A Mix of Surprises at Gran Mahakam

Believe it or not, this is our first visit to Gran Mahakam, a European style 5-star boutique hotel putting forward warmth and comfort of its guests. Yes, we’re here because of food too.

After saying hello to Debby Setiawaty, Director of Public Relations and Sheryll Angelina, Senior Public Relations Officer at the dining room with a big round table, we got a sneak peek of the food. The party started with an introduction of the hotel’s two restaurants: Le Gran Café and AOKI Japanese Cuisine. Le Gran Café serves International cuisines as well as time-honored Indonesian dishes which means there’s something for everyone. AOKI prides their authentic Japanese cuisine, refurbished to cater the earthy and natural palette.

“Blind Food Tasting” Mini Game

Hello, Fiona here, participating in this TV Show-like fun game.

Blindfolded, while tasting different food and trying to guess what’s on it. The first dish is served on a small bowl (or plate?) and is eaten by spoon. But once I smelled it, I know what it is because it’s my favorite Indonesian snack: Putu Mayang! The second dish feels like mayonnaise and nori. Sushi? I put it inside my mouth and the wasabi explodes. I’m not a big fan of wasabi, so I’m aware of its strong taste. The last one is sorbet because it’s cold and of sour flavor. After opening the blindfold, we’re asked to write the name and the ingredients of the three dishes served. Wish me luck!

Gado-gado Padang 

The Real Feast
Appetizers are Gado-gado Padang and Fresh Crab Hand Roll. The Gado-gado (Indonesian mix vegetable salad) is accompanied with super thick sauce and (surprised) yellow noodle. It reminds me of rujak juhi (without the juhi). I love this kind of Gado-gado. The roll is basically, crab meat wrapped in soy paper with fresh tuna on top. Soy paper instead of nori is a new challenge to everyone’s taste bud. Love this one too!

Fresh Crab Hand Roll

Soto Padang served as soup is irresistible. West Sumatra’s signature soup consists of angel hair, potato and jerked beef, topped with red crackers. Kudos to the amount of salt they’re using as well as the quality of the meat. Rice, anyone?

Soto Padang

Moving on to the main course, Nasi Daun Jeruk (Rice with Lime Leaves) comes with ayam masereh (shredded chicken with chili sauce), mixed vegetables with anchovies, squid with green chili sauce, jerked beef, satay, dried potato and our signature peanut brittle. This dish is arguably the most famous of Gran Mahakam and attracting loyal customers to return. People usually avoided young jack fruit in dishes but this one is good enough. But my vote goes to the squid; it’s so vibrant and tasty. 

Nasi Daun Jeruk (Rice with Lime Leaves)

Truffle Beef Bowl comes next. Japanese slices marinated beef sprinkled with the finest Truffle sauce and scallion served on steamed Japanese rice. The smell of Truffle is heavenly, the meat is soft and rice is moist. Another perfect dish. It’s gonna be hard to choose between the two main courses.

Truffle Beef Bowl 

Everything that starts out nice should end with a glam. So the two desserts better be unforgettable as well. Es Tape Hijau is a mix of tape ketan, tape singkong, kopyor, kolang kaling with milk, coconut milk and syrup. Tape is fermented dish, sometimes from cassava, others have them from rice or sticky rice. Ice shavings aren’t my thing but the fillings are tempting and I felt like digging up treasures. Mochi Ice cream, another Japanese touch on the feast. Japanese confection made from mocha (pounded sticky rice) with green tea ice cream filling. Yummy! Can we have more of them?

 Es Tape Hijau and Mochi Ice Cream

Last Surprise
Full stomach (after an array of great food) is always satisfying. So while we let that deliciousness down, the answers from previous games were revealed. The last one was raspberry sorbet. Whoa! Every participant jotted down different names and none of us were correct. The next surprise is me being named the winner of the game (really?). I just can’t believe it!

A big thanks to Gran Mahakam and Code Hunter for this Dolce Gusto Mini Me Machine, something I’ve been dreading to have this past year. Well, if you want this machine too, go download Code Hunter at the Appstore or Playstore. I’m not giving up mine. Ruth is gonna be jealous. Haha.

Where is This?
GRAN MAHAKAM HOTEL
Jl. Mahakam I No 6 Kebayoran Baru
Jakarta 12130 - INDONESIA
Tel : + 62 21 7209966
www.granmahakam.com

BBQ Adventure with Holy Smokes Jakarta

“The hardest thing about BBQ is cooking it to perfection,” said Albert Wijaya, Chef and Owner of Holy Smokes,as he did a demo in front of media and bloggers at the Thursday Night sneak peek gathering. “People often mixed up grill and BBQ. Grilling is with high direct heat and fast. BBQ is a low temp slow cooking, while using indirect heat.”

Beef Brisket Wagyu ready to be served

BBQ makes us feel special, if we may say it out loud. It takes the time and the patience to serve the best flavor. So, we’re excited to tell you the story about Holy Smokes, a Texas slow-smoked BBQ House at Wolter Monginsidi no. 27, Kebayoran Baru. Fiona, known to be a carnivore, had been mentioning this for a while. So when the day come, we couldn’t be more excited.

“Our concept at Holy Smokes is self service. Customer comes to the cashier, order and pay. Then they will be given a pager. When food is ready, the pager will send a signal to the customer to pick up order,” Albert explained. Pager is a concept that should be familiar to those who had been doing their culinary journey abroad. The interior combines basic wooden cabin and the carefree western atmosphere. 

Drink Station next to the pick-up station and cashier

Comfy seating

After passing through the process, we were welcomed by the ribs: Smoky Beef Brisket, Southern Style Beef Ribs and Texas Short Ribs. Smoked for 14 hours for perfection, the Smoky Beef Brisket comes in soft and tasty slices. Brisket is the breast to ribs part in cow and known to be the tougher part of meat. Doesn’t seem that way when we tasted them. Southern Style Beef Ribs are back ribs, smoked for 4 hours, with juicy and a little chewy end result. Texas Short Ribs takes on 6-hour slow-smoked process and served in one larger bone with thick, juicy meat.

Clockwise from bottom left: Texas Short Ribs, Onion Straws,
Southern Style Beef Ribs and Smoky Beef Brisket

They also serve chicken here

Whatever part of meat you’re going with, order Holy Smokes’ signature Onion Straws. It’s crispy texture perfectly balanced the tenderness of the meat. Onion Straws come in sharing portion. Side dishes are also the ones to look for: baked beans (Ruth loves this one), mac & cheese, macaroni salad, green salad, coleslaw, homecut fries and corn. Price is ranging from Rp88k for two slices of brisket to Rp278k for 3-bone Southern Style Beef Ribs.

A closer look to the Smoky Beef Brisket

Something to start with: salad

“Dry rub is Holy Smokes signature. It consists of different spices,” Albert explained as he picked up the rub with one hand and rubbed the meat using another so it doesn’t get contaminated. “Don’t put too many because it would make the flavor too thick.” The meat at Holy Smokes is barbequed using woods from Rambutan and Starfruit tree. Fruit trees are often used in this process because they produce nicer and sweeter smells. The restaurant doesn’t stop there, it also serves housemade sauces: original and spicy.

Guess what's in the rub!

Pick your favorite: spicy or original

A carnivore paradise. A place where we would gladly put our disguise as the Rex (or Raptors if you’re more on the cute and slim side). Let’s welcome Holy Smokes with empty stomach.

Where is this?
Jl. Wolder Monginsidi no 27, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta 12180
Tel: (021) 7221795
Instagram: @HolySmokesID