LOT 9 - BINTARO

Hey guys! Back again with a restaurant review post! Today I am going to discuss a restaurant that is located quite far from my usual 'playground' even though I do live in that area. I have to agree that I have never really explore this area before, it is Bintaro. Located in the outskirt of Jakarta, Bintaro is a city (I guess so) that is modern and quite well-known for their variety of street-food. This particular restaurant that I am visiting is not a street-food vendor though, it is an actual legit restaurant named Lot 9.

Lot 9 is a restaurant that has a very good atmosphere I must say, being located in the outskirt of town makes the restaurant very spacious and more refreshing (oxygen-wise). They took this advantage and build a restaurant that is chic, modern and yet natural and homey. This large area means that they have a lot of spaces for seating in people and do not worry about parking in this restaurant, it's a piece of cake!

The picture above only shows like a quarter of the actual restaurant (that's how big it is!) and I am definitely in love with the theme here. Very European with the big glass windows and the canopies, but yet we are engaged to nature and fresh air (which is quite rare to find here in Jakarta). The architectural beauty doesn't stop there, it continues to the interior. As classic European style chairs are placed alongside unfinished wooden chair and tables for an industrial finish. The blend of styles in the interior is very smart and beautiful I must say.

Aside from this beautiful array of furniture, the walls are also matched with modern yet artistic pictures and paintings. Some of the walls are made from the classic red-brick walls which gave a touch of class and unfinished industrial look.

I should probably stop talking about how the restaurant looks like and move one to the food. I put the food discussion after the architectural beauty because it didn't wow me at all (probably the one I ordered was not their specialty). The food overall were very decent in my opinion, in fact I do know a couple of restaurants who serves better version of the exact same dish. Let's not get too critical shall we and just discuss individually.

Gado-Gado [4.0/5.0]

Rp 35,000 ++

I must say this actually one of the good dish available here in Lot 9. It is a classic for every Indonesian restaurant, a mixture of fresh local vegetables served with crackers and 'lontong' topped-off with peanut sauce. I mean you can't go wrong with Gado-Gado, the disappointing part is the crackers served here were not that crunchy and the peanut sauce was slightly off. Aside from that the overall rating of this dish is really good and I could never resist myself from a good Gado-Gado, not the best out there but definitely good.

Rawon [3.5/5.0]

Rp ??? (I forgot the price and tried online but couldn't find it)

Rawon is actually one of my favorite Indonesian dishes. It is also a classic! Rawon never goes wrong, but preparing it can be quite tricky as one of the ingredients is actually very sensitive. In a sense that if the ingredient goes old it'll ruin the whole taste but if it is as it's perfect age it will taste heavenly. In love with how they serve the Rawon here, they separate the beef with the broth (in the teapot) which is very unique. My first bite of this Rawon was quite disappointing as it didn't really taste as good as it looks, it is somewhat bitter. Same goes for the cracker, they weren't crunchy here also. Overall the dish is pretty decent, but I do recommend you guys to try the other dishes if you visit this place (or just go to another restaurant if you want to eat Rawon).

Ayam Pedas Kemangi [4.0/5.0]

Rp 45,000++

This chicken is actually grilled and coated with one of Indonesia's classic seasoning. Rich in traditional flavors this chicken is delicious indeed. Not the best Indonesian style Grilled Chicken but definitely worth trying due to the twist of flavor in terms of spiciness and freshness. I recommend this dish to people who enjoys feasting on something a bit more spicy. A bit too oily at some parts I must say, but overall it is good.

Nasi Goreng Cakalang [3.0/5.0]

Rp 55,000++

I am very disappointed at this dish, it is way too heavy on the oil and the Cakalang did not really taste fresh at that time. Cakalang is a type of Indonesian dish that is similar to salted and spiced up tuna fish that is preserved (as far as I know this is the definition lol) and of course best eaten when fresh, because it is a fish kind of dish. I had high expectations for this dish, but it disappointed me. The only good part was the side dish (aside from the not crunchy crackers) and the rice was okay. Overall this dish is just a disappointment and I do hope they try their best in improving this classic Indonesian dish.

Beverages [4.0/5.0]

Rp 25,000 - Rp 40,000 ++

There are just so many options of beverage here in Lot 9, I am so sure they serve more drinks than food. I tell you what they are absolutely better than the food, tried so much and did not really remember most of them (of course Ice Tea tastes the same in every restaurant in the world I suppose) but I am giving an overall score of 4 over 5, which is really high for my standards.

I am so sure that they highly depend on the beverages because they are so much better than the food and in a tropical place like Indonesia, who doesn't want Ice Tea? (Or just a simple icy beverages). I do think that this restaurant is set out more as a place to chill not eat, so in my opinion Lot 9 focuses more in enhancing the quality of time spent with friends or family (by providing good drinks and beautiful designs).

In addition I do feel that this restaurant is still one of a kind, especially in Bintaro and I do hope to revisit this place and try some other dishes they have. I am looking forward to snack, drink and just chill with my friends in Lot 9 in the future probably but I do hope their standards for food is continually supervised to further improve. Overall my visit to Lot 9 was quite decent but the architectural design did overwhelm me.

That is it guys for today's post! Thanks for reading up to this point and have a great day to all of you! Make sure to check out my other social media!

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Lot 9 - Bintaro

Jl. Arteri Bintaro No. 78, Bintaro Sek 9, Pondok Aren, Tangerang
Open from 10am to 1am
(021) 22210455

ANCOL DRREAMLAND - WEEKEND GETAWAY [North Jakarta]

Hello there guys! I am finally back after a month, I deeply apologize for the absence, I have been doing my exams, assessments and a bit of travelling for the past 4 weeks. I am back with a post that is quite similar yet different in a way, just a simple Weekend Getaway in the very busy and often hectic city of Jakarta (Indonesia). Let's go with it shall we!

Living in Jakarta can be very tiring, cars everywhere, not much parks and very limited public entertainment that is quite decent. Aside from that living the city live can be tiring and a simple change in atmosphere can be really fun. This where Ancol Dreamland comes in! Located in North Jakarta and I am so so sure that you guys here are aware of Ancol Dreamland. Established in 1966 makes Ancol Dreamland one of the oldest entertainment area to be visited in Jakarta.

What is Ancol Dreamland? In my opinion it is a form of the government's gratitude to the citizen of Jakarta by making an area for recreational activity and a simple getaway from everyday lives. Located in the northern part of Jakarta makes this place quite famous for its beaches and resorts for the locals. Some even come to swim in the beach, even though it is not the best (as in for cleanliness and location wise) place to actually swim. Over the time, Ancol Dreamland is slowly improving in many different aspects and I do hope for the best in the future.

Why did I visit Ancol Dreamland? I went to stay in Ancol over the weekends because I had to do a charity work from the HOPE Foundation, the activity is called Walk for HOPE and it was held on a Sunday morning in Ancol. I live quite far from Ancol, so me and my parents decided to stay in Ancol Dreamland for convenience. Aside from that we felt like sleeping in a hotel and we needed some sort of relaxation, so why not?

Where did we stay? We stayed in one of their newest hotels, Discovery Hotel and Convention Ancol, a four-star hotel and located near Dunia Fantasi (Dufan) Theme Park and the main gate of Ancol Dreamland. Surprisingly the hotel room is really nice and it's actually one of the best part of the hotel itself (especially the bed).

Discovery Hotel & Convention Ancol

Exterior wise, the hotel is very common, but it does stick to a resort theme, making it only limited to 9 floors. Interior wise is where the fun starts, the public area are very common but the rooms, they are so much more than we would have expected from a four-star hotel. We booked the Grand Premier Suite, which features a spacious 113.4 meter-square room alongside a breathtaking view of the pier and Dufan Theme Park.

Of course the room accommodates all of the basic necessities, a favorite of mine is the spacious luggage area (picture above), spacious television area (refer to video) and outstanding bathroom (refer to video). One big downside is the quality of the water in the hotel, was not really clean and the water flow was quite weak, which was not very enjoyable I must say. The bad quality of water actually limits us to bathe in the spacious bathtub, which is a shame.

Dinner there wasn't a big issue, since the hotel itself is equipped with 24-hour room service and two mega restaurants. One of them is called Kembang Goyang, this is where we had breakfast and dinner that weekend. On Friday and Saturday nights Kembang Goyang holds a special barbecue themed buffet dinner. They mostly serve seafood, but upon special request (without any additional charges) we may request beef steak of our choice (sirloin or tenderloin). The food there was relatively very average I must say, nothing special in particular but it wasn't bad.

Desserts were fascinating and fulfilling! Displayed in the hotel's lobby, the patisseries there are indeed not only for viewing pleasure. It tasted as good as it looks, a personal favorite of mine is the rainbow cake here, also tried the Strawberry Cheesecake which was splendid.

Did I mention that they have a sky lounge? It is called Discovery Sky Lounge, located in the 9th floor. Getting there is quite a challenge since the elevator stops at the 8th floor, from there we asked the hotel staff regarding the location of the sky lounge and we were led to a 'secret door' that leads to the 9th floor. The place is really beautiful in my opinion but I must say that it is highly underrated and the Sky Lounge becomes a nightclub (with DJ and lights) at night.

I saved the best for last! Which was the bed. It is the absolute best that is available in the hotel, the best part of it is actually the type of the bed is the same for all room types (even the cheapest room!) so this facility is indeed the best. And if you guys do check my video out, you can see how addicted I am to the bed.

Unfortunately that is all I have to say for this post. I didn't do a lot of things there, but I did try the swimming pool and it was fun, but it gets really crowded especially on Sunday mornings. Aside from that I enjoyed the activity of Walk for HOPE, which involves a 5km walk around Ancol Dreamland, walking/jogging in Ancol Dreamland is actually really good. A simple drive in the beach area of Ancol Dreamland is also fun and refreshing. Refer to the video below for some more detail of Ancol Dreamland.

That is it guys for today's post! Thank you so much for reading until this point and I do hope you enjoyed it or found it useful and all. Pardon for the misuse of language if available or any of the grammar mistakes. Thanks once again and have a good day!

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BlackBall - Pantai Indah Kapuk [PIK]

Hey guys I am finally back after decades (lol highly exaggerated), but anyway today I am just gonna post the usual stuff so yeah. I would like to say sorry for being absent in most social media, because I am just so busy with myself lately, especially with assessments and exams/tests. I am currently having an exam right now so yeah all the best to me guys hahaha (the things I do for you guys). So, anyway let's just get on to the post!

BlackBall

BlackBall is a Taiwanese dessert house and it has outlets all over Asia, including Indonesia. The one I visited is the one in Jakarta, specifically the one in Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK), they do have outlets in Bali, Tangerang and malls in Jakarta (like Central Park). This is not my first visit to BlackBall but in my opinion they never seem to let me down, despite the high growth of dessert houses in Indonesia (like Shirokuma, Sumoboo or North Pole Cafe). Once again the rate of a restaurant or food depends on each people's perspectives.

Located in the Ruko Garden House this place is not hard to be found and it is located in the area across Sumoboo's area. BlackBall is actually one of the pioneer of desserts in Indonesia, so I do think that BlackBall's dessert are so better than others (or just more original).

Interior of BlackBall Pantai Indah Kapuk

The interior is nice but I must say it is quite decent, but it does feel nice bright and very fun yet calm to be. It has like a 'park' kind of theme and this theme is applied to most BlackBall in Indonesia (based on my experience of visiting the different outlets in Indonesia). I do like the theme and yes nowadays restaurants are starting to really focus on increasing their appearance (interior-wise and exterior-wise) and of course the ambiance also.

Grass Jelly Section (for this specific one) [5.0/5.0]
Rp 28,000 - Rp 45,000 ++

I am sorry guys I forgot which specific one that I ordered, but it was pretty clear that it has red bean, mochi and green tea flavored ice cream. Ordering in BlackBall can be quite tricky since they name their dessert based on code, like A1, A2, A3, etc. I highly suggest you guys to ask the store clerk for details of each dessert and trust me without their assistance it'll be really hard.

Basically the dessert above is one of the best sellers and it is one of my favorites also (I think I have always ordered the same kind). The taste is just on point, as it has a very good balance of flavors, creamy delicious but the grass jelly balanced out the heavy taste. Overall this is just a perfect dessert for me, not that expensive, the right portion, flavorful and it really cools your body down. I highly recommend this dessert, especially if you guys just want to cool off or chill.

Snow Ice Series (for this specific kind) [4.0/5.0]
Rp 33,000 - Rp 55,000 ++

Yes I forgot the specific name again (so unprofessional of me), but anyways this is a part of the Snow Ice Series and I think (not sure here) my friend customized her own dessert here, since red bean didn't really suit her taste so she customized one without red bean. That is what I remembered, since I did the visit a month ago (I think, not even sure with the date of visit).

Anyways, this specific dessert is just really good and perfect for the one who seeks something a bit more heavy in terms of creaminess and milkiness. It uses vanilla ice cream, oreos, mochi and shaved ice at the bottom. The shaved ice gave a heavier flavor to the dessert, not like the grass jelly where it delivers a herbal flavor. This one tastes quite common in my preference, but I still do recommend this and plus you can always customize.

QQ Cake (Original Flavor) [5.0/5.0]
Rp 18,000 ++

QQ Cake (Matcha Flavor) [4.0/5.0]
Rp 18,000 ++

One of my favorite waffles in the dessert industries and I honestly don't know why do they call it QQ Cake, but they are just amazing good. I always go back to BlackBall to order the Grass Jelly and this QQ Cake and I do like the original one better, because some things are just not meant to be matcha flavored. Sadly adding toppings like chocolate, maple syrup or jam adds the cost also by Rp 5,000 and adding ice cream adds the cost by Rp 7,000 - Rp 10,000 (depends on flavor), so in the end it is not as cheap as we expected it to be. All of that plus plus is worth since the maple and the ice cream is just a perfect combination, I have a feeling that they make their own ice cream since the ice cream just taste really good. Overall I highly suggest you guys to try this out, but some of you guys might find the QQ Cake very decent as well.

Overall my visit to BlackBall as I said before, never seem to fail me and it has always put a smile on my face and my wallet also. It taste clean, original and fresh but yet it is highly affordable and satisfying. I do feel that dessert houses's rate all depends on the consumer's taste, so might as well try all right?

Thank you guys for reading up to this point and that is it for today's post, I do hope to update soon or at least by next week (when my exam finishes). Please do stay tune to my blog and thank you once again. Have good day all!

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LOCALE 24 - Pantai Indah Kapuk [PIK]

Hey guys! Yes I am finally back after weeks of being absent. In my absence, I prepared quite a lot of posts and a couple of videos for my Youtube Channel. One of the main factor of my absence was actually because of school. School had been very tiring and stressful, so that limits my access to blog/vlog. Anyways I did a Vlog last time in Youtube (which you guys can see here) about my trip to PIK (on February) and I did promise you guys to post the details of the places I visited so yeah here it is.

I did a review about this restaurant already and I do feel that this place is quite popular already, but I am starting to have different view about this restaurant. I didn't take pictures of the exterior, as I did take some pictures already in the previous Locale 24 post (which you guys can see here) so in today's post I am just gonna focus on the food and the price aspect.

Locale 24 Diner and Bar

First things first was of course the food, starting with the food that I ordered. It was the  Honey Pepper Chicken & Shrimp. Why did I order this? It is because I like to try something different and new, since this was my third visit in this restaurant. I was excited to try it out because it was one of the chef's recommendation. 

The food gave me a bad impression at first, because it was literally the last dish to enter our table. I shared it with my friend, despite the unsatisfying portion. I shared because honestly I wasn't that hungry that time.

Honey Pepper Chicken and Steak [3.5/5.0]
Rp 62,000++

Honestly speaking the dish was good and it was cook to perfection, but I do feel like it is lacking something. I really like the fact that they served it with potatoes and vegetables which lift up the dish. They also served a bit of macaroni and cheese on a small plate on the sides. I do recommend this dish if you guys are in seek of something light and healthy, but I also feel like this isn't really Locale's best dish, so I do recommend you guys try some other dishes first.

The next food is an all time favorite comfort food in America, Macaroni and Cheese. I do say they have one of the best Macaroni and Cheese here and the price is indeed very affordable. It was not a chef's recommendation, but I do feel that for something that good with a price that friendly surely made me and my friends smile that day. 

Macaroni and Cheese [4.5/5.0]
Rp 38,000++

I love the fact that they served it with an oversize cup (which acts as a bowl) it is juts very cute and gave that childish feel that suits the whole theme of the dish. I do feel that the Chicken Strips weren't really that necessary, but it added quite a wonderful taste to the overall dish. This dish in my opinion is just simple and delicious. It was also the first dish to arrive on our table, so it surely made everyone smile. I do feel that the macaroni lacks cheese and might taste quite common for some, but I do suggest you guys to try it out as it is a good option for an affordable lunch.

The next dish is quite similar to the previous one as it is another American all time favorite dish, Beef Burger, Served with french fries, cheese, eggs and a small plate of Macaroni and Cheese this dish was surely one of the best dish that I tried. 

Beef Burger [4.0/5.0]
Rp 62,000++

What I love about this burger is that it is served with a variety of side dish which really pleased me, because it delivers a variety of flavor in each bite. The Macaroni and Cheese here is served with a similar method as the first dish, but aside from that the serving formation was common to every other burger in restaurants. This was also not a part of the chef's recommendation and I feel that this dish do need to improve a bit more on their meat quality and bread quality. Overall I do recommend you guys to try this out, especially if you guys are seeking for an affordable yet fulfilling burger meal (In my opinion I do feel that burgers from burger's joints are way better). 

The next dish is one of my favorite dish this restaurant offers, it is the Fish and Chips. It is absolutely delicious in my opinion, it is seasoned to perfection and the texture of the fish was amazing, fluffy and it simply melts in your mouth. 

Fish and Chips [5.0/5.0]
Rp 62,000++

I am honestly surprised that this dish wasn't one of the chef's recommendation. It was served simply with french fries and tartar sauce that was just fresh and a perfect complementary sauce for Fish and Chips. This was not my first time eating the Fish and Chips here, but the previous one I had was somehow better in a sense that the fish was cooked to a better state rather than this one which was a bit burnt. The only part that saddens me is the small portion. I highly recommend this dish to all of you guys as it is one my all tine favorite dishes.

The last dish that I tried was the Country Fried Steak Yee-Haw! and yes the 'Yee-Haw' part is the actual name of the dish. This dish in my opinion is very common and average, but I am saying this because I was never a big fan of Country Fried Steak so yeah. I'm not trying to be biased here so I do say it was quite good and I feel that crispiness was perfect for a Country Fried Steak and it was simply served with Cream Spinach and French Fries.

Country Fried Steak Yee-Haw! [4.0/5.0]
Rp 62,000++

Surprisingly this was one of the chef's recommendation as I do feel that this dish is quite average, not being biased because I feel that some places has better country fried steak. A part of the dish that was really good was the cream spinach as it was a good complementary to a dish like this. The spinach gave a fresh and lighter feel to the overall dish. I do recommend this to all of you guys there if you are a fan of Country Fried Steak. 

That is it guys for today's post and I do thank all of you for reading this post until this point. I would personally like to thank all of my friends for making this trip a success. Thank you guys once again and have an awesome day!

"A true friend freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patient, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeable." - William Penn

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Benkay Japanese Restaurant - Grand Nikko Nusa Dua

Hey guys! I am back with the series of post regarding to my Bali December 2014 post. Anyway I did tell all of you guys that I stayed in Grand Nikko Nusa Dua. Grand Nikko is a hotel developer that origins from Japan and I am actually in love with Japanese things basically, such as the culture, people and of course their FOOD. So, I did try Japanese Cuisine in this particular Japanese hotel and of course this made me really excited. The restaurant that I tried is the famous Benkay Japanese Restaurant.

Benkay is located on the same floor as the lobby and the access is indeed very easy. I do recommend you guys to book prior your visit here, since I didn't get an immediate spot when I came on the spot without booking. I had to wait for an hour to be able to dine here.

Okay! So my first impression of the restaurant was expensive but qualified for a five star hotel. Logically all restaurants in hotels (especially five star ones) are expensive and qualified, it's just some are better than the others. I do really like the theme of this restaurant, personally it's because it reminded me of my childhood, as a child I always eat Japanese food with my parents. 

This particular theme is a very classic yet classy type of Japanese restaurant which I really like. The theme does localize it self also, by using ceramic flooring instead of fully wooden or stone floor, since it is located in Bali. Since ceramic floor is very easy to clean and handle, especially from sand that can be found everywhere in Bali.

Moving on to the service of the restaurant, it was excellent. All of the staff there was very friendly and welcoming, the manager, which is Japanese, was also there to keep track of the restaurant and serve the Japanese customers. Aside from that they gave us a cold towel to freshen us up, since Bali is a hot yet humid tropical island. My personal favorite is of course the attentiveness of the staff there, they were very aware of the situation and I feel like (hope I'm not wrong) the staff knows how to handle every situation that can happen in a restaurant.

A personal favorite of mine is also how Japanese restaurant store their condiments. They always has a unique and different containers in every restaurant. I think the one here is a classic which suits the entire theme of the restaurant.

On to the highlight of every restaurant! The food! Before that I really want to acknowledge how cute and functional the tea pot here. They are made from emerald green colored ceramic (I think, not a material expert) and the handle of this pot is very unique and fun to see. This actually enables the people pouring the tea to have comfort and far from the danger of getting heat burns from the pot. The small size made it very compact and cute in general.

Rate: (4.5/5.0) & Price: ± Rp 50,000++

Starting with the ever popular Chawanmushi, which is actually a type of egg custard dish that originates from Japan. I am so sure you guys are all aware of this dish, I personally think the Chawanmushi here is amazing, soft and sliky. It was also seasoned to perfection (in my personal taste that is). The only improvement that I would suggest is actually to make it a bit more savory and less salty or provide a custom seasoned Chawanmushi.

Rate: (5.0/5.0) & Price: ± Rp 100,000++

Moving on to my favorite Japanese dish, the Sashimi. I just love all kind of Sashimi in general and the one here are absolutely one of the best that I have tried in my whole life. They are fresh and sliced to a perfect size. I just wish they serve a bigger size for this Sashimi platter. This platter basically consist of Salmon Sashimi, Tuna Sashimi and Snapper Sashimi.

Rate: (4.0/5.0) & Price: ± Rp 80,000++

The main course for me that night was this authentic Hot Soba served with Tempura. The taste of the broth was actually really good, I just wish the broth was a bit cold (not hot/warm enough for my taste). I also feel like it is missing something in the broth, I feel like it needs to be a little more savory. Luckily the assorted tempura help made the dish better in terms of taste. I was a bit disappointed at the Soba but the tempura sure made me smile like I was the happiest boy on earth. Overall I think the broth needs improvement, the noodles were really good and chewy and the tempura was perfect in my opinion.

Rate: (5.0/5.0) & Price: ± Rp 50,000++

The dessert for that day was this amazing Greentea Ice Cream served with Red Bean and Strawberries. They were absolutely perfect in my opinion, the Ice Cream was in the perfect consistency and tasted just amazing. The red bean here was also amazing definitely a good match with the green tea ice cream and a bit of the green tea milky cream. The strawberries made this dish just fresh and lighter, it was a perfect combination. Overall this dish is a must try and you won't regret saving a spot in your stomach for this mouth-watering dessert.

That is it guys for today's post! Overall I personally think this is indeed a very good Japanese restaurant and I do recommend you guys to try this restaurant, especially if you guys are staying at Grand Nikko Nusa Dua. It is quite expensive but I personally feel like everything here is worth the price. I would rate this restaurant a (4.2/5.0) due to lack of taste for some dishes but some of them are also really good.

Thank you everyone for reading until this point and I do hope all of you guys keep reading my blog. Thank you once again and have a great day! Tune in next week for the last part of the Bali December 2014 post.

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