On Three, Coffee in between The Skyscrapers

Nope, I wasn’t in a basketball court for a three-on-three with anyone guys. I was in a gorgeously styled coffee shop located at the third floor of Senopati Suites apartment in South Jakarta. Built in monochromatic style, it looked so classy and chic, making you feel like dining in a glass house, with the scenery of skyscrapers around you. 

Coming here when the day was kinda gloomy and cloudy was like the one of the best timing as the weather’s neither dry nor humid, enjoying you to enjoy breathing the fresh air sitting under the blue sky without getting burnt by the sun heat. 

As the apartment itself was quite a luxurious one, you could felt that top-class ambiance since entering the gate for the first time. Warm service, beautiful entrance, and amusing design were just few points to name. 

Going up to the third floor where the cafe resided, you might feel like entering a totally different space, which was simply another one to get your jaw broken by the wonderful interior. I myself felt like jumping into an art gallery, only that it didn’t have those beautiful masterpieces on the walls to display. Nonetheless, the simplicity and plainness made it just a perfect cozy place to spend long hours either killing time or also enjoying the seconds. 

Despite they did serve main courses, the choices were quite limited. I guessed it’s because they did wanna focus more on the coffee and indeed the place was a flawless one for short stop for coffee. 

Hot Coconut Latte (IDR 40k)

Following the recommendation of the barista, I tried the one claimed as one of most wanted. A peculiar choice which I only found earlier in very limited places. Basically the coconut element cane from the coconut oil mixed into the hot latte. 

Perhaps it’s the matter of preference, but this cup unfortunately didn’t suit my palate well. I found it quite awkward to have my coffee being oily, though I could luckily say I enjoyed that touch of coconut flakes put on top. 

Hot Cappuccino (IDR 38k)

Great alternative that this cup was also there on the order list. The mainstream choice, without any ingredient that the taste bud might be not familiar with. 

For my coffee preference, this was kinda milky, and I thought I should’ve gone for double shot to get it my way. 

Hot Piccolo (IDR 35k)

The one suited me best from the three caffeine cups would be this last one, having the boldest coffee taste in the petite cup. I wouldn’t say it have anything distinctive that made it stood out compared to similar ones, but for sure not a bad one. 

Almond Choco Croissant (IDR 27k)

Something sweet to pair the caffeine? OK, I would go for the only option I had, being displayed next to the order point. I wasn’t sure how many choices were actually available as at that time this was the one and only. It’s quite disappointing that it’s not as expected as the pastry was quite dry and rubbery, perhaps due to not being freshly baked. But on the other side, the chocolate filling was also limited, kind of like trying to find the treasure inside the croissant. I hoped it’s just this time that they might be not that prepared yet, or it’s just my my unlucky coincidence. 

Smoked Beef Quiche (IDR 35k)

Being a sweet lover who tended to prefer anything sweet than savory one, this time I had to stand on the different side. Not getting my sweet tooth pleased yet, I got my order list lengthened by the savory light bite. Finally this last comer closed the afternoon coffee session well, with the crispy pie base and the flavorful mix of smoked beef, egg, and cheese on top of it.  For you who still wondered what to go for in this newly established cafe, you could start note down this one. 

Those with explorative soul and did have the ‘radar’ around South Jakarta area, you could have one additional to-go list now :)

Taste: 6/10

Place: 7.5/10

Service: 7/10

Price: 6.5/10

ON THREE

Address: Senopati Suites 3rd floor, Jl. Senopati Raya 41, Jakarta

Phone: (+62 21) 2753 3333

Operating hours: Mon - Sun 7am - 10pm

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Dodee Paidang, The Next Level of Thai Noodle and Tom Yum Soup

Recently I felt like Jakarta citizens had been getting more creative and more opportunist at the same time, where people competed to bring in the food chains and restaurant brands which had been proven successful in other cities and even other countries. Tons of them could be called out and I would probably not be able to stop when I mentioned all the brands one by one. Dodee Paidang was just one of them, being carried all the way from Sydney to our beloved capital city. Having gotten the chance to try the original one right at the headquarter and fell in love with it at the first trial, you could imagine how my heart skipped a beat hearing it’s now available here! No more freezing queue in the middle of the cold and extremely windy spring days in Sydney (yep, that’s exactly my premiere experience stuck in the long queue in front of the outlet!). 

I was at first like ‘ohhh why West Jakarta, the area I wouldn’t touch except there’s something particular I was looking for, simply because I hated the traffic’. Nonetheless Dodee apparently gave me no option as they only had one outlet for now. I finally managed going to Puri to fulfill my long-unsatisfied craving.  

Looking at the outer appearance, it might look more like a Chinese than a Thai restaurant, with red-dominated theme and all the busy ornaments. Except if you recognized that the characters written on the walls were in Thai, you might not notice this was a Thai resto. My friend even initially misread the name as Padang and mistakenly thought it’s a restaurant from West Sumatera, before I finally told him it’s this infamous Dodee I’d been sharing earlier. 

The capacity’s just like typical restaurant in Puri Indah mall, and thus with the crowd due to both weekend and its recent opening, we had to expect quite long queue before being able to get vacant seats. Being into the struggle, I hoped it’s as good as I wished. 

Thai Milk Coffee (IDR 20k)

Quenching the thirst as well as melting the  irritation due to the waiting time, we started with the signature cold drinks, giving a try on both the coffee and the tea. Requesting the coffee to come with less ice, it’s surprisingly turned out too sweet. Fortunately the taste was okay, with medium-bodied beans, giving not too milky flavor. 

Red Thai Tea (IDR 20k)

The second was surely a better one, though I wouldn’t nominate it as the best of a kind. But at least, it came as a cure to the disappointment on the first one with right sweetness level. 

Actually it supposed to be still in promo period, where we could get free thai tea/coffee by following the IG account, posting photos and tag some friends. We expected this would be it, nevertheless the waitress mentioned that we couldn’t consider one of earlier orders as free one and had to order extra one as the free item. Well yeah, wouldn’t comment more. 

Keawza (IDR 48k)

Rather than falling too deep into the complaints, let’s enjoy the dish and get the tummy satisfied. Some might think this was appetizer while the rest got it as side dish. Describing it in easier way, it’s DoDee’s signature tom yum soup with flawlessly boiled wontons, an awesome choice if you opted for lighter dish, or you just wanted your main dish to have ‘merrier’ companions. The price might be similar to the main courses, but you needn’t worry as they’re quite generous in the portion. The fillings stuffed in the wontons were flavorful and the wontons skin was soft and literally melt in your mouth.

Crispy Pork with Prik Khing (IDR 59k)

This rice-based dish belonged to my friend who couldn't resist that glazing pork as shown in the picture put on the menu. Yes, those sinful yet indulging stir fried crispy pork belly, cooked together with green beans and chili in Thai dried red curry sauce called as Prik Khing. Some of you who might have the same perception as me, who previously saw this looked like sauteed green beans in X.O sauce. 

I had a spoon of the dish and for me the pork belly was well-executed as the bottom layer was juicy and tender, while the pork layer was deliciously crunchy; a combination that you would always demand for any stir fried pork belly. The sauce was scrumptious with pepper and chili flavors infused in it. If I could have the chance to give inputs, I would surely ask for softer and slightly mushier rice. 

Soft Boiled Rice with Combination of Pork (IDR 48k)

If the earlier rice-based dish was a dry one, this was the soupy one, with the rice and meat being soaked into the soup. Well, in the middle of cold rainy day this would be a perfect choice for sure. But as my visit time was a hot sunny day, that's why this order wasn't belong to me but my friend instead. However, as sharing is caring, I definitely tried this 'all-pork-in-one-bowl' dish as well. Yes, it literally mixed various components, which were all made of pork, including pork meatballs, minced pork, sliced  pork, and many more. If you're a hardcore pork lover, this bowl couldn't suit you better as you could have all you wish for, delivered in a single portion. You would have yourself spoiled by different taste and different texture, which you could enjoy in one chew. 

DoDee Lava (IDR 48k)

Woohoo! We’re now reaching the climax, DoDee’s most favorite selections, the first reason making me visit Dodee in Sydney and the top reason making me coming to the outlet in Jakarta, the Thai noodles!! If earlier I hadn’t explained much on the tom yum soup, yeah it’s basically the specialty of the house, which got the guests highly addicted. Despite that I still thought that the original one I tried earlier tasted better with richer spices and stronger flavor, this was surely not bad and was merit enough to fulfill my longing on this spicy and sour soup. For my palate it’s different to common tom yum as Dodee’s recipe had that extra kick with thicker flavor. It might hard for me to describe in words, so experiencing it yourself would be the best option; just one thing, trust me it's luscious till the very last drop.  

If you’re intolerant to spicy dishes, they did come in various levels and basically most of the variants called out on the menu were simply different levels of spiciness coming from the same base of tom-yum soup. My pick this time, the lava one, was a moderate version at level 3. I myself perceived this as the right level since I couldn’t hold the higher one, while lower version was quite too mild for my taste bud. Beware if at the first spoon you said it's not spicy as the more you ate, I thought the more you would feel the burnt on the tongue (for sure in a content way).

As for the noodles, the options given were quite various, starting from flat rice noodles, glass noodles, rice noodles, bee hoon, egg noodles, and instant noodles. My top pick would be flat rice noodles, kinda similar to kway teow but came in narrower shape, with soft and pleasantly chewy texture. Not stopping there, I was delighted by the fact that they're not niggard  in serving the toppings. I guessed from the picture you could also see that it's overflowing till you could barely spot the noodles :p. Last nice fact, it's not only the broth that's flavorful, but the toppings did enrich the overall taste of the dish. 

It's quite a pity that I had to tell you I had no chance to try the dynamic dessert duo of Dodee here, Fried Bread with Pandan Custard and Mango Sticky Rice as they were both sold out *deep deep deep frowned*!! I still could clearly remember my premiere visit to Dodee, where I could clearly see there's no single table having no Fried Bread. It seemed to be a mandatory finishing dish there and when I tried it, I could completely understand why. I'd already pictured in my mind having that golden brown bread with the sweet and moist pandan custard, yet I sadly had to finish my dining session with drinks only :(. Hopefully on my next visit I could get this heaven on earth :)

Taste: 7/10

Place: 6.5/10

Service: 6/10

Price: 7/10

Thanks for reading! :)

DODEE PAIDANG

Address: Puri Indah Mall  GF #071, Jakarta

Phone: (+62 21) 582 2359

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun 10am - 10pm

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Pison Coffee, from the Heavenly Island to the Metropolitan City

WELCOMEEEEE! That’s prolly one of the best words I could give when initially knowing Pison is in J-town! For you who’ve been to Bali and who’ve visited Pison’s headquarter there, I bet you would definitely be as excited as I was hearing this great news. Yesss, it’s one of my number-one recommendation for anyone visiting Bali and now I was way beyond happy knowing that I needn’t have to pass 2 airports before being able to sip my favorite caffeine!!

Taking place at Kertanegara, Pison seemed to put its feet right at the center of the crowd, one of Jakarta’s most-wanted area for cafe-hoping and dining. As expected, the venue’s packed of people even at early in the morning. Not only the youngsters, many of the guests were also families including the elders. 

The interior made me able to recall and felt like being in Bali’s pison. I guessed it’s the signature red bricks, brown-dominated design, and dim-lighting which together formed the specific characters of Pison. Feeling like the ‘home’ to my big caffeine crush was welcoming me back!

Not being too spacious, the place came in 3 floors, with the second one was more like a mezzanine, only occupying half of the space. The third wasn’t a full-one as well, and was intentionally made an open-air one to serve the smokers. Nevertheless, despite you got the seat at the first floor, you could still enjoy your dining session under the clear blue sky as they covered the building with glass ceiling and windows. 

Making my brunch today a perfect one, the menu offered here was mostly similar to the one in Bali, particularly the coffee-based ones. Honestly speaking, I’d never tried any of their brunch menus before so there I was as a first-timer for the main courses. 

Ultimate Bacon Maple French Toast (IDR 65k)

Initially desiring to go for something savory like Eggs Benedict or Bacon & Eggs Roll, yet unfortunately neither of them were available. Yeah, I finally had no option but to go for this one which came at the third place in my brain for what-to-try. As simple as the name indicated, it’s literally bacon on top of stacks of french toast, complemented with a drizzle of maple syrup. 

Shortly said, a simple, classic, and lovable dish. Nothing went too much, but nothing surprised me as well. It’s quite pleasant with the fluffy, buttery, and milky bread being perfectly toasted. The combination of sweetness from the main carbo and the savory from the bacon toppings were simply indulging. 

Key Lime Pie (IDR 40k)

Not yet getting the complete satisfaction for my sweet tooth, I opted for the next sweets. Sadly I only had one option, the one and only available from several choices provided on the dessert menu, Key Lime Pie! Quite pricey for this kinda petite size, but luckily the taste paid the pennies spent. A moist slice of sweetness with a twist of citrus flavor, making it a right choice for those who wasn’t that much into heavy dessert. The crumble-tart base on the bottom? Well, no need to explain too much, yum yummm!

Iced Caramel Macchiato (IDR 45k)

Finally *drumroll*, the best part of the dining set, my never-to-be-missed menu from Pison every time I went to Bali. If you just thought about the one you usually had in one of the well-known global coffee chains, and imagined Pison’s would be something similar, oowww better shoo that mindset away. For me this one was like the next level of Caramel Macchiato with every single element being flawless yet combined together complementing each other too well. 

That deconstructed appearance when it’s initially landed on the table made it look so tempting! Broken layers of caramel, coffee, milk, and another milk in the form of ice cubes, LOVESTRUCK! Blend them together, and give it a sip, you would get the balanced mix of bold coffee and sweet caramel. Oh dear iced coffee, could you just be my morning daily mate??

Having had the short yet indulging brunch at Pison, I am now already looking forward to having the upcoming ones especially with many of those I wanna try being missing in this premiere visit of the Jakarta outlet. So see you again real soon!



Taste: 8/10


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

Thanks for reading! :)

PISON COFFEE

Address: Jl. Kertanegara No. 70, Jakarta

Phone: (+62) 817 4177 444

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun 8am - 10pm

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