Gin Gin Bakery Shop ECO 8 New Menu

If you live around West Jakarta, you’ve probably heard of Gin Gin Bakery Shop, that one kopitiam that’s located in the ECO 8 compound. Gin Gin menu revolves around a variety of typical dishes that one would find in a traditional kopitiam as well as an assortment of cakes and desserts ranging from classic kopitiam baked goods to modern cakes and tarts. The restaurant is spacious, pet friendly and has now become one of the go-to places for the locals around the area.

Last week, I went to Gin Gin with a couple of friends to try their new menus that just launched. Keeping with their friendly neighborhood kopitiam concept, the new menus still revolve around familiar dishes and tasty flavors that remind you of the comfort of home-cooked meals.

Cah Tahu Tauge (35k) | 8.5/10

Simple, straightforward dish with a nice light savory flavors. The seasoning wasn’t heavy-handed and the bean sprouts and tofu were stir fried just the right, making them tender but still retaining that crunchy texture to the bite. I’m very picky with my beansprouts (especially the raw ones or the ones with even slightly raw taste), but this one, I actually liked and I kept finding myself reaching for more.

Chicken Chop Curry Rice (75k) | 8.5/10

*With Nasi Porang / Shirataki (95k)
The chicken was tender and has a really nice breading that’s pleasantly crispy and not too hard. The curry was also good. Not too heavy, not too light and it kind of reminded me of the Kari Peng’s curry if you have had one of those before. Although in Kari Peng, the curry is slightly thicker and more gravy-like while Gin Gin’s curry is thinner/more runny.

Mee Sua Kuah Kari Ayam Kampung (65k) | 8/10

The curry broth was also on the lighter side on this dish, reminiscence of Clear Chicken Soto (Soto Ayam Kuning) for me to be honest. The chicken was sweet and tender and the mee sua also has a nice soft silky texture that’s not too mushy. Although it did absorb the broth pretty fast so make sure you eat it soon after it’s served.

Nasi Kari Babi Cincang (55k) | 7/10

*With Nasi Porang / Shirataki (95k)
The curry is actually the same as the Chicken Chop Curry Rice, just different protein on this one. The ground pork itself was good, but the combination of the pork and the curry was just not hitting it for me. For some reason, I like the chicken curry combination better than the pork. BUT, given the low pricing on this one, this could be a good option for a cheap meal or if you’re into pork more than chicken.

Telur Tim 2 Rasa (59k) | 9/10

Steam egg with chicken, mushroom and ground pork in soy sauce. The steam egg was silky smooth. The chicken, mushroom and ground pork were nicely seasoned. Although worth noting, you have to eat the toppings with either the egg or rice because they do taste saltier if you eat them by themselves. But the flavor and saltiness level were more balanced when you eat them with the steamed egg or rice in one bite. Super comforting dish and probably my favorite dish during this meal.  

Osmanthus Tie Guan Yin Milk Tea (42k) | 8.5/10

*Almond Milk substitution adds 15k
Forgot to take picture of this drink but it’s the one on the top right on the photo below. Enjoyed the floral fragrant from the Osmanthus and the milk tea taste was pretty unique and uncommon (in a good way). Could be a little sweet for people who has low tolerance for sweetness, but since mine is not that low, this was still okay for me. 

Misua Kueh Ham Babi (Carrot Cake Style) (60k) | 8.5/10

Eating this dish was like eating fried carrot cake, but with slightly different ingredients. The flavors were pretty bold with that smokey, savory, umami hit. Love the crispy fried shallot/onions they added that gave a nice texture contrast to the dish. Definitely one of my favorites from their new menus.

Since they just released the menus, the restaurant is still taking feedbacks from customers about the flavors so there might be little tweaks here and there in the upcoming weeks for the new dishes. But overall, even as is, the new menus are solid additions to the current menu that they have. A lot of variety for everybody to choose from and that’s also why this place is popular for family meals. Also, they’re currently having a 20% discount launch promo (T&C applies. Check their Instagram for more details) for the new menus until this Sunday (May 3) so go visit Gin Gin this week if you want to use this deal.

 

Gin Gin Bakery Shop ECO 8

Address: ECO 8, Jl. Taman Aries No.8, RT.10/RW.3, Meruya Utara, Kec. Kembangan, Kota Jakarta Barat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 11620, Indonesia
Telephone: +6282249684874
Hours: Everyday 7am-10pm

Instagram: @ginginbakeryshop

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Kooma Bakery Plaza Senayan

Kooma Bakery is a an artisan Japanese Bakery that first opened in Jakarta last September at Plaza Indonesia. They sell 30+ variety of Japanese breads made with imported premium ingredients from Japan that are baked fresh daily using Japanese traditional technique called ‘Yudane’ that resulted in a very soft, light and fluffy texture for all their breads. 

“Yudane 湯種（ゆだね) is a traditional Japanese approach to breadmaking that is sometimes referred to as ‘water roux’. This technique involves the use of mixing flour and water together. A simple step that makes bread go from good to great - soft, fluffy and stays just as pillowy and fresh long after baking.” —Kooma Bakery

With the variety of delicious breads that they have and the affordable price, people lined up bright and early for these breads, causing the shop to often sells out as early as 11 am (they open at 10 am). And six months after the successful opening of their first outlet at Plaza Indonesia, Kooma Bakery opened its second outlet just earlier this month at Plaza Senayan. And yes, they still sell out as early as 11 am at this location as well so make sure you go early if you want choose from their full line up of breads. 

My first visit to Kooma Bakery is actually to this Plaza Senayan location. I was with my friend who already went during their grand opening a couple of weeks ago and told me that I should try this new bakery that just opened at Plaza Senayan that always sells out their stuff shortly after they open. Since we arrived at Plaza Senayan early—we arrived at the mall around 9:55 am, five minutes before the bakery opens—we ended up lining up in front of the store to get our hands at these delicious breads. We’re actually the first ones in line and after we lined up, there were people who joined in behind us and it was quite a bit of a crowd. Not super long, but pretty long for a weekday I’d say. 

When the clock hit 10 am and the staff opened the store, everybody was just rushing inside to pick their bread. I was pretty shocked at people’s enthusiasm honestly. But I guess it’s understandable because there’s limited quantity for each bread and there were already quite a number of people who were bread hunting with us. And tell me why I entered the store having no idea what this bakery is all about (and have no intention of buying bread when coming to this mall honestly) and ended up walking out of the bakery with almost 300k worth of bread. I blame my friend really for introducing me to Kooma. Just kidding. I’m glad she did because the bread variety that they have are really unique and uncommon and it made me want to try everything. Plus she gave me recommendations on the good ones she tried already and before I know it, I ended up with two full trays of bread (she even helped me carry one of them). Because it was so hectic, not all the bread that I bought I took pictures of (and vice versa) and remember the jot down price but I’ll put the reviews on the ones I tried below.

Tuna Onigiri (28k)

Black Sesame Yuzu (25k) | 6.5/10

Was excited when I saw this flavor since I’m a sucker for all things black sesame but I don’t think this combo works for me. Flavor-wise, I think for me the yuzu flavor was a bit too overpowering so it’s more citrusy than earthy. If you like citrus flavor, you’ll probably enjoy this one. But if you’re like me who were expecting more of a dominant black sesame flavor with hints of yuzu, you might be in for a surprise.

Kare Pan (25k)

Honey Bear

Purple Sweet Potato Bun (25k) | 8.5/10

Purple sweet potato coating on the outside with sweet potato paste and chewy, stretchy mochi on the inside. Not too sweet and definitely a hit for sweet potato lovers. Pretty good!

Melon Pan

Sesame | 9/10

The black sesame paste is really nice and earthy and not too sweet. Love this one. 

Yuzu | 8/10

The bread has a nice and fluffy texture and the yuzu jam and cream combination is tangy, light and refreshing. Also not too sweet.

Matcha Azuki (25k)

Hojicha White Chocolate (26k) | 9/10

There’s no filling on this one but I kind of like that about this bread. The hojicha and white chocolate combo works really well and it’s not too sweet. One of my favorites from my haul.

Mochi Peanut Chocolate | 9/10

Love their mochi. It has a satisfying nice, soft, chewy bite. The combination of the peanut and chocolate also works well. 

Sausage Roll (28k)

Almond Roll

Overall, their bread is really soft and fluffy, even when I ate some of them the next day (and even some the day after that) and their mochi texture is really nice and chewy. And the flavors that they are offering are not something that you usually find at other bakeries. If you’re ever in Plaza Senayan (or Plaza Indonesia) and happened to pass by Kooma Bakery, definitely recommend you to try their breads. A whole lot of variety of flavors and sizes and great for breakfast or snacking. 

 

Kooma Bakery Plaza Senayan

Address: LG Metro, Plaza Senayan, Jl. Asia Afrika No.8, RT.1/RW.3, Gelora, Kecamatan Tanah Abang, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10270, Indonesia
Hours: Everyday 10am-10pm

Instagram: @koomabakeryid

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OHSCENT Hannam • 오센트 한남스토어

OHSCENT (오센트) is another one of my personal favorite Korean perfume brands that has been around for more than a decade now (I believe they’ve been around since 2015). Their product line includes room diffuser, incense, fabric perfume, car air freshener, perfume sachet, hanging perfume, and hand cream that have really pleasant scents and designs. OHSCENT also often do collaborations with different brands to create unique limited quantity set of collections.

OHSCENT Hannam store (오센트 한남스토어) is actually their newer location that was opened in April 2024. This store is definitely bigger than the old one, giving visitors plenty of room to browse and try out their products that are neatly displayed around the different rooms and shelves inside the space. 

I still remember the first time I stumbled upon their old shop in Hannam-dong and saw their unique collection of car air fresheners that were on display. Back then, I don’t think a lot of places sold those so it made quite an impression on me. Now, every time I see a unique car freshener, it’ll always reminds me of OHSCENT.

I came to the store to bring my friend who’s into perfume and never heard about this brand before. We browsed around for a bit before ended up buying some stuff from the store to bring back home. I bought a bunch of their perfume sachets as well as their hand cream and gave them to my friends as souvenirs from my trip. Definitely recommend you to check out this brand if you’re looking for a good Korean perfume brand.

 

OHSCENT Hannam • 오센트 한남스토어

Address: 서울 용산구 이태원로49길 20 1층 102호
Telephone: 0507-1305-1517
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 12:00-20:00 | Closed on Mondays

Instagram: @ohscent
OHSCENT Website

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Hvala Jakarta

If you’re a Singaporean or an Indonesian who has been to Singapore, there’s a good chance you’ve probably heard of Hvala (pronounced as ‘fa-lah’), one of the OG matcha spots in Singapore that has been around for more than a decade. With five locations in Singapore, they are now expanding beyond Singapore and opened their first international location in Indonesia.

Hvala Jakarta opened their door to the public yesterday (Sunday, April 19), bringing their matcha creations from Singapore to Jakarta. The cafe occupies a pretty spacious building with matcha bar, indoor and outdoor area with ample seatings for solo patrons as well as bigger groups. 

Their menu focuses on a variety of matcha drinks and desserts that are similar to their outlets in Singapore. For their ceremonial matcha powder, they offer four different choices for you to choose from. Three of the powders—Hikari, Sei, and Haru—are from Japan and one powder—Panda—is from China. And instead of the usual 3-4 grams matcha powder per cup, at Hvala they actually use 7 grams of matcha powder per cup with the option of additional extra shot, topping it up to 9 grams per cup. You can choose anything from straight matcha, tea latte, flavored tea latte, ice blend, cold brew, to brewed tea and pair it with the selections of desserts, gelato and sliced cakes that’s on the menu. 

I came here with my friend to try their matcha drinks and desserts and here are what we ordered:

🍵 Iced Sei Matcha Latte (140k) | 8.5/10

Advanced Ceremonial Grade. Notes: Nori, Cocoa, Toasted Nut.

Their Iced Sei Matcha is very balanced. Tasted all the flavor notes and it wasn’t too bitter. Enjoyed this drink.

🧇🍨 Dairy-Free Waffles (120k) | 8.5/10

Dairy-free waffles drizzled with golden syrup, with a sprinkle of fragrant genmai (toasted rice). Served with a gelato scoop. 

The waffle has a bit of a chewy texture and not too sweet. For the gelato, we chose the White Chrysanthemum Sobacha and the Matcha °3 gelato. I think this was my first time trying a White Chrysanthemum Sobacha flavored gelato and it’s actually pretty good. It’s a little on the sweeter side for my personal preference but still okay if you eat it with the waffle. The Matcha °3 gelato actually balanced out the sweetness pretty well because it’s not too sweet. Overall, this is a great dessert for sharing.

🍨 Warabi Mochi with Black Sesame Gelato (110k) | 10/10

Warabi mochi served with a gelato scoop.

So excited for this menu because I got two of my favorite things in one cup and they didn’t disappoint. This was really gooood. They nailed the Warabi mochi’s texture and flavor and it has the right amount of sweetness. The black sesame gelato has the perfect balance of nuttiness and sweetness as well. Will definitely order this again next time I go back. 

🍵 Ice Blend Hojicha (120k) | 9.5/10

Another one of my personal favorite. Their Ice Blend Hojicha was goood. I actually enjoyed this the most out of all the drinks we ordered (but also a disclaimer, in general I think I prefer hojicha than matcha). It’s not too bitter and the nutty flavor was well balanced. A great choice for a dessert drink, especially on a hot sunny day.

🍵 Iced Sakura Matcha (100k) | 8/10

Was skeptical at first and thought that I wasn’t going to like this one because I tend to not enjoy floral flavored drinks too much but it was actually pretty enjoyable after I tried it. There’s definitely a hint of that floral flavor in the matcha, but it wasn’t too overwhelming so the matcha flavor still shone through. A good option if you want something light and floral that reminds you of spring.

🍵 Iced Banana Pudding Matcha (120k) | 8/10

The banana pudding is vegan.

First time trying Iced Banana Pudding Matcha and at first I thought it’s going to be matcha with hints of banana pudding flavor. But surprisingly, the banana pudding flavor really came through. This tasted like a dessert drink and a little heavier than the other matcha drinks that we ordered. If you like Banana Pudding, you’ll probably enjoy this one.

All and all, I really enjoyed the drinks and desserts that we ordered. Service was also pretty good during our visit. The staff was friendly and attentive and we didn’t really wait too long for our orders. Other thing to note, parking space is limited in front of the cafe but they have valet available for your convenience. 

Given that the matcha craze still going on right now, Hvala Jakarta is probably going to be one of the go-to spots for matcha enthusiasts in the city.

 

Hvala Jakarta

Address: Jl. Kyai Maja No.59, RT.2/RW.5, Kramat Pela, Kec. Kby. Baru, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12130, Indonesia
Telephone: +6281232182621
Hours: Everyday 10am-10pm

Instagram: @hvala_idn

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FELT Coffee Cheonggyecheon • 펠트커피 청계천점

FELT Coffee (펠트커피) is a Korean coffee brand that has made a name for itself in the Korean coffee scene. Started as a roasting factory in 2015, FELT Coffee has been supplying high quality coffee beans that are sourced directly from farmers around the world to coffee shops across the country. They also have opened well-designed cafes where customers can enjoy their specialty coffee made by experienced baristas in a more casual setting. 

FELT Coffee Cheonggyecheon (펠트커피 청계천점) is one of the two locations they have in Seoul where you can go to for their good cup of Joe. Located alongside Cheonggyecheon Stream (청계천)—a 3-minute walk from Gwanghwamun Station Exit 5 (광화문역 5번출구)—the spacious cafe has a clean, modern, minimalist interior that’s decorated with wooden furnitures and eye-catching deep red floor-to-ceiling theater curtains that are covering the walls.

I came here on a rainy Wednesday night after grabbing dinner at a nearby restaurant and the place was pretty quiet. Given that the cafe is surrounded by office buildings and tourist attractions that usually close in the evening (and it was raining) the lack of crowd was understandable. The cafe’s probably busier during morning or daytime I’d imagine. My friend’s coffee was pretty good and so was my Black Milk Tea. We stayed for a bit to talk and for introverts like us, the atmosphere of the quiet cafe was actually pretty enjoyable. 

With the majority of cafes in Seoul that usually open pretty late, FELT Coffee Cheonggyecheon (펠트커피 청계천점) is one option you can go to if you want to grab a morning coffee because they open at 8 am. Their coffee is pretty good and you can buy their beans to take home or for souvenirs if you are visiting Seoul.

 

FELT Coffee Cheonggyecheon • 펠트커피 청계천점

Address: 서울 중구 청계천로 14
Telephone: 02-3789-5946
Hours: Mon-Fri 08:00-21:00 | Sat-Sun 10:00-21:00 | Last Order: 2045

Instagram: @felt_seoul
Felt Coffee Website

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