Sura Lotte Shopping Avenue Jakarta

Sura is a Korean BBQ bar that’s specialized in Korean-style Hamburg Steak—or Hambak Steak as the Koreans pronounce it—and the first one of its kind in Jakarta. They opened their first outlet in July 2024 at Lippo Mall Puri and expanded into the second one a month later at Lotte Shopping Avenue.

Korean-style Hamburg Steak itself is nothing new. The dish has been served at multiple different restaurants in Korea for years now. Having said that, I did notice that it was making a comeback last year when I started to see a bunch of new Korean-style Hamburg Steak restaurants opened up around Seoul. Most of them adopted similar concept where they have a restaurant with nice modern interior, bar style seating, open kitchen and offers limited menu focusing on the Hamburg Steak. I’ve been meaning to try one of those restaurants but unfortunately haven’t got a chance to until now. But since Sura basically has the same concept as those restaurants, might as well go see what the Hamburg Steak hype is all about since the brand is brought from Korea to Jakarta. 

I visited the Lotte Shopping Avenue location with a friend for a late lunch. The interior is pretty nice and interesting with plenty of seatings available around the room from the bar seating that’s perfect for solo or duo patrons to the cubicle seatings for bigger parties. We opted for the bar seatings since we also wanted to see how the Hamburg Steak is cooked. 

Currently, they have 2 options for the meat: the Wagyu Hambak Steak that’s made with 100% wagyu beef and the Spicy Chicken Hambak. Every Hambak is slow-cooked to order and is grilled and torched for about 15 to 20 minutes to get that smoky juicy meat. And since they have an open kitchen, you can see all the action from your seat while waiting for your order to be done.

The basic set consist of two patties and are served with free-flow white rice, soup, and omega-3 egg. There are also pickles and five different kind of dippings (Korean Suje Ssamjang, Chinese Secret Spicy Powder Ganfen, Yuzu Mayo Sauce, Himalayan Pink Salt & Garlic Flakes, and Sambal Bawang) provided for your steak. 

Double Wagyu Hambak Steak (148k) | 9/10

I ordered the double Wagyu Hambak Steak and not gonna lie, I was pretty impressed with how juicy and flavorful the steak is without dipping it into anything. The smokiness from the all the grilling and the torching definitely added a new layer of complexity to the flavor of the meat. When I dipped the meat into the egg yolk, the overall flavor definitely tasted creamier. With or without the egg yolk, the meat tasted good. 

Another thing that deserves a special shoutout is their Korean Beef and Daikon Radish Soup. I’m a sucker for a good soup and theirs was so goooood. It’s nicely seasoned and the flavor profile is pretty much the same as the ones I’ve had in Korea. Super comforting, especially if you eat if with the rice (their rice is also really good). My friend and I were saying that we can honestly just eat the soup with the rice because it was that comforting.

For the dipping options, I liked the Himalayan Pink Salt & Garlic Flakes and Chinese Secret Spicy Powder Ganfen the best. The Korean Suje Ssamjang and Yuzu Mayo Sauce were alright. The Sambal Bawang was probably my least favorite because it’s spicy and the flavor profile doesn’t really pair well with the Hambak Steak in my opinion. But I do understand why they have that option since we’re in Indonesia after all. Their pickles were also really good and have that authentic Korean flavors in them.

I also tried the Spicy Chicken Hambak that my friend ordered. It also tasted good and the meat was juicy, but it is on the spicier side for me who can’t really eat spicy food. The flavor profile tasted like Sate Lilit Bali if you ever had one of those.

At the end of our meal, the server asked us if we wanted to try their Sundubu Jjigae, a soup option that’s apparently only available on Sundays. We said yes and we each were served with a bowl of pipping hot red soup. Turned out, it was pretty good as well. Super flavorful with generous toppings inside. But since the flavor of the Sundubu Jjigae is stronger than the Korean Beef and Daikon Radish Soup, I feel like if you eat this with the steak, the soup might overpower the taste of the meat. So my recommendation is if after your meal you’re still hungry, ask for the Sundubu Jjigae (and maybe put an egg in) and just eat it with rice. I think it’s going to be better that way. 

Service was really good during our visit. The server explained the menu clearly and checked in with us periodically to see if we need a refill or anything else. She also gave my pregnant friend a boiled egg since she can’t eat the raw egg so that’s something you can probably ask the staff if your don’t eat raw egg. All and all, it was a really good meal and would definitely come back again to this place.

 

Sura Lotte Shopping Avenue Jakarta (4F)

Address: Kuningan, Jl. Prof. DR. Satrio Kav. 3-5, South Jakarta 12940, Indonesia
Hours: Everyday 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

Instagram: @surafromkorea

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Yukmian Yeonnam • 육미안 연남점

Yukmian Yeonnam (육미안 연남점) is a meat restaurant specialized in grilled beef ribs. Located on the second floor of a building in one of the alleys in Yeonnam-dong (연남동), the restaurant is also well-known for their yukhoe (육회) which uses grade 1++ Hanwoo beef.

I found this restaurant when I was searching Naver for a dinner spot to meet up with my friend at. Honestly, the pictures of the torched meat looked really delicious so I asked my friend to go and try this place with me. It was a weekday when we went for dinner and we immediately got a table as soon as we arrived. The interior of the restaurant is quite different than the usual traditional meat restaurant in Korea. It’s definitely more modern and simpler. There are about 26 seatings around the place and the place is pretty noisy with people talking quite loudly on different tables. 

Yukmian Salad 육미안 샐러드 ₩3,000 | 7/10

Fresh arugula, tomatoes, olives with shredded cheese.

The salad came with the signature beef ribs that we ordered. It’s a pretty straight forward side dish that goes well with the meat. 

Signature Beef Ribs 본갈비 (250g) ₩27,000 | 8.5/10

Yukmian’s signature beef ribs (2 servings minimum).
육미안 대표 '시그니처' 진갈비만을 사용 (2인분 이상 주문 가능).

So we ordered 2 servings of the signature beef ribs since 2 servings are the minimum. They served the thick cuts of meat on the plate, already grilled (or maybe half grilled). Then the server torched the meat again table side to get them to the right level of doneness. The sight of the torched meat was pretty mouthwatering. 

They also gave us this stone plate with wasabi, salt, and mustard on it to dip the meat into. The meat itself was as good as it looked. It’s thick, fresh and juicy and very satisfying. The three dippings were also great but I like the salt the best out of the three.  

Snow Crab Innards Fried Rice 대게내장볶음밥 ₩11,000 | 8/10

Fried rice mixed with snow crab innards.
대게내장으로 범벅된 볶음밥.

To complete our meal, we ordered the Snow Crab Innards Fried Rice to make sure we’re full. The fried rice was rich and tasty and definitely didn’t taste like an ordinary fried rice that I commonly found at other meat restaurants. I think the snow crab innards gave the dish an edge over other fried rice out there. 

Overall, I think this place is pretty good spot to go to if you want to have some meat without having to grill them yourself. There are lots of good reviews about their yukhoe as well which make me curious to try it (maybe for my next visit). Noise level at this place is pretty high so you might have to shout a bit when talking to your companions if you come during their busy hours. I also happened to pass by this place a couple of times after my visit during the weekends and the line was pretty crazy (didn’t know that this spot is that popular). So if you want to avoid the line, I’d recommend you to go on a weekday or maybe make reservation first if you’re going on a weekend. 

 

Yukmian Yeonnam • 육미안 연남점

Address: 서울 마포구 동교로38길 5 2층
Telephone: 02-332-3430
Hours:
Mon-Thrs 12:00-22:00 (Break Time 14:30-16:00. Last Order 21:55)
Friday 12:00-23:00 (Break Time 14:30-16:00. Last Order 22:55)
Saturday 12:00-23:00 (Last Order 22:55)
Sunday 12:00-22:00 (Last Order 21:55)

Instagram: @yookmian_yeonnam

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Beyond The Dough Pizzeria

Beyond the Dough is a small pizzeria in Singapore that specializes in Tokyo-Neapolitan style pizzas. Opened earlier this year in March, the pizzeria has a pretty unassuming facade with a clean, simple, humble interior. The open kitchen concept design gives you a glimpse to Eddie Murakami, the master pizzaiolo who trained at two of the world-renowned best pizzerias in Tokyo—Pizza Strada and Pizza Studio Tamaki—, who often found behind the counter busy making pizzas to order.

What so special about Beyond the Dough’s pizza is the fact that they use high-quality imported ingredients, special proofing techniques for the dough and the use of wood fire oven to fire their pizza. For the pizza dough, they use imported Japanese flour with 30-hour proofing time. They also use Okinawan salt, olive oil from Italy, Japanese water filter for their water and even imported Japanese wood for their fire oven pizza.

I actually found out about this place because a friend who’s living in Singapore told me about it. She said this place went viral on Tiktok and told me to go and see if the food is as good as the hype. She also told me that getting a reservation at this place is really hard. Like you have to reserve 2-3 months in advance hard. But it just so happened that when I walked by this place on a Friday during lunch hour, they have empty tables available so I went in with three of my friends. 

Assortment of 3 kinds Appetizers (おまかせ前菜3種盛り合わせ) S$18 | 7/10

Omakase Style

Started the meal with this dish. First, the left one one the plate is the celery, olives, and octopus with pink peppercorns. Not a big fan of celery in general but the olives and octopus were pretty good. The octopus was cooked nicely, tender and not tough at all. The middle top one is broccoli vinaigrette with shredded cheese. The broccoli was cooked and seasoned nicely. A pretty straightforward dish. And lastly, the right one on the plate is tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplant in red sauce and shredded cheese. This was my favorite out of the three on the plate. The vegetables were nicely cooked and it’s really flavorful.

Everyone’s Favorites French Fries (フライドポテト) S$8 | 9.5/10

Anchovy Garlic Flavors

This French fries was the BOMB. Very crispy with great anchovy garlic seasoning. Wasn’t expecting much when ordering the fries but turned out, this was one of the highlight of my meal. Would definitely order this again if I go back.

Burrata with Tomato (ブラータチーズとトマトのサラダ) S$22 | 8/10

Fresh Italian Burrata, Fresh Tomato, Balsamic Sauce

The burrata was delicious with nice silk, creamy texture. Overall the dish is nicely seasoned and very fresh.

Home Made Mini Bucket Lasagna (ミニラザニア) S$12 | 8.5/10

*Limited to 1 portion per customer only

Even though the portion is small, this Mini Bucket Lasagna is packed with big flavors. The combination of layered al dente pasta, creamy tomato sauce, minced beef and cheese gave a comforting spoonful of flavors when I tasted it. The size is kind of perfect if you want to have lasagna without having to order a big portion of it. 

Buffalo Margherita (水牛マルゲリータ) S$35 | 9/10

Tomato Sauce, Basil, Buffalo Mozzarella

This pizza was super good. Easily one of the best pizza I’ve ever had in recent times. It has crispy thin (but not too thin) crust with chewy texture on the rest of the slice. The sauce was flavorful with the hint of smokiness from the wood fire oven. The highlight of this dish was the runny tomato sauce covering the slice. It was so good.

Singapore Rampage (シンガポールランページ) S$39 | 7/10

The Sauce is Made From 100 Prawn Simmered for 20 Hours

Ordered the Singapore Rampage since it’s one of their recommended menu and the description of the sauce does sound intriguing. Taste wise, it definitely reminded me of Singaporean food flavor profiles. The flavor of the prawn sauce is pretty bold but it’s a bit fishy and salty for my taste. The flavor of the whole pizza is interesting and definitely something that’s out of the box.

During my meal, the service was pretty good. I found that the table was a bit small though for the amount of food that we ordered so it was a bit cramped when all the food is out. Is the place worth the hype? I don’t know how hyped up this place is on Tiktok but I think I can see why it’s hyped. The pizza is definitely great and I can see myself going back for their pizza (and their fries too actually). Worth noting, the pizza price is a bit on the steeper side and there’s a S$3 charge for water if you don’t order any drinks (if you do, I think the water is complimentary). I think their pizza is definitely worth a try if you don’t have to fight too hard for an empty spot at this place. 

 

Beyond The Dough Pizzeria

Address: 150 Arab St, Singapore 199832
Hours: Mon 5 pm-9:30 pm | Tues-Sat 11:45 am–1:45 pm, 5 pm–9:30 pm | Closed on Sundays

Instagram: @beyondthedough_pizza

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Centre Cheongdam • 센트레 청담

Centre Cheongdam (센트레 청담) is the Canadian celebrity chef Antonio Park’s first overseas restaurant that’s focusing on Eastern and Western fusion dishes with locally sourced Korean ingredients. Drawing from his mother’s Korean heritage and going back to his root, chef Park opened Centre Cheongdam (센트레 청담) in July 2022, offering American and European-style brunch and dinner menu with an extensive wine list to pair them with.

Surrounded by floor to ceiling glass windows, the interior of the restaurant is reminiscent of dining in a garden with a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere. Keeping true to their garden dining concept, the dishes seem to also draw inspiration from nature and the four seasons, reflected in the way each dish is using various colorful fresh ingredients that are beautifully served on a plate.

My first visit to Centre was nothing but a pleasant experience. Came here for a late lunch with my friend and the place wasn’t all that busy. Maybe it’s because we came way past lunch hour rush on a weekday so there were only a couple of other tables with patrons at the end of their meals. 

After immediately being seated on one of the sofas, we’re handed the menu while our server set up the table for us. We decided on two appetizers and one main course to share and the food came 10 minutes after we placed our order. Pretty swift service. 

Fruit Ricotta (₩23,000) | 9/10

Orange, Grape, Tomato, Blueberry, Strawberry, Pear, Raspberry Compote, Mint Pesto, Dill, Ricotta, Pecan, Radish
오렌지,청포도, 토마토, 블루베리, 딸기, 배, 라즈베리 콤포트, 민트, 딜, 리코타, 레디쉬

The Fruit Ricotta was sweet, sour, fresh and nutty all at the same time. Every single fruit was cut beautifully and the highlight of this dish for me was the raspberry compote. Expecting it to be a little bit on the sour side for my personal preference, I’m pleasantly surprised when I found that it was nothing but. It hit the right amount of sourness and the flavor is very balanced and does not overpower the taste of the fresh fruits but rather a great accompaniment to them. Thoroughly enjoyed this dish as the opening of our meal and I think this dish can also be a great dessert if you want something fresh to end your meal.

Pork Rillette (₩19,000) | 8/10

Pork Rillette, Seasonal Fruit Marmalade, Caper, Cornichon, Pink Peppercorn, Sour Cream, Sour Dough
돼지고기 리예뜨, 계절 과일 마말레이드, 케이퍼, 핑크 페퍼콘, 코니송, 사워 크림, 사워 도우

The Pork Rillette was definitely richer and heavier than our first course. The rillette was smooth and creamy with that typical fatty flavor one usually find in a rillette. The whole dish was brightened up by the marmalade and the peeled oranges that are placed prettily on top of the pork rillette, giving it a nice acidic note to the bite. For this dish, you definitely have to eat everything in one bite to get that balanced flavor.

Lobster Linguine (₩37,000) | 9.5/10

Lobster, Avruga Caviar, Garlic, Onion, Parmesan Regiano, Pepperoncino, Italian Parsley, Clam stock, Chicken Stock
랍스터, 아브루가 캐비어, 마늘, 양파, 파마산 레지아노, 페페론치노, 이탈리안 파슬리, 조개육수, 닭 육수

The Lobster Linguine was my favorite out of all the three dishes we ordered. The pasta was cooked al dente with a moderate amount of well-seasoned broth poured around it. The lobster that’s sitting on top of the pasta was fresh, thick and cooked just right where the meat hit that right firm, springy texture. The caviar and parmesan gave a fun additional hit of flavors in every bite. Overall the dish was light, flavorful and fulfilling at the same time. 

After all the food was served, there are two memorable things that I can say about my dining experience. First, the food was great. Everything was well seasoned, a lot of flavors in each bite and the ingredients were very fresh. Second, I really love the plating, the play on colors and the attention to details they put in every dish. Every plate looks like a well-drawn painting and it definitely excites my taste buds just by looking at the plate before taking a bite into the food. Overall, it was a really nice dining experience for me.

 

Centre Cheongdam • 센트레 청담

Address: 서울 강남구 도산대로49길 9 스타크빌딩 1층 센트레청담
Telephone: +82 507 1372 0559
Hours: Tue-Sun 11:00-22:00 (Break Time 16:00-17:00 | Last Order 15:00 & 21:15)

Instagram: @centre.cheongdam
Centre Website

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Pier No. 12 × Magnum × Bakerman Summer Soirée

Last week, I got invited to Magnum Summer Soirée in collaboration with Pier No.12 and Bakerman for the launch of Magnum’s newest product the Mango Yoghurt Parfait ice cream. The event was held at Pier No.12 at Land’s End PIK and together with Winda (@munchandsnap.jkt) we went there to try out some of their collaboration menus featuring the Magnum Mango Yoghurt Parfait.

To celebrate the launch of the Magnum Mango Yoghurt Parfait, Magnum works together with Pier No.12 and Bakerman to create special drinks and desserts menu that’s only available at Pier No.12 and Bakerman outlets all through October ‘24.

Make My Magnum (75k+)

Choose your own 3 toppings to be served with either Magnum Mango Yoghurt Parfait or the Magnum Classic. Topping selections include strawberry sauce, mango sauce, peach, dragon fruit, mango, melon, grape jelly, strawberry jelly, egg roll crumbs, biscuit crumbs, passion fruit popping boba, strawberry popping boba, lychee popping boba and whip cream. If you wish to have more toppings, each add on costs 10k.

magnum mango jasmine citrus

Magnum Mango Yoghurt Parfait, Mango Pudding, Mango Syrup, Jasmine Brew, Mango Konjac Jelly, Lime Twist.
This one is actually a Bakerman exclusive menu, so I believe you can only order this drink at the Bakerman outlets.

Magnum sunkissed spritz

Magnum Mango Yoghurt Parfait, Aperol, Soda Water, Sparkling Wine, Sunkist, Dehydrated Orange.

Magnum mango jelly fizz

Magnum Mango Yoghurt Parfait, Coconut Water,Mango Konjac Jelly, Lemon Juice, Mango Syrup, Soda Water.

Magnum Mango Sago

Magnum Mango Yoghurt Parfait, Egg Roll, Tropical Foam, Pomelo, Fresh Mango, Mango Sago.

Magnum Tropical French Toast

Magnum Mango Yoghurt Parfait, French Toast, Strawberry, Vanilla Cream, Caramel Jam, Vanilla Sauce, Maple Sauce.

There’s also special decorations around the outdoor area of Pier No.12 as well as various fun activities that they provided for the guests. There were free polaroid pictures, make your own bracelet station and BBQ station serving various seafood menu for us to try. Although the weather was pretty hot, we had fun at the event. Also, I believe the decor will stay until the end of October. So go there for a visit if you want to take pictures with the Magnum orange-themed decor.

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Pier No.12 at Land’s End PIK 2

Address: Land’s End PIK 2, Unit LEP 2 No. T6 Jl. Yos Sudarso, Tangerang, Banten, DKI Jakarta 15211
Telephone: +62 821 2121 2460
Hours: Sun-Thrs 11am-11pm | Fri-Sat 11am-12am

Instagram: @pier12.id

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