Big Brunch-ing at The Fctry Bistro & Bar

Recently, it’s so hard to find spare time to write the review on places I visited. It’s either I had something to do with my office workloads or I was simply too tired and all I wanted to do was just sleep :p. But yeah, I guessed it’s right when people said that time’s about priority as you would always try to find time for something you prioritized. So here I am, finding time to write one more review for you to enjoy. However, before you continue reading, I want to apologize in advance as this time, the review will be very very short. But you needn’t worry! I promise I will come up real soon with another review, surely the LONGER one :))

So actually why it’s so short? Last weekend, I went to West Jakarta area to throw a birthday surprise for my friend there. Then, we ate lots of sweets for the breakie and I was already full at the time I was thinking of what to have for lunch. However, I didn’t want to miss this opportunity. Realizing that West Jakarta was far far away from my boardinghouse, so by the time I was here, I certainly had to try something new! And the choice went to The Fctry Bistro and Bar, one of the long-awaiting place I really wanted to visit.

 

As reflected by the name (although they removed all the vocals in the word), the place indeed looked like a factory. Decorated with pipes and machine-alike stuffs, you would feel as if you were an engineer in a production plant. I was impressed with the design and I found it so unique. It was simply just different from the common design of any booming restaurants or coffee shops. 

Having a full belly, it was quite hard to decide on what to eat. Usually, I would go for dessert. But this time, dessert was a NO NO. I had had too much sweets. Soooo, I then chose to order their signature brunch menu, The Big Brunch.

The Big Brunch (IDR 100k)

I was quite happy looking at the presentation of this dish as it was colorful and it seemed like there were so many ingredients inside it. As the name said, it was indeed a big brunch looking at the generous portion. Not only that, I thought you also agreed with me that this dish was so photogenic!

Now it came to the most important part, tasting! I always began with eggs when I tasted any breakfast or brunch menu. For me, the scrambled egg was good enough and I loved the quite strong blackpepper taste of it. Next was the carbo part, which was the Rösti. For you who were asking what Rösti was, it was a Swiss dish which was basically made of pan-fried coarsely grated potatoes. The Rösti was well-seasoned and the taste was nice enough. The grilled baby tomatoes on it were great as well. Then what’s next? I would rather go with the meat part first, which were the ham and sausages. Both of them had balanced salty and savoury level, but I was not really in love with them. Generally, the meat component of breakfast or brunch menu was the one I was really into, as well as the one that mostly impressed me. However, this time I did not taste something exceptional with the ham (though it tasted good enough), and I was slightly disappointed with the sausage as instead of chewy, the texture was more like minced meat for me. Saving the best for the last, I mentioned the mushrooms after all other components. Actually, they consisted of Enoki and either Creminis (baby portobellos) or Porcini (kinda similar to Portobello) (I was not sure as they somehow looked alike for me). They were indeed the crème de la crème of this dish as they were sauteed into perfection! If I had to have this dish again, I was willing to replace the giant sausage with these wonderfully taste mushrooms!

So, I just had one menu to share on this review and sorry once again for that. As I could not give you much reference on this place, there’s nothing wrong with giving it a try and perhaps this time you could be the one giving me suggestions on it :P

Taste: 7.5/10

Place: 8.5/10

Price: 7.5/10

Service: 8/10

Thanks for reading! :)

THE FCTRY BISTRO AND BAR

Address: St. Moritz Puri Indah-Electronic City, GF No. 93, Jl. Puri Lingkar Luar Barat

Phone: (021) 2911 1038

Operating hours: Mon – Fri 9am – 10pm, Sat – Sun 9am – 12pm

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Meet the "Who-Doesn't-Know" Red Velvet and Friends at UNION

Thinking that this place is too mainstream? Hey hey hey.. I guess you need to re-think again. Because the gap between ‘mainstream’ and ‘it’s simply just the best’ might be very very small. If you think that this restaurant is crowded just because it’s happening and people wanna look exist by coming here, you’d better give it a try before judging :p. Why? Union has been there for quite long time, but still, it’s almost always fully occupied all day long (not to mention on weekend).

Again lucky me, Union is just a 15-minute-walk from my boarding house. So, I’m always able to immediately have that giant piece of ‘who-doesn’t-know’ red velvet every time I crave for it. Ok, I’m seeing that envy face now :p. I actually have been to Union for quite many times, but I’ve just written my very first review on it this time. So, be ready to keep drooling as I’ll be quite generous in this review by providing you many references :)

Beef & Mozzarella Melt on Toasted Brioche (IDR 110k)

Before going to the main savoury dish, let’s have an introductory session with the brunch menu first. If only you’re holding Union’s brunch menu on your hand right now, it would be very easy for you to guess which dish a cheese lover like me would order. Yeah, this Beef & Mozzarella Melt is surely the perfect choice for any cheese fanatic. You might be even gladder to know that Union is actually quite generous for the portion, even though this one is a brunch menu, which commonly comes with not too big size.  Although this dish is just a simple combination of smoked beef, melted mozzarella, toast, fresh veggies, and chips; I think it’s satisfying enough. If I have to pick one element of this dish that I favor the most, I will doubtlessly pick the sauce served together with the dish. I’m not sure about its ingredients, but it has balanced sweet taste and it’s simply a great mate for the toast.

Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese & Capers on Pretzel Rolls (IDR 90k)

This is another appealing dish from Union’s brunch menu. I actually haven’t tried it as my friend was the one having this dish. Presentation wise, it’s served beautifully. My friend did enjoy it as the Salmon was so fresh, as what you might also see in the picture. What’s so unique from this dish is the Pretzel rolls, which you might rarely find in other restaurants’ brunch menu. 

Union Burger, Bacon, Aged Cheddar, Fries (IDR 100k)

Apologize in advance for the bad picture. This was taken quite long time ago, when I was still not attracted as I am today at taking great pictures of foods :p. Ok, forget about the picture, let’s just go to the taste. For me, this burger’s patty is surely the star of the dish. It is so tender and juicy, making you feel as if you are enjoying high-quality steak that’s stuck between 2 pieces moist bread. The bacon and melted cheddar successfully make this burger worth even more for the quite high price paid. Not to forget, the soul mate of any burger, the golden brown French Fries. Because there will always be something missing from a great burger when it doesn’t come with great French Fries.

Spaghetti with Pork Crackling, Bacon Lardons, and Alba Truffle Cream (IDR 80k) – non halal

This appealing pasta was also my friend’s dish. Just from the presentation, you can immediately know that it’s so creamy. If you’re a creamy pasta enthusiast just like me, I believe you’re now drooling looking at this picture (you might drool even more when you see the real one!). Served with Pork Crackling and Bacon Lardons, this dish is surely piece of heaven for any pork lover!

Crispy Skin Salmon, Mashed Potatoes, Orange & Ginger Soy (IDR 140k)

For you the salmon lovers, this one is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! It’s one of my two most favorite Salmon dishes (another one is Tea Smoked Salmon Trout from Baker’s Gallery, until now I still can’t decide which one is better). Not only that, this dish is also my most favorite savoury dishes at Union. I really really love the moist texture of the fish and of course the crispy salmon skin, which I always save to be enjoyed at the last bite. I also admire the smooth mashed potatoes and the refreshing slices of orange, which come as perfect companion for this wonderful dish.

Latte (IDR 30k)

I won’t give much comment on this latte. Just a kind reminder for you who don’t really like coffee with quite high acidity, you’d better order latte instead of cappuccino. As it contains more milk, the milk can balance the acid taste from the coffee itself. Moreover, as I prefer to enjoy my coffee hot instead of warm, I do love how Union serves its hot beverages as the temperature perfectly suits me.

Strawberry Juice (IDR 40k)

Watermelon Juice (IDR 40k)

If you prefer something fresh (and healthy maybe :p), then there’s nothing wrong with trying their fresh juice. I’m not really sure whether they add sugar or not to the juice, but based on what I tasted, I think they either not adding sugar at all or only adding slight amount of sugar. Most importantly, the juice is indeed fresh as the original taste of the fruit is very strong.

I don’t care whether you believe in the statement of “there’s always room for desserts” or not, but one thing for sure, trying Union cake is a must! If you’ve dined in Union but you’ve never had its cake, then unfortunately I have to say that you haven’t really dined in Union.

Nastar Crumble (IDR 50k)

Another unique menu from Union, but this time it’s desserts. You might have been familiar with Nastar or you might even have had it in so many occasions. However, having it as a sliced cake might be something new for you, including for me, who was very curious to try this cake when I was firstly aware of it. Combining pineapple jam, cookie crumble, and vanilla sponge cake, this distinctive cake has successfully delivered exceptional taste! Blending sweet and slightly sour taste into a single cake is indeed a brilliant idea. This new innovative way to enjoy Nastar is certainly worth to try.

Peanut Butter and Jelly (IDR 60k)

Some of you might have heard the term “peanut butter and jelly” for quite many times in movies or cartoons. Some might have tried it as well. I know it’s not really common in Indonesia yet, but it’s somehow quite familiar in American countries as people there love to enjoy peanut butter with jam. Reflected by the name, this cake is actually layers of vanilla sponge cake with generous amount of peanut butter in between and much more peanut butter and crushed peanuts on top and side of it. Not to forget, the jelly itself! It’s basically strawberry jam that’s put together with the peanut butter on top of the cake. If you love peanut butter, you’ll surely love this cake! Just one message, beware of getting very full when you eat this cake as the portion’s big and remember it’s peanut butter! :p

 

Red Velvet (IDR 50k)

Having tried this or not, I believe you’re surely aware of this ‘who-doesn’t know’ red velvet I have talked about before. Some of you might even have known it as the best red velvet ever in Jakarta! I’m neither over-exaggerating this cake, nor being paid to promote it. I have to admit that until the second I’m typing this sentence, this red velvet is still the best one I’ve ever had during my entire life and it is surely incomparable to any other red velvet existing on earth! The amazing combination of fluffy sponge cake, rich cream cheese, and adorable peanuts is surely unable to be described by words. Though the size is big, I have always failed to stop myself from having another spoon of it. And although I’ve tried some of Union’s other cakes, which also have awesome taste, the winning position of this red velvet is still irreplaceable for me.

Based on my experience, Union does not only serve you with cozy and elegant place, but also distinctive foods! If your taste bud is looking for unforgettable dining experience, I guess it has found the answer by now. The dishes served here surely worth both the price you pay as well as the time you spend for the queue. 

Taste: 9/10

Place: 9/10

Service: 8/10

Price: 8/10

Thanks for Reading! :)

UNION

Address: Plaza Senayan GF / Pondok Indah Mall 1 GF

Phone: (021) 5790 5861-62 / (021) 2952 9781-82

Operating hours: Mon – Sun 11am – 2am

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Inputs & comments: jessicagaby@ymail.com

Never-enough Cakes at Bistro Garcon

Yihaaa! Finally I can come up with another review for one of my ‘basecamps’. Why ‘basecamp’? Exactly! Because Garcon is located very close to my boardinghouse and it is one of my most favorite places to go for dessert. I really love this spacious restaurant as it is not only cozy for spending quite long time, but it is also able to make me feel the luxurious atmosphere due to its classic and elegant design. Unfortunately, I just realize that I’ve never taken even a single picture of Garcon’s adorable venue. Might be in my next visit, I should take some.

Gateau Au Fromage Blanc Passion (IDR 40k)

Let’s start with something fresh. Combining the infamous rare cheesecake with refreshing passion fruit, which I believe you would rarely find or even have never found, this cake has delivered a brilliant innovation through a slice of cake. You could enjoy the ideal mixture of sweet and sour taste through a beautifully served slice of cake. For you who did not really like too creamy cheesecake, this cake would once again encourage you to order it. Moreover, at the bottom part, you could find the thin crispy crust that perfectly suited the moist texture of the cheesecake on top of it.

Angeline (IDR 45k)

At a glimpse, this cake might look like cheesecake. However, it was totally different in actual. For you who desired slight alcohol taste to be enjoyed in your piece of cake, Angeline would surely be your angel. Blending burnt white chocolate mousse with Bailey’s toffee, this cake would give the answer to your craving. The unique Bailey’s toffee flavor perfectly balanced the sweet taste from the white chocolate mousse. Besides, the bottom part was also exceptional. It was somehow looked like cookie crumble, but with more moist and spongy texture, which of course added extra point to this cake. Overall, your taste bud would surely miss this unforgettable flavor.

Babel (IDR 40k)

In the middle of my confusion in choosing which cake to try first, I then picked Babel. Why? As I read through the explanation shown on the display, this cake was the combination of Chocolate Genoise (Italian sponge cake) and banana mousse. The first thing coming into my mind was what could go wrong when chocolate met banana? Surely nothing! Moreover, this cake’s presentation was just too good to be true! It looked engaging yet tempting. Taking the first bite, my mind was immediately blown away! It was SOOOO GOOD! The sponge cake was so moist and was not too sweet. The banana mousse completed with its refreshing taste and scent, which were perfectly blended into the cake. Coming as the extra bonus was the chocolate macaron on top of the cake, which did not only make Babel look more attractive, but also became additional happiness for your taste bud. Not to forget, there was one last hidden surprise from this cake, the peanut butter in the middle of it, which was invisible from the outer appearance of the cake. What else could I ask besides “May I have some more?”  

Rocher Monaco (IDR 40k)

 

Are you a chocolate lover? Then gimme a hi-five! So here was Rocher Monaco, the hazelnut chocolate tart which certainly would not fail to satisfy you. It’s just SUPER DUPER YUMMMM! So chocolate and absolutely so so so me! I can’t help myself from taking more spoons of it. Every single element of this cake was amazing. Pie crust was crispy, hazelnut chocolate taste was strong, and the chocolate glazing was gorgeous! Presentation wise, I thought Rocher Monaco was the winner of the most elegant appearance among all cakes.  

So if you’re trying to find a place to go for dessert, I believe now you’ve had the answer. Perfect taste, perfect place, perfect service; I am indeed a highly satisfied customer. Some of you now might wonder, “Then how about the savoury dishes?” Please kindly forgive me as I’ve never tasted one of them as well :p. But you needn’t worry. Once I try it, you’ll surely get the update!

Taste: 9/10

Price: 8/10

Service: 8.5/10

Place: 8.5/10

Thanks for Reading! :)

BISTRO GARCON

Address: Plaza Senayan L4

Phone: (021) 5790 0140

Operating hours: Sun – Thu 10am – 00am, Fri – Sat 10am – 02am

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Inputs & comments: jessicagaby@ymail.com