Even better than the real thing...

...not quite! But an interesting substitute for the recovering alcoholic on a Monday morning after a heavy weekend...

Ikuze at Epiwalk

So I live near Epiwalk shopping mall in Epicentrum and I have passed this restaurant so many times that I figured it was about time I went in and gave it a try. I really am far too addicted to eating at Sushi Tei and it's about time I expanded my Japanese horizons. Ikuze, is an inviting restaurant with plenty of places to sit and even a smoking section upstairs.

There was a good variety of choice on the menu and prices were reasonable.

Upstairs has some nice booths to sit in that overlook the dining area below. I wasn't however all that taken with the 80s disco music blaring out from a hidden speaker. It seemed out of place in the zen surroundings and I really would have appreciated something a little more ambient.

The first dish to arrive was the crazy crab shake roll. This was a crab sushi sprinkled with flossed crab meat. It was very tasty. It was possible to order in two sizes - small with four pieces and large with 8 pieces.

Then came the dragon roll. For this I ordered the small size as I felt the large was expensive at over Rp. 120,000. This was really good, very differently put together in comparison with the dragon roll at Sushi Tei but pleasantly surprising. However, four pieces just wasn't enough.

Then, agedashi tofu. I was a little disappointed with this as the skin was extremely elastic and chewy. I do prefer for the skin to also be a little thinner.

Finally, there was vegetable tempura. This was light, crispy and delicious with a good selection of vegetables. I particularly liked the inclusion of avocado.

The great thing about Japanese food is that I always feel extremely healthy after eating it and also very nicely full. I will definitely pop across the road to this restaurant again when the urge for some Japanese food grabs me.

The best burger in town at JJ Royal Brasserie

Ok so I am feeling very pleased with myself today. I think I have probably found my favourite place to eat a burger in Jakarta. Yes and every one should have a favourite place to eat a burger. A proper burger. I'm not talking about your fast food variety here. I'm talking about a good wholesome meaty tasty burger. I think JJ Royal Brasserie ticked all those boxes! A new eatery, JJ Royal Brasserie is located at Ciputra World Shopping Mall in Kuningan. I first found out about this place because of the rockin' Halloween party they had this year. During the party I won some vouchers and decided it was about time to go back and check out what was on offer in the food department.

The restaurant itself is located at the front of the mall and looks over that crazy road that is always full of traffic. You can sit inside or outside unless of course you are married to a smoker and then you get no choice! So outside it was. The decor is delightful with funky plastic chairs all emblazoned with faces of...I was going to say Geisha girls but then I just noticed in the coaster above that the girl is wearing Korean national dress. This theme runs throughout the restaurant and pictures of the girls feature on the ceiling and walls.

I decided to have a homemade ice tea and although the menu had a range of food - pasta, Indonesian and even fish and chips! It felt like a burger was going to be the choice for today.

Boy, was I glad when I went with that feeling when the burger came. Although there were three different burgers on the menu I felt an immediate draw to the Western Bacon Burger. I like bacon on my burger and here you can choose whether you want pork or turkey bacon. I went with the pork and a medium cooked burger. When it arrived at the table it came on a large platter full of extras to adorn my already large burger. There was also a basket of thin crispy French fries. The extras included gherkins, tomatoes, lettuce, mushrooms and onions. Not to be one to miss out I piled on as much as I could then added some thousand island and ketchup. I liked that the toppings were on the side, its good to let people have the choice of exactly what goes in their burger. The first bite was really rather fabulous. The burger patty was thick and juicy, followed by the combination of the toppings and sauces, just created a really flavourful explosion in the mouth. I really wanted this burger to last forever. The whole meal was extremely filling. I didn't eat any dinner last night after having this for my lunch because I was still full! But it was such a pleasant satisfying full that I really didn't miss not eating dinner at all and would gladly miss a few more dinners if it means I can enjoy this burger again!

Finally, after everything on the plate was polished off, I decided on one of the coffees. There is a separate coffee menu boasting a range of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic coffees. I went with the coffee jello drink which was deliciously strong thanks to the espresso and had chunks of coffee flavoured jelly that shot up the straw now and then to add another element to your iced coffee.

If you like a good wholesome burger, really, look no further. JJ Royal Brasserie has got the best burger in town!

The good news is...

...that Christmas has truly arrived with the Gingerbread ice blended returning to Starbucks. The season is upon us...

The bad news is they still don't know how to spell my name...

Candy heaven at Sticky...

I like sweets, I mean generally I like anything sweet but here I am referring to what some parts of the world call candy. However, for those of us hailing from Western Europe, it will always be sweets. I have such fond recollections of my summers spent in Dublin and one of the greatest joys was getting 10 pence (oh gosh, I'm old!) and dashing down to the local corner shop and buying a ten penny mix, which consisted of 10 sweets that cost one penny each. That little brown bag of delightful sweets ranging from cola bottles to chocolate mice and from apple drops to gummy teeth was one of life's cheapest pleasures for an 8 year old. Sweets just don't taste the same...well that is until I walked into Sticky. Sticky is a sweet shop. The sweets are all handmade, traditional and delicious. They come in packets or jars and you can buy varieties like 'smiley mix' 'social net mix' 'Halloween mix' and 'love mix'. Each special packet or jar is filled with tiny candy using symbols and words based on that theme. When I say tiny the sweets really are tiny. Each piece is about the thickness of a pencil! The amazing thing is that each sweet has a different flavour. I took a cherry sweet from the sample box and it tasted exactly like sweet juicy cherries. Yummy! Then as I tried to skilfully make a run for it with the sample box, the nice shop attendant gave me a free sample bag. It was like a rainbow of flavours! I tasted apple, lemon, grape, orange and there was even a passion fruit in there! So divine. The packets or jars definitely make a lovely gift for any sweet-lovers in your life or even for the sweet-lover in you. Packets sell for Rp. 29,000 and jars cost Rp. 70,000. A small price to pay for such an abundance of flavoured treasures. Don't miss a trip to this shop over the holiday season for stocking fillers or gifts!

Posh Tea at TWG, Plaza Senayan

The moment you enter TWG you feel instantly transported to another life. A life of riches and fine things, a life of sipping delicate teas and eating sophisticated cakes. The interior holds nothing back with its crystal chandeliers, black velvet upholstered chairs and gold teapots. The staff are extremely courteous and well dressed. Everywhere are tins of tea used as displays, add to this a rainbow of macarons and you feel your taste buds tingling before you even get to your seat.

There is a vast tea menu ranging from white to black teas, fruit teas and teas hailing from all corners of the globe. I had heard the Grand Wedding Tea mentioned somewhere and wanted to give that a try. On the food menu, it was too early for the afternoon tea set so I ordered the London Breakfast tea set which comes with a pot of tea, a juice and a choice of either two scones or two muffins. I decided on the muffins.

The watermelon juice came first and was delicious and sweet.

Then came my Grand Wedding Tea, served in a very shiny gold pot. The tea had undertones of peach and vanilla and was deliciously fruity and light.

Then came the muffins and these were nice big decent sized muffins (as opposed to the scones that looked a little small). The choice for today was chocolate and raspberry muffins and they didn't disappoint.

The chocolate although a little dry had a lovely chocolate fudgey centre which made up for the slight dryness. There was a good rich chocolate flavour.

The raspberry muffin had a lovely lemon filling and a raspberry nestled in the middle. The muffin itself was light and moister.

I would definitely recommend a visit to TWG. It is a haven of tranquility in the hustle and bustle of Jakarta life and a perfect treat for any afternoon. I definitely want to go back to try some of the other dishes on the menu and of course some of those beautiful macarons...

Coffee break at Djournal, Grand Indonesia

Djournal has a certain kinda vibe. That kinda cool vibe that means you just want to be seen sitting at one of their tables drinking their coffee. Djournal is another cafe from the Ismaya group and again I must say that the concept just oozes cool and funky. From the mismatched furniture to the cool dudes behind the counter serving the customers, this place is hip, hop and happening.

I decided to order my usual, a cappuccino and then my eyes found the nutella cake on the board menu and how if you order them both together you get a special deal. Love when that happens! I mean anyone offering cake and coffee at a special price deserves a mighty pat on the back and especially so when the cake has nutella in it!

The coffee was delicious - rich and aromatic. It came in a very big mug (and that was just the 12oz!) There wasn't too much froth and the coffee was hot (does anyone else have issues with being served a lukewarm cappuccino?) Then there was the gorgeous square of nutella cake called the Hazel Nutcracker. The cake was wonderful. There was nutella bavarian cream, chocolate sponge and a crispy wafer. The three different textures combined beautifully to leave you feeling like that little square really wasn't quite enough. I will definitely be coming back for another one of these...

The cafe offers indoor and outdoor seating and although I would have preferred to be indoors on a hot day like today, when you are married to a smoker you don't get much choice. The outdoor area though has the same funky furnishings and you still feel like you look pretty cool sitting there even if you really are melting!

I love attention to detail and this place follows through right down to the napkins...

A perfect spot for a great cup of joe and a sweet treat to pass an afternoon...

Godiva High Tea at Keraton Lounge

When one hears about a high tea that comes with Godiva chocolate, one doesn't hesitate nor think twice. One instantly rearranges their life so as to get to the location where said high tea is being served and orders a set immediately. One waits with baited breath and prepares to be amazed, awed and dazzled by the plate of treats that is about to appear only to be...cruelly disappointed. Oh yes, sadly it is the horrible reality of this story. I found out about the Godiva High Tea at the Keraton Lounge on a list of recommended places to eat chocolate in Jakarta. I figured it must be good, better than good even. I must admit I was not disappointed by the surroundings which were beautiful and elegant. Instead I was devastated by what they served up and the price that was paid for it. Let me take you through my afternoon...

The Keraton Lounge itself is a lovely haven in the middle of the city and you are greeted by immaculately dressed staff who speak perfect English and are only too happy to fulfill any request. Once seated, I perused the menu and found the high tea section. There were four different Godiva sets but I settled on the Luxury Godiva Set and then also decided on the Indonesian High Tea set. This would give me the opportunity to sample both interpretations of High Tea. Each set came with two drinks included and I went with the Cafe Latte. 

I was very impressed when it arrived, served in a Bodlums glass with three distinct layers and a cinnamon stick. It was delicious. However it all started going downhill from here...

The Luxury Godiva High Tea set was placed on the table with its three tiers. At first glance it looked quite impressive however on closer inspection and as the food was tried, the reality was very different.

The scones on the top layer came in plain and chocolate flavour. Yes I'm Irish, yes we eat lots of scones, yes I grew up watching my grandma bake delicious scones so I had high expectations. These scones were old, at least they looked rubbery, felt rubbery and to me that means old. The chocolate one had this strange aftertaste that I just couldn't quite understand. These were definitely not baked fresh on the day. I have never been able to reduce a scone to crumble with just a few pinches, these were so dry that it took me a couple of seconds to do it. Appalling!

On the second tier there were some canapés. Again, they looked old, like they had been stored away somewhere and dug out again because someone happened to come in for high tea. I didn't even try all of them, the cabbage leaf canapé was seeping out the bottom, the prawn tasted very fishy, which made me feel like it wasn't fresh and the Brie cheese had a ridiculously strong smell from it. The caviar and egg, again, looked flattened and dull. 

On the bottom tier were the chocolates that came with two cups of hot (luke warm) chocolate. I tried two chocolates...the nutty one which was dry and crumbly on the inside and if that really was Godiva chocolate then how disappointing. Not rich, not creamy, not satisfying. It was dry, bland and tasted like cheap supermarket chocolate. The almond chocolate tasted similar. I bit into half of it and left the rest. I never say no to chocolate...that's how bad it was.

To accompany the scones there was a tray of preserves including apricot jam, strawberry jam, lemon curd and fresh cream. The apricot jam had been made with orange peel and was quite good. The lemon curd was more like lemon cream and had a good tangy kick to it, the strawberry jam was pretty regular and the fresh cream...well, it tasted like cheese!

Then my attention switched to the Indonesian high tea. I mean we are in Indonesia, surely this must be better. It was, slightly...

The top tier had some Indonesian biscuits including a pineapple tart. The biscuits were fine but I wanted a 'wow' factor result. They didn't make me want to gobble them all up.

The second tier had some Indonesian kueh or cakes. There was a kueh lapis or layer cake that tasted ok and a kueh dadar (green) or coconut stuffed pancake that was very sweet and the pink cake that was slippery and slimy. Again, just no one cake that made me luck my lips.

The bottom tier was full of gorengan or fried Indonesian snacks and included fried tofu, fried banana and fried croquette. All were mediocre. I have eaten better snacks like this from the side of the road. 

Needless to say, I would NOT recommend this high tea to anyone, especially considering the Godiva set will cost you Rp. 250,000 - an extortionate amount of money for something lacking in taste, flavour and quality. No wonder I was the only one eating it. If I was responsible I would do a complete overhaul of the high tea and create fresh, delicious delights that would tantalise the taste buds and bring all those people with way too much money in their pockets living in the city running for high tea. At the moment, I would say don't bother doing it if this is the standard you will continue to offer because you are cheating people of an awful lot of money.