average.

Yang Zhou Fried Rice (contains Pork)

The star of the meal! I just wish they didn't put those green-garnish on top ugh, doesn't look & taste nice HAHA. But still, the fried rice is good, but I still prefer the one in Sun City restaurant though (their chef cooks live in front of you too!).

Fish Porridge

Okay so this might sound strange but, I like this one better than the fried rice! The porridge here maybe is the main reason I keep coming back here umm.. XD It's so silky smooth, and the right saltiness and quite generous chunks of fish inside. If you don't like fish, you can order the chicken/pitan (egg)/other porridge.

Salted Egg Yolk Bun

Here goes my favourite dim-sum dish from Maystar! OMG look at that oozing golden deliciousness!! The mixture of sweet-salty and the soft bun is so good, try this one!

Garlic Spinach

My family always order 1 veggie dish in a meal, and usually the one stir-fried with garlic. This time we ordered spinach. I think the portion size is quite small compared to other restaurants' though, but it's still nice. Next time I'll ask for less salt though (a bit too salty!)

Sui Kiaw (Shrimp Dumplings)

Last but not least, sui kiaw. I don't like this one, I would rather order the Har Gouw (shrimp too), the Har Gouw is so much yummier!!! But it's not that bad..

Overall, what I love about May Star : the decor, the dim sum, and the porridge!

Service was good, the waiters are attentive and always refill your tea without you having to ask.

As for the price, it's quite on the pricier side but it's worth it.

I will come back again for sure :D

May Star Emporium

Emporium Pluit Mall Lt.4

Jl. Pluit Selatan Raya

Jakarta 1440

Phone: +622166676280

Website: May Star Group

Review: Monolog

Monolog - Plaza Senayan Mall

Hey everyone, today's restaurant that I'm going to review is called MONOLOG. Located outside the entrance of Plaza Senayan Mall, this charming cafe is always crowded with people looking for yummy breakfast dishes.

They have 2 dining areas (inside & outside), I chose to sit outside because it was really noisy and crowded inside. The interior of the restaurant is mostly made of wood which I think makes the place cozy & warm, perfectly suited to the theme of the dishes served here.

They also have a cake display inside… *yummm! desserts always takes my attention!*

Now then, let's talk about their food!

Sunrise Breakfast Set (my sister asked for no toast) - idr 76K

2 eggs (any style- scrambled here.), beef bockwrust, beef ham, garlic potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, whole wheat toast. My sister doesn't like bread (WEIRD GIRL) so she asked for no toast. She said the dish was okay, not great. She actually didn't like the mushrooms so my mom ate those :p, what I think is that the portion is quite small…

Smoked Salmon Tartine - idr 78K

First thing that came to me when this came.. "OMG so little salmon!!" hahahaha, just see for yourself.. I have to be honest I'm disappointed with this one, small portion size, nothing special at all. And it took a real long time for this to be served. I prefer Bakerzin's (previous post) smoked salmon dish, sorry Monolog!!

Monolog Beef Curry - idr 88K

Ahh.. finally, a dish with good portion size XD. My mom adores curry dishes so she ordered this one. She said it was nice, really fragrant and delicious. It did smell really nice when the waiter brought this to the table!

Overall, I think Monolog is a bit overrated :( Food wasn't bad but it wasn't great either, not worth the price I think (considering the small portions). Service wasn't great either, I needed to wave my hand again and again to get the waiter's attention (but I can understand this as it was really crowded.) Didn't try their desserts because I was planning on buying cakes from Union *winkwink*

Maybe I will come back and try other dishes, well, maybe…

Monolog Plaza Senayan

7am - 10pm Monday to Sunday

Plaza Senayan CP 101 B, Palm Gate Entrance

Jl. Asia Afrika No. 8 - Jakarta 10270

P +6221 572 5144