Kitchenette

grandma stella's strawberry elixir.

 

No stranger to great restaurant concepts, Ismaya group emphasize on everything homemade at Kitchenette. The feel of the restaurant is pretty much enjoying your food next to your own kitchen pantry. I really enjoyed the food and ambiance but hate the waiting lines especially at peak hours. As expected, the scene was pretty packed with socialites and Plaza Indonesia's power shoppers which stretch out their stays for hours. 

we love their nacho potato chips appetizer with cheese, chili, and jalapeno. crisp, cheesy, and flavorful! 

 

their specialties are gallete - savory buckwheat thin crepe. Antoine-Ego - filled with ham, cheese, mushroom caviar with truffle oil, this dish failed to bring it to the table. the crepe is too thin, I need more kick of flavor other than the truffle aroma.

the chicken is well seasoned and cooked perfectly. 

 

mama mia burger. juicy ground patty with egg, caramelized sweet onions, and specialty sauce. *drool* not only fancy on the eyes, this burger is pretty much BOMB. burst of sweet, tangy, melt-in-your-mouth kinda feel.

apple pie crumble. mediocre in taste, I expected the pie crumbs to be more crispy. 

For such charming layout and concept, I feel some of the dishes could have stronger consistency. Nevertheless, I'm not giving up on Kitchenette, the extensive range of menu still gives me hope to find more great meals.

Kitchenette

Plaza Indonesia Extension 1st Floor
Jl. MH. Thamrin Kav 28-30
Jakarta 10350
ph. +62(21) 2992 3580

Amandine Patisserie - Little French Corner

chicken baguette. chicken breast, tomato, grilled onions, mayo, dijon mustard, greens, provolone, french dressing.

croque madame. sauce bechamel, sunny side up egg, gruyere.

gateau fraise. strawberries, whipped cream, sponge cake. "light" dessert can be so deceiving.

I always want to drag my sleepyhead bum for breakfast at Amandine, so far mission unaccomplished. Breakfast is only served to 11.30 am on weekdays and with tons of excuses later, I guess I'm gonna keep enjoying their lunch.

The moment you walked in, a whole array of desserts are welcoming you, and how you can say no to those beautiful looking cakes and cookies. They have some delicious pastries as well, the french croissant was so crispy and buttery layer after layer. Either you go with the sandwiches, coffee, pastries, or desserts, you can't go wrong. Feel free to bring your laptop and enjoy their free wi-fi. The only cons of being in the business district, Amandine tends to get very busy at lunch hours and parking is annoying.

Amandine Patisserie 

12225 Wilshire Blvd 

Los Angeles, CA 90025

(310) 979-3211

www.amandinecafe.com

Balthazar - Excuse This French For Not Having French Macaroons

It was raining and cold compared to my sunny California. We were running against the reservation time through the subway station just to get in time for some famously known French cuisines and bakery in Soho, better be worth it! After a good 30 minutes of hustle and bustle, we arrived and seated immediately. 

The scene was packed with tourists and locals, all the silverware noises "cling-clang" filled the entire room. The place reminded me of modern Moulin Rouge era where big rusty mirrors, white ceramic tiles, and giant red canopy can be found. 

french onion soup. perfect for the weather. the best I've ever had.

steak tuna tartare with mini baguettes. scrumptious and flavorful. ask for extra baguettes 'coz four surely wasn't enough.

beef stroganoff with buttered noodles. perfectly stewed to tenderness. simply amazing.

duck shepherd's pie. so rich and full of flavor. kinda too heavy for me.

steak frites. so disappointing, it was flavorless and so chewy. but the fries, SO good!

 ...then she brought us the wrong macaroons. french macaroon is light round thingy with creamy fillings, but what's up with this macaroon? not only ugly looking, it was painful to even take one bite out of it. 

Balthazar Restaurant and Bakery

80 Spring St
(between Broadway & Crosby St)
New York, NY 10012
(212) 965-1414 

www.balthazarny.com

Joe's - Lunch Long Overdue

Jidori Chicken Crisp "Panzanella", Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Cipollini Onions, Japanese Cucumber, Lemon & Basil, Chicken Sauce

Long before I went home for my winter holiday, I spent an afternoon at Joe's located at one of my favorite neighborhood, Abbot Kinney. When I looked at the Michelin guide, this place used to have one star, I wonder maybe the quality has changed. I tried this place for dinner and it was not memorable, so I thought Joe's will redeem itself for a round of lunch. All of the food tasted good, but not spectacular. Especially with splendid presentation, I expected to have sensational bite after bite. Thank goodness for the chocolate crunch cake, which change the mood to an A-OK ending.

Open-Faced Seared Albacore Sandwich, Cherry Tomatoes, Celery, Japanese Cucumber, Shaved Red Onion, Eggplant Puree, Grilled Garlic-Rubbed Baguette

  Chocolate crunch cake. Hazelnut Praline & Coffee Crunch Ice Cream, Candied Hazelnuts

Joe's Restaurant

1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 399-5811

www.joesrestaurant.com