Sunday, January 28, 2018

Mezzanine, Dining in A Glasshouse

Dining in a glasshouse? Wooow! You must have had like fruit farm in your mind, where people usually experience picking the fruits themselves then eating them right away. No guys, it’s not even close to that imagination as this one’s the real dining experience just like what you usually have in restaurant/cafe, but indeed the cafe comes in glasshouse design. 




Resided near the heart of Jogja, I could easily access the cafe by any transportation mode. The parking space was also gigantic so those bringing their own vehicles could shoo away their worries. If even the parking space was that huge, you could already picture in your mind how the dining space would be, surely even bigger one. It even consisted of two levels, divided in two separated parts. One of them had been fully operated, while the other was still closed. 



First time coming into the cafe, you would first meet the kitchen which I could say as open one since you had quite sizable window to see the live performance inside. Then you would meet the long alley, whose side was occupied by the always-tempting showcase where all the cakes were displayed, then continued by the cashier. On the other side, there were several tables for small groups, which came in unique design. 



Entering the next area, there was the outdoor area in the building, which was actually the space without ceiling, allowing the guests to enjoy sitting right under the clear blue sky. Unfortunately it’s raining heavily at my time of visit so I couldn’t occupy that space as it’s all wet. 

Moving on, I could then see bigger area with more seats, standing next to the mezzanine, just like the name of the venue. 




The walls were mainly decorated by colorful paintings, kinda similar to graffiti, making them perfect spots for the snaps to be featured on your feeds. It did make the place looked lively, besides the glass walls that would let the guests enjoy the scenery from outside, which was actually green fields. Having such place in the middle of the city was like meeting a fountain in the middle of the desert, such a heart-warming view that I wished I could have in our beloved capital city. 



My biggest crush was surely the mezzanine floor, with some seats shaped like bird cages. They might be not looking new as there had been several restaurants earlier featuring the same concept, yet I was sure Mezzanine was the first one serving such interior with natural view. Flower pots right at the center of your dining table, well were else could you find it fellas?




One peculiar thing that I wasn’t sure if you noticed or not before I called out, the walls looked like ‘waterfalls’ with water flowing from top to bottom due to the rain. I wasn’t certain if this was intentionally made or it’s just that the ceiling hadn’t been properly set that it’s leaking. 





OK never mind, let’s see if the spoiling ambiance was well complemented by palatable dishes as well. 



Norwegian Salmon (IDR 110k)


The menu actually served various international dishes, ranging from Asian to Western ones. I picked this pan-seared salmon as the picture looked attractive. Size-wise it’s not bad, having the quite big salmon fillet further complemented by mashed potato and veggies. It’s quite sad to say that the fish was pretty dry, perhaps because it’s overcooked. 


Luckily, the savory sauce paired to it was quite yummy, and the veggies were all fresh and tasty. The mashed potato might not really suit my liking as my preference was the moist and creamy one, but it’s not bad at all and I would say it’s the matter of preference so you might love it if you’re in the same boat with those fancied the savory type one. 

Oreo Cheesecake (IDR 30k)


Honestly this cake was the first one I saw on Instagram as the dish served in Mezzanine and it’s also the one woke up my curiosity initially. It made me further browse about the place and finally decided to pay a visit. Thus, without even thinking twice, I right away pointed it to be listed on my order when I spotted it sitting gorgeously in the chiller. 


Thanks to the cover that didn’t lie, as it’s utterly indulging with the soft and creamy cheese as well as crunchy oreo base. The only component that’s kind of bothering me was the whipped cream on top which my taste bud didn’t really think suiting the cake well. Other than that, it’s well-executed and came as awesome ending to my dining session. 

Hot Chocolate (IDR 27.5k)


Mehhh.... perhaps that’s my first expression when looking at the actual drink for the first time. Yep, pretty dissatisfied as it didn’t look like the picture on the menu; no cookies and only marshmallow. But gladly, it turned out delighting as the chocolate taste was so bold and it’s not overly sweet, exactly matched my kind of hot chocolate! Dip the marshmallows into the hot choc and get fondled right away!

Iced Mezzanine Latte (IDR 37.5k)



However, if you're more into cold drinks and at the same time you did love coffee, then go for their Iced Mezzanine Latte. As the name did carry the cafe's name, for sure there's something special within it. Served in the form of frozen coffee cubes with a jar of steamed milk, you should pour the milk and let the cubes melt before being able to enjoy this beverage. This let you getting the short nice view right before giving it a sip.



When my sister said it's so good, I initially perceived her as over-exaggerating it, but finally I understood once I had it on my palate. Strong body, precise sweetness, and delightful fragrance. As you mixed the components yourself, you could even adjust if you want it to be bolder or milkier by putting the right doze of the milk. Awesomely fondling!




Having such coddling space with nice dishes especially indulging beverages, you could imagine how much I wanted to bring it back home if only I could do so! :)




Taste: 7/10
Place: 8/10
Service: 7.5/10
Price: 7/10


MEZZANINE EATERY & COFFEE
Address: Jl. Palagan Tentara Pelajar KM 8 No. 30, Yogyakarta
 Phone: (+62 878) 2406 3145
Operating Hours: Mon - Sun 9am - 0am


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Thursday, January 25, 2018

First Trial on Yogyakarta’s Local Trio

Having limited free time for exploring the local foods, I had to be selective in deciding which one to be prioritized. Rather than doing random picks, I followed the suggestions from my friends who had tried those Yogya’s most-wanted foods earlier. They’re literally a lot and not few of them were heavy ones so I had to be smart in allocating the spaces in my tummy. 

Ok, I had my mind set, let’s go with the trio!

Soto Kadipiro
Address: Jl. Kebon Agung, Yogyakarta
Phone: (+62 274) 625 420
Operating hours: Mon - Sun 8am - 9pm


For those who have been to Yogya, you would definitely know this name, but for first timer like me, you should be very anxious as it seemed to be so famous and none of the people I met ever said it’s bad (honestly none even said it’s just so-so). Having tons of branches spread all around Yogya, this Soto was more than accessible; so you just need to find the branch that’s closest to where you stand. The one I went to, located at Jl Kebon Agung, a narrow road where so many food depots lined up. It’s so easy to find the outlet as it’s sizable and visible. 


What’s offered was mainly Soto Ayam (IDR 12k), which was clear-type one. I needed to feel sorry, kind of under-estimating it in the beginning. Once I had my first spoon, I was like blown-away! Don’t mention I’m over exaggerating till you try it by yourself. Geez, never come in my mind in lifetime that soto could be this good! It’s like simple, not going too heavy on seasoning, but so indulging. Despite they did provide additional side dishes like marinated tofu, tempeh, corn fritters, quail eggs, crackers, and many more, I could have my palate already get its extreme satisfaction merely from the dish. With only approximately $1, I could get happily bloated <3!

Ayam Geprek Bu Rum 
Address: Jl. Wulung Lor, Papringan, Yogyakarta
Phone: (+62 274) 551 406
Operating hours: Mon - Sun 8am - 9pm


Another pocket-friendly dish from Yogya, which perfectly described street-food concept as it’s indeed a simple tent-style stall located at the road side. I bet many university and high school students had this one for their daily lunch as it’s very affordable and coming in fulfilling quantity. You could get the signature menu, Ayam Geprek, with only $1 just like prior one. 




It’s a self-service one, where the guest had to take the rice and the complementary dishes himself. That did mean take as much as you wanted that pay later. You could even request the number of chili you wanted to be mixed with your fried chicken without getting extra-charge. For me, to make the combination of flavors get richer, I let fried egg and fried tempeh accompanied my main dish. There were actually more options like various veggies, sauteed tempe, and many more.



I understood why people loved it so much, as I tasted the flavorful chicken, whose seasoning was well-mixed throughout the entire part of the dish. I could enjoy the marriage of crispy skin and tender meat as well till the last bite. Those who couldn’t take any spicy food might have their customized version with less or even no chili so you could be worry-free! Just beware of sweating heavily ;)



Warung Kopi Klotok
Address: Jl. Kaliurang KM16, Pakem, Yogyakarta
Phone: (+62 81) 2222 11635
Operating hours: Mon - Sun 7am - 10pm




Another infamous one, the long-standing Kopi Klotok, resided in a humble house-alike outlet. The place might look distant and silent, but once you went closer, you would find abundant cars, ranging from economical one till the luxurious pieces. Yes, the space was wanted by like almost everybody visiting Yogya. With its buffet concept, you could enjoy your self-service, taking the dishes in unlimited quantity if you went for their main courses. Their specialty was lodeh (veggies in coconut milk), ranging from eggplant lodeh, tempeh lodeh, and breadnut (kluwih) lodeh. Your lodeh won’t feel lonely as they did have companions to which you could pair them based on your preference. The selections were tofu, tempeh, and the most favorite fried egg. Besides plain rice, people did love to go for their Sego Megono, which was basically rice cooked with young jackfruit and coconut flakes, simply said kind of similar to Nasi Uduk. 






Nevertheless, if you just came for light bites and coffee/tea exactly like myself, you were warmly welcomed by their forte, Banana Fritters (IDR 6.5k), served in the precise portion of 2 pieces. They’re like beyond-impeccable partner to your hot beverage, serving soft sweet ripe banana covered in crispy savory golden-brown batter. For people from the Eastern Indonesia like me, I would pair it with the chili sauce of the house and that’s totally my heaven on earth!





I went for both the signature beverages offered by the house, Kopi Klotok (IDR 5k) and Teh Tubruk (IDR 6.5k), both of which were AMAZING! I initially thought people were just overvalued these drinks but having my own sip finally revealed me the truth. The coffee was so aromatic and rich, with strong body and low acidity. Even for myself who wasn’t that much into black coffee, this cup was such a drug! No wonder, the process was indeed special, having the coffee being boiled without water till you got the burnt smell, then the water would be finally poured, led to the reaction where the coffee was peeled or what so called ‘ngelotok’ in Javanese - the history behind the name of the coffeeshop. This made the coffee fragrance and flavor went even stronger! However if you’re a total coffee intolerant, you still had the alternative of Teh Tubruk, which wasn’t less competitive even for an inch! It’s served in gigantic humble-style glass with all the leaves in there. You could spot the sugar put next to the glass, both the cane-sugar cube and the chunk of coconut sugar. I mixed both and I had my faultless warm cup to complete my gloomy rainy afternoon <3




If you just had your premiere visit to Yogya or you’ve been here multiple times but never went for their local foods, I would strongly suggest you to go with this trio and let your palate get fondled!