Tasting Japanese Food Culture at AEON Mall BSD City

Finally found my perfect dish, I ordered: a bowl of ramen, a plate of chicken steak with miso and chicken karaage on the side. The cashier gave me a pager along with receipt and changes. I was told to wait for the pager to buzz which means my food is ready. The peculiar experience is just another day at Food Culture AEON Mall BSD City. 

Hello, this is Ruth.

An invitation to attend a food blogger gathering arrived on our inbox last weekend. As curiosity defeated the laziness to drive on Sunday morning, I found myself exploring a food court called Food Culture at AEON Mall BSD City. When you heard food court at this new mall (it’s less than a year old), the first thing that come to your mind is Kedai Bungkus by the supermarket at AEON Department Store area, which is famous for its low-priced sushi and other Japanese take-home snacks. Food Culture is on the other end of the mall.

Staying Until Sundown at Mio Caro Coffee and Sandwiches

Since it’s weekend (hurray!), we drove a little further away from Jakarta. Venturing to Gading Serpong area, we found a beaming café called Mio Caro Coffee and Sandwiches. Arriving just after lunch, the bright afternoon sun lit up the seating area. It invited us to sit down, open our laptop and start blogging.

The smoking area, cozy and has plenty of sun

The non-smoking area

Located on the lobby of One PM Building in Gading Serpong, the parking is relatively easy. But it wasn’t the case when we left after sundown because we encountered a couple incoming cars searching for parking. The smoking area by the window is comfortable. We’re seated in the corner and weren’t really disturbed by smoke because the window can be opened. Then we turned to the cashier to order.

As we’re here on a mission, Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge, we ordered what’s on the Dilmah menu right away. The food arrived in no time. 

The first one to arrive is the Summer Tea Salad. A blend of vegetables and fruit salad gives a taste of fresh summer feeling through the strawberry and orange mixed with greens, peanuts and cheese. The tea comes in the dark-colored dressing, tasting sweet and sour to complement the summer palate. Salad (from Rp27,5k for organic or Rp39,5k for meal size) is a huge thing for this café which put forward their commitment to serve healthy food. So we’re glad they include salad in their challenges.

Summer Tea Salad

Feels like a perfect summer afternoon

Then the first pair arrives, Minty Peach Tea & Crostini. The little toast (as it literally means in Italian) is similar to bruschetta which are often found in pizza restaurants. Mio Caro Crostini Platter put chicken in the spotlight, from sweet teriyaki-like to the spicy ones that are topped with red chili cuts. A great dish to share. The different flavors are easily washed by the ice tea, so have no worries about aftertaste that could carry on to the next course. As sandwiches can be complex on their own, you wouldn’t want to order something as complicated up front. So this is a good and healthy start. 

Minty Peach Tea & Crostini

We go straight to desserts which are the flavorful Almond Tea and Brownies. Soft brownies with a cheese layer cut into triangles are served alongside Dilmah’s Italian Almond Tea. They both carry the nutty flavors. The brownies are just right they don’t make you feel overwhelmed with dough.

 Almond Tea and Brownies

The place is determined to provide the best sandwiches and coffee for those who came to exchange their stories. Fast but still tasty. Mio Caro’s concept is healthy, so expect a lot of fruits and veggies on your plate. We’ve yet to taste their sandwiches (from Rp32,5k) and paninis (from Rp25k) because the Dilmah menu is quite filling, but we ordered coffee and linger a little longer there. Sit down and smell the coffee. Grab a cheesecake too. It's thick but it tastes good.

This is how Mio Caro looks after dark

Real High Tea Challenge mission accomplished. Now we simply hope this place is reachable from Jakarta at lunchtime. But it’s a wishful thinking.

Where is this?
Mio Caro Coffee and Sandwiches
Gedung onePM Lt. Dasar
Jl. Raya Boulevard Gading Serpong Kav M5/ 17-18
TEL: 021 29171620
http://miocaro.id/

Nusantara Food Festival at Grand Zuri BSD City

Saturday is time for culinary journey at Grand Zuri Hotel, BSD City. Serving food from Sabang to Merauke, the four-star hotel is educating its guests about the amazing (and of course delicious) Indonesian dishes with Nusantara Food Festival this August. What's not to love about them?

Hello, this is Ruth reporting from Cerenti Restaurant visit with fellow bloggers from Indonesia Food Bloggers (IDFB).

 

After a warm welcomed by Chef Robby, who started right away with the appetizers, we encounter Tahu Gimbal Semarang right next to lalapan. Gimbal is a shimp fried with flour. The dish is served with peanut sauce. You can find a lot of Gimbal sold alone by street vendors in Semarang or as the best friend of Tahu Pong. Okay, let's move on to another island.

Tahu Gimbal with Peanut Sauce

Rendang. Chef Robby invited a local Padangnese to cook the Rendang over trials and errors. The one served that night was one of the best Rendang I've ever tasted. Meat is soft, the color is right and the caramelized seasoning isn't too watery either. Provoking me to get up and add a scoop of white rice to finish the Rendang.

(L-R) Tahu Aci Tegal, Rendang, Ikan Woku and Terik Ayam

Terik Ayam is a Semarangan way to say Opor, chicken cooked with coconut milk and spices. Next to the chicken there's a fish dish from another island: Ikan Bakar Woku Manado. Chef Robby is using Gindara fillet which are cooked nicely with (again) spices and leaves. This dish is both fresh and spicy. If you like vegetables, give Genjer a try. Genjer (which according to wiki bears the Latin name of Limnocharis flava) is a tropical vegetable native to central and southern America but widely used in Southeast Asia.Despite being not a menu regular, stir-fried Genjer can often be found in Sundanese restaurants.

Moving on to the fried side, Tahu Aci Tegal is neatly stacked on the plate. Fried tofu filled with tapioca starch. A little chewy when bitten, this food has to be consumed fresh after fried.

When introducing Nasi Goreng Kampung, the chef quizzed us about the meaning behind the dish. "Nasi Goreng Kampung originated from the homemade fried rice. The first ones who made them are our mothers." It was spicy and caught us by surprised, but as Ruth once pointed out, spicy is the right flavor to cure your homesick, especially when you spend years studying abroad in a landlocked county. Mie Goreng Jogja is available for those wanting to avoid rice on dinnertime. 

"Our mission as chefs is to make people remember about our local culinary, about Indonesian food," said Chef Robby in the midst of explaining the different dishes.

But what's Indonesian food galore without Sambal? From what seems to be over the counter chili paste to the Colo colo spicy condiment brought from the Maluku region, Cerenti Restaurant has it all. Woku Fish can go with Dabu-dabu chili, while the rest can be paired with Sambal Terasi or Sambal Ijo.

Soto Betawi close the main food table. Served fresh when you order. But wait... before selecting your dessert, there's a secret counter for satay. BBQ is on the outside yard of the restaurant and that night, it was serving Satay Marrangi along with grilled chicken and fish fillet.

  

Dessert is sweet, from pudding to jajanan pasar. A beautifully decorated Colenak is on the spotlight. Colenak is a well-known Indonesian snack made of Tape (or Tapai), a fermented cassava with slightly alcoholic taste. Acquired taste for some, but hey, you're here to give those unique Indonesian taste a try. 

Colenak

Assorted Jajan Pasar

All of these are available for Rp150,000 (nett) on weekends in August 2015 at Cerenti Restaurant, Grand Zuri BSD City. Let's visit now while it's last.

Where is this?
Cerenti Restaurant - Grand Zuri BSD City
Jl Pahlawan Seribu Kavling Ocean Walk
Blok CBD Lot.6 BSD City. Serpong
Tangerang Selatan 15322, Banten- Indonesia
TEL: +62 21 2940 4955

Seafood Experience Bandar Djakarta Alam Sutera

A family fun, this seafood restaurant opened another one offshore with similar concept and delicious dishes.

It's the same game:
1. You arrived and stopped by the fish market
2. You picked your favorite seafood and weigh them by the station
3. You chose the sauce and how do you want it cook.
4. You get a number and wait for the dish to arrive on your table.

The choices are plenty. From the usual Gurame, squid, crab and shrimp to the large lobster and Batik Clams. If you're unsure which way to cook, you can ask the helper (they're usually full of ideas) or you can read the recommended cooking on the wooden plate on each cooler box/aquarium. And if you feel like having more variety, divide the dishes and select different sauces for each batch.

Don't stuck with the seafood. Bandar Djakarta also serves soup, black pepper beef and assorted vegetables. Rice and Lalapan are refilled.

I would suggest ordering something iced for drinks because if you're here during the day, it can be really hot. So, something like ice coconut or iced orange juice would help you out. Also, if you're here during the weekend, try to come early before the lunch crowd take over the space, especially if you're aiming to get a spot on the air-conditioned VIP Room.

Coming here with small children will open a new experience as they can look at different kind of fish and even help picking the ones to be weighed. Next to the station is a large aquarium with small shark on it. Kids can watch the feeding time which is in the mid-afternoon.

Honestly I was a little surprised looking at the bill because it was quite inexpensive when divided among the family members who come with me. It came down to Rp250k something for 5 adults and 1 kid. Not bad, right?

Where is this?
Jl. Alam Sutra Boulevard Kav. 6 No. 3, Tangerang, Banten 15325
(021) 53140388