Saturday, December 23, 2017

Ronna Cakes

I couldn’t really tell why, but the moment I spotted the setting and the appearance of the cake shop, I somehow got the impression of going to Mom’s kitchen. It felt so homey with mostly homemade cakes being the products offered. A petite bakery with lovely ambiance that could get the guests feel comfortable right away without offering anything too much. 




On the walls you could spot the family pictures, looking happy and some what expressing the warmth of the togetherness. Everything might look simple but yeah, I couldn’t deny how I found myself sitting on the couch in relax and ain’t gonna move an inch. 
  


From the tiny space of the dining area, you could already tell that they did focus more on serving takeaway orders. While enjoying my cakes, I could spot guests coming in, picking up their choices of bread, pastries, and cakes then took them home. Not few did make bulky purchases. Yeah, I did admit that most items came in highly affordable prices and perhaps that’s the key driver. 




Despite Ronna did provide many of the basic sweets, which were mostly all-time favorites like simple soft cakes, spikoe, lapis legit, and traditional doughnuts; they did tap the latest hype. Cakes like Mocha Nougat, Cheesecakes, and many of a kind were there sitting beautifully in the showcase. I’d just figured out that they’d been in the industry for quite long time, but they used to do online one only before this physical store was finally there. Cakes with complicated decoration have been their daily doze and receiving order-by-request have been their breakfast. 





Mocha Nougat Cake (IDR 22.5k)


Thanks to the nice attendant who has helped me a lot in making my final pick on what to have. I was in the mood for cakes at that time and she assisted me by explaining each of those available cakes, including calling out the most loved ones. My first pick fell to the cake currently sitting on top of the trending topic chart, Mocha Nougat! Yeah, it’s like literally everyone starting to serve their own version. Some were outstanding with their own innovation, but not few were like nice-try. 


Bluntly speaking, Ronna’s version was okay-ish for me, despite the spongecake was slightly too dry. Nevertheless, the layers in between were lovely, precisely coming as the sweet element complementing the whole cake. The nougat layer that served as the coating was not bad, but I would say it hadn’t beaten some of my favorite versions. Perhaps crunchier texture would cure? ;)

Lemon Cheesecake (IDR 22.5k)


Moving to the creamier one, the infamous cheesecake, one of my biggest crush among the dessert family. This one wasn’t that mainstream as it added the hint of lemon, including the orange peel. I loved how this simple cake crafted the balance between sweet and sour; a refreshing slice coming in soft and not overly creamy texture, preventing you from getting nauseated. The crumbly base was lovely as it flawlessly added extra line on the texture portfolio. 

Hot Teh Tarik (IDR 12k)


First time I spotted this drink on the menu, I could already tell it would surely be the instant one as the price did explain. Knowing this, I wouldn’t comment much as you might have known how it tasted. For me who did love the instant Teh Tarik, I didn’t mind it and the cup still became good companion for my cakes. 


If you happened to stroll around Gading Serpong, Ronna was worthy to try. You might even just stop-by and take away their bread or pastries besides the cakes.


Taste: 7/10
Place: 6.5/10
Service: 8/10
Price: 7.5/10

Thanks for reading! :)


RONNA CAKES
Address: Ruko Golden 8 Blok K No. 32, Jl Ki Hajar Dewantara Gading Serpong, Tangerang
Phone: (+62 21) 2222 9341 / (+62) 822 1000 5885
Operating Hours: Mon - Sat 7am - 7.30pm, Sun 9am - 7.30pm


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Atlast Kahve & Kitchen

This semi open-air white house was more than success in getting me fallen into amazement with its interior. Yeah, white house, that’s exactly how I preferred to call it as the design was dominated by white color. A very brilliant idea there as all the walls decoration could stand out perfectly put on top of the clean background. With the glass windows and glass doors covering all the corners, the place gave that super homey feeling, where you could enjoy lazy time on the couch with the natural lighting from the bright sun. You needn’t worry of getting sweated, since the room’s fully air-conditioned. Well, for sure it’s the case if we chose to sit at the indoor area. 







The case would be different if you preferred enjoying their outdoor one, which was available at the left side and the backyard. I guessed this truly open-air  seats were provided for the smokers. It’s actually nice as you could enjoy the fresh air, but perhaps not the ideal choice during the noon as it’s pretty hot. 



As the cafe was still in its very early stage, being less than a month old, they were offering very interesting promotion where you could get free appetizer for any purchase of main course, as well as free tea for any purchase of other drinks. Not stopping there, this butterfly-themed space did give free voucher worth IDR 50k that the guest could use at the next visit. WOOOWW! What an offer, isn’t it?!


Another point capturing my attention was their warm service delivered by all the waiters and waitresses. They looked like professionally trained with the delightful greeting, the detailed product knowledge, and the convincing recommendation on the dishes to go for. 




Beef Chimichangas (IDR 38k)


Desiring to open the day with something light, I opted for the Chimichangas, available in beef and chicken, for which I picked the first. Oops, I guessed I made the wrong choice here; not because the dish wasn’t good, but it’s quite a fulfilling one instead of a small-sized appetizer as I thought. Perhaps this was what-so-called blessing in disguise LOL. 


You’d better not underestimate the appearance when you thought it’s not that gigantic, and wait till you try it yourself. The extremely generous stuffing served was such excitement. It’s like my tortilla wrap fully stuffed with juicy and flavorful beef slices. Not to mention the combination with red and green peppers as well as onions, turning the overall dish to be stunning! Demanding even richer mix of flavors? Try enjoying it with the guacamole, tomato salsa, and sour cream, and get your palate spoiled!!

April in Bali (IDR 95k)


What a catchy name! If you’re currently having either Ayam Betutu or roasted pork in your mind, you’d better shoo away that thought as this wasn’t even close to that. I wasn’t sure why it’s named like this, but if I could mention my guesstimate, it’s perhaps the presentation that looked as gorgeous as the sunny April in Bali. At least all the basic colors I could call out, were there served on my plate beautifully, coming from both the main protein and the side veggies. 


The grilled Norwegian Salmon did play its primary role flawlessly, with the gigantic size and the scrumptious mix of flavors. The fish was perfectly cooked that the beautiful pink meat was indulgently moist and the skin was impeccably crispy. The extra happiness for the palate was landed by the housemade beetroot sprinkles on top, giving that additional crunchy sensation. The veggies were slightly undercooked, but the carbo was lovely. Despite being side dish only, I could see the chef’s seriousness in crafting the mashed potato as it’s flavorful and the texture is doubtlessly good. Having this meal with the Quattro Formagi sauce or what you’re more often called as Four Cheese sauce, I would say it did worth every single penny spent, being awesome in both quality and quantity. 

Hot Cappuccino (IDR 32k)


As the name called out Kahve, even before the Kitchen word, so there’s no reason for not trying the coffee. I wasn’t sure and did forget to ask why it’s served in a latte glass instead of cappuccino’s, but I surely didn’t mind as the most important part, the taste was not disappointing. It’s slightly milky, but still at totally acceptable level. A nice cup with coddling coffee aroma and flavor, as well as smooth finishing to give the happy ending. 

Iced Pome Tea (IDR 32k)


The free treat from the house was this iced tea as I mentioned in the beginning. I was surprised yet surely glad knowing that I could make my choice for the free tea and it was the flavored instead of plain one. Initially I opted for Yuzu but as it’s out of stock, the Pome one came as the substitute. Great alternative that I didn’t regret at all, being a glass of refreshing thirst quencher. It would be a pleasant choice for non-coffee drinker, especially because you might not often have it in any other places. 



To end the story, I would clearly say that it’s a superior first-time experience for me to dine at Atlast. I enjoyed everything I had on the table to their fullest and I would have no excuse for not coming back and becoming loyal customers.


Taste: 8/10
Place: 8.5/10
Service: 8/10
Price: 8/10


Thanks for reading! :)


ATLAST KAHVE & KITCHEN
Address: Jl. Kelapa Gading Barat Blok CB 3 No. 5, Gading Serpong, Tangerang
Phone: (+62) 858 8038 8880
Operating Hours: Sun - Thu 7am - 9pm, Fri - Sat 7am - 11pm


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Cornerstone Roastery

Let’s give a big hand-wave to the new fella in this epicly growing coffee shop population. Hello and welcome Cornerstone! When some people might think names were just names and there were nothing so relevant about them, for some others who belonged to different boats might perceive names differently. I believe those stood at the latter groups did believe Cornerstone had chosen insightful name. The phrase that would deliver deep meaning and strong interpretation as it could be translated into the word ‘foundation’. Well yeah, my guesstimate told me that the owner might wish this cafe to stand strong and survive within the tough condition of the market and the industry. OK stay relax guys, I would stop there and not bring the conversation to the deeper level.



Wondering how this ‘strong foundation’ (don’t get confused, I’m just trying to make another name as the analogy) looks like? It’s a quite minimalist one, with only single line of table at the first floor and a petite table next to the showcase, where they displayed the beans and some coffee-making equipment they sold. Despite the simplicity, the way they arranged the overall set up made the venue ended up comfy, especially the special spot with kind of indoor roof, occupying the front corner. Besides it was the Instagenic minimalist grey-ish spot where there were two woven seats, precisely like those you often saw in any Kinfolk mags. 



Climbing up to the second level, which was actually not that ready yet, they were planning to make working space with long communal table at one spot, then few petite private rooms with smaller tables. It’s funny as I got it like a course center, yet I guessed they’re just trying to arrange the limited space best. Great effort put there! 


For those whose palate and tummy could be easily satisfied by the dynamic duo of pastry and coffee, I had something terrific to tell you. Just with IDR 55k, you could easily get the yummy couple, 1 pastry and 1 cup of coffee, both of your choice. I wasn’t sure if this would be something permanently offered or just temporarily and I was in a boat with the lucky ones!

Knowing the pastry mostly came from the kitchen of BEAU, I was so enchanted for this morning sweets. Well yeah, I’ve tried some of BEAU’s creations and the most memorable one, the signature menu that kept calling back was indeed their sweet pastries.

 Mushroom Pastry Square



Without further due, I right away placed my order, taking the complete set of flavors, combining savory and sweet pastries. Actually from my ‘Beau experiences’, I’ve never gone for their savory pastries, thus today marked my premiere try. Starting with something with more seasonings, I had this squared-shape flaky pastry, which I did agree that honestly it had nothing looked really appealing to get people drooling. Nevertheless, if you then questioned why I could pick it up, it’s mainly because I asked for the ingredients and those components mentioned simply got me hitched. Mushrooms, tomatoes, and various cheese; yeah indeed the last one played the biggest role in capturing my attention. Thankfully it did not let me fall into disappointment as the taste wasn’t bad at all, though I couldn’t mention it as excellent either. If I had to call out one point that could turn it better, I would say greater balance between the cheese and the tomato. You might think (or might be actually the case indeed) that I was bias as I loved cheese, but my palate did demand lighter tomato flavor and bolder cheese!

Salted Egg Yolk Croissant


No need to put too much worry, the next order was definitely the savior of the day and I could already tell it from the start that my taste bud would definitely fancy it more. Two simple reasons, first I’d tried it and second I did love sweets more to savory. Just one thing, I initially didn’t expect it would turn out this gigantic, which made me ended up having love-hate relationship with the dish. I was somehow happy that the size was huge, meaning I could enjoy it longer, but I hated knowing the fact that the impact lasted too long on the hips. Well yeah, let’s just be happy and forget the calories LOL. 


Slicing the golden brown croissant, the flaky pastry had stimulated the appetite to go to its highest. Then looking at the blend of the salted egg yolk filling, milk, and cream fla bursted out and overflowed around the plate, I was struggling holding my jaw from dropping. The first bite was surely the heaven, with perfect crispiness from the skin, complemented by the almond crumble. This piece of paradise was like perfect example of balance, in terms of the texture as well as taste; being crispy outside and perfectly molten inside, neither overly sweet nor bland. Saying everything shortly, top notch!!

Hot Cappuccino

Hot Piccolo 


Have we reached the end? For sure not! As I mentioned earlier, Cornerstone was being nice to the guests, offering a pair of morning booster for you instead of single one. The choice ranged from all the coffee-based beverages on the menu. Having 2 cups given, I got the chance to try my mainstream couple every time it came to being a first-timer in any coffee shop; Cappuccino and Piccolo. 


As expected, my palate fell deeper for the piccolo with its stronger body and perfect size for morning cup. Besides, as the beans were actually medium roasted ones, Cappuccino turned a bit milky for my kind of preference. But for sure as it’s simply the matter of preference, you absolutely could choose which one would prolly suit you better since you understood your own taste bud best. 


Oh well, thanks to Cornerstone for opening my day with my flawless kind of breakie; sweets plus coffee, the dynamic duo which did sound and look simple but turned out could make the rainbow went more colorful in my day.
Taste: 7.5/10
Place: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Price: 7.5/10

CORNERSTONE ROASTERY
Address: Ruko Diamond Blok 3 No. 60, Jl. Gading Golf Boulevard, Tangerang
Phone: (+62) 85885 916 916
Operating Hours: Mon - Fri 10am - 10pm, Sat 8am - 10pm, Sun 8am - 6pm


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