TWG Tea Salons and Boutiques
By
Tibs
→
TWG (The Wellness Group) is a distributor of quality teas founded in 2008. On their logo, which is a copy of the one of Mariage Frères, it is mentioned the date 1837 but it is obviously a deception. They also have some words written in French such as "Mélanges Exquis" or "Grand Crus Prestige", probably aimed at making consumers believe it is a French brand. But TWG is from Singapore and there is no shame in that. Part of their marketing strategies is the creation of high-end boutiques / restaurants / tea salon. There are already over 40 branches around the World, especially in Asia (only 1 in Europe and a few in US). The ideas is to position TWG as a luxury company by opening in premium locations, with a chic design and fine dining service. I had TWG Teas on several occasions and they were good for a non-expert like me. It seems to me that tea is a basic product, a commodity and I don't think there are "Grand Crus" like there are with
The Harvest must be the most widely-spread high-end bakery shops chain in Indonesia. They produce a whole range of pastries, cookies, breads and gift boxes, targeting mostly the middle-to-high class Indonesians. They are part of Mount Scopus group from Australian national Lal De Silva, who also owns several F&B venues in Jakarta, particularly Balboni , Negev and Chateau Blanc. I had tried their products on different occasions and my opinion about them changed over time. A few years ago, they were mostly about marketing and packaging. None of the food I tried with them was better than average. And then, I tried again last week their new Bali branch on Jalan Sunset Road in Kuta. I was really impressed there: The service was very attentive and professional. The menu and displays were attractive, with a profusion of choice (and even a full Western/Asian menu). The various pastries I tried were similar to what you could buy in Paris in terms of taste. At last, a
Eric Kayser Indonesia is now opened in Plaza Senayan. Just like Paul Bakery and Patisserie , it is an international French Bakery chain, very famous in France and in some big international cities (New York City, Tokyo, Singapore). Now that Eric Kayser is in Jakarta, I can compare those 2, in order to know which one is the Best Bakery in Jakarta (and where to find the best baguette!).
Tous les jours is a European style pastry/bakery which has spread rapidly in Jakarta in the past 2 years. It is now located in 14 malls in Jakarta and since their shops are quite successful, we can expect more openings ahead. The brand is originally from South Korea ( http://www.tlj.co.kr ) and it has expanded to the US, China, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia. I ate thousands of delicious croissants in France, but it is rare to find good ones abroad, and especially when they come from bakery chains. For that reason, I didn't have very high expectations when I tried one in Tous les Jours (at the Emporium Pluit branch). I also bought a Pain au Chocolat. The price is rather high, between 15,000rp and 25,000rp for the basic pastries. The taste was not bad, but they sugar coated the croissant and pain au chocolat which was really not needed. In the end, they both felt heavy on my stomach. The staff seemed very happy to work there and was very friendly. They greet by
Oh La La Maison is an upmarket version of the Oh La La cafés. It is located in Mega Kuningan in the ground floor of Bellagio Mall. It serves mostly French food, French bakery and French pastries with some other popular Asian and Western dishes. The design of the place is not extraordinary but it is neat. It features a wooden parquet, decorative tiles and various pictures or paintings of France on the walls. I tried the Honey Dijon Chicken Baguette (72,000k++): The whole sandwich was good enough but the bread was very soft and unfortunately not tasting like a real French baguette. I also had a Chocolate Croissant (20,000++), which was really big and again, far from tasting like an authentic Chocolate Croissant in France. In spite of the disappointing food, I still enjoyed Oh La La Maison. The waiters were very attentive and friendly, and the general atmosphere pleasant with good lounge music and a busy crowd.
Bakerzin is a long-time favourite dessert restaurant in Jakarta. I had never visited it until recently, in the Central Park branch. The place was very busy and I could not get a table nor a waiter until a few minutes. My first impression was that everything was very confused and unorganized. The manager of the restaurant may have seen that I was getting impatient and he started to take care of me, which really improved the whole experience. The menu is not just a menu, it is a full book with photos and text. My initial plan was to eat, but the pictures didn't look appetizing. I just took a Strawberry Juice and a Cherry Flan. Both were very average and they didn't match with the expectations one could have about Bakerzin considering its prices, its marketing, its locations (high-end malls), and its success. Overall : I will not try Bakerzin again. Opening hours: From 10am to 10pm every day (following the mall schedule) Contact Details of Bakerzin Restauran
JJ Royal Bistro is located in Senayan City Mall, not to confuse with JJ Royal Brasserie, located in Lotte Shopping Avenue. JJ Royal Bistro is a Restaurant, Bar and Bakery located in Senayan City Mall. This chain belongs to Foodie Habit Group, the same group that owns JJ Royal Coffee and the sugar Gulaku. When you first get in JJ Royal Bistro, you are amazed by the decor. It is so colourful and exentric ! They have colourful portraits hanging on the walls (and on the ceiling!) and they have Elizabeth chairs by famous designer Philippe Starck. So a lot of money spent on the decoration of the place, which is very attractive when you don't know the place. Plus anywhere you are in the Restaurant, the colourful Geisha is looking at you...
I recently discovered LapisLapis Sunter (multi-layers in Bahasa) located in the North of Jakarta (Jakarta Utara), near Kelapa Gading. Let´s face it, Sunter is not a regular place to hang out for expats or food lovers, but if you happen to be in this area to grab a coffee or for lunch, I strongly recommand LapisLapis Sunter.
Paul Bakery is now open in Jakarta, since December 2013. It is located right outside of Pacific Place Mall, near the Galeries Lafayette Department Store. You have 2 entrances : one for the Restaurant, if you want Dine-in, and one for the Bakery and Pastry shop. You also have a second outlet in Plaza Indonesia. I know Paul Bakery in France which is a widespread Bakery chain. Outside of France, it has a more high class positioning. I went there for Lunch and I took a "Croque Madame", a sandwich with cheese, turkey and egg sunny side-up, with a salad on the side. There was nothing fantastic about it. I took an Orange juice as a Drink and it was very watery, I could barely feel the Oranges ! In my opinion, the food in the restaurant is average, there's nothing fancy about it ( except for the price). On the opposite, the Bakery side is very good. They have a whole range of French and European bread which are among the best in Jakarta ! Same thing for the Pastrie