The Harvest Cakes & Pastries (Indonesia)
By
Tibs
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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
I discovered Chicory Cake Shop & Café randomly while heading to Kuningan from my home. Located on Jalan Sumenep, in the heart of Menteng, they serve a whole range of European pastries: Tarts, croissants, almond combs, choux and financiers. Decorated in an old-fashioned way with wooden bistro tables and chair, it really looks like a tiny "salon de thé" as we have in France. The Pastry Chef is an Australian and he is the one who makes all the pastries everyday. Chicory is surfing on the trend of the French Bakeries and Café recently opened in Jakarta like Paul Bakery in Pacific Place Mall or Eric Kayser in Plaza Senayan. This place is different as it is not a franchise. The quality standards are just as high in my opinion, just like the ones you could get in Europe or in other 5-star hotels in Jakarta. The price is a bit high though, around Rp50,000 for a pastry. Overall: Chicory is a recommended neighborhood pastry shop. It is great for meeting a close fr
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
In Pacific Place Mall, on the fourth floor, you have the possibility to enjoy a nice coffee at Liberica. That's what I did last time I went there. This place really looks like Starbucks but in a more elaborated way: Modern decor, cozy area, coffee to order at the counter, american pastries... This small coffee chain is Indonesian and currently has 5 outlets (Pacific Place, Kemang, Gandaria City, Central Park and Cilandak Town square). The name Liberica is taken from a rare coffee bean variant of Liberica beans. The main difference with Starbucks is that you can buy Beers and Wine. This is a weird concept when you think about it, Coffee and Wine ! Liberica Coffee in Pacific Place Pastries & Beverages Barista area
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
Giyanti Coffee Roastery is located on Jalan Surabaya, in Menteng. This place is so cozy ! It is not only a regular coffee place it is a real roastery. What does it mean ? Well, basically when you get in, you will find 2 big coffee roasters. Fresh coffee is sourced in many islands of Indonesia (Toraja, Aceh Gayo, Flores, Java, Padang among others) and is roasted every week in the coffee place. That is why the place is closed on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. The place is quite small actually but that what makes it unique and very comfortable. The owner of the place is always here and he will advice you on what kind of coffee you should have, depending on your tastes and on your mood ! I tried the Gluten-free pastries and that was good, even though I cannot really tell if it was actually gluten-free or not... Price are standard here even though it will be slightly cheaper than a coffee in a Starbucks in a mall. Other particularity of this place: there is a table soccer (or &
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.