Spinelli Coffee, Living World Alam Sutera

It all started with a mini sample cup.

I took that mini cup of coffee with anticipation, afraid that the coffee is the bitter one which I don't like. I took my first sip, and my heart skipped a beat. It was cold and had quite vivid taste of banana, the coffee was perfect in sweetness-bitterness aspect, and if I wasn't mistaken, my tongue picked up a slight hint of chocolate. I was immediately sold by the very interesting flavour combination.

Since then I was in a high craving of Spinelli Coffee's banana coffee. The next Sunday I went to the mall again with a determination to get a glorious cup of the coffee.

Spinelli Coffee at Living World

The Spinelli Coffee is originated in San Francisco, and has expanded to Singapore, China, and Indonesia. Their franchise at Living World mall is utterly cozy, where smoking and non-smoking areas are separated efficiently.

Bags of their finest coffee beans are in offer, along with delectable-looking desserts and simple mains.

Clockwise from top left: the counter, open dining, packed coffee beans, smoking area

Cookies offered include chocolate chips and ginger cookies, and I didn't pay much attention to the croissants and danishes.

The cookies and croissant are eye candies, but the next display cabinet is even more tempting.

Cookies and croissant galore

Arrays of cheese cakes, tiramisu, and even Christmas log cakes are achingly tempting. I would love to have the log cake (which looks very chocolatey), but the lasagna with potato salad seemed to be a better deal for that day.

Desserts and frozen mains cabinet

A quick glance to the menu board informs me that there's only one coffee that involves banana. I asked the barista for more assurance, and finally I was sure that Banana Spin was what in the sample cup last week.

I was quite surprised that it is ice blended, as the sample cup I had didn't contain any ice in any form. That is probably the reason of the lack of banana flavour in this regular cup of Banana Spin. It does have a distinct taste of banana, and I thought I find some micro chunks of it, but it doesn't taste as intense as the one in the sample cup. With perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness, I just hope there's more banana used. Or much less ice used.

Banana spin (R) - IDR 35,000 ($3.8)

The lasagna arrived with a warning for the waitress, reminding us about the high temperature of the dish. The lasagna is pre-made but baked upon order.

It is so delicious that I didn't mind my tongue getting burnt from my first mouthful. Beef chucks are given generously, layers of cheese are too; this one is a sinful perfection.

The potato salad is a fantastic companion, being very tasty and not overly creamy although served cold. The potato chucks are firm enough, mixed with egg yolk and chopped celery.

Lasagna (served with potato salad) - IDR 35,000 ($3.8)

Just look at it. And buy one now or lick your screen.

The best part of the lasagna is the top part, baked melted cheese which has become crunchy and deliciously salty.

And just ignore the calories of the dish, okay?

Lasagna innards

To tell you the truth, my craving for the banana coffee in the sample cup isn't satisfied yet. I may have to come here again, and maybe if I'm lucky the sample cups are given again hehee. But anyway, I really enjoy the food and drink the Spinelli Coffee offers. I didn't regret trying it at all.


Rating: 3/5 (Worth the try)
Interesting coffee flavour and good lasagna, a bit pricey, nice ambiance and friendly service.









Address:

SPINELLI COFFEE

Living World, Ground Floor
Jl. Alam Sutera Boulevard Kav. 21
Serpong

Imperial Lamien, Alam Sutera - Serpong

I've always been curious about xiao long bao.

Xiao long bao (soup dumplings)

The idea of soup inside of translucent skin of a dumpling intrigues me. For those who aren't familiar about xiao long bao, it's actually steamed dumplings with various fillings and piping hot soup innards.

I've heard that Din Tai Fung got the best XLB (xiao long bao), but I haven't got the chance to try theirs, both in Sydney and in Indo. I hope to try them soon, but meanwhile, I'm more than happy to try XLB from other restaurants.

When we first saw Imperial Lamien restaurant, we thought that maybe it's just another fancy Chinese restaurant with mediocre food yet too high prices. However, a quick glance at the menu on the glass window proved us wrong about the price. So we gave it a try.

Imperial Lamien restaurant

Entering the restaurant will almost feel like teleporting to Chinese in past times. The interior is pretty, full of wooden chairs and tables, and there are also old-looking lamps and a quirky, big tree in the middle of the restaurant.

Restaurant's interior

The kitchen is an open kitchen, which I love very much. Diners can easily see their food being cooked. I noticed that some of the chefs clearly have Chinese blood, so I believe they really know what they're doing with the noodles.

Open kitchen

The kitchen placement is neat, it doesn't disturb the sublimity of the restaurant although it looks quite big. The kitchen is divided into several parts, each part is devoted for different type of food. If I'm not mistaken, there are dimsum, lamien, BBQ, and special dishes stations. The place also have a mezzanine, which I'm not sure if it's for dining area or not.

Dimsum station and the bamboo steamers

And the ice shop is teasing me, really. I saw few tables ordering the snow ice, and I promised to myself I'll get that for dessert.

The ice shop, preparing drinks

The menu offered varies from dimsums to their specialty, the lamien noodles. The 'flying noodle' made me curious, and later I knew that it is a way to prepare a noodles, where they're tossed in some ways it looks like they're flying. The choice of noodles includes the flying noodles, but the waiter didn't say anything about it, and the silly me didn't really pay attention either. I actually would love to know the difference of the normal noodles with the flying ones.

The menu

Whilst waiting for the food to come, I walked around and immediately drawn to the noodles-making bench. It's really interesting to see the chef twisting the noodles, massaging them with oil, tossing them repeatedly, and finally the thin noodles are ready to be boiled.

Chef making lamien noodles

Drinks options are many too, but we stick to our usual favs. The lemon tea (IDR 12,900 - $1.35) is the best lemon tea I've had so far, being very fresh and not overly sweet. The lime juice (IDR 12,900 - $1.35) is more on the sour side, and has a slight bitter aftertaste. It's really refreshing actually, but I prefer the lemon tea. The father was really content with his pot of jasmine tea (IDR 5,900 - $0.55), which is aromatic and tastes really original and nice.

Clockwise from top left: lemon tea, lime juice, pouring jasmine tea, the jasmine tea set

The dim sums were first to be served. Tim pangsit isi sayuran (steamed vegetables dumplings) was the father's choice, which he regretted afterwards. It's not my cup of tea either, as the fillings are kinda weird in terms of flavour. The fillings consist of some funny smelling herbs and crunchy mushrooms, and I don't find these dumplings enjoyable.

Tim pangsit isi sayuran (steamed vegetables dumplings) - IDR 11,900 ($1.25)

On the other hand, fong zao (steamed chicken feet in black bean sauce) was a big hit among the brother and myself. Very flavorsome, and I believe the amount of black pepper used is quite high. the chicken feet is very tender, and the sauce is tantalizing.

Fong zao (steamed chicken feet in black bean sauce) - IDR 12,900 ($1.35)

'Wow' was the first word escaped my mouth when the tim superior xiao long bao isi daging babi (steamed minced pork soup dumplings in four combination) arrived on the table. Very pretty with four different colours, these babies successfully made me drooling like a fool.

Having read so many reviews about how to eat XLB, I know exactly what to do. I poked the thin skin of it, and then sipped the piping hot soup. And then I went to food coma. It's so divine! The soup is clear yet super tasty.The minced pork is also superb and addictive. I believe that the filling for all four dumplings is pork, but I reckon the soup is kinda different. The orange one tastes a bit fishy and different than the green one that I tried first. The purple and the white dumplings' soup tastes a wee bit creamier than the other two.

Tim superior xiao long bao isi daging babi (steamed minced pork soup dumplings in four combination) - IDR 19,900 ($2.2)

I ordered mie Cah Chiang dengan daging babi (noodles with minced pork and mushroom in spicy sauce) as my main. The brother ordered the same dish, but with chicken instead of pork.

The noodles are hidden below the brown, thick gravy, and also topped with julienned squash (or labu siam we called it here). The big bowl also comes with a small bowl of pork bone broth, which is light and flavorsome. The brother's noodles comes with a small bowl of chicken broth, which is even lighter than my pork bone broth.

The Cah Chiang noodles are tasty all the way through. The gravy is full of minced pork chunks, it's actually sigh-worthy. The noodles are thin and perfectly cooked. I love everything in that bowl. The pork bone broth isn't really needed in my opinion, as the gravy itself is already superb. And the spoon is huge. It's like mini bailer or something. It's perfect for scooping the remaining gravy.

Mie Cah Chiang dengan daging babi (noodles with minced pork and mushroom in spicy sauce) - IDR 23,900 ($2.55)

Mie dengan udang dan daging kepiting (noodles with prawns and crab meat in pork bone soup) is the father's main. The prawn are really worth fighting over, being very juicy and sweet. This one's tasty too, although I think it's less rich in terms of seasoning. The flavour explosions still occur nevertheless, and if I order this one, I'd ask for half boiled egg.

Mie dengan udang dan daging kepiting (noodles with prawns and crab meat in pork bone soup) - IDR 25,900 ($2.8)

I finished my lunch feeling extremely full and there was no way I can have a bowl of the snow ice. Next time for sure. And the peking duck looks appetizing too no?

Peking ducks in display

I can't wait to try some more XLBs, and I'll make sure Din Tai Fung is next on my list. Or alternatively, I can come here again and have XLB, plus a big bowl of the noodles and ended the meal with snow ice. Hmmm, decisions decisions.


Rating: 4/5 (Recommended)
Great noodles and dim sums, quick service, affordable price, good ambiance although can be noisy during rush hour.









Address:

IMPERIAL LAMIEN

Flavor Bliss Alam Sutera No. 7
Jl. Alam Sutera Boulevard Kav. VI
Serpong

Rumah Kayu, Serpong

This restaurant's ambiance is one of the best, I swear.

It was the first time I went there actually, as the restaurant is relatively new, only about seven months old. The dinner was a celebration of a cousin's birthday, so I didn't touch the menu, hence no information of the prices, I'm sorry.

I love the restaurant from the first sight. The area is so big, providing maximum cosiness and guaranteeing definite relaxation. Even the parking lot is spacious too. There's a mini fountain in front, and the area view at night is beautiful. Small lights and lanterns are heaps.

Rumah Kayu restaurant

They offer various types of dining area. Ones with normal tables and chairs, ones with cushions instead of chairs (or lesehan we called it here), and there are also private tables hidden in the middle of the huge garden. A playground is also provided for children, to make sure they are entertained well.

Clockwise from top left: dining area with cushion, two levels dining area, private table, playground area

Now, the question is whether or not the food is as good as the place's environment.

By the time I arrived, there are already several plates of food on the table. My eyes immediately caught the sight of this vibrant plate of gurame goreng sambal mangga (fried snapper with sour mango chilli sauce).

It tastes as beautiful as it looks. The filleted fish is cooked very well, still juicy and soft. The chilli sauce with julienned mango is wonderfully fresh with the combination of sweet, sour, and a bit spicy. Definitely will awaken your taste buds. All flavour balance perfectly, and the crispiness of the batter just make this dish super addictive.

Gurame goreng sambal mangga (fried snapper with sour mango chilli sauce)

Cumi goreng tepung (deep fried calamari) are very crunchy, although they're too little given. Not much I can say about this one, as it is not as addictive as the snapper.

Cumi goreng tepung (deep fried calamari)

They declare that ayam bakar Rumah Kayu (Rumah Kayu's special grilled chicken) is their specialty, yet I can't find anything really special about the dish. The chicken is great, of course, perfectly caramelized and slightly charred. It's succulent, and the sweet marinade is flavorsome. I believe they have two versions of grilled chicken, honey marinated and spicy marinated.

Ayam bakar Rumah Kayu (Rumah Kayu's special grilled chicken)

Sayur asem (sour veggie soup) is earthy, light, and tasty. Perfect soup to accompany the meal.

Sayur asem (sour veggie soup)

Kangkung hot plate arrived bubbling and the sound of popping gravy bubbles is mouthwatering. The hot plate keeps the kangkung hot and crunchy. The gravy is the killer part, being very tasty and piping hot, and few prawns and calamari inside give pleasant surprise. I found myself relishing the gravy even after the kangkung is all gone.

Kangkung hot plate

It's a tradition for the Chinese to have noodles on a birthday celebration, to symbolize a long life for the birthday person. It's no different in my big family, thus plates of mie goreng ulang tahun (birthday fried noodles) are ordered.

The presentation looks too messy for me. The decoration involves sliced big chilli, sliced small chillies, lettuce, cucumber, one whole tomato, and quail eggs. I got the idea, maybe they want to make it looks glorious since it's noodles for birthday, but I think they overdid it. The noodles themselves are tasty, accompanied by fried fish cakes, fish balls, and some chicken chunks. They're not too oily, and I actually love the quail eggs.

Mie goreng ulang tahun (birthday fried noodles)

Does this sup perut ikan (fish belly soup) look appetizing for you? It didn't for me. At first. Then I thought if I want to make a complete post, I might as well taste this one. I am so glad I did it.

Oh my God it's so freaking delicious. The broth is one of the best I've ever tasted. It looks clear, but it's actually full of flavour explosions. The fish belly is superb. I heart the texture of it, chewy and stretchy, yet still very much enjoyable.

Sup perut ikan (fish belly soup)

After the dinner is over, I went for a walk around the huge area, with a goal to burn some calories (which apparently didn't work). I'm amazed about how big the restaurant is, and the waiters/waitresses are heaps too, guaranteeing fast service to every table.

And then I saw an ice cream stand, and the goal to burn some calories suddenly disappeared. It's es puter stand, or literally rotated ice cream in English. It's called puter or rotated because the ice cream is made manually by rotating process.

Es puter stand

It offers four kinds of ice cream, which I believe includes mung bean, coconut, and durian. I forget the last one. The toppings offered are sago pearls (pacar cina), black beans, and diced white bread.

Arrays of ice cream and toppings

We got a cup of durian, mung bean, and coconut ice cream, with sago pearls and black beans as toppings. My favourite would be the durian one. The durian taste is distinct, it's even quite fragrant. The downside is that the ice cream is icy, there are some ice flakes inside, which I don't like. It still make a great dessert though, especially with the black beans topping.

Durian, mung bean, and coconut ice creams with black beans and sago pearls - IDR 12,000 ($1.3)

This place is totally recommended for families or groups, although everyone can absolutely have a good time here. Some menus are maybe mediocre, but I still can't forget the snapper with mango chilli sauce.


Rating: 3/5 (Worth the try)
The rating is mostly given for the huge and various dining areas, but food is mediocre, price is affordable, service OK.









Address:

TAMAN SANTAP RUMAH KAYU

Jalan Ki Hajar Dewantara SKL 002 
Gading Serpong, Banten

Phone: (021) 54212011

Starbucks Holiday Gathering 2011, Jakarta

Sometimes bitter coffee gives me headache.

Coffee shots

But when Starbucks invited you to a food tasting, how can you say no?

So here's the story. I was invited for the first part of the gathering, but I had something to do that day so I didn't make it. When Ms. Corry (thanks heaps Corry!) as the PR of Starbucks Indonesia invited me again for the second part of the gathering, I was thrilled beyond words. Especially after the great food envy I developed when reading other food blogs' posts like here, here, and here. The event was done at the newest Starbucks store at ANZ Square, UOB Plaza.

I didn't take photos of the venue, but it is so spacious and open. You'll feel relaxed easily there, I'm sure. And they have a cabinet full of cute tumblrs which are very appealing.

The main point of the event is the newly launched Starbucks Christmas Blend, Starbucks Christmas Blend Espresso Roast, Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Christmas Blend, three new variant of holiday drinks, and also the holiday food.

The three new holiday variants are: Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha (Starbucks signature espresso combined with milk and white chocolate, topped with whipped cream, cranberry drizzle, and cranberry sugar sprinkle), Toffee Nut Latte (buttery coffee with toasted nuts, blended with espresso and fresh milk, topped with whipped cream and toffee-flavoured sprinkles), and Peppermint Mocha (combination of espresso, steamed milk, bittersweet chocolate, and peppermint flavour, topped with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle). These three drinks are only available until 2nd January 2012.

As soon as I arrived, Corry kindly got me a Toffee Nut Latte Frappucino, and I love it until the last drop. It's somehow buttery yet still has some nuttiness, gorgeously creamy and not overly sweet. The best part is the crispy toffee-flavoured sprinkles, which perfected the beverage with sweet crunch.

Toffee nut latte frappucino

The smoked chicken mini croissant was the first thing I ate from the table. It's a great appetizer, adequately salty and buttery. The croissant is fluffy too.

Smoked chicken mini croissant

The cranberry scones (scones with cranberry and walnut, topped with white chocolate drizzling) seem to call me from the corner of the table, begging to be eaten. They're not mine, so I can't just take them and shove them onto my throat. Luckily, few minutes later Corry came carrying a big plate full of these deliciousness.

Cranberry scone - IDR 22,500 ($2.4)

And then the real session started. Ms Ajeng, who absolutely knows what she's doing with her coffee, explained us how to brew coffee properly, using the new Starbucks Christmas Blend Espresso Roast. The coffee beans are a combination of aged Sumatran beans and Bella Vista Coffee beans from Costa Rica.

This coffee is full-bodied and bold, with low-medium level of acidity and spicy flavour. It's way too bitter for me, as I always have issues with bitter coffee. It's aromatic and definitely bold, but from my second sip I could taste a hint of spiciness. Very interesting flavour.

Clockwise from top left: Starbucks Christmas blend expresso roast, Mbak Ajeng explaining things, pouring the perfectly brewed coffee, mini coffee shots

The scones provide a delicious antidote to the bitter and deep Espresso Blend. 'Every bite is a surprise, you'll never know if you'll get the cranberry or the walnut', Corry commented about this exquisite snack. The scone is not overly sweet, just enough to offset the bitterness form the coffee. Full of cranberry and walnuts, this one is a must-try.

A tray full of cranberry scones

Here comes the 'main' course. The holiday beef and egg bagel is actually onion and cheese bagel, filled with sliced smoked beef, scrambled egg, slathers of mayo, lettuce, cheese, and caramelized onions.

Holiday beef and egg bagel - IDR 30,000 ($3.3)

Every components work very well, the bagel is not hard to bite, the fillings are simply stunning. Salty, sweet, cheesy, creamy, and satisfying; I declare this as my favourite of the day.

The bagel innards

Raspberry Temptation is there to tease everyone who's in diet. Consisting of three layers of raspberry jelly, cheese butter cream, and vanilla sponge cake; it's really hard to refuse this pretty looking dessert. The first bite is full of sensation, as if each of the layers explodes one by one in your mouth. The first sensation comes from the raspberry jelly which is sour and refreshing, and then comes the super rich cheese cream, and finally the humble vanilla cake, which is rather soggy because it soaks the raspberry liquid.

I would love this cake more if only the cheese cream is a bit less rich. A lot of foodies chose this one as their fav, yet I cannot do the same thing.

Raspberry temptation - IDR 28,000 ($3.1)

The third cup of coffee is distributed, this one is hot Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha. I super heart the cranberry jam on top, it adds more fineness to the coffee. The mocha itself is not bitter and creamy.

Hot cranberry white chocolate mocha

We almost didn't have the chance to try these two sinful desserts that day, as an accident had occurred to the delivery man. Luckily, he arrived just before we leave, and we prepared our stomachs (and cameras) for more food once again.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cake (sweet butter cake filled with cheese mouse and strawberry chunks, topped with whipped strawberry cream and strawberry jam) offers a sweet ending to our gathering that day. The butter cake is delicious and quite crumbly, perfectly paired with the adequately rich cream cheese. The strawberry whipped cream is tangy, and the strawberry jam with real strawberry chunks just adds more decadence. I actually prefer this one than the Raspberry Temptation.

Strawberry cream cheese cake - IDR 25,000 ($2.7)

It has a brother, the Blueberry Cream Cheese Cake. It's no different than his sister, just the type of berry used.

Blueberry cream cheese cake - IDR 25,000 ($2.7)

And look what's inside the goodie bag. Gosh this is insane. Two cranberry scones, one FULL jar of cranberry oatmeal cookies, Starbucks coffee beans, media kit CD, and vouchers for free drinks at Starbucks. Also because we didn't finished all of our cakes, I take home a slice of Raspberry Temptation and a Blueberry Cream Cheese Cake. Score!

What's inside the goodie bag

Don't even start me on these cranberry oatmeal cookies. They are chewy, tasty, and extremely addictive. Totally recommended, but I've warned you!

Cranberry oatmeal cookies

I actually never tried any of Starbucks' food, as I usually only get their drinks. If I knew their food are this tasty, I won't ever hesitant to buy some.

Oh BTW, this was my first time meeting the other food bloggers and I'm so glad I did it. The others that joined me were Urukyu (who is truly lovely), Umi (who is really friendly and funny), and Daniel (who seems to know every area in Jakarta, and maybe even the people in Jakarta). It's really nice meeting them and I hope there's more foodies gathering in the future. Thank you for Starbucks Indonesia for the invitation.




Irene's Getting Fat! attended Starbucks Holiday gathering 2011 as a guest of Starbucks Indonesia.









Address:


STARBUCKS ANZ SQUARE


UOB Plaza
Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav. 8-10
Jakarta 10230