Brunch: Bakmi Asoei BSD

Flea market would never be a wrong place for a brunch. With so many men and women flocking there every morning, food would be perfect to replace the energy burnt to hunt the fresh food ingredients.

Our case was slightly different. Due to some business on Saturday morning, we end up near BSD's Pasar Modern (Modern Market). "There is a nice noodle restaurant that I want to try", Kiko said. So we pulled near the entrance. We never been to the restaurant before, so we just tried our luck, which seem on our side that day. Crossing few shops, we saw the name: "Bakmi Ayam Asoei".

Don't be tricked with the chicken noodle written in the name. Once seated, we can tell that they served more than chicken noodle; there are foods with pork in the menu. We ordered a bowl of chicken noodle and fried kweetiau. While waiting, we enjoy nipping the Pork Siu May.

We have a good time our food as well. The noodle is resilient, but delicate, almost pass all the criteria of al dente. The kwetiau is less smoky for those who fancy one. It was cooked with seafood, which is fresh enough for me who normally defy anything cooked with seafood.

Not long after that,we were back in the car, energized, despite of early start for the weekend

Bakmi Ayam Asoei, BSD Modern Market
Ruko Pasar Modern Blok R No. 52
Phone: +62 (21) 53158365
Mobile: +62 (815) 9618008

Brunch at Olio

In case you are wondering, yes, I'm back to Olio. For a different time of day though. In my last visit, I was tempted with their breakfast menu, so I'm back on Saturday morning for Breakfast.

The shop has jsut opened when I came in, around 10:30 am. There are 3 breakfast menu set, called Set 1, Set 2 and Set 3. It is actually same menu, though, with different content. Set 1 is toast bread or plain croissant, jam, and a cup of coffee or tea. Set 2 is Set 1 plus selection of egg and toppings, and Set 3 is Set 2 plus a glass of orange juice.

I ordered Breakfast Set 3 with toasted bread (they ran out of croissant), omelet with cheese, mushroom, sausage and beef bacon, and a cup of coffee. I certainly wished that they have the morning newspaper, or maybe I'm just to ignorant, because I end up with my laptop.


Overall it was a good brunch. The juice is cold and refreshing, although they would better use a fresh one. The bread was perfectly toasted, crunchy outside, with soft inner part, perfectly eaten with honey jam. The omelet is moist, with enough mushroom and sausage. But somehow I can't trace the taste of the cheese. Coffee served is Americano, made from Espresso.

And they would definitely better if they have more selection of breakfast, and smoking-free area.

A Fair Pasta Lunch at Olio

In a sunny Saturday, 2pm in the evening, we were forced for a very late lunch. I turned my car into the parking space of Plaza Kuningan, where Olio rstaurant located. It is a small restaurant, conveniently located in the office building, and always hard to find empty table during weekdays lunch time. But on the weekend way after lunch time, we're the only patron.

There are one reason why we end up at this deserted restaurant: They served the most reasonably priced homemade pasta in town.

The menu contains vast selection of pasta, from standard Spaghetti Bolognese, to the complex Gamberoni Grigliati Con Spaghetti All' Alio e Olio. Creative patron could improvise, to mix certain their favorite pasta, with any sauce available plus selection of beef, sausage or seafood toppings. Some selection of Italian antipasti and soups are also available. But beware, they don't serve pizza.


We ordered Zuppa di Fungi and Caesar Salad to start with, and 2 pasta course. The soup was excellent, thick, creamy, with decent aroma and texture of the mushroom. Unfortunately, the salad is nothing to tell about.


Our 2 pasta dishes was served with matching tomato-based and cream-based sauce. My lasagna is topped with fresh tomato, cooked and moist, and leaving me wondering on how to made one. My last experience with fresh tomato left me with dry tomato and very moist pizza dough in the oven. Refreshing is better word than sour to describe the taste of the sauce.



A word of caution though, once you taste the cream-based ravioli, never go back to tomato. The thick heavy cream sauce make the tomato sauce sour. It is a perfect cream though, especially combined with spinach ravioli. Eat the ravioli in whole, and on the first bite, the spinach will burst with the cream sauce, filling in your mouth, triggering an exquisite sensation.


I drink my cup of Capucino, just to make sure I didn't fall asleep after such relaxing lunch. We were slightly distracted with the smoke coming from the cigarette of a lady behind us. It certainly would be worse during crowded weekdays lunch time, so it would be better to eat on the weekend, when you can have the restaurant all by yourself.

Our bill came with less than Rp. 200.000, a fair price to pay for such great lunch.

Olio Cafe Italiano
Plaza Kuningan South Tower
Phone: +62 (21) 5206654

SoHo Addict

In the world of sophisticated technology, no news means bad news. Nowadays, the wall of communication become more thinner, and being socialized through the net is the lifestyle. It was all started when my friend updated her twitter status by mentioning egg benedict she had for breakfast, continued with some sinfully dessert with relaxing Jakarta view from certain level.

Having proper or fancy breakfast always intrigued me. As a rusher on morning, I do not have breakfast at home since early child. But things went different when I’m outside. Morning breakfast at hotel or catch local breakfast in town or another city are always fun and worth to try (as long as it’s start > 8 – 9 am).

I can’t stop drooling thinking about her egg benedict, and when I cannot stop thinking usually I drag myself persistenly to the place. So, on one afternoon (well I still haven't gained my breakfast here) I spent the next 4 hours sitting here with my friends. All we did were ordering sinfully savories and desserts while seeing the icon of Jakarta, a welcome statue with water fountain.

Sweet desserts ordered were profiteroles with vanilla ice cream topped with blueberry sauce and sinfully crème brulee. All tastes nice and the chef did the right execution on presentation. On savories side, we have baked potato with chorizo and peking duck pizza. The potato somehow reminds me of chicken pot pie, but the peking duck pizza slightly tastes stench. I vote CPK better than this.

Homemade grandma ice lemon tea surely is the winner. My friend was crazy about this drink but she told me it was ice mint tea. The recipe should be simple but extra topping makes this drink extra fresh. Served on frozen highball glass, this ice lemon tea garnished with mint leaves and lemon slices, topped with lemon sorbet. You have to swirl the sorbet first with the tea to gained the new taste.

Another thing, i love the interior of this place. They designed it with warehouse/winery themes but it still feels lovely. Not mentioning the great view you'll acquire from their huge windows facing Bundaran HI. Also, the design is perfect for any time, either you have morning breakfast, cozy afternoon, or late night cocktail.

After long chit chat and exchange 'busy time' with my notebook, we left at 9.00 PM. 4 hours since late afternoon and I still feel happy. I'll try my best next time to have breakfast here, see if it's really worth to try :)

http://www.ismayagroup.com/socialhouse
Social House
Harvey Nichols - Grand Indonesia
Jl. MH. Thamrin No. 1, LT. 8
Jakarta Pusat 10320
Ph. (021) 2358 1818

08.00 AM - 01.00 AM - Bar, Winepost
08.00 AM - 10.30 PM - Mon to Friday + Sun (Restaurant)
08.00 AM - Midnite - Fri to Sat (Restaurant)

The Icon of Eid Mubarak

Every year in Indonesia, Eid Mubarak celebration become a full festive of the nation. People get busy on preparing anything: new clothes, new shoes, and not forget the tradition itself: feast food fiesta. Traditional Indonesian rice cake made from young coconut leaves is the icon. My friend, a science geek, describing the rice cake in sentence like this: “High density agglomerates of steam-expanded high moisture rice grain.”

The plain taste of rice cake would not be complete without other dishes. There are vegetables and meat dishes which every local has their own style cooking, but the renowned name you could mention are opor ayam (traditional chicken cook with coconut milk and spices) and rendang (extended heating of beef muscular protein in coconut extract emulsion, another scientific translation).

When we are in town, mom usually like to cook these dishes with her own style. This year she cooked bunch (and i really mean a bunch) of rice cake with papaya vegetable also cooked in coconut milk and her tasty tahu tauco (fried tofu cooked with fermented beans and chili in soya soup). Meat dishes were taken from our local Padang restaurant. Usually she cook chokoes (something like squash) vegetables but i asked her this time to made it from young papaya fruit.

Later on, a day before the celebration, i could not help myself drooling while seeing my friends updating their cooking status of this rice cake. Fortunately mom arrived home not for long with her dishes. I prepared my plate in sudden, divided the rice cake into pieces then i poured the vegetables together with tahu tauco served with beef rendang aside. And finally, kering tempe (stir fried tempe with chili and soya sauce) as topping. And this time, somehow her cooking taste much better with young papaya vegetables. I could not help myself eating this for the next 3 days in a row :P