Alfred

I guessed I’d ever spotted the ‘coming soon’ banner of this place months ago when I was in Grand Indonesia, but I thought I had it gone from my mind till I saw it again today. Standing side by side with Toby’s Estate, I chose to spend my brunch at Alfred as I had earlier tried Toby’s. Well, the sentence on the wall seemed to match it very well, ‘Ended up at Alfred’s’. 

It’s not a sizable outlet, taking place inside Seibu department store. I was quite astonished knowing it’s also connected to the outdoor area, so it got that natural sunlight rays coming into the venue. Perfect ambiance for chilling and having small talks! It was designed in classy style, nothing went either too much or too less. I loved the simplicity, but I knew it had single weakness of not being able to accommodate bigger group of people and yes, not much space for walking around. 

My choice of seat doubtlessly went to the one located near the open-air spot. Yeah, they let the door connecting the venue to the outer side of Grand Indonesia to be opened, but actually it’s not intended for in-and-out access, since they put flower pots around it, simply showing it’s not to be passed. Great thing was I could enjoy my brunch while having the fresh air and staring at the blue sky!

Matcha Kaya Latte (IDR 55k)

The drinks Alfred offered was not limited to common set offered in many other places. They took some effort to offer something inventive, just like this Matcha Kaya Latte. There were some other unique combination like charcoal with coffee, which I would surely try at the next visit. 

Talking about my current one, honestly speaking I could barely taste the kaya flavor in it. Perhaps it's obscured by the stronger green tea flavor. Being a matcha lover, I did love the bold green tea taste, but I hoped the sweetness level to be slightly reduced; believing it would end up serving something that suited more taste buds.

Alfred Iced Blue Lemonade Tea (IDR 45k)

In contrary to my choice, my sister ordered something more refreshing instead of milky. Yes, perhaps indeed better option when you're in the midst of hot sunny day. It looked gorgeous in presentation, but shortly said it's pretty similar to iced lemon tea. There's additional flavor in it which I could hardly explain in words what it particularly was, but I would say it's not bad. If only the price could go a bit lower, this drink might be the safe option to go for.

Ultimate Truffle (IDR 125k)

My most-time-working principle, "When in doubt, pick the most favorite". That's exactly the thing I did in Alfred as well. Having quite many options on the menu and knowing that burger was apparently their specialist, I ended up choosing the one with two thumbs up. Besides, that truffle word called out as the dish last name did get me tempted to give it a try. 

This rich stack of 120g Australia prime beef patty, mozzarella cheese, truffle aioli, onion ring, and mesclun indeed looked super yum! Having the first giant bite, I right away fell for the patty which was so juicy and tender. The seasoning was well-infused till the center part, making it flavorful in every bite. I loved how the generous amount of mozzarella cheese perfectly complemented the main protein. That truffle hint? WOW! I might call it the best part of this burger, not only making you drool from the scent it spread, but also 'getting you high' by its taste. 

Don't worry if you're the type who thought burger alone wouldn't be complete. You would get your french fries coming as the companion to it. Loving the burger as much as my excitement in explaining it earlier, my only wish was the french fries could come as truffle fries ;)

Banana Bacon Maple (IDR 105k)

Going beyond savory, Alfred did serve peculiar dishes from the sweet group. Despite the choices were less, I couldn't deny that the explanation sounded pretty attractive. Moreover, as they gave the options of the polarized base - either crunchy croissant or fluffy hotcakes, they seemed to try serving 2 totally different preferences of texture. 

My pick went to the soft one, served in 3 stacks. I did wish it was presented in thicker layers just like the common hotcakes, but I couldn't deny that I was so in love with the super moist texture. The batter itself tasted so luscious with the strong vanilla hint in it. Despite some people might still think having bacon with pancake and maple syrup sounded awkward, I'd always been excited with this combination. This time, Alfred's version was well-executed as all the ingredients mixed in it complemented each other in awesome way. The vanilla ice cream and vanilla milk sauce made the overall vanilla flavor played stronger game, the caramelized banana slice simply became best buddy to the maple-glazed bacon, and the cornflakes & almond successfully added pampering crunchy element into the dessert.

Despite I did think it's quite too pricey, I couldn't lie that I loved this sweet quite too much. It's the type that could make me desire going back to have it again and again. 

Having me hitched at my premiere visit especially due to the foods, Alfred did make me exited to have my upcoming visit coming soon. I'm so interested to try much more from their burger menu. I bet their Royal and Bae would be the next couples I would go for!

Taste: 8/10

Place: 7.5/10

Service: 7.5/10

Price: 7/10

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ALFRED

Address: Seibu GF, Grand Indonesia West Mall, Jakarta

Phone: (+62 21) 2358 0178

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun 10am - 10pm

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Plunge

Literally translating the name, you might wrongly get it as a name of a diving course, or at least sports equipment shop? Well, it wouldn’t be here on my blogpost for sure if it’s either of those two. In fact, Plunge’s a brand new cafe in West Jakarta, to be precise Pesanggrahan. OK, I could see the excitement of the ‘west kid’ going to the roof now ;)

Presented in minimalist style, the venue looked neat and homey; simply said ZEN. It’s like nice at the sight and modest in the arrangement; the type of place which might be not the first to steal your attention, but the one that will be able to make you stuck on the couch not feeling like going home, and surely the place that seemed to keep calling you to come back. A quite impressive transformation of a shophouse into awesome coffee shop has been nailed!

Having an impeccable space with perfect ambiance, I placed big hope on the ‘tummy spoilers’ because it would be the other mandatory checklist besides the spot itself. 

I was elated skimming through the menu, finding it’s dominated by intercontinental dishes, well fusion of Western and Asian. So your options ranged from rice, bread, pasta, and many more. To note, both savory and sweet palate were welcomed here as they were pretty fair in trying to delight both. 

Hot Piccolo (IDR 30k)

I started my Sunday treat by trying their ‘wake-up call’, a cup of Hot Piccolo. I did get that ‘kick on the butt’ as the beans were apparently pretty acidic. It was also quite strong, so in case you couldn’t take too-heavy kind of cup, I suggested you to go for the Cappuccino or Latte. 

Truffle Mac and Cheese (IDR 76k)

Yeay! The heart-stealer dish was finally landed on the table beautifully, exactly like what I saw in the picture. Some of you might think I was over-exaggerating the appearance, but for me who’s so much into pasta cooked in creamy kind of sauce, this was huge temptation! 

Once you tried the dish yourself, you might get the same feeling as me now, as if you could smell that mind-blowing truffle aroma just by looking at the picture. Imagine the petite shell pasta, which was cooked al-dente, mixed with spicy cheese sauce - surely something not mainstream and would prevent you from easily getting nauseated as well since you got that chili touch in the dish. Not stopping there, you would also be pampered by extra doze of cheese and you might wanna lift up your glass and gimme a toast as it’s Feta! Don’t get happy too easily guys, the dish still had more elements to please you, since your pasta wouldn’t go solo. It came with crispy bacon and spam, and further topped with garlic crumble, giving complete set of delicacy. Last but not least, the skin to your KFC, crispy pork rind or some of you might know as Chicharon. Yep, the part you wanna save for the last to make it playing its climax role!

Salted Caramel Cake (IDR 49k)

My climax wouldn’t stop there as you knew it’s still savory only. Could you gimme a shout from the sweet team?? ;)

OK who had just shouted out loud, I believed you would get yourself stuck for awhile at the point where you stood when you just got your first footstep into the venue. Wondering why? Because the cake display was right there in front of you! My biggest first crush were the duo, Srikaya Pie and Salted Caramel Cake. Nonetheless, the barista told me that the latter was the favorite of the crowd so I followed ‘the rest of the world’. 

The cake looked quite familiar as I was sure I’d ever had it somewhere, just that I couldn’t recall when and where. Giving it a retrial wouldn’t hurt, would it? It finally turned out that the cake was way more attractive when it’s delivered on the table. Simple reason, it was decorated with caramel drizzle and peanut crumbles, making it looked crowded and more lively!

The great appearance wasn’t deceiving, and I loved how the cake combined moist spongy texture with soft cream in between the layers. Some people might perceive it quite sweet but for me it’s just right, especially that hint of salted caramel simply delivered more variation of flavors in each bite. My personal highlight was doubtlessly the crumbles, which came as extra happiness and went beyond just being nice-to-have toppings; reminded me of my all-time favorite nougat!

Having my delectable lunch experience, I couldn’t add more comments than just give it a try yourself and yes, I bet I would say ‘you’re welcome’ afterwards ;)

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

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PLUNGE

Address: Jl. Pesanggrahan Raya 5b, Jakarta

Phone: (+62) 822 7799 0707

Operating Hours: Tue - Sun 8am - 10pm, Mon closed

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Vallee Neuf

Sounded like unfamiliar language? Well, we’re in the same shoes if you just nodded your head. Trying to browse a little bit, I figured out Vallee Neuf was a phrase in French meant New Valley. It’s quite peculiar, yet attractive enough, just that it’s kinda hard for me to remember the name as the language wasn’t that oftenly heard by myself. It’s kinda funny as I kept having to browse for the name when I was about to go there. For sure not funny when the driver asked where I wanna go and I said I didn’t know ;)

Currently you might find it not available yet on any online map application, but fortunately they wrote the address on the Instagram profile. I then figured out it’s the infamous Ruko New Jasmine, where lately many new cafes in Gading Serpong area resided. It was getting more and more packed since the last time I was here I guessed, with cafes and restaurants sitting next to each other in that single alley. The competition seemed to play stronger now!

Occupying a shophouse, Vallee Neuf was actually not that gigantic cafe, yet spacious enough and quite accommodating as it provided both indoor and outdoor area. As the outdoor space reserved the back side of the venue, it wasn’t that hot to sit there. The theme carried was simple enough with monochromatic colors dominated by grey and light brown. 

The bar table as, which was also the order point was doubtlessly the center of attention, since that’s where all the gorgeous-looking desserts were displayed. Yes, this was surely my kind of paradise as they did focus on pampering sweet tooth like me! Cookies, cakes, pastries, tarts, just name it <3

Chocolate Mint Charlotte (IDR 38k)

The most tempting one for my sight as chocolate lover was this beautiful slice of cake. I knew I wasn’t that much into mint, but yeah my gut just said why not giving it a try. It served mousse-alike texture, with milk chocolate taste. It’s okay-ish for me, being neither too bold for the chocolate but neither too milky as well. At first I thought the edge would be crispy like pie, but turned out it’s more into soft one, kinda similar to the texture of lady finger. You needn’t worry if you weren’t a mint guy just like me, as I could barely taste the mint flavor as well. Overall, not bad to be tried :)

Paris Brest (IDR 36k)

Paris Brest always captured my attention with its classy look. That cream layer in between was always the most attractive and I was quite happy that Vallee Neuf’s came in quite petite version so I could save some space for trying more from the display! If I could rank my 3 orders, this would win the runner-up in terms of taste. The choux was fluffy and the praline cream was quite pleasant despite I wouldn’t call it best of a kind. Non-dessert lover could surely have it since it’s pretty light and not going extreme with the sweetness. 

Amandine (IDR 33k)

I was the one fell for this at first time since its glossy look made it become so irresistible. I even initially thought it’s dummy just for display since the look seemed to be too good to be true. Turning from just being additional order, actually this Amandine won the number one podium from all of my orders. The almond and butter scent could be strongly felt once it melted in the mouth! The combination of texture from the crispy pie and the moist filling was an impressive and addictive duo. Even my sister who mostly said no to almond loved it to bits!

Hot Cappuccino (IDR 37k)

The mandatory drink didn’t take absent even this time. Being the nice buddy to the sweets fellas, it tasted not bad with its medium body and low acidity. The aroma was where I wished to get something stronger though. The presentation? It's my top of mind; but not because of the latte art but the uber cute saucer, which I thought I'd never met elsewhere before.

Butter beer (IDR 42k) 

Moving to the more interesting one, when I spotted Butter Beer was served there, I knew I shouldn’t miss the chance to try it. It just made me realize how I missed sipping this drink while strolling around Universal Studio, the place that introduced me to this awesome drink for the first time. Vallee Neuf version was pretty pleasing and played great role in curing my craving, so do take this as a call for you who’s as much as myself into the drink! Not to forget, thanks to the house for the complimentary cookies and nuts, being perfect companion to my butter beer! I felt like watching movies having this set on my hand!

After my delightful experience in the premiere visit, I could only say that I was excited waiting for the upcoming one, trying more from the shelf, and who knows if they would invent more innovative recipes to spoil my taste bud? ;)

Taste: 7/10

Place: 7/10

Service: 8.5/10

Price: 7.5/10

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VALLEE NEUF

Address: Ruko New Jasmine HA 16 No. 23, Gading Serpong, Tangerang

Phone: (+62 21) 5568 4129

Operating Hours: Tue - Sun 10am - 6pm

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Piknik at Arif Inn

The tagline of #butuhpiknik seemed to be booming lately, yeah prolly aligned to the hype of vuca world where everything was so unstable, unpredictable, highly dynamic- and simply said it meant require you to be much energetic and way more agile than you’d ever been earlier! Holiday has become one of the essential elements people craved for the most, some indeed for stress relief, while some might also be for social recognition. OK, cut it short, people just want that chillin’ vacay badly or in more iconic Indonesian word, #butuhpiknik!

Awesome news, Piknik Cafe has tried visualizing this into reality by establishing its uber cute summer-themed cafe, which made me once again felt the hype of such-concept in Canggu got more and more flourishing in our J-town. You might have the right picture already in your imagination with the Instagenic flamingo decoration, green plants covering most corners, catchy pink walls, and unquestionably the mandatory pool at the center completed with the cute floaties! YES..YES..YES..nothing went too far from those checklists!!

One unique fact, Piknik was actually taking place in an inn residing at South Jakarta. Well, for sure great news for the inn guests as they could enjoy kind of point of attraction, which was still within ‘the empire’ of their place of stay. For those who were more into ‘North or West kid’, this area might go too South and too rarely be touched. Nonetheless, for those staying in Tangerang just like me, well it’s not that close to home but strategic enough to be reached. Let’s not mention the traffic to shoo away the bad mood ;)

Feeling like singing Cabeo’s Havana, I started skimming the menu to trigger the excitement for my tummy. Kinda disappointing honestly, because most menu I wanna go for wasn’t available. I was even kinda confused as I thought there were more dishes not available than available ones. IMHO, if they’re indeed not ready yet, better not mentioning the dishes on the menu or at least temporarily covered them just to avoid the guests for over expecting. 

Japanese Tuna Salad Bowl (IDR 45k)

Matching the summer theme, there came the Hawaiian poke bowl. Not that much into rice, I opted for the salad version with main protein of tuna. It’s quite pocket-friendly price compared to similar ones, but I couldn’t deny that some of the veggies and the tuna weren’t that fresh. The variation in the bowl was pretty rich with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, onions, fried garlic, and olive. The dressing was luckily not bad as well, so I could still enjoy the overall taste despite I wouldn’t call it able to trigger me having my next one. 

Cenil Rainbow Ice (IDR 45k)

Cenil rainbow ice without the cenil itself; might sound weird, yet that’s the ugly truth I finally went for because other desserts were not there. This colorful shaved ice featured some toppings underneath, including fermented cassava, black sticky rice, mung bean, and kidney bean; like what we probably more familiar to call as Es Campur. Quite simple dessert, okay-ish for the palate and perhaps perfect choice to quench the thirst in the middle of the super hot sunny day. 

Mangosteen Probiotik (IDR 27k)

As recommended by the waiter, I tried this healthy drink, which was claimed as not having additional sweetener besides the natural sweetness coming from the ingredients itself. It looked and tasted more like dragon fruit than mangosteen for me, and seemed like there’s a hint of mint as well but I wasn’t really sure. Overall it’s refreshing enough, might be interesting to be tried if you’re with me in the highly curious boat. 

Purple Lemonade (IDR 32.5k)

How it looked was best described by how it was called as it’s literally purple. I loved the presentation and the play of colors as they simply looked adorable and kinda anti-mainstream. The lemon sorbet was lovely and peculiar at the same time, catching my attention at the first place! It might be debatable as my sister said it had strong leaf scent, but for me it’s actually not bad. 

All in all, I guessed the place was kinda nice for first-timer like me, especially hunting those ‘hot photo spots’! It might be bit hot in the afternoon especially if it’s a sunny day, but luckily they had the indoor space as well. The improvement that might be required was on the foods and availability. Well, stocking wouldn’t be harmful, would it? ;)

Taste: 6/10
Place: 6.5/10
Service: 6/10
Price: 6.5/10

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PIKNIK AT ARIF INN

Address: Arif Inn, Jl. Pertanian Raya No. 53, Jakarta

Phone: (+62 21) 7692 305

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun 12pm - 10pm

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