LING LING JAKARTA

Recently, I feel like the Dim Sum hype is being more lifted up with the existence of more modern Chinese restaurant. In the last couple of months, I've seen quite a few new restaurants opening and most of them concentrated on the Dim Sum service, some prefer ala carte and some provides All You Can Eat (AYCE) service. Just last night, I had my dinner at this new establishment named Ling Ling located in Mega Kuningan, so was it a mesmerizing dinner? Keep reading.

Ling Ling is located in The East building in Mega Kuningan. First of all, the hallway to reach Ling Ling wasn't the most grand, since The East is actually an office tower and for lack of better word: boring, but once you reach Ling Ling, in a sudden you feel like seeing something pretty and somewhere smells so damn nice (heard they even sell the room fragrance), it just reminds you of this cool elegant Chinese scent and it happened to match the pretty interior as well, they just opened last night and currently they only serve dinner, but next week they'll open for lunch so if you're an Instagrammer who desperately need a better lighting you can come here next week!

The interior was quite simple but nicely designed with a lot of touch of warm and neutral from the wood application and since I came for dinner it was quite dim (and for some reasons I liked it). I am not very sure if they have separated smoking areas, but they do have two VIP rooms where you can be served with a personal butler but of course there's a minimum charge policy.

I love this corner seating, if you come in 10, you should sit here and it's a little more private as well as it's being separated with this standing weld curtain and this is not their VIP so there's no minimum charge.

VIP ROOMS!

They have DJ performances every Friday and Saturday

I don't want to compare Ling Ling to Pao Pao because I feel they're a little bit different in terms of food concept, Pao Pao is currently serving Dim Sum and a couple of Chinese comfort food but Ling Ling has wider range of menu and wider venue, even though they still put Dim Sum as their main menu here, but here you can also find some delightful Chinese cuisines such as Aromatic Duck, a lot of Pork dishes, beef and more!

Since I came with my friends and some of their Chinese menu wasn't quite available yet, we decided to share the Dim Sum! Their Dim Sum starts from IDR 25k to IDR 45k, I think I remember the most expensive supposed to their Chong Fan with Wagyu (correct me if I am wrong), but unfortunately it wasn't available on my visit </3.

Mango and Basil

IDR 40k

This was a quite refreshing drink. I love the Mango flavor and even though I expected that extra kick of Basil (considering I love one and some people may not), but I think this drink had quite a good balance!

Cloud and Mist
IDR 55k
Despite the dreamy name, it's actually Chinese tea. Mild and fragrant and it's also refillable. Now this is very Chinese.

Chicken Siumai
IDR 25k
Appreciate the fact that they cooked the Siumai in a decent temperature resulting this chewy, bouncy and juicy dish. The filling was seasoned nicely and of course it's best served hot as it's still juicy and that extract and broth is a sign of a good moist siumai!

They gave us three dipping (or eventually not so dipping) sauces to accompany the Dimsum: it's the sweet sauce, the spicy sauce and the more savory one. My favorite has got the be spicy one as I love that extra kick, the sweet sauce was just okay and the savory one was quite decent.

Chicken Feet
IDR 25k
This was one of my favorites of the night. I am always impressed with restaurants that served good Chicken feet as it might not be a total rocket science but unfortunately I've experienced a lot of fails </3, but this one was incredibly good with amazing seasoning, very smooth chicken feet and even the bones were soft. They set the default spiciness at "mild" as you can always add in that little spicy kick.

Har Gao
IDR 25k
Beautifully cooked Har Gao with proper amount of prawn filling and beautiful seasoning.

Sprill Roll
IDR 35k
For me, this was the winning dish of the night! The Sprill Roll was AMAZING in terms of flavor! I super love how they drizzle and infuse the rolls with Truffle oil (and I mean quite generously) because it was so fragrant! The filling (I think it was chicken, prawn and mushroom) was quite generous as well. Perfectly cooked, perfectly executed this one you MUST TRY!

Prawn Beancurd Chongfan
IDR 30k
The Chongfan was not a disappointment either! It looked to me like a Twister Dough covered in Chong Fan and drizzled in the soy sauce. The filling was prawn and beancurd and again it was beautifully seasoned. The Twister Dough had this crispiness but goeyness as well but yes, you gotta have it with the soy sauce.

Onde Sesame, Onde Salted Egg Custard
IDR 25k each
For the sweet menus, I think this was the fucking BOMB! I couldn't decide which one my favorite one was out of two because they're equally NICE! The filling wasn't your typical paste or cream like, it's actually a little more liquidy, only thicker. The Sesame filling was OMG so beautiful I could die but I don't know how to explain it, if only the sesame was a fruit, this was like their puree. The Salted Egg custard was also annoyingly delicious! Even though I wasn't quite fond of the butter flavor (the filling was salted egg with butter), the Salted egg was creamy, sweet with that signature salted egg flavor (imagine) and somehow rich. LOVE LOVE!

Mango Pudding
IDR 60k
This was the dessert: Mango Pudding with Pomelo Sago and Granita. I was fond of the texture and flavor play from the Granita, the pudding and the pomelo sago, there's just something icy and freezy. Flavor wise, it was ok. I found the pudding flavor to be a little milky for my palate.

Must admit it was quite an enjoyable dinner. I didn't have any complaint to the food, service or the venue or whatever that is. The food was good, the company was even better! Together we spent around IDR 420k for everything (including tax) and yeah it's quite worth it for all the goodness that we experienced. I would love to come back for more and I bet it will be full in just a short so you better do the freaking reservation!

Ling Ling
The East Building GF
Jl. Lingkar Mega Kuningan Blok E3.2 Kav. 1
Kuningan, Jakarta Selatan 12950
021 - 2554 2707/2708
Opening Hours: 6 PM - 12 AM
info@maisonling.com
WEBSITE | #linglingjakarta

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Map for The East

GIA JAKARTA

The past few months, the Ismaya group has been expanding their business by opening some ventures like Publik Markette, the new Colette and Lola (both located in Grand Indonesia) and this particular one called GIA. Something about the naming that I like, it's simple but resemble elegance and class, but somehow French like while their concept is an Italian restaurant.

GIA is the high end venture a.k.a fine dining restaurant from the Ismaya group, it's located in Sampoerna Strategic Square, the exact same spot from what was Bibliotheque. I've been stalking GIA on their Instagram and the hashtag as well, from that I expected a certain level of elegance, well the naming certainly does, but to be frank I was a little down for expecting too high on the interior and actually see it with my very own eyes: I know it's tidy, neat, clean and nowhere near bad, but somehow lacking that sense of fanciness. There dining area was divided into two (not fully sure why): one located near the bar area and another one located on the other side. They also have a little lounge and waiting room on the other entrance of this restaurant, now that little lounge I was quite fond of!

They also serve wine here!

If I don't come in groups, my favorite spot would be the corner seating with the hanging bubble-like lamps.

COMPLIMENTARY BREAD
I love the presentation of this bread because it's unique and not common. The bread had two sides: the black one with the parmesan garlic filling and the yellow one with onion and black olive filling. Best served warm as it's still fluffy and fragrant. The serving came with olive dust (which I thought was either sugar or Feta cheese).

Caserecce with Garlic Confit, Broccolini, Spinach, Parmesan and Chili
If you're not familiar with Caserecce, it's actually a form of pasta that looks like a twisted roll and narrow in form. I was fond of the consistency of the pasta, perfectly al-dente and proper in chewiness. The seasoning was very good, it was tasty, flavorful, garlic-y, fragrant and indeed quite spicy. Somehow the seasoning reminded me of the Asian cuisine, but in the most delicious way!

Tuna Bottarga Linguine Aglio Olio, Cherry Tomatoes, Parsley and Sicilian Crumbs
Again if you're not familiar, Bottarga is actually a Mediterranean dish created from the roe punch of a tuna or grey mullet fish (normally the grey mullet one costs more). First of all, the contrast of this dish was pretty good thanks to the Sicilian crumbs! Something about the seasoning that brought me to the feeling of Asian cuisine (and I did ask my friend and she felt the same way). The linguine was cooked al-dente and it's recommended to have the pasta with the tomato squished along.

Cartoccio - Baked Barramundi with Octopus, Mussels, Olives, Tomato and Pinot Grigio
The Barramundi was cooked beautifully leaving the meat to be soft, smooth and still silky, but the champ must be the Barramundi skin for me! First it was cooked semi-crispy and since the serving came with the Pinot Grigio white wine base broth, even after the surface of the skin turned a little more moist and wet, the flavor got even better: you got there salty, smokey, savory and fragrant (thanks to the zest!). The broth was quite tasty and flavorful. The portion came with beautiful octopus, mussels (love the mussels), olives, tomatoes and breads.

Bistecca - 250 gram Char-Grilled "Stockyard" Sirloin, Veal Jus, Gorgonzolla Polenta and Tatsoi
From the moment it got served to the table, I got a good feeling already that this steak would be very good, as you can see: thick Sirloin cut that looks incredibly juicy and tender! WELL IT FREAKING WAS!!! The meat was incredibly juicy & tender, and it was cooked on the "medium" state resulting the original meat flavor along with the juicy fats as the highlight! The veal jus was another bliss, it was this savory-meaty broth that was such a perfect match to the grilled steak. Their polenta might not be my thing (prefer smooth, creamy mashed potato) but that didn't bother me in any way, as to me, that Sirloin did all the talking already! The Tatsoi or spinach mustard was seasoned very lightly and with truffle oil making it very fragrant!

Cannoli Sicilani
One of their signature dessert dish here is this Cannoli Siciliani. I personally wasn't a big fan of the Ricotta cream Cannoli but I super duper love their Hazelnut Ice Cream as it reminds me (closest) to Ferrero Chocolate in the ice cream form! The green stuff was claimed as Pistachio crumb but I found the flavor to be a little weird while the popcorn indeed gave a little contrast to the texture.

Traditional Tiramisu
This Tiramisu is the recipe which originally belong to the chef's grandmom. Frankly speaking, I've never been an avid fan of Tiramisu because they use Mascarpone cream cheese and as you guys know, I am not a fan of cheese. However, the consistency of this Tiramisu was sort of light comparing to the creamier and cheesier Tiramisu I've had elsewhere, but my friends gave good reviews of this one so I think it's probably only my personal preference ;).

Overall, I had good experience in GIA. The food was good, the ambiance was decent and the pricing for what claimed as "fine dining restaurant" was not bad. BTW the head chef here is Chef Tomasso who used to run Pepenero Bali and Safehouse in Kuningan, have tried his food before and undoubtedly good. A couple here should be able to spend around IDR 500k and that's a pretty good deal. The service was also friendly and attentive, didn't experience any snobbish shit which is good <3.

Going to put this in my Valentine's Dinner recommendation list, read HERE in case you haven't.

GIA
Sampoerna Strategic Square
South Tower, GF Unit 7-8
Jl. Jendral Sudirman Kav. 45-46
Jakarta Selatan 12950
021 - 5795 3300
Pricing: $$$ - IDR 500k/couple
Dresscode: smart casual
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Map for Sampoerna Strategic Square

VALENTINE'S DAY DINNER JAKARTA 2015 - ROMANTIC RESTAURANTS

Another year, another Valentine's day!

So how are things going? Can't believe it's been a goddamn year since last year's list, it's funny when you look back and realize how one year could do so much, last year you might be single, but this year you might no longer be, or even more amazing, tying the knot, well hopefully your love story will be sweet always and for those who unfortunately not, better luck mate and never gave up on love!

I am the type of person who believe in something that's meant to be. One of my favorite movies is 500 Days of Summer and watching the movie felt like blending in Tom and Summer's love story, even though the ending's sort of bad-bad-good but I love when Summer's surprisingly tied the knot with a guy, surprising because Summer's portrayed as someone who never believed in love and never wanted a label for the mutual relationship she's having and claimed everything that happened to her life as "meant to be". The phrase "meant to be" is clearly how your take on things. I believe in that "meant to be" with effort and prayers. That's my main formula in life and everyone has their on. BTW that movie has so many good-inspiring-depressive quotes!

"Your love will always be there and going nowhere", why not you move you ass, chase your love to make you closer since it'll always be there and only time knows the distance. I am the good old "love will find you if you try" :).

Anyway, I will try to change my list a bit, I usually come with so many recommendations because I want to give you guys more options from the venue and the budgeting, but this time I am going to shorten the list giving you the best of the best recommendations. From affordable to high-end, from the blocks to the spot allowing the bird eye view for your eyes only, as long as you're together, the two hearts remain one.

My opening is so poetic I could blood vomit on my laptop right now.

Hope you're enjoying this list! Sorted in Alphabetical order

AKIRA BACK

MD Place Building/Penthouse, Level 12

Jl. Setiabudi Selatan No. 7 (near to Four Seasons Jakarta)

Setiabudi, South Jakarta

021 - 2904 0777 / 0857 7778 8777

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Pricing: $$$$ - IDR 2 mil for two

Dresscode: smart attire

As one of the best restaurants in Jakarta at the moment (for me), Akira Back is surely too unfortunate to be missed. Food here is amazing and I am still raving about them whenever people ask me about the best restaurants in Jakarta. To order is their Crispy Tuna Pizza and that oh-melt-in-your-mouth Slow Cooked Short Ribs. Perfection! Book the seats early as they're quite full and packed for dinner.

AVEC MOI

Office Park Thamrin City Block AA-01

Jl. Thamrin Boulevard

Central Jakarta

Ph. +6221 29625878

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

Pricing: $$$ - IDR 500k for two

Dresscode: Smart casual

The new kid on the block is also one of the must go place for modern French cuisine enthusiasts and even more, bet everyone who's been here before agreed that it's one of the most serious and promising restaurants in J-town. Serious meaning the quality of the food and what they have in store. Its venue might not be the fanciest or the most romantic, but if you're more on the food side, this you can't miss.

BISTRO BARON

Plaza Indonesia 1st fl. Unit E 20-21 (across Kitchenette)
Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav. 28-30
Jakarta Pusat 10350
021 - 2992 3505/06
BB PIN: 2144528C
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Pricing: $$$ - IDR 500k for two

Dresscode: smart casual

I think romantic dinner ambiance seems very close to your fantasy when there are proteins cooked and dressed fancily, wines and even good looking sides, in this case the Italian and French cuisine are closest what I am referring. Bistro Baron is next on the list and deserves a spot for their unbebloodilivably good food, top top notch cooked beautifully and simple lovely venue. They're also quite packed for dinners so an early reservation is suggested!

BOTTEGA RISTORANTE

Menara Bank Danamon
Jl. Prof. Dr. Satrio Kav. E4 No. 6
Lingkar Mega Kuningan, Kuningan, Jakarta Selatan 12950
021 - 5799 2222
Opening Hours: 9 AM - 12 AM

INSTAGRAM
Pricing: $$ - IDR 500k for two
Dresscode: Sporty Casual

 My first visit to Bottega was a love-hate relationship. Love the place, hate the food, but I am still putting them on the list because the owner also owns Wilshire and for me, Wilshire's food is crazy good so I assume they just were not quite ready on the early days, but I heard they're not slowly improving so hopefully the food will be better here. BTW it's currently my top 3 most beautiful restaurants in Jakarta!

C'S STEAK

4th fl. Grand Hyatt Hotel Jakarta

Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav. 28-30

Jakarta 10350

021 - 2992 1234

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you're planning to have steaks for the dinner then look no further for C's Steak and Seafood as it is one of the most famous destinations for steak lovers. Located in the Grand Hyatt Hotel Jakarta, C's is offering you an exclusive dining experience with supporting classy ambiance and tons of wine to choose from. For those who don't know, beside its delicious steaks, C's also well known for its wine collections, they have around 3000 bottles of wine carefully kept and displayed in its special room. Dinner for two will cost you around IDR 1 million and still depending on what you ordered.

CANTINA 18

Jl. Suryo No. 25 (above Crematology) 
Senopati
Jakarta Selatan 12180
021 - 2751 0539
Opening Hours:
11 AM - 11 PM (daily)

WEBSITE
Pricing: $$
Dresscode: Casual

Cantina 18 is the opposite of Bottega in this case, love the food, hate the place. Not that it's ugly or what it's just too serious and stiff, but that seriousness somehow still lands a spot on this list because I could imagine a private loving moment of you and your loved ones over good Italian food and wine (they have pretty decent range of wines).

CHATEAU BLANC

Jl. Senopati No. 38
Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan

021 - 521 3626

Pricing: $$$$ - IDR 2 mil for two

Dresscode: stylish formal

Chateau Blanc is one of the fanciest restaurant in town, but the fanciness certainly align with its quality and service. Eating here might not be exactly cheap and nowhere near cheap, but once in a year celebration here could be memorable! They're quite famous for their Foie Gras so you might want to note that to the server.

E&O

Menara Rajawali, 1st fl.
Jl. Dr. Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung LOT #5.1
Kawasan Lingkar Mega Kuningan
Jakarta Selatan 12950
021 - 2902 3418

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

Pricing: $$$ - IDR 1,5 mil for two

Dresscode: smart casual

Whenever there's E&O on my list, I went crazy in a snap. It's still THE BEST restaurant in Jakarta, their food is amazing (they serve Asian: Thai, Vietnam, Fusion cuisine), venue's lovely and supported with friendly staffs. Four times going back and never had a single complaint. I am quite hard to please and I am bitchy enough to rave about my unpleasant experience. To order is their Crispy Pork Belly, Durian Pannacotta, Thai Beef Salad and Choo Chee Barramundi!

EMILIE

Jl. Senopati No. 39
Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan
021 - 521 3626

Pricing: $$$$ - IDR 2 mil for two

Dresscode: stylish formal or smart attire

Emilie is undoubtedly one of the best French restaurants in town, established in 2005, Emilie has been stealing a lot of costumers hearts, especially those who appreciate an authentic French fine dining. Emilie is not a fancy restaurant with a lot of complicated ornaments and decorations, it's a restaurant with clean and tidy look but still having that touch of elegance to it. They have ala carte and set menu that I found to be exquisite, this should be on your list. It's an unspoken rival between Emilie and Chateau Blanc as they both serve French, as fancy, as good and both in Senopati! What's your favorite?

Dining here is not cheap, prepare around IDR 2 mil for a couple. 

GAIA RISTORANTE

The Plaza Tower 46th fl.
Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav. 28-30021 - 2992 2448

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

Pricing: $$$ - IDR 1,2 mil for two

Dresscode: smart casual

GAIA stood out for its location: The Plaza at level 46 allowing everyone who dine here to enjoy the bird eye view of Jakarta's famous landmark: Bundaran HI. Food here is not disappointing as well, they serve good Italian food with a little touch of French, casual fine dining I would say and prepare around IDR 1,5 mil for a couple.

LE QUARTIER

Jl. Gunawarman No. 34
Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta
021 - 7278 8001
WEBSITE

Pricing: $$$ - IDR 500k for two

Dresscode: smart casual

Le Quartier means "The Neighborhood" in english but this one is not your average neighbor, located in Gunawarman, this French casual fine dining restaurant has that thing for a romantic dinner! The vibe is on fire! Food was terrific, I even declared this as one of the best restaurants of 2013 and they have friendly staffs which just impress me more and *ahem* more points to the judgement. I love when a restaurant has an awesome service. Dining here would cost you a pretty reasonable price. I would say prepare around IDR 700k for dinner for two.

LYON

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Jakarta, 2nd fl.
Jl. Kebon Kacang Raya
Jakarta Pusat 10310

WEBSITE

Pricing: $$$ - IDR 1,5 mil for two

Dresscode: smart casual

When it comes to French dining places in Jakarta, you surely don't want to miss Lyon from your list as it's one of the best of the bunch! Loving the romantic ambiance of the restaurant and most importantly nice food they're having here, I am a total Foie Gras person I should make a goddamn list of the Best Foie Gras in Jakarta! In a nutshell, Lyon surely worth your consideration.

ORIENT 8

Hotel Mulia Senayan Jakarta
Jalan Asia Afrika Senayan
Jakarta Selatan 10270
021 - 574 7777
email: info@hotelmulia.com
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Pricing: $$$ - IDR 1 mil for two
Dresscode: Sporty Casual

Venue wise, Orient 8 is so beautiful it lands a special place in my heart...and list! The whole restaurant's divided into a few rooms but they prefer to call it as "suites". Orient 8 is a serious, fun, heartwarming, elegant restaurant: they're seriously good but you can also have fun and heartwarming lunch/dinner with being spoiled by the elegance that they hold. When you know a restaurant is under the management of an amazing hotel chain like The Mulia Group, you just need to sit back and enjoy. For the food, Orient 8 serves fine French cuisine. I highly recommend their steaks and appetizers, all fresh, delicious and on my latest visit, I found myself enjoying everything and had no complaint. This you should consider visiting. Eating here could cost a couple anywhere between IDR 1 - 1,5 mil.

ROSSO

Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta, lvl. 1
Jl. Jendral Sudirman Kav. 1
021 - 2939 9580

fbreservation.slj@shangri-la.com

WEBSITE 

Pricing: $$$$ - IDR 2 mil for two

Dresscode: smart casual

If you're an Italian cuisine enthusiast, the award winning Rosso is the one you shouldn't miss! They serve various Italian cuisine and the food range here is pretty good. Kick things off with their adorable Beef Carpaccio, get the steaks for the mains and end the night with their famous Semifreddo. Bet you're going to have a good night sleep after <3.

TABLE 8

Hotel Mulia Senayan Jakarta
Jalan Asia Afrika Senayan
Jakarta Selatan 10270
021 - 574 7777
email: info@hotelmulia.com
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Pricing: $$$
Dresscode: Sporty Casual

You can call Table 8 as Orient 8's sister from another mother. While Orient 8 is the French sibling, Table 8 is the Asian sibling but both are equally awesome! Table 8 is a beautiful restaurant filled with fine designs and dedications, dedication here refer to their Pagoda (photo above), the tallest one took 6 months to make as the modelling, carving and coloring is done handmade (that must have cost a lot). Table 8 serves fine Asian cuisine to the tables of the customers, they also have fresh Dim Sum made to order. Prepare IDR 1 mil for a couple.

Well, I hope this list could help you in deciding where to go on this year's Valentine's day. I gave you the best of the best options some might be very pricey and will cost you a little fortune, but that's not the point of this post, I want you to always remember that you need to be real and stay true to yourself, don't poor yourself just for the sake of making your favorite person happy, Valentine specifically or love in general is beyond that and hopefully you're with someone who wants to stick with you for what you are. 

For what life has beneath, a mystery that we all ride together on this infinity roller-coaster ;).

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO YOU ALL! I sincerely want everyone to be happy..in love or not in love! Being single is highly overrated and cheers to all the single people out there!

THANK YOU FOR READING!!!

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