Cafe Lulu, The 'Canggu' of Kemang

Spotting the cafe for the first time, I felt like being in Bali, sitting in one of those center of crowd either in Seminyak or Canggu. Yes, the design somehow delivered the ambiance of the coffee shops residing in the paradise island. The outdoor seats surrounded by green plants and covered with tent, the crowded bar table decorated with bottles of ingredients, and that iconic pink wall; all were simply so Bali, so adorable, awesome combination come together. 

I was always ‘trapped’ by the pastry case and cake display, wherever I found them in any places I visited. My brain somehow unconsciously took me there, caught me in long dilemma of which one to go for, and made me stuck for long time till I could make my tough choice. It’s not an exception here and it did distract my attention from the main menu. Having similar palate to mine, my sister even came up with the suggestion to go for ‘sweet brunch’ session, satisfying our dessert craze. Well OK, let’s go for it!

The pastries were indeed not freshly made to order, but well I surely didn’t mind as I believed most places did the same thing as well. So long as they gave the option for re-heating it prior to be served, I should have no worries, shouldn’t I? Having each one looked tempting, I was honestly confused which I should pick. My sister, offering no assistance, went to the toilet and gave me the freedom to make the choice, which I wasn’t sure if I should be happy with or not. 

Mac and Cheese (IDR 45k)

Firstly having the intention to go for all sweets, finally I ended up ordering savory dish as well. This Mac and Cheese as recommended by the waiter. He called out this pastry as one of the most favorite among the savory choices. Being reheated, I enjoyed a lot the crispy skin and the tender stuffings, which did come in generous portion. Thanks God the mozzarella cheese did melt a bit, just like how I loved it best. 

Chocolate Cruffin (IDR 35k)

Moving to the different pole, started by the cruffin. Always taking the role of the one who ‘allocated’ the meals into each sharing plate, I sliced the cruffin - hoping that I would spot runny chocolate filling burst out. Well, as always too high expectation meant more painful fall, as I got to see myself ended up disappointed with the cruffin which was actually having no stuffing at all! Prolly the waiter was just tired when telling me it had chocolate filling besides the gorgeous chocolate topping on too :(. Facing the reality, I just took my first slice and as expected (luckily I had toned down my expectation), it’s just okay as I could barely taste the buttery aroma from the batter, and the chocolate topping had nothing stood out (bluntly said). 

Raspberry Chocolate Cake (IDR 45k)

Thanks to the last cake, which had also stood out as the highlight of the brunch, saving the overall perception of the sweet dessert from Cafe Lulu as it was beyond expectation. With the addition of slightly sour and refreshing taste from the raspberry, the chocolate components were impeccably balanced, preventing the ones enjoying it from getting nauseated of too much sweets. Just like how I loved a cake served, it’s more into cream than spongecake. The moist main toppings well complemented the crunchy tart. In a nutshell, I fancied it as much as I was into black and pink collab!!

Hot Piccolo (IDR 30k)

Sweets without coffee? Surely feeling like going to the cinema, watching the movie till the last 10 minutes, but leaving before it finished. Nonetheless, as I wanted to try other options, I went for the Hot Piccolo. Yep, smaller size but extra kick on the palate which I generally preferred. I guessed I’ve made the right option as the coffee wasn’t that bold, being more into medium-bodied. Well, a good neutralizer to all the sweetness I had beforehand. 

Coconut Delight (IDR 45k)

Getting more Bali? Yeah that’s exactly what’s coming into my mind, especially with that petite umbrella stuck on top of my glass. The drink looked so refreshing and I felt like already quenched my thirst even before I had a sip of it. The name caught my interest first, being called as Coconut Delight. 

Having my first sip, it’s indeed a delightful one, mixing coconut puree and orange juice as the main ingredient. Well, sounded so Indonesian mixture, wasn’t it? I did have to admit these couples were simply meant to be together as they complemented each other too well. With a hint of macadamia and a touch of fresh lime, it turned out more delectable, with precise sweetness level. Not to forget, the shredded coconut blended in the drink, making it seemed to have pulps to chew ;)

Like how the last beverage flawlessly ended the brunch, Cafe Lulu did leave good impression at my premiere visit. The place was worthy to recommend especially for all fellas whose radars were around the south area.

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

Thanks for reading! :)

CAFE LULU

Address: Lippo Mall Kemang GF, Jakarta

Phone: (+62) 821 1110 0335 / (+62 21) 2905 6900

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun 10am - 00am

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Ottoman, The Brand New Home

I hope I wasn’t too late for joining the hype and writing the post on this cutie pinky spot taking place at Mega Kuningan. Actually once you reached out to the place, you would figure out it’s not so pink, since the venue was dissected into several areas, featuring different color and theme including turquoise and blue. However, I had to admit the pink area did attract me best as it somehow suites my liking on colors and design.  

Occupying the main lobby of Sopo Del Tower, Ottoman wasn’t a new comer in the coffee shop family as it’s been there for awhile, only that it resided in different side of the town. It used to be in the north, to be precise Pluit area, in line with some other members of the family. 

The new home (yeah I called it that way as they closed the former one) was as spacious, or might be even more, as the previous. Despite I loved the interior of the old house, I fell deeper with the brand new one with its gorgeous play of colors and contemporary concept. Those awesome ideas of staircase-style seatings, bar table with individual seats, and iconic Ottoman wall made it a flawless spot to hunt mountains of Instagenic snaps. No wonder the place all of sudden turned to be center of crowd just in few days from the time it’s introduced. I couldn’t imagine how packed it would be once the office tower had its occupancy rate increased. 

Not only coffee and light bites, you could even enjoy various fulfilling brunch menu at very early hour in the morning, as early as 7am, so yeah you could make it before facing your hectic office hours. For those having the habit of early dinner, you could pay a visit before 7pm everyday. 

As I earlier only had the chance to try their coffee, this time I managed to taste more from the menu including the main courses. It captured my excitement well as the menu provided so many selections, ranging from rice-based dishes, egg-based breakfast, various-style pasta, till stunning desserts. 

Cappuccino (IDR 39k)

I started my brunch by trying their coffee, ordering the basic cappuccino. Served in the uber cute pink cup, my first thought was it's kinda costly being priced at that level with this size. Nonetheless, let's give it a sip before judging too much.

 

I'd tried this once in the former outlet, but the iced one instead of hot, so this time let's hand a turn to the high-temperature cup. Recalling the Iced Cap I had earlier, the hot version was actually better as the coffee taste was bolder, though bluntly said it's still too milky for my coffee preference. I would recommend double espresso shots for those preferring stronger body for their caffeine cup. 

Bacon Hash Cake Benedict (IDR 85k)

When english muffin got too mainstream for egg benny, hash brown would definitely do a great substitute. Paired to the runny yolk and fluffy white, the golden brown fried potato was flavorful and enjoyably crispy. 

Giving more twist on the palate, there sat the generous-sized pork bacon slices on top of the hash cake. Together with the hollandaise sauce, it gave extra sparks to the party of flavors. Don’t forget the colorful veggies on the side as they’re surely not mere decoration, but extra fresh and healthy elements to complete the overall menu. Tasting it myself, I highly recommended any first-timer to go for this dish, especially if you’re a fan of savory kind of brunch!

Soft and Firm (IDR 79k)

Contradicting name? Yeah the two seemed to be the opposite of each other, but if I called out panna cotta, you might finally get your head nodded as you got why it’s called that way. The colorful dessert served vanilla panna cotta accompanied by fresh fruit cuts, starring the trio of strawberries, red dragon fruit, and kiwi. Just like the lonely snow white being accompanied by the colorful seven dwarfs, this sweet was beautifully served on the gigantic plate. 

Despite I had to honestly said that the panna cotta itself was okay but not 'wow-ing', I loved its companions especially the matcha crumble and the chocolate hazelnut paste on top. I did think the brain behind it was inventive enough, letting the sweetness to be carried out more from the fruits and the chocolate, while the panna cotta was made just slightly sweet. Moreover, slight bitterness from the green tea flavor impeccably balanced everything out, making the sweet tooth a great match to those who wasn't that much into sweets. 

All in all, it's a pleasant dining experience and I loved the overall ambiance of Ottoman's new home. If only my office was still in Gatot Subroto, I could already imagine myself coming here at least once a week for agile working. Their main courses, particularly the savory ones, were doubtlessly faultless partners to both your relaxing and busy dining sessions.

Taste: 7.5/10

Place: 8/10

Service: 7.5/10

Price: 7/10

Thanks for reading! :)

OTTOMAN'S COFFEE BREWERS

Address: Sopo Del Tower GF, Mega Kuningan Barat III, Jakarta

Phone: (+62 21) 5080 6510

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun 7am - 7pm

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Floating Dining Experience at Cabina [BALI]

Hello Bali! It’s a huge pleasure to be able to be back here after some time being away. I guessed I’ve missed (literally) tons of new hype places here, but that certainly shouldn’t be hindrances for me to pay a visit to them. One of those attracting my curiosity best was Cabina, which served the market demand well by providing a cafe with pool facility for the guest - yep, that super trending concept lately. 

Dining in the pool was surely an all-time-available choice and I could even spot most guests enjoyed it a lot! Yeah, the pool, the cute floaties, and the sun-bathing benches were undeniably the center of crowd, where some people just killed time relaxing, some busy took pictures, and some fell into long chats. 

Going for different option, I opted to sit at the indoor space, just enjoying the busy view from a distance. Of course I didn’t miss the chance to have some snaps on the catchy pink walls, corners decorated with cactuses, even the long fresh-looking bar table. Another unique stuff spotted was the dance by the friendly waiters and waitresses once Pharrell Williams’ Happy song played. Feeling like wanna follow the beat as well? LOL

Avo on Toast 

Going for healthy brunch, my friend ordered this green fella. It might not be the best-looking dish, yet it’s surely good for the tummy. The portion was generous enough, compared to the similar one served elsewhere. Not to forget the cheese toppings, well the picture could best tell you that they added extra happiness to the dish. 

Eggs Benedict with Salmon (IDR 95k)

OK, classic one always won the heart first indeed. So here I was, finding myself again ended up with my all-time favorite breakie, Eggs Benny! Having the options of pork bacon, salmon, and soft shell crab, I chose the second one. Playing the main actors role flawlessly, the runny yolk and the fresh salmon came together in luscious taste. The hollandaise sauce was served in right doze, not overwhelming the flavor of the overall dish. 

Seafood Laksa

If it’s general for this type of cafe serving egg-based brunch menu, then how if it came with Seafood Laksa? Surely it’s a big bet if it’s a YAY or NAY. The presentation was stunning with the broth being put in a jar, so you needed to pour it yourself once you wanted to start enjoying it. Presented in very thick texture, the taste was awesomely rich and you could feel royal mix of seasonings, each of which played their own roles but altogether making delectable compilation. It’s so pampering able to enjoy it with fresh prawns, squids, fish, and many other more from the family. My personal fave was doubtlessly the crispy and flavorful soft shell crab, which best suited the amazing broth. If you ever came here some time soon, this dish was must must try and you should have no reason for saying no to it <3

French Toast (IDR 70k)

Not stopping the delicacy at the savory one only, I continued with the French Toast from the sweet selection. I was more convinced and excited with my pick as my friend staying in Bali, right away told me it’s great and I’d just made the right decision. 

The gorgeous look was such a temptation that I could no longer wait for my first slice. Those glossy strawberry and pineapple slices drizzled by maple syrup were naturally sweet, and hence well complemented the toast in very nice way. I loved how the slightly crispy toast getting fluffier as the syrup infused into it. Enjoying it together with the crumbles was like hosting party of different textures in single bite. If I loved the seafood laksa to bits and nominated it as most recommended from the options of savory dishes, this french toast would be entitled the same in the sweet group. You needn’t worry if you’re not the one owning distinction in sweet-tooth level, since this dish had moderate sweetness and you could be worry-free of the calories as most ingredients were organic and low-fat. 

Hot Cappuccino 

We still hadn’t finished upon having the meals, as coffee wouldn’t fail to accompany your brunch in Bali. Moreover, you could have thousands of options here, including any personalization you’d ever wished for. Soy milk, coconut milk, skimmed milk, and many more! This first cup belonged to my sis; the basic one that was always worth to try. 

Using St. Ali beans, the medium roast coffee was aromatic with slight acidity. I couldn’t recall the one I had in St. Ali, if it tasted similar or not, but simply said I loved this one as it’s neither too bold nor too milky, simply right taste for morning caffeine doze especially if you couldn’t really take coffee with strong body. 

Hot Magic

Nonetheless, they did provide the solution for those seeking for something heavier. Despite it’s not working day and I didn’t have to kill my sleepiness, since I could hardly find good ‘Magic’ in Jakarta, I just wondered ‘Why don’t I give it a try?’. As expected, I straightly got my crush on the cup. Although I preferred the smoother after-taste of the Cap, this Magic was certainly another cup of joe to hunt. 

Overall, this pinky tropical style cafe got me at my initial visit. Relaxing ambiance, delish dishes, awesome coffee, and instagenic photo spots; what could make me reject the upcoming visit?

Taste: 8/10

Place: 8.5/10

Service: 8.5/10

Price: 8/10

Thanks for reading! :)

CABINA

Address: Jl. Batu Belig Gang Daksina No. 1, Kerobokan Kelod, Kuta Utara, Bali

Phone: (+62 361) 4740 989

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun 9am - 9pm

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