TWG Tea Salons and Boutiques
By
Tibs
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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
Plan B is among the best Spanish restaurants in Jakarta . One of the reasons for that is the involvement of the 2 Spanish owners, in the kitchen and in the restaurant. They give a homey feeling to their place by welcoming guests and making sure everything is fine with their dining experience. The staff is also fast and friendly. I tried small dishes and appetizers only, which are not representative of their cuisine. I should still make a new visit to sample more items on the menu. What I had was quite simple and small but good (Greek Salad at 34,000rp++ and Salmon Carpaccio at 45,000rp++). It is not fine dining, rather home-style cooking at a reasonable price.
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!).
Holy Crab is one of the most happening new restaurants of 2014. It is exactly the kind of concept that works well with Jakartans as it combines food, fun and novelty. For once, it is not in a mall, and its owner, Albert Wijaya, has a background in the kitchen from Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Los Angeles. He is also the Executive Chef of Holy Crab. As the name suggest, Holy Crab serves various kinds of imported crabs (from Alaska) with a Cajun spicy sauce. It could be a restaurant like much others, but a few things make it rather unique: - Clients are given a plastic apron/bib before eating. You can see everyone wearing it and it sets the atmosphere: Relaxed and fun. - There are no plates, you eat directly off the table (where a paper is set) with your finger - You can refill your soft drinks as much as you want - Limited menu: It is mostly crab with also shrimps, lobsters and clams. - The crabs are huge: We had only 2 legs of the King Crab and it was more th
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...
The French restaurant Bistro Garçon comes from the same group behind Immigrant , De Luca , Rustique, and Monolog . I was happily surprised when I visited it to find out it is much more than your average restaurant inside a mall. I consider Bistro Garçon to be a true independent restaurant, with a passionate young French chef eager to please his guests. The place is rather small and simple, with a discreet French theme. You have a bar at the entrance with a good selection of wines, and a menu featuring mostly classics of French cuisine. Everything was perfect during my dinner in Garçon: The food, the portions, the presentation, the decoration, the service, the music, etc... They also have delicious pastries and desserts from their Japanese Chef.
Molly Malone’s Irish Pub opened in August 2012 on the ground floor of Plaza Arcadia Senayan. It is one of two authentic Irish bars in Jakarta, the other one being Murphy's in Kemang (same owners actually). Molly’s is divided into two separate sections, a traditional Irish pub and a live music venue Overall: With its location one floor below the infamous Red Square, it is ideal to kick start your weekend. There also have three comfortable VIP booths available to rent if you want a semi private area to enjoy the live music and soak up the party atmosphere.
TeSate is an Indonesian cuisine restaurant located in the malls Plaza Senayan and Pacific Place. It is usually very crowded, even though it is quite expensive in my opinion. I visited the TeSate Pacific Place, where I ordered the Jimbaran Grilled Fish (Rp180k for 400 grams!). The food looked delicious and the recipe seemed creative, but I found it lacked freshness (see the lemon on the picture for instance). For this particular dish, I recommend you to try Baruna Seafood restaurant in Menteng instead. In spite of that, I recommend TeSate to Indonesian food lovers who are looking for dishes more elaborate than those they can find in warungs or street food stalls. Their menu features an interesting variety of dishes and it is indeed a culinary journey through Indonesia. Expect to pay around Rp200k per person for a full meal + drinks. Latest news about TeSate Indonesia on Facebook: Click here .
Marutama Ra-men is a Japanese casual restaurant, with 4 locations in Jakarta. I visited the one in eX Plaza Indonesia, just in front of the XXI cinemas. They have two main specialties: Ramen (Japanese noodle) and Nabe (Japanese hot pot). We took the Nabe, a soup with vegetables (Rp35,000++) to which you can add various items. In our case, we ordered a Chicken (Rp24,000++), Fish ball (Rp18,000++), Tofu (Rp9,000++) and Cabbage (Rp9,000) supplement. As you can see, the price of your meal may vary from simple to triple depending on your appetite. On average though, you shouldn't pay more than Rp100,000, and I think that's enough for two persons. Marutaman Nabe Overall: I rarely go to Japanese restaurants so it's difficult for me to assess how a dish tastes in comparison with the authentic version. Yet, I've read many mixed-to-positive reviews about this place, and both my friend and I enjoyed our meal: The ingredients were fresh and flavorful, and the soup was healthy
Opened in 2009, Orient8 is the French and pan-Asian restaurant of the 5-star Hotel Mulia, in Senayan. I visited it with a friend in November 2011, and only tried their French food.
Opened at the beginning of July 2011, Union is the most happening bar in Jakarta at the time of writing. The owners are also behind Loewy and Cork and Screw , and they haven't changed their concept: Union has a retro setting, serves expensive "chic" food (but with average taste) and its atmosphere is both cosmopolitan and busy. The best thing about it is actually its location, with a view on the Plaza Senayan Courtyard, which I find quite unique in Jakarta: I visited on a Thursday afternoon, and it was so full that we had to wait about 10 minutes to get a table. The waiter was friendly, but visibly overwhelmed and still new to the job, which is normal only a few days after opening. The menu has something for everyone: Burgers (one of them with foie gras, yuk!), pastas, grilled meat, asian favourites, etc... Nothing very original. The prices are quite high: On average, a meal will cost you around Rp150,000k without drinks.