Union Deli, Another Stunning Invention from Union

Having existed for quite long time, until this second Union’s still not left by the crowd. Almost all the time, you still have to go through the long waiting list in prior to dine in the restaurant. Just weeks ago, Union came with its brand new outlet, Union Deli, which brings a slightly different concept compared to the existing ones. Basically, Union Deli focuses more on light meals, both the sweet and savory ones, so the selections of dishes served here are not as much as either the outlet in Plaza Senayan or in Pondok Indah Mall.

  

Unfortunately, the traffic’s even worse than those two outlets as the waiting list is even far longer. Yeah, not only because of the existing delicious dishes from Union that everyone really adore, but also the new desserts that doubtlessly raise the curiosity of all Union’s loyal customers to have a try on them. Luckily, not like in Union Plaza Senayan, you will not be limited by time when enjoying your dining session here.

Talking about the design of the venue, I can say that the concept is really similar to Union’s Plaza Senayan. Every corner reminds you of classic European style, which will let you feel the ambiance of elegance and exclusivity.

 

Besides, the service is pretty good as all the waiters and waitresses are highly responsive, especially when you’ve already had your seat. Yes, you might be quite irritated when you’re waiting to get your table ready. Nonetheless, once you’re on your table, they’ll serve you like a king. You don’t have to wait for long time to get all your orders ready to be enjoyed. 

Mint Chocolate Pie (IDR 75k)

As a chocolate lover, the presentation of this cake definitely attracted me to have a try on it. The chocolate glazing decorating the top part of the cake just made it look shiny and tempting. So here it was, served on my table. This beautiful cake was actually the combination of chocolate ganache and mint flavor served on chocolate pie crust. Besides, the mint flavor that’s slightly too strong for me, who actually didn’t really fancy mint, I loved every single components of this cake. The chocolate taste was strong, the pie crust texture was lovely, and the sweetness level was precise. If you’re both chocolate and mint lover, then this cake will certainly be a flawless piece for you.

Red Velvet Pie (IDR 50k)

 

You may access all types of social media and I strongly believe you can find Union’s Red Velvet Pie in almost everyone’s timeline. It even had a very catchy nick name, RV pie. This cake was exactly the one that made me unable to wait to visit Union Deli. Everyone’s like kept talking about how heavenly it tasted. 

 

So, how’s the taste for me? Two thumbs up for the stunning invention made by talented Chef Karen Carlotta. This one was indeed another blissful way to enjoy the uber delicious red velvet of Union. Basically, for me the taste was exactly similar to the red velvet cake, and the only difference was the red velvet pie crust which came as the base part of this one. If you asked which one’s better, my answer would be it depends on your taste bud, whether you fancy something with crispy and crumbling texture, or you prefer something more moist. Just one note, the cake one contains more peanut toppings compared to the pie one. I myself thought that the red velvet cake’s still the award-winner, though I was really in love with the pie as well! Yeah, having both will be far better! :p

Key Lime Pie (IDR 55k)

Blending lemon curd, meringue, and cookie crumbles into a glass of impressively-looking dessert; this key lime pie was another best-seller menu in Union Deli. At first, I was quite doubtful to order this one as I was not into sour desserts. Nevertheless, looking that so many people did order it, I decided to follow the crowd. Surprisingly, I fell in love with the cake! Though it was indeed sour due to the lemon curd, but that taste was impeccably balanced with the sweet taste from the meringue and the cookie crumble. Moreover, since the cake delivered mixture of flavors, it turned out not only refreshing, but also tasted delightful even until the very last spoon.

Cappuccino (IDR 30k)

 

Coming in simple yet gorgeous presentation, this cappuccino might suit the preference of those who loved coffee with quite high acidity level. The taste of the coffee itself was good and the smell was quite strong.

  

Latte (IDR 30k)

 

In my previous review on Union Plaza Senayan, I have ever talked about this latte. So I think you might have had the right guess on how’s my opinion toward this hot beverage since I ordered it again. If you’ve ever read my previous review on Union and you still remembered it, what made me love this latte was the balance it brought between the coffee and the milk. As the coffee’s acidity was actually quite high, this cup gave you slightly more milk to complement that acid taste. Since I love coffee with normal-to-low acidity level, this one suited me better than the cappuccino.

Caramel Macchiato (IDR 30k)

First thing that made me fall in love with this drink was its smell. Yes, the smell of the caramel syrup mixed with the coffee was so good making me unable to wait to have a sip on it. Served in smaller portion than the latte (similar to cappuccino), this caramel macchiato didn’t fail to satisfy me as well. Just one input, if it could be less sweet a little bit, I believe it would taste even better!

 

 

For those who haven’t tried the new desserts from Union Deli as you feel reluctant to go through that long queue, trust me, you’ll never regret the time you spend waiting for these divine tasted cakes. A great suggestion for you, coming in the weekday morning will absolutely be a perfect chance to avoid that high traffic on the venue.

Taste: 9/10

Place: 8.5/10

Service: 8.5/10

Price: 8/10

Thanks for Reading! :)

UNION DELI

Address: Grand Indonesia – East Mall GF

Phone: (021) 2358 0476

Operating hours: Mon – Sun 10am – 10pm

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Nomz, Where Enough Doesn’t Exist

If most Indonesians say that when you haven’t had rice means you haven’t eaten, then I will say when I haven’t had dessert, I haven’t eaten. Yes, some people might consider it as totally awkward, but that’s me. I can even have desserts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner consecutively. Looking that so many people have been talking about how good Nomz’ desserts are, who doesn’t feel curious to try it?

If you’ve been familiar with the east side of Grand Indonesia, then you might have noticed where Nomz is located. Some of you might have ever seen the ‘coming soon’ sign or even have been waiting for it. However, I believe there are still so many people who are actually clueless where this recently hip restaurant actually resides. If you happen to know Union Deli, another ‘happening’ new restaurant, Nomz is right across it. If you still have no idea, where both of them are located, you needn’t worry as I will direct you. It’s very easy to find Nomz since you just need to go to the east side of Grand Indonesia, then you can access Nomz through Central department store. Other existing restaurants at the east side, which you must have been familiar with, are Paulaner, Kempi Deli, or Social House. Or simply said, it’s the side where the huge H&M store is located :)

The venue is quite spacious with very attractive design. I really love the concept of providing both indoor and ‘outdoor’ space. Why I call it ‘outdoor’? Yes, because actually it’s still an indoor area, but you feel as if you’re eating outdoor since it’s not covered by walls and you can see all the pass-byers. Moreover, there are big windows and artificial plants decorating the walls that separate the indoor and the ‘outdoor’ area. They just deliver better ambiance of the real open-air one.

Not only pleasing me with the uniquely designed venue, Nomz also delighted me with its first-class service. Right at the time my friends and I reached the restaurant, we were immediately welcomed by the friendly greeting from the well-known Chef Arnold Po. He then directly asked the waiter to prepare a table for us and started a light conversation with us while we were waiting for our table to be ready. As we took a look at the cakes displayed, the waiter assisted us on making our order by explaining the ingredients of each of them.

Salted Caramel Éclair (IDR 38k)

Looking at all the éclair variants, we were totally confused which one should be picked as we wish our tummy could afford all of them. Having starred at the various choices for awhile, we ended up ordering Nomz’ Salted Caramel Éclair. The cute spoon-shaped chocolate has successfully created a highly engaging presentation. The texture of the éclair was so moist and the abundant salted caramel filling was definitely heart-stealing!

Nomffin

One of the most unique desserts among all was this Nomffin. If I might make a wild guess, I would say Nomffin stand for Nomz Muffin. Basically, it was a muffin coming in the texture of croissant, so it was flaky instead of spongy like common muffin. For me, it was a brilliant idea, whose taste I really enjoyed. The generous chocolate custard filling made this innovative dessert became one of the must-try from Nomz!

Addiction (IDR 50k)

For all chocolate addicts out there, beware as this one would cause you an impact, which was clearly mentioned in its name, yes ADDICTION. Composed of various chocolate components, from mousse to glazing, not much thing could be said but I surely believed that any chocolate fanatic would be more than drooling when looking at this one. One great thing about this cake, though it was so so chocolatey, the sweetness level was precise as you could find the touch of dark chocolate in it.

Alice in Nom Land (IDR 40k)

The name of this cake impeccably reflected its presentation. Same as Alice in the movie of Alice in Wonderland, this cake was so gorgeous in its quite simple appearance. If you were the ones who preferred cheesecake with mild cheese taste, this cake might perfectly suit you. Besides, the strawberry jelly also gave a slight refreshing touch to the cake. Not to forget, the cookie crumble as the base, which served as a perfect complement to the soft texture of the creamy cheesecake itself. Yumm!

Rasp Be Merry (IDR 45k)

I did not know whether this one was only a seasonal edition, which was made for Christmas or it was a permanent one. But if it was indeed a temporarily available one, you gotta try it as soon as possible. Yes, you should not miss it! Bringing the combination of slightly sour and moist raspberry mousse with sweet and salty salted caramel on top of the crunchy Pâte Sucrée, this cake has successfully pampered my taste bud with not only rich blend of flavors, but also rich mixture of textures.

Urban Geisha (IDR 48k)

The saying of ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ was indeed applicable for Urban Geisha. Dressed in white, it might be not that photogenic, but when it came to taste, it was BEST OF THE BEST!! The major ingredient of vanilla mousse was exquisitely blended with the layers of green tea castella, crunchy speculoos, and strawberry jelly. Not over-exaggerating, but once it entered your mouth, it would melt straightaway and indulge you with the blissful taste! Don’t say that you’ve dined in Nomz when you haven’t had this one :p

In a nutshell, I was beyond satisfied with my dining experience in Nomz. Every single key aspect a restaurant might provide for the guests – taste, place, service, and price – is flawlessly delivered here. I will doubtlessly go back to try their tempting savory dishes. 

Taste: 9/10

Place: 9/10

Service: 9.5/10

Price: 8.5/10

Thanks for Reading! :)

NOMZ

Address: Grand Indonesia – East Mall, Ground Floor

Phone: (021) 23581211 / (021) 23581212

Operating Hours: Mon – Sun

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Play, Eat, and Play Again at The Playroom

Let’s welcome another new comer in PIK, The Playroom! I hope I haven’t been too late in reviewing this one. Having envied many people who have gotten the chance to have a try on the dishes served by The Playroom, I finally managed to visit this recently hip restaurant. The foods offered are mostly Western ones, ranging from salad, pizza, pasta, poultry, and others.

Located next to Sate Khas Senayan, the venue is a 2-storey building, with wooden-themed design. At the front side, you can find Milkbar, which is the gelato bar where you can enjoy various innovative flavors of gelato.  

For The Playroom itself, the distinctive point of the restaurant is the additional facilities provided for the guests, which will surely raise the playful soul in you. You can find several dart-board machines as well as billiard table, which are available for use and surely for free!

I was so impressed with the design, but then I was quite disappointed when I was to make my order. I could not try the Pork Belly Creamy Bacon Fettucinne as well as the Pork Belly Supreme Pizza, both of which I had targeted to try even before visiting the venue, since the pork belly was sold out at that time :(. Another one I could not have was the Seabass Cajun as it was not ready yet as well. Thus, I ended up have to find the substitutes to those dishes and here was my order.

Mint Beef Ragout Penne (IDR 95k)

This was my first dish, which might not look so engaging, but tasted pretty good. The penne was cooked al dente and the beef ragout, which was cooked in bolognaise sauce, was luscious. The portion was just right for me and I was glad that the mint taste was not strong, since I did want this dish to be like that. One note, you needed to well-mix everything in the plate in prior to enjoy it, in order to get the best taste of the dish.

Norwegian Salmon (IDR 90k)

In short, I faced quite many problems with this dish. First, I had to wait for approximately 50 minutes to get this dish ready on my table. The waitress did notify me that they might take quite long to prepare for the dish. However, when I asked how long the exact time was, she said that she could not predict it. Having waited for approximately 20 minutes, I asked the waitress whether my dish was ready or not. It took her like 15 minutes before going back to my table and said that they needed additional 5 minutes. Additionally, she said that their mashed potato was not available so she had to replace it with french fries. Though I was disappointed, I had no choice but to accept it. Then, instead of 5 minutes, I had to wait for another 15 minutes to get my Norwegian Salmon served. Luckily, it was perfectly cooked as the texture was very moist. Nevertheless, I did not feel anything special about the taste.

The Godfather (IDR 95k)

If I might say, this pizza did come as the curer to my displeasure. The size was quite huge and the pizza crust was thin. If you did love crispy pizza crust, you surely did not want to miss this one. The toppings, which were the combination of pepperoni, minced beef, and paprika; were generously given. Besides, the abundant mozzarella cheese made this pizza became flawless! Finally, the absence of the Pork Belly Supreme Pizza turned into a good point as it made me end up trying this Godfather, which I doubtlessly did not regret at all.

Strawberry Juice (IDR 35k)

Besides the foods, I did try some of the beverages, ranging from juice, tea, as well as frappe. The strawberry juice was made of fresh strawberries and it was so refreshing. It was indeed the right choice for those who desired healthy-yet-yummy drink.

Playroom’s Ice Tea (IDR 35k)

If you were the one who loved the blend of fruits and tea, then you should try Playroom’s Ice Tea. Bringing the mixture of kiwi, passion fruit, and tea; this drink was another refreshing one. Besides I did think that it was quite innovative as what I usually found was either the mixture of kiwi with tea or passion fruit with tea, and this was the first time I found all of them combined together. Surprisingly, it turned out great and I really loved the taste, especially the passion fruit pulp!

Red Velvet Frappe (IDR 50k)

For the ones who prefer ‘heavier’ type of drink, then this Red Velvet Frappe was worth to be included into your list. It was basically chocolate frappe, topped with whipped cream and grated cheese. I actually did not know what made the color of the drink became red, as the major taste was chocolate. Nonetheless, I did not really care about the ingredients as I was really pampered with this one! Though it was quite pricey, the size was satisfying and I was extremely delighted by the blend of chocolate and cheese inside it.  

Overall, for you who haven’t visited The Playroom and do feel curious to give it a try, I suggested you to go for their pizza. I myself am still interested to have their pork belly. Hopefully, at my next visit it can be realized and I promise to give you the update as soon as the time comes :)

Taste: 8/10

Place: 9/10

Service: 7.5/10

Price: 7.5/10

Thanks for Reading! :)

THE PLAYROOM

Address: Ruko Cordoba Blok F No. 3. Pantai Indah Kapuk

Phone: +62 858 9403 7723

Operating Hours: Mon – Sun 10am – 00am

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