IKAN BAKAR CIANJUR - ALAM SUTERA

It's not often that I blog about something that's already very famous, popular and reputable, if restaurant is a celebrity, then this following name is definitely Mariah Carey famous, so when I do, it's either because it's very good, very legendary or simply to show you guys how much I love it.

Ikan Bakar Cianjur is a legend. Ever since it served its first customers back in 1989 and after 19 outlets later, it's still going very strong. My family (and I am talking about my big big family) has always been enthusiast about IBC and especially the queen of the big family (my grandmom): she's an avid fan of their Nasi Liwet! But trust me, their Nasi Liwet is just that little piece of them that you're gonna love, many more to come.

Living in the western part of Jakarta easen up the access for me to fulfill my IBC craving, I could easily chose their outlet in Pecenongan but this post is going to be talking about their particular outlet in Alam Sutera which I found very beautiful and in a sense, earthy. To be completely honest, I had something to take care in my university which located not too far from Alam Sutera and I usually go with both my parents and my grandmom (for some reasons they love the ambiance of Tangerang) and right after finished dealing with some administration thingy fast forward here we were!

This particular outlet wasn't hard to reach, it's located just across Living World and near Flavor Bliss Alam Sutera.

I honestly liked the design of this particular outlet, from the usage of materials, coloring and design, I felt like I was actually in a colonial themed building, only with more food, more people and more fun! Another good point about this particular outlet was the fact that they have a little green area on the side allowing natural sunlight and in a way, sense of refreshment! The first floor could accommodate up to 250 people and it was packed when I went there (as usual)!

The second floor looked even more colonial with the semi-outdoor concept, and it's also where the VIP rooms (the green door) and the al-fresco dining area are located.

Now we better move to the fun part: FOOD! I'm gonna start with what they're MOST FAMOUS for: NASI LIWET! It's surprising but won't be a surprise that they manage to constantly sell 300 POTS (yes 300 freaking pots) of Nasi Liwet every single day (probably more on the weekends). I mentioned earlier that my grandmom is a die-hard fan of their Nasi Liwet, well, in this case: ME ALSO! The secret to have such delicious fragrant tasty rice is to basically soak the rice for 2 hours in their own homemade signature broth before it's slowly cooked in low heat and finally topped with Medanese sauteed anchovies!

Tahu Goreng
Fried Tofu

Tumis Kangkung (Stir Fried Water Spinach)
IDR 22k
There's something about water spinach that's so simple but very special and believe it or not, it has the power to convert those who dislike vegetables to like (and I mean only like) this particular vegetable and I've seen so many! The water spinach was stir fried in light seasoning and along Terasi (some kind of shrimp paste product), shallots and garlic! FYI they only use the water spinach brought from Lombok (according to them the stem's bigger and hence, crunchier). I love how they executed the cooking process and clearly on a decent temperature because it's still crunchy and fresh!

Sayur Asam (Sweet-Sour Mixed Vegetable Soup)
IDR 15k
Their Sayur Asam was one of my favorites that day because it was very refreshing with decent balance flavor and generous condiments. I love when Sayur Asam is perfectly balance because when it gets either too sweet or too sour, it could be a total fail, big time and luckily this wasn't the issue!

Nasi Goreng IBC (IBC Fried Rice)
IDR 32k
The fried rice might look standard and simple but it's actually quite nice! I love the seasoning of the fried rice and especially that hei wok smoky flavor (always love when stir-fried food had that smoky flavor to it!). If they could make a more beautiful sunny side up (just for the sake of aesthetic value) that would be even better, but that's just my personal preference and not the up-most important actually!

Ayam Bakar (Grilled Chicken)
IDR 18k
Grilled Chicken is cliche but this one was a total yum! I bet you can see how the generous sweet soy-sauce glazed on the tender chicken and in this case, what you see is what you get! It's sweet but not overpoweringly sweet and still had that savory touch to it which is mandatory.

Gurame Pesmol
IDR 75k
This was the deep fried Carp which then processed with the dipping in IBC Homemade Pesmol Sauce and then topped with sliced tomatoes, green chili and fried shallots. This was their signature dish along with Nila Pesmol (Tilapia fish) and as well as one of their best sellers. I had no wonder because this was really good with really rich seasoning, nicely executed fish (smooth, soft, tasty) and incredibly flavorful and I don't mean it in the most hyperbolic way but it is damn it! Having this with the Nasi Liwet was like a burst of flavor in the mouth. Dayum!

Kambing Oven (Oven Cooked Mutton)

IDR 48k

If you read my blog, I bet you know how much I rave about my dislike towards mutton and lambs, well it's not hate hate but it's just that I get traumatized because of how often I got the stinky mutton and lambs *barf* but this one has got to be that little part of the exception because this was good! The mutton was marinated in their homemade sauce before actually getting to the oven and processed. The meat was tender and tasty, the portion came with their homemade nut sauce and pickles, I loved having it with the nut sauce but as simple as "just the meat", I was happy enough.

Sop Iga IBC (IBC Rib Soup)
IDR 48k
This one got into my recommendation list and one of the must order for some reasons: First, because it was really good, second: it's the only dish with soup on the lunch and it's just me who believes that soup is mandatory on the set! The soup was actually beef bone stock and seasoned beautifully resulting this tasty and fragrant beef based broth, even more with you have it with generous fried shallots and spring onion. The ribs were actually quite tender and tasty, not a surprise when you know they're being slow cooked for three hours and pre-seasoned with local herbs and spices.

Left: Es Cianjur Right: Es Campur Tempo Doeloe

As always, my motto is to start with something savory and ends with something sweet (and refreshing of course) and these ice desserts could be just that! If you ask me, I think both of them were nice, equally using the coconut milk, condensed milk and various topping but still, in a way, different, but I am rooting for the Es Campur Tempo Doeloe more! Just because it's more fragrant and sweet <3.

I didn't manage to capture a decent shot because I realized the focus was on the glass (so I better not upload) but for the drinks, you have to order their Carrot juice, it was the winner!

So far, Ikan Bakar Cianjur is still one of my family's favorite when it comes to a decent place for family dinner and gathering! Most importantly, good food without eventually feeling ripped off! The range price for the food starts at IDR 10k - IDR 80k and the drinks starts at IDR 5k - IDR 20k! It gets a little packed during lunch time, no actually almost all the time, but if you want to bond with the communal, you are more than welcome, but if you want a more quiet ambiance, you can come in between the lunch time and dinner (est. 3 PM - 5 PM). I love going here on the dinner time, this might sound corny but I think that's the peak of the family time: it's night and having a lovely dinner with your family, sometimes it's nothing better than that!

Ikan Bakar Cianjur - Alam Sutera
Jl. Alam Sutera Utama Kav. 20
Alam Sutera, Tangerang
021 - 2921 1600
Opening Hours: 10 AM - 10 PM
Pricing: $$ IDR 200k for two
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Map for Ikan Bakar Cianjur Alam Sutera

The Holy Crab Gunawarman Jakarta

Went to the pre-opening of this soon-to-be-opened Louisiana themed seafood restaurant called "The Holy Crab", you know how much I adore unique names that's inspired by the... *you know what*, this name's probably my second most favorite after "Fook Yew!" Major LOL.

While the restaurant's scheduled to be officially opened for public on February 3rd 2014, I got the first watch and privilege to try out some of their highlighted menu and be the first guests with some other bloggers, thank you The Holy Crab!

A little history about The Holy Crab, it's managed by the Ersons Food Group which by the way also manage some other famous names like Santouka Hokkaido Ramen and Grandma's Suki *applause*. This happens to be their first outlet and hopefully more *fingers crossed*. The Holy Crab is located in Gunawarman street which is famous for its culinary scene since it's on the same rail as Senopati and Wolter Monginsidi.

The restaurant's exterior looked like a fancy house, Louisiana architecture typical since this restaurant is pretty much influenced by Louisiana. I got the homey impression when I first stepped into the restaurant. It was decorated with mostly earthy elements like woods and cement. It actually reminded me of the good old southern eatery (if you have seen it somewhere in movies), only this was more spacious (can hold up to 130 people), cleaner, more comfortable, and I adore the simplicity of the whole concept for the interior. It was just an appropriate dining venue.

A more private area for those who wanted privacy.

The Dummies Guide to De-Shelling, so this was the board that will be your ultimate guide while eating here, keep your eyes on this board, this would help a lot!

Some of the highlighted menu were 'The Snow Crab" which was also imported straight from the land of Alaska, Gianormous "Lobster", "Dungenees Crab" and "Shrimps". I got to try all except for the Lobster which I found to be really unfortunate, I was staring non-stop at the freaking lobster but soon realizing that it wasn't meant to be mine, love hurts :(.

I couldn't provide you guys the exact price for the food here because the pricing system was determined by the weight of the seafood and the source (local or international), but what I can tell you is that the price ranges from IDR 20k to IDR 120k (for 100 grams) for the seafood while the light bites starts from IDR 25k to 60k. Prices may vary depending on the market seasonal price.

Let's start the seafood raving!

What I love about the eating concept here was there's no plate, no appliances and nowhere to be tidy. If you are an OCD freak then this might not be the place for you, it's where you get down and dirty, dude... Lousiana style, freaking beautiful mess!

Fish and Chips Crispy Fish Fingers

IDR 60k

The appetizer of the night, it was the good old fish and chips. The fish was cooked beautifully, crispy coating but still leaving the fish meat to be moist and in a way, juicy. Probably a little more seasoning to the fish would be good, it just needed a little kick of butter and salt and I'm hooked like a fish! On the other hand, french fries was cooked nicely, and this one had a proper seasoning.

Snow Crab Legs and King Crab Legs

Before we get to the actual meal, to consume the crab legs, the 'weapon' that we're going to need is "Shellfish Cracker Shell Opener" (the blue ones in the picture). Surprisingly, the crab legs shells were not as hard as I had imagined before, more like a plastic kinda fabric and it was not as hard as the body shell for sure. The purpose of the shell opener was to rip the shell off and to get the meat out of the shell, if this doesn't work just remember you always have your teeth which is like the ultimate universal opener.

The wood hammers were used for the crabs if you care.

Apparently, cracking the shells was not rocket science to me, here's the fun part: EATING THE MEAT and since this was like the first time having giant king crab legs, for a first timer, this was really impressive. The meat was really soft, sort of juicy and buttery, it had that natural sweetness and saltiness to it and it just melt in your mouth. The meat from the legs were generous and I couldn't stop having this with the Louisiana sauce which tasted like bolognaise in a way but in the same time a little BBQ-ish, spicy and it had that Cayenne pepper touch to it, the combination was superb, I couldn't think of a better sauce than this to be honest. I was sold.

You know I could even roll a bread on the sauce and it could simply be a stunning dish already. Must must try, I couldn't emphasize enough! You could also custom the spiciness level from Mild, Medium, Spicy to Holy Moly.

Louisiana Shrimps and Sausages

IDR 28k/100 gr.

Ok, might not be the most photogenic dish but seriously you are just a little silly to skip this from your order. The shrimps were fresh, they were really soft, smooth, I could clearly tell that they were cooked on the perfect timing and temperature. The sausages were like big big chunks and they're also cooked nicely. The corn might look ordinary but that was another bomb! It had that buttery-caramelized flavor to it, sort of sweet and worry free! The whole thing burst in your mouth. You know it's so good when I am lost for words I just wanna make foodgasm noises.

Dungenees Crab

This was also the one that I was obsessed about, taking pictures of this was the pain in the ass man, it had that alluring scent that seduced! I presumed that this was going to be filled with thick meats since the size itself was like...gianormous!

You're gonna need the wood hammer to "fight" this one. The kind chef/ *ahem* owner Chef Albert showed us the way to eat this, it's by cracking the body shell first, he was opening it effortless while we were spending a lot of calories already just wondering how to start eating this HAHAHA just kidding lah!

I literally go wow-ed when the shell was cracked opened because it's like looking at a hidden gem! Take a look at the picture on the right, it was filled with so many eggs that had this fatty consistency and savory, one scoop and burst of flavor just like that. The meat was decent but I clearly root for the meat from the king crab legs more, it was just juicy and addicting!

Unfortunately didn't manage to try out the lobster, so I guess pictures instead.

Stop licking the screen...

I was not experiencing any distinct and disgusting smell like how I usually experienced when having seafood most of the times, must be goddamn fresh! Well I smell something else... jealousy! HAHAHA do come here guys, this is a one recommended seafood restaurant!

I had a beautiful visit to The Holy Crab, the food was amazing, none really disappointed me, the ambiance was nice, the staffs were friendly and really attentive! But since it's the pre-opening session and media tasting, I hope they will continue to act this way for days to come, service and hospitality are everything!

The Holy Crab is going to be a strong contender to seafood restaurants out there, better watch your back or the crab claws will 'tweezered' you out!

I wonder if this is a proper dating venue, maybe you'll be surprised by your own date, they might turn in to a baboon mutant when they start looking at those lobsters and crabs and the last thing you know they're applying the Louisiana sauce as their make-up HAHAHA my mind is a little aggressive during the night!

Thank you The Holy Crab for the tremendous dinner! You rock.

By the way, since it's January 31st already...

Picture of firework that I took earlier among my big family dinner gathering, Fireworks are truly beautiful, live or frozen. Anyway, I hope this year will bring you a lot of good fortunes, good health, happiness and prosperity. Don't forget to always pray and fight for your dreams AMEN! :).

The Holy Crab

Jalan Gunawarman No. 55

Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan

Jakarta Selatan 12110

021 - 2923 6155

Opening Hours:

5 PM - 10 PM (Weekdays), 12 PM - 10 PM (weekends)

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email: eatandtreatsindo@gmail.com