Pasta House AW Kitchen by Akira Watanabe - Plaza Indonesia

Pasta House AWkitchen by Akira Watanabe - Plaza Indonesia

Lately, I'm really obsessed with Japanese cuisine. Everytime I heard about new Japanese restaurant in town, I couldn't hold myself to not try them immediately. There's one new restaurant that made me really curious about their cuisine, Pasta House AWkitchen by Akira Watanabe. Looking at its name, all I thought was this restaurant serves Japanese Cuisine. I also know that AW Kitchen has a flagship store in Tokyo, found by the popular chef Akira Watanabe. This fact supports my opinion about the dishes that they serve. However, when I saw their menu, I realized that they are not serving Japanese cuisine. It's more like Italian cuisine, with pasta as their recommended menu. By doing a research, I just knew that AW Kitchen serves Italian cuisine with Japanese twist. Chef Akira Watanabe himself is the one who introduced this kind of food in Japan. At the first year, it still hard to be accepted for some peoples. But as time passed, Akira Watanabe kept continue to innovate with the food until it was finally accepted by the people in Japan. Even today, he's very famous for his delicious cold pasta.

Bar seating at Pasta House AWkitchen

Warm yet delicious welcome bread

Jakarta is the first city where AW Kitchen opened his branches outside Japan. The first restaurant was opened at 2014, located at Plaza Senayan. Following its success, they opened the second branch at Plaza Indonesia at 2016. This branch was the place where Ivan and I had a dinner, and tried their food for the first time. The restaurant was really spacious with a fancy interior. They also have a bar seating, if you only want to come for a drink. We came at Sunday night, where most peoples had done with dinner. At that time it's not too crowded, so I got a table with a comfy couch. Nice place to enjoy our dinner time. Now, let's talk about the food.

Soft Shell Crab Fritt with Wasabi Tartar Sauce - IDR 95K

Wasabi Tartar Sauce and a slice of lemon

Soft Shell Crab Fritt with Wasabi Tartar Sauce
It's the first dish that they served, which we ordered as an appetizer. I love this food, a lot. The soft shell crab was deep fried very well, which makes it crispy outside, but still has a soft texture at the inside. The soft shell crab itself has been seasoned perfectly, but they also give a cup of wasabi tartar sauce, which also very tasty.

Spaghettini Shrimp and Corn Pepperoncino Style - IDR 95K

Spaghettini Shrimp and Corn Pepperoncino Style 
Pasta is a bestseller dishes at AW Kitchen, which can't be missed when you're visiting. Like I was saying before, they are well known for the cold pasta. But I felt unsure with it and ordered the hot pasta that also very recommended. As you can see on the picture, this pasta is different with a "classic" pasta. Starts from the seasoning, until the topping. It was cooked with "aglio olio" style, but it has a very strong taste of garlic. Unlike the usual taste of aglio olio pasta, this pasta tastes more like an asian noodle dish, and it's very very delicious. With huge shrimps and grilled sweet corn as the topping, this pasta instantly become one of the best pasta I ever had.

Look at that huge shrimp.

Grilled Black Cod with lemon Capers Sauce - around IDR 300K

Grilled Black Cod with Lemon Capers Sauce
The other main course that we ordered was the fish menu. They have several options of fish, and one of them is black cod. I love black cod because the texture is very soft and juicy. So I ordered it and paired it with lemon capers sauce to make it didn't taste fishy. The fish was grilled perfectly, and the sauce also has a balance taste. I could feel the lemon and the cream are balanced, without any more dominant taste.

For the side dish, we chose mashed potato to complete this meal. However the mashed potato tastes just so so, not the best one for me. The other things that I like from this dish was the vegetable chips. First time for me to eat this kind of "chips", but I love it - especially the lotus root chips.

Fresh Au Grey - IDR 50K

Fresh Au Grey
Not forgetting the beverage. Honestly, I barely order a mocktail at the restaurant. But when I read the combination of this drink, I thought this drink gonna be very fresh. Fresh Au Grey is a recommended beverage at AW Kitchen which made from the mixture of apple juice, passion syrup, and mojito syrup, added with slices of fresh strawberry and kiwi. Like I was expecting, it was really fresh and perfect to complete my dinner.

For some people (including me) it might sounds weird to eat fusion cuisine. But all dishes from AW Kitchen was an exception. Even though it has a different taste, but it's really tasty and not bad at all for Italian - Japanese cuisine. Anyway, besides at Plaza Senayan and Plaza Indonesia, AW Kitchen also has a branch at PIK Avenue which just opened last year with different concept.





AW Kitchen by Akira Watanabe
Address : Plaza Indonesia L2 - Jalan M.H. Thamrin No. Kav 28, Menteng, Central Jakarta City, 10350
Phone : +62 21 29924325
Opening hours : Mon - Sun 10AM - 10PM
Instagram : @awkitchenjkt

Li Feng, Mandarin Oriental - Jakarta

I’m a person who always likes to try a new food, at new (and mostly popular) restaurant. By chance, few months ago (precisely on September), we’re going to celebrate Winston’s first birthday party. We’re not gonna make a big party. Instead, we just want to have a simple family dinner. I took this chance to try a new restaurant, which we never been visited before. I was trying to find it by searched “the best restaurant in Jakarta”, and got a few restaurants name with that keywords. But there’s a restaurant that i was quite interested about, because they serve a food that suitable for children. It’s Li Feng.

Winston's birthday cake - London

 Li Feng is a Chinese restaurant, which just opened last year at the luxurious hotel in Jakarta, Mandarin Oriental. This restaurant serves the authentic Cantonese Cuisine with modern twists and well known for their dim sum. I chose this restaurant to celebrate Winston birthday because of some reasons. First, Ivan is a huge fan of dim sum. Second, I saw their dishes is suitable for children. Third, they have a fancy and elegant interior design.

Li Feng restaurant interior

This restaurant managed by two popular chef, who has a lot of experience with fine dining restaurant. One of them known as Chef Fei, who has worked at Jiang - Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou, and has won an award as The Best Chef in China 2016. His partner, Chef Loy has experiences at international fine dining restaurants including Bali and Dubai, for more than 12 years. That explains why the presentation of their dishes looks amazing.

The Wibowo's family picture on Winston 1st birthday

We ordered some of their recommended dishes, including the most popular, Deep Fried Swan Dumpling with Black Pepper Duck Meat. The things that makes this popular is the way they serve it. They use dried ice under the plate, to make it smokey while they serve it. It’s so unique and i felt curious to try the taste of this dish.

Deep Fried Swan Dumpling with Black Pepper Duck Meat - IDR 89K

Well, this dumpling has duck meat as a filling. It cooked with black pepper sauce which make it little bit spicy. The meat was so tender, but it’s not so my favorite. The black pepper taste was too strong until I couldn’t feel other taste beside its spicyness. The outside part also has a crispy texture, not soft as i was expecting. I knew it’s a deep fried dumpling, but still, it’s little bit strange for me to eat dumplings with that “texture”. However, the other dim sum that i ordered, Crispy Bean Curd Skin Roll was very delicious. It’s filled with prawn and preserved vegetables which taste so yummm,  especially when we ate with its dipping sauce. It’s the best....

Crispy Bean Curd Skin Roll Filled with Shrimps and Preserved Vegetables - IDR 30K

Not just dim sum, we also ordered other foods that they recommend for us. Chinese Cabbage with Fermented Tofu in Kelp Broth, Fish Skin with Salted Egg Yolk and not forgetting a noodle dish, because it’s a birthday celebration. In our tradition, in a birthday celebration we should have noodle in it. A long shape of noodle is a symbol that we believe can make the birthday person has a long life. We’re asking for a recommended noodle dishes, and they suggested us to order the Lobster Yi Fu Noodle.

Fish Skin with Salted Egg Yolk - IDR 78K

Lobster Yi Fu Noodle - IDR 450K

Overall, all of these dishes are delicious. They have a perfect taste. I like the broth for the soup, which made from kelp. And the lobster noodle, oh... it’s my favorite.. I like the way they cooked the lobster, and the season that they used for noodle. Even though the noodle was too mushy, but it’s perfect for kids. It’s my children’s favorite.

Trading maps as a "wallpaper" at  Li Feng

Li Feng is highly recommended for everyone who’s looking for a great restaurant in Jakarta. Not just because of the delicious dishes that they served, but the elegancy of the interior also make a plus point. The interiors of Li Feng inspired by the history of trade between China and Batavia. Can you see that ceiling??? If you turn it upside down, it looks like an ocean shape sailing ships on it. And they also use the trading maps as a decoration on the wall. This restaurant really perfect for those who want to have a celebrations, especially for Chinese New Year. The price is also reasonable for a fine dining restaurant. Definetily i’ll come back again, but next time i’ll try at lunch time, when they have more variety for the dim sum.

Ocean shaped ceiling with the upside down ships

P.S. : They have special menu for dim sum only IDR 30K ++ / portion at this Christmas season. Enjoy ^^

Li Feng - Mandarin Oriental
Jalan M.H. Thamrin, Jakarta 10310
Phone : (021) 29938825
Opening hours :
• Lunch : Mon - Fri :11.30AM - 2.30PM, Sat & Sun : 11AM - 3PM
• Dinner : Mon - Sun : 6PM - 10.30PM
Website : https://www.mandarinoriental.com/jakarta/jalan-mh-thamrin/fine-dining/restaurants/cantonese-cuisine/li-feng

Greyhound Cafe, Grand Indonesia - Jakarta

Greyhound Cafe - Grand Indonesia, Jakarta

First time i knew about Greyhound is when i was traveling to Thailand. I got a recommendation from Ivan’s cousin, to try this popular cafe in Bangkok. Hear about a good food is like a poison for me. When i had a chance, i decided to give it a try and it didn’t disappoint me at all. The food was great, especially the chicken wings, which is their recommended dish. However, at that time i wasn’t familiar with Thai food. So i just ordered the pasta which also taste good as well. It’s definitely be my favorite cafe and i always visit it every time i had a chance.

Greyhound Cafe menu

Around 3 months ago, i just heard that Greyhound Cafe has opened a new branch in Jakarta. Being located at the West Lobby of Grand Indonesia, it becomes their first branch in town. Knowing about this good news made me can’t wait to try their food. Finally, i had a chance to visit it last month, and it's an excitement for me.

Greyhound Cafe has a very spacious dining place. With a modern interior design, it's so cozy and perfect for hang out. They don't use any low light (like most cafe do), so it's also suitable for you who want to visit it with kids. Love this place!

Thai Iced Tea with Milk - IDR 45K

I came there for an early lunch at the weekday. We became their second guest, and it’s an advantage for us. We don’t need to wait for a long time only for get a table, which always happenned on the weekend.

Pad Thai with Fresh Prawns IDR 95K

I found out they have a lot of menu, and everything looks tasty. Even though i only tried some of them, but overall i like it. They have a great taste, especially with the Thai food. Their pad thai is the best pad thai i ever ate. It has a perfect sweet and sour flavor at the same bite. It's so yumm... 

Basic Fried Rice with Egg and Bacon served with Clear Soup IDR 75K

Spaghetti Carbonara in Light Cream Sauce IDR 92K

Beside that, also ordered fried rice and pasta as well. These 2 dishes also become my favorite because they have a super yummy bacon in it. The bacon was very thin and crispy. Trust me, these bacon is very tasty and probably this is the best bacon. Must try if you're a bacon addict, like me.

Greyhound Famous Fried Chicken Wings IDR 65K

The last savory food for today, it's the one and only, the famous fried chicken wings by Greyhound. Honestly, before i visit it, i was hoping their chicken wings will taste as good as in Bangkok. But, it turns out Greyhound Jakarta has a more delicious fried chicken wings than in Bangkok. The outside part was very crispy, while the meat inside is so tender. I only ate some of them, while Aurelia was eating that all! It's the first time she ate chicken wings that way.

Chocolate Banana Crepe Cake IDR 62K

Who likes the combination between banana and chocolate?? Well, it's my family favorite combo. Lookin' at this kind of dessert make me ordered it, even our tummy was full already. But, like what people say, "Always there's a room for dessert".  First time i saw the glazed on the top of the cake, i thought it's gonna be a hot dessert. But it's not!! This crepe cake is a cold dessert, which layered with banana, custard, and fresh cream. It also has a chocolate sauce, which make it more delicious. It might sound too sweet, but i would say it's not too sweet at all. Instead, it has a perfect sweetness, and also perfect to ended this lunch.

After all, i would said my first visit to Greyhound Cafe in Jakarta didn’t dissappoint me at all. Will come back again for sure, to try another delicous dishes that they have.





Greyhound Cafe
Grand Indonesia Shopping Town
West Mall , Ground Floor, G-20A (next to Seibu Department Store)
Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 1, Jakarta Pusat, 10310
Opening hours : Monday - Sunday 10 AM - 10 PM
Telp : (021) 23581363
Instagram : @greyhoundcafe.id

Fook Yew : Shanghai Bistro & Bubble Tea Lab - Grand Indonesia

It's been a long time since Fook Yew opened the first branch at Gandaria City, i really wanted to try their food. Why? Because Fook Yew is a restaurant under Ismaya Dining Co. As i know, all Ismaya Dining's restaurant have a delicious food. However, because of some reasons, i couldn't go to Gandaria City, and that means i couldn't try to eat at Fook Yew at that time.

Last week, i went to Grand Indonesia. I just knew that Fook Yew also has a branch there. Without took a long time, i decided to have a dinner at Fook Yew.

The restaurant has a unique interior. They use the Chinese decoration such as red bird cage and big "lucky" cat. I felt like eat at Chinese traditional restaurant.

I looked at the menu, and i saw that they're selling various Chinese food, such as noodles, dim sum, and some street food. I asked to the waitress about their favorite menu. And she told me it was Sheng Jian Bao .

Sheng Jian Bao Sweet Corn Egg Yolk IDR 36k

Sheng Jian Bao is a pan fried bun. They only fry the bottom of the bun. So it becomes soft at the top, and crispy at the bottom. They have savoury and sweet flavor as well. I ordered the sweet bun with sweet corn egg yolk as the filling. To eat this bun, you need to pierce the top with chopsticks, and let the fillings come out. It's almost like eating Xiao Long Bao. 

The fillings taste really good. I really like the sweet egg yolk with some corn at the inside. Yumm..

Chrysanthemum Chinese Tea

For the main course, i ordered Macau Fried Seafood Noodle, and Ivan ordered Seafood Hor Fun. Both with the Egg Sauce. They have a very big portion. First time we saw the food, we though that we couldn't finish this food. However, the egg sauce was so delicious. The seafood also cooked very well. At the end, we could finish that all :P

Macau Fried Seafood Noodle with Egg Sauce IDR 55k

Seafood Hor Fun with Egg Sauce IDR 58k

We also still ordered another food for share. Those are Shanghai Classic Wo Tie and Sweet Butter Hot Bun. Shanghai Classic Wo Tie contains minced beef and string beans for the filling. They also give a dipping sauce for the wo tie. I tried a bite, and i really like the taste of the dipping sauce. It's sour, and there's a garlic taste which i really like it. However, the skin was too thick and dry.  For the Sweet Butter Hot Bun, sadly i have no comment for that. I couldn't eat that anymore. My tummy was really full at that time.

Shanhai Classic Wo Tie IDR 30k

Sweet Butter Hot Bun IDR 22k

Overall, there's no regret to have a dinner at Fook Yew. Their food was acceptable for me who doesn't like to eat Chinese Food. No wonder their restaurant always full at the weekend. The price also not too expensive. Worth with the foods. Below, i'll share some pictures of their menu.

Fook Yew
Grand Indonesia Shopping Town Entertainment District 3A No. 23
Jl. M.H. Thamrin No.1, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10310
Monday - Sunday : 10.00 am - 10.00 pm
Telp : (021) 23580756


Gandaria City - Mainstreet Ground Floor, Unit MG25 Jl. Sultan Iskandar Muda, Kby. Lama, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12240
Sunday - Thursday : 11.00 am - 09.45 pm
Friday - Saturday : 11.00 am - 10.45 pm
Telp : (021) 29007897