Jakarta Vlog 02 - Milk Tea & Dinner at The Chinese National

A couple of days after our previous hangout, I met up again with Winda for a dinner plan (I didn’t have to wake up super early this time around). We’re going to go to The Chinese National at Swissotel PIK for dinner but decided to leave earlier to beat the afternoon rush hour. We arrived two hours earlier than our reservation and ended up hanging out at PIK Avenue Mall to kill time. Winda had some work she has to do so we decided to go to Onezo to get some drinks so she could do just that.

Although the brand has been around for quite some time, this was actually my first time trying Onezo. I ordered their Four Season Roasted Milk Tea with normal sugar and normal ice (I usually do normal sugar with brands I never tried before just to see their sweetness standard of ‘normal’) and boy, it was really sweet. The milk tea itself wasn’t bad at all. It was fragrant and tasted good. It’s just the sweetness that was too much for me. Probably better off with a 70% or 50% sugar level for next time. I had to wait for the ice to melt for a bit so it wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet but afterwards, the milk tea ended up tasting pretty good.

After that, we headed over to The Chinese National for our dinner. We were the first ones there and we both took advantage of the empty restaurant to take some photos and videos of the place before sitting down for our dinner. Dinner was great. The food was excellent, great service, and very nice interior design (see more photos and read my full review about the place here or watch us eat and review the food on the vlog). The only thing that bothered me during our visit was the choice of music and how it was kind of too loud for me. But other than that, everything was great.

After dinner was over, we stopped by H&M because Winda wanted to do a little bit of shopping since they have a sale going on. She did end up finding something that she likes and made a purchase. And that concluded our outing for the day.

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Mapo Mandu Hapjeong • 마포만두 합정점

Mapo Mandu (마포만두) is probably my most favorite bunsik place that I discovered during the time I first moved to Korea. The first time I tried their galbi mandu (갈비만두), I remember thinking that it was the best galbi mandu (갈비만두) I’ve ever had. The meat filling is so juicy and the size is just perfect for one mouthful bite. Another great thing that I discovered from this place is their cheese ramyeon (치즈라면) which is really good. I don’t know what kind of cheese and ingredients they put in the ramyeon broth, but it’s so satisfyingly good (especially if you eat it on a cold day). Apart from the galbi mandu and cheese ramyeon that I always order during my visit, they do have other menu options for you to choose from if you think those two are not fulfilling enough (I usually just opted for 2 portions of mandu and 1 cheese ramyeon if I’m feeling particularly hungry).

Anyway, Mapo Mandu has earned a permanent spot on my must-eat list every time I’m in Seoul. No Seoul trip is complete without at least a visit to Mapo Mandu. And having been recommending and taking a lot of my friends to this place on different occasions, I can say that all of them liked the food too. So if you’re looking for a bunsik place or a late night snack, I’d definitely recommend this place. And oh, they have multiple locations so you can check whichever location is closest to you.

 

Mapo Mandu Hapjeong • 마포만두 합정점

Address: 서울 마포구 양화로7길 12
Telephone: 02-333-9842
Hours: Open 24 Hours

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Cafe Arc • 카페아르크

Cafe Arc (카페아르크) is a cafe located halfway between Seodaemun Prison Museum (서대문형무소역사관) and Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁) next to Sajik Park (사직공원). The cafe is located on the first floor of a seven story red brick building, sharing the space with food studio, kitchen spaces, co-working spaces, and grocery shop.

The cafe features a wide curvy blue counter that serves as a coffee bar and pastry area, which is definitely a unique design for their interior. The place is pretty spacious with plenty of seatings available as well as rooftop access where you can find more seatings if you prefer to sit outdoor or want to enjoy the scenery of hanok rooftops around the area. I didn’t go up because it was raining during my visit so I just stayed indoors to avoid the rain.

The cafe offers a wide range of pastries, coffee as well as non-coffee selections on their menu. I tried their Green Grape Ade (청포도에이드) and really liked it. It was fresh, not too sweet, and the flavor’s great (I actually ordered a second glass when I was there).

Cafe Arc (카페아르크) location isn’t necessarily in a cafe filled neighborhood but I think it’s a good place to visit when you are around Gyeongbokgung (경복궁) area.

Note: Photos were taken before the pandemic.

 

Cafe Arc • 카페아르크

Address: 서울 종로구 인왕산로 3 1층
Telephone: 070-5220-1771
Hours: Everyday 10:00-19:00 (Rooftop ‘til 18:30)

Instagram: @cafearc_

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Otaru Soba Udon • 오타루소바우동

Ended up at Otaru Soba Udon (오타루소바우동) one day when I was exploring Mullae-dong (문래동) and had a sudden cold soba craving for dinner. Found this restaurant among the search results I got for soba restaurant around the area and the place seemed to have great reviews. What really sold me though was their Fried Chicken Cold Soba (닭튀김냉소바) menu which is super interesting because I usually have my cold soba with tempura, so pairing it with a fried chicken was pretty new to me.

So then I head to Otaru Soba Udon (오타루소바우동) for my dinner. The restaurant is pretty spacious decorated with wooden interior and furnitures. I ordered their Fried Chicken Cold Soba (닭튀김냉소바). The soba was garnished with tamago, crab meat, clam meat, grated radish, lettuce, and green onions. The fried chicken was served with fried lotus chips on the side. The soba was cooked well and has a nice, firm texture. It’s easy to slurp and bite off with that spaghetti-like texture. The cold broth is seasoned well, not too salty, light and refreshing. The fried chicken was really nice too. Super crispy skin on the outside with juicy meat on the inside. And it actually works well together with the cold soba. Overall, I really enjoyed the meal.

 

Otaru Soba Udon • 오타루소바우동

Address: 서울 영등포구 도림로 491-2
Telephone: 02-2634-5460
Hours: Monday to Saturday 11:30-21:30 | Close on Sundays

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Fujin Izakaya x Honest Spoon

Went to Fujin Izakaya last weekend to try their new dessert collaboration with Honest Spoon. Having drove by this restaurants multiple times in the past, this was actually my first time visiting the place. The Japanese inspired restaurant interior features an open kitchen where you can see the chefs in action as well as a bar section on the other side along with sectioned tables that give privacy to the diners.

In collaboration with Honest Spoon, they crafted 2 special ice cream flavors inspired by the traditional taste of Japan, the Sencha Furikake Crunch and White Chocolate Miso Caramel Cookie. They sell it in a 8oz tub (available at Fujin Izakaya & Honest Spoon Cikajang outlet) as well as the Melonpan ice cream version which available exclusively only at Fujin Izakaya (until Aug 21).

I’ve actually been a fan of Honest Spoon’s ice cream since the first time my cousin sent me a couple of tubs to try a while back (the white rabbit and earl grey flavors got me hooked the first time around). And when I saw this new flavors, I was definitely intrigued by the unique names and glad I got to try them.

The Sencha Furikake Crunch is made out of sencha ice cream topped with nori flakes and crunchy sesame. If you’re a fan of Japanese tea and sesame (or feeling more adventurous with your flavor choice), definitely try the Sencha Furikake Crunch. The sencha was strong, giving that earthy bitter tea flavor, yet balanced with the sweet crunch sesame as well as hints of savory note from the nori flakes. And it also works really well with the slightly sweet and softer melonpan. Super unique flavor and I really enjoyed it.

The White Chocolate Miso Caramel Cookie is made out of white chocolate ice cream topped with miso caramel cookie and sauce. If you prefer something sweeter (or more familiar flavor), then try the White Chocolate Miso Caramel Cookie. The white chocolate flavor was pretty dominant on this one and the texture was nicely balanced with the crunchy cookie crumble toppings. This flavor also works well with the melonpan and definitely a safer option between the two.

After tasting the two, I definitely think that the Sencha Furikake Crunch is more unique but all and all, both of them are good. Honest spoon usually came up with great unique flavors and this time it’s no different. Anyways, next time I visit Fujin Izakaya, maybe I’ll try more than their dessert. Heard good things about the food of this place too.

 

Fujin Izakaya

Address: Jl. Gunawarman No.21, South Jakarta, 12110, Indonesia
Telephone: +62 21 27513030
Hours: Everyday 11.00 - 24.00

Instagram: @fujin_izakaya

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