Semarang Trip -- Cafe and Restaurant Hopping

 First post in 2015! Hi everyone, if you're following me on instagram, you would know that I just got home from a culinary trip in Semarang recently. The trip was fully sponsored by OpenSnap, a new mobile app for foodie developed by the well known food website, OpenRice. They're holding lots of exciting competitions and promotions every month, and this time me and my friends happened to be the winner of their Semarang trip competition.

The prize consists a 2D1N trip to Semarang, with the accommodation and transportation fees fully sponsored by OpenSnap. This is my first time being to the city of Lunpia, and I was so excited to try as many food as my stomach could bear. This is the first part of the story, in this post I will share about the Restaurants and Cafes we visited in Semarang. But don't worry, more excitement (read : STREET FOOD) will be coming up next.

TOKO OEN

Address: Jl. Pemuda, No.52, 50138, 50139, Indonesia

Phone:+62 24 3541683

One of the icon of the city! This colonial style restaurant has easily won my heart with their old style Dutch influenced bakery and homemade ice cream. Looking at their display was such a temptation, I want to try all the bread and cookies they have. We tried one of their old style bread from their display called "Roti Telur / Egg Bread", Poffertjes, and also Rum and Raisin and Tutti Frutti Ice Cream. Everything was incredibly good! Must must must try when you're in Semarang.

PARIJS VAN JAVA

Address: Jalan Singosari Raya, Semarang, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah 50242, Indonesia

Phone:+62 24 8311938

This place is such a feast for the eyes. It is decorated to look like a vintage European house, with lots of vintage furniture, floral pattern, and uber cute ornaments. Every corner is photogenic! Even better, they serve various good food here. My favorite is their Nasi Bakar Parijs Van Java. The rice is so fragrant and rich, and it is served with crispy and juicy fried chicken. Totally one of the best Nasi Bakar I've ever had.

KOENOKOENI CAFE GALLERY

Address: JL.Tabanan, No.4, Candi Baru, Jawa Tengah 50231, Indonesia

Phone:+62 24 8415454

This is just the place if you want to enjoy the true essence of Semarang. Not only because the cafe is taking form of the traditional semi outdoor Joglo House, it is also strategically located at the peak of Semarang city. You know, I always love to see the skyline of the city or the city lights at night whenever I travel. If it's a modern city, I'll find their best rooftop bar. But coming to a traditional city like Semarang, I think Koenokoeni is just the perfect place. Too bad their food wasn't really outstanding, though, but the view and the ambiance are worth it.

KABUKI JAPANESE RESTAURANT

Address : Jl. S Parman no. 56, Gajah Mungkur

Phone : (024) 8509866

When you're craving for Japanese food in Semarang, Kabuki will come to the rescue! They're serving pretty much all kind of Japanese food, from sushi to ramen and Japadog, but they are specializing in Teppanyaki. And I must say that their Teppanyaki taste could even compete in Jakarta. Tried their Dynamite Teppanyaki, which consists shrimps and squids with their signature dynamite sauce, and it was awesome!

FLORIAN ICE CREAM

Address: JL Letnan Jenderal MT Haryono No. 571-A, Karangkidul, Semarang, 50241, Indonesia

Phone:+62 24 8412070

I'm glad we did make it to Florian before our flight back to Jakarta. Love love the place, it was decorated in pastel colors, and lots of cozy sofas. I could imagine spending hours here if only we had more time in Semarang. Their ice cream was quite pleasing too. Some of the fruit flavors were too sweet for me, and kinda taste like syrup, not real fruits, but the chocolate and mocca flavor were rich and yummy. And the waffle, it was da bomb! Probably one of the best waffle I've tasted, it was buttery fragrant and moist.

So that's all the cafe and restaurant I visited during my Semarang trip. Some of them was scheduled by the OpenSnap team, while the others are found by googling and asking some of my fellow bloggers (huge thanks to them). Anyway, the street food post will be coming up next. See you!

WakuWaku Japan Cafe at Kaffein

 

New place to hangout in Jakarta, it's WAKUWAKU CAFE! If the name WakuWaku reminds you of the popular Japanese TV channel you watch on your cable TV at home, then you're guessing it right. WakuWaku Cafe is presented by WakuWaku Japan, an entertainment channel which brings you popular Japanese programs, such as Japanese dramas, movies, animations, culture programs, etc. Not only bringing Japanese culture on the screen, now WakuWaku Japan is also letting people to taste the real Japanese food here at WakuWaku Cafe.

Taking place at Kaffein Cafe at Gandaria City, WakuWaku did an amazing job transforming the place so you can feel the traditional Japanese ambiance inside the Cafe. The dining area is separated into the indoor and outdoor area. The indoor area is beautifully decorated as a sakura garden with a small tatami area. Having your meal here feels like having the real hanami (sakura party) in Japan.

 

The interior at their outside dining area is lighter and brighter than the inside. It's simply designed with light wooden colour combined with paste pink and green colors with Japanese texture. And there's also a wall mounted cabinet which displays lots of cute Japanese ornaments at one side of the outdoor area. So simple yet comfortable!

 

The food they serve here are the authentic Ochazuke series. Ochazuke is the type of Japanese dish which is made by pouring Ocha (Japanese green tea ) and Dashi (fish stock) over rice and some savoury toppings.

Tempura Chazuke (IDR 120.000)
 The first Ochazuke series comes with assorted tempura as the savoury toppings. It has Ebi Tempuras, Fish Tempura, Squid Tempura, Mushroom Tempura, and Spinach Tempura as the toppings. After the ochazuke soup poured into the bowl, the taste of the tempura became crispy and soggy at the same time, yet so good. And of course I love the rich and unique taste of the ochazuke soup, the combination of ocha and dashi is not something you could easily found in Jakarta. Must try!

Tai Chazuke (IDR 120.000)
 If you love to have your fish raw, this might be the right dish for you. Tai Chazuke is one of their best sellers, using only the freshest snapper fish as their topping. Well for me, I'm not a big fan of raw fish, usually I would avoid eating any dish which contains raw fish such as nigiri sushi or sashimi, but I tried this dish and I must say that it was pretty good. It has that chewy texture, but it's not smelly at all. Combined with the ochazuke soup, well, ochazuke soup makes everything better! Lol.

Sake Chazuke (IDR 120.000)

The last dish of the ochazuke series, it comes with shredded grilled salmon as the topping. Well now this is something I love! The combination of the salmon, rice, and soup was so warm and comforting. The kind of comfort food that I would love to have over and over again.

Chirashi Sushi (IDR 150.000)

The last dish was not a part of the ochazuke series, but don't worry, it's just as good as the others -- if not better. Colorful seafood and vegetables over vinegar rice, it feels like you're eating sushi, in a bowl! It's pretty and tasty, highly recommended.

Last month on November 28-30th, WakuWaku Japan was also holding a grand opening event for WakuWaku Cafe. The event was held at the Piazza at Gandaria City, and you can enjoy Japanese games and culture there. You can also take picture with Ultraman Mebius (it's one of my childhood superhero!) or wear your own yukata. It was so much fun! Here are some pictures.

FYI, WakuWaku Japan Cafe will only be here for a very short time, only until January 28th 2015, so you better be on your way now before it's too late! Thanks BBlog and WakuWaku Cafe for the authentic Japanese experience :D

WAKUWAKU JAPAN CAFE

Gandaria City

Mainstreet Dining UG

Unit #MUC33

Jl. Sultan Iskandar Muda No, 8
Jakarta Selatan 12240

WAKUWAKU CAFE

KINTAN Japanese Yakiniku

Say hello to KINTAN, the newest Yakiniku Restaurant in Jakarta. Well Yakiniku is quite familiar in Jakarta. Probably everybody has known that Yakiniku is one of Japanese food, which main ingredient is sliced meat (could be beef, chicken, or seafood) dipped in Niku Tare Sauce, and grilled over fire using iron plate called "Ami". But not only that, KINTAN is also offering the new way to eat Yakiniku, just like how Japanese people do it in their country.

 

First, meet the sauces and side dishes. KINTAN's special sauce, the spicy sauce (top left) were sooo good! It's bursting with flavor but not overpowering the taste of the meat itself. Oh and for healthy and nice appetizer, go grab their Choregi Salad (IDR 38.000).

Surprised Hormone (IDR 59.000)
This one is one of KINTAN's specialty, and I bet you could hardly find something like this in the other Japanese Restaurants in Jakarta, because this is made of Cow's Intestine! Well I'm not usually an organ-eater, but I always excited to try new things you know, especially when it is the best seller item. Texture wise it was kinda chewy, slightly chewier than squid, I presume. The seasoning was rich and spicy, it blended well with the intestine itself.

Wagyu Sirloin (IDR 170.000)
Just looking at that gorgeous marbling, we could already know that they are using the best quality beef. The meat was so nice and tender. Definitely not to be missed when you are here.

Top 1 Manpuku Yakiniku Plate (IDR 268.000)
Another best seller item! One portion of Top 1 Manpuku Yakiniku Plate consists Kintan Jou Kalbi, Harami, Yaki Shabu Kalbi, Beef Tongue, and Rosu meat enough for 2-3 persons. All the meat were tender, juicy, and seasoned to perfection.


 I love everything they served that day, this place is definitely not to be missed if you love Japanese Yakiniku. Thank you BBlog and KINTAN for the delicate lunch!

KINTAN Japanese Yakiniku

Pacific Place 5th Floor 

Jl. Jend Sudirman Kav 52-53

Jakarta

ph. (021) 57973250

fb. KINTAN

KINTAN Restaurant

Nouvelle

Hi everyone! Just wanted to share this particular restaurant I visited last month, Nouvelle at Equity Tower SCBD. I went there for dinner with some friends, to be honest the place was dimly light and I wasn't quite satisfied with the pictures I took that day, but the meal was very satisfying for me that I still eager to share this here even though the photo wasn't so good. 

Anyway, located at the Ground Floor of the Building, the place was quite classy and luxurious with the high ceiling and the wall-mounted wine rack at one side of the wall. The seating was not too much, but they have the semi private room at the mezzanine floor if you come in larger group (Minimum purchase IDR 3.000.000 for up to 12 persons). The food they offer here are unique twist between French and Japanese cuisines.

Escargot Nouvelle (IDR 90.000)

Escargot Nouvelle is served with smoked ham hock dashi nage, truffle sweet corn, and brioche. The escargot was nice and tender, it tasted really good combined with all the elements on the plate. Such a great appetizer to start the night.

Java Sea Bass (IDR 165.000)

My main course that night. Perfectly grilled fresh sea bass served with wakame white onion and roasted squid dashi pearls. Presentation wise it was so beautiful, and it tastes just as beautiful as it looks. Everything on the plate tasted awesome, yet the portion was too small even for a girl like me that deep down inside I don't want to share this meal with anyone!

Line Caught Red Snapper (IDR 175.000)

Grilled red snapper served with cherry tomatoes, fried bean, charred capsicum juice, and curry oil

Duck Aiguilette (IDR 190.000)

Duck meat served with iberico, poached fig, sweet potato puree, hibachi mushroom, and burn orange jus

Well there they are, didn't try all the main courses since the portion were all quite petite, so it's every man for himself, lol. But everyone's enjoying their meal despite the petite portion, and I really thought this was worth sharing with you all.

Great food, great night. Am going to be back here again soon!

Nouvelle

Equity Tower GF Unit B2

Jl. Jend Sudirman Kav 52-53

Sudirman, Jakarta Pusat

ph. +62 21 5151356

Coco Ichibanya Curry House

The largest Japanese curry house chain in the world has finally made it's way to Jakarta. Yes, it is Coco Ichibanya, everyone's favourite curry, which has more than 1300 branches in Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, USA, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Singapore.

Their first Jakarta branch is located at Grand Indonesia. The interior is light and bright, the place is quite spacious but it was almost full even though we came on weekday. As we stepped in, the first thing I noticed is the fragrant smell of their curry. It's very appetizing that I couldn't wait to order my own plate.

The food they serve here is only Curry Rice. None other than that. But you can customize your Curry Rice by choosing the spiciness level for your curry, choosing your rice size, and get additional topping. You can also get additional Salad and Drink for IDR 25.000 or Salad, Ice Cream, and Drink for IDR 35.000.

Chicken Cutlet Curry with Vegetables (IDR 78.000)

rice: 150 gr  ,  spiciness: standard

I always prefer to have my curry rice with vegetables, to make it richer and (hopefully a little) healthier. And I have to say, this plate is such a satisfaction. The curry itself is, as I said earlier, very fragrant, perfectly balanced, the sweet and savoury taste combined nicely on the plate, and the vegetables are perfectly cooked. Also the chicken cutlet is thick and tender, but got the nice lightly crisp on the outside.

Chicken Cutlet Omelette Curry (IDR 70.000)

When you order the omelette menu, you cannot change either the rice size nor the curry spiciness. Well I can understand that if we change the rice size it would be affecting the omelette shape, but I don't know why we couldn't change the spiciness level. Anyway the omelette is also a nice addition to the curry rice. It's smooth and silky and a lil bit runny. Oh and I found that the my friend's chicken cutlet here is slightly bigger than mine. Don't know if it's just her luck or the portion is different.

Beef Hamburger Curry (IDR 65.000)

rice: standard  ,  spiciness: lv.4

Another friend of mine ordered this, and when it was served upon us, first thing that came into our mind is the beef hamburger is small. Didn't give the hamburger a taste since it's already too small for him, but I tasted his lv.4 curry. It was spicy, but peppery spicy. They might used a lot of blackpepper to make it spicy, looking at the colour.

Lightly Crisped Chicken Curry (IDR 65.000)

rice: standard  ,  spiciness: lv.2

This lightly crisped chicken, for me, tasted better than the chicken cutlet. It was seasoned well, and the chicken is more tender. But it is certainly not as thick as the chicken cutlet. Well, such a dilemma.

As a new comer in Jakarta, I think Coco Ichibanya is having a good start. It was such a delightful dinner, and I'll come back for sure. But just a little suggestion, I would love them even more if they also serve pork cutlet, like every other country does.

CoCo Ichibanya Curry House
Grand Indonesia
West Mall - Level 3A
Unit E 01-1
Ph. +6221 23580960