Monsieur Spoon Préféré Plaza Indonesia

Just one month after opening its Senayan City location, Monsieur Spoon made yet another expansion to their locations, this time with a more premium concept compared to their previous ones. Monsieur Spoon Préféré officially opened to the public on 27 July 2022, occupying one of the space in Plaza Indonesia.

(A quick disclaimer, I visited during their opening day and as you know, first day could always go either way and there are always things to improve on.)

Ambience

Promoted as the more premium location, Monsieur Spoon Préféré’s interior design fell a little short of my expectations. I sat at the semi-outdoor area and the space felt a little cramped with all the tables, chairs and decorations filling up the space, leaving little room for guests and servers to walk around at when the chairs are occupied by patrons.

And having been to their Senayan City location, I personally think that the Senayan City location feels a little more upscale than this location.

The Food

Watermelon Feta Salad (72K) | 8/10

Compressed watermelon, feta cheese, Aiko cherry tomatoes, basil, and balsamic reduction.

A nice light, refreshing summer dish to start your meal. The watermelon and cherry tomatoes were juicy and fresh. The feta cheese gave it a slightly salty note to the dish.

Now, looking at my pictures, I do wonder if a component is missing from the one that I had because the presentation is different than the picture on the menu. Perhaps the balsamic reduction was missing?

Duck Egg Green Beans (68k) | 8/10

Sous-vide duck egg with green beans, bacon, and grain mustard dressing.

The egg was slightly overcooked (not runny, but not exactly hard boiled either). The green beans were well-cooked and well-seasoned. The bacon was savory with a hint of sweetness at the same time, giving it a nice little surprise when I took my first bite. Overall, I really enjoy the dish.

Pan Seared Yellowtail (155K) | 6.5/10

Pan seared yellowtail fillet, baby potatoes, sanfina, Aiko fondue, and basil oil.

The fillet portion was generous. The fish was cooked crispy on one side, but slightly overcooked overall and it could do with a little more seasoning for my preference. But the garnish and the pesto was was well-cooked and tasty.

Linguini Chili Crab (165k) | 4/10

Linguini with crab cooked in butter garlic, fresh chili, parsley, and lemon.

Had high expectations for this dish but the flavors didn’t really deliver. The pasta was al dente but way under seasoned. It helped when I eat it with the crab meat and the garnish, but since the amount of protein and garnish were not as much as the pasta portion, had a lot of bland pasta leftover.

Seafood Lobster Ravioli (95k) | 7/10

Mixed slippery lobster, salmon, prawn, paprika jam, and lobster bisque.

Presentation was interesting, although one of the ravioli broke when the dish was served. The pasta was too thick for my preference, but the lobster, salmon prawn fillings were delicious. Would’ve given this an 8 if the pasta was a little thinner. But overall, it was a good dish.

PRÉFÉRÉ Signature Chocolate (65k)

Tarlet filled with chocolate ganache, layered with chocolate mousse and dark royaltine, coated with chocolate glaze.

(From top to bottom) Strawberry Tartlet (38k) | Bébé Banana (58k) | Apple Gateaux (65k) | Milk Chocolate Mousse (48k) | Drink: Summer Paradise (45k)

Service

Service was pretty slow. Drinks came out 15 minutes after I ordered but it took 30 minutes for the first dish to came out and about 1 hour for all the dishes to be served. There were plenty of servers around the dining room but for some reason the speed of food coming out from the kitchen was slow.

Overall Experience

It was alright. The food was a bit of a hit-and-miss, some were good, some didn’t live up to my expectations.

The servers were nice and friendly but the speed of food and other things (cutleries, take away boxes, etc) being served definitely could be improved.

But then again, this was their first day of opening, so I understand if things weren’t perfect. Service on their other locations were good so I’m chalking these up to first day slip-ups.

 

Monsieur Spoon Préféré Plaza Indonesia

Address: Plaza Indonesia, Jl. M.H. Thamrin No.28-30, Jakarta Pusat 10350, Indonesia
Telephone: +62811 2001 1873
Hours: Everyday 10:00-22:00

Instagram: @monsieurspoon
Monsieur Spoon Préféré Menu

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Pizza Express Garosugil • 피자익스프레스

If you’ve explored Garosugil, you probably have passed by Pizza Express’ Instagrammable store front at some point during your walk. I have taken multiple shots of their colorful vintage bus stop chairs with a pizza neon light above it on multiple different occasion before finally visiting their restaurant.

Looking just at their entrance, I honestly thought it’s a small pizza place. But turns out, after going down the narrow stairs leading to the basement where it’s located, Pizza Express (피자익스프레스) is actually a pretty spacious restaurant. Decorated with skateboards, pop paintings, sandbag, a billiard table and more neon lights, the restaurant’s interior definitely feels young and hip. You can find lots of pop culture references too inside the space.

I stopped by one day in mid-afternoon with a couple of friends because they were thirsty. So we only ordered some beers and soda during our visit and didn’t get to try their pizza. Maybe on my next visit.

 

Pizza Express • 피자익스프레스

Address: 서울 강남구 압구정로10길 28 지하1층
Telephone: 070-7757-9200
Hours: Everyday 12:00 - 22:30

Instagram: @pizzaexpress_kr

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Issei

Issei is a Japanese restaurant and sake bar that is located on the first floor of the Elysee SCBD building. The restaurant prides itself in its yakitori and sake selections that they serve in house. I visited the place about two months ago for dinner for the first time. The interior of the restaurant is definitely interesting. The first thing I noticed when I entered was is the high ceiling that is decorated with black, wavy, solid curtain like screens which certainly give the restaurant a modern atmosphere. The dining area is pretty spacious with a combination of regular tables in the main area and booth seatings further back in the restaurant if you want some privacy.

“The design is inspired by organic pattern of natural landscape. This idea is translated into free flow curvatures that are applied into the geometry of the seatings and hanging screens.

The dark dominated color palette combined with warm illumination gives an enigmatic yet warm interior atmosphere.

Locally dan naturally sourced materials such as dark stained wood, natural stone and gravel are combined to simulate an experience of being outdoor in the nature.” —Studio Kota via Archdaily

On the mezzanine floor, they have a private room that has more of a cozy dining/living room atmosphere. On one side of the room, there’s a long table that could seat about 10 people, and on the other side, there’s the living room area which can accommodate another 10 people. TV and karaoke system are installed in the room, making this a perfect choice for a small to medium size gathering if you’re looking for a private space.

During my visit, I tried Issei’s All-You-Can-Eat yakitori package. They have two options, the Chicken Yakitori package which costs IDR 169K++ and the Premium Yakitori package which includes beef, pork, and chicken which costs IDR 249K++. I tried the Premium Yakitori package and ordered a bunch of different stuff from the menu. Some are better than the others but overall, they’re pretty good. Here are what I tried (the ones with the ⭐ were the ones I enjoyed the most):

The most unique dish of the night was this Smokey Quinoa Tsukune. Really enjoyed the play on texture between the crunchy quinoa and the tender, juicy meat. Plus, the dish presentation was really fun.

Other additional information that might be useful, parking space is limited at Elysee building. I arrived pretty early for dinner (before 6 I think) and got a self-parking space, but I found out later that after 6pm (cmiiw), they only do valet parking. Or if you prefer to self-park, there’s a parking space across the street but the building’s kind of old according to my friend who parked there. Noise level in this restaurant for me was medium to high due to the live music and the music from the speakers was playing at the same time.

Overall, I think if you’re looking for an All-You-Can-Eat Yakitori place (although I’m not sure how long they’ll have this package for so I suggest you check with them first prior to your visit) or a Japanese restaurant and sake bar, Issei is worth a try.

 

ISSEI

Address: Elysee SCBD 1st Floor #7. Jl. Jendral Sudirman - SCBD Lot 21, Jakarta Selatan 12170, Indonesia
Telephone: +62878 8621 8888
Hours: 11.00 - 22.00

Instagram: @issei.id

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Uhjjuhdah Promenade • 어쩌다산책

The first time I discovered Uhjjuhdah Promenade (어쩌다산책) which means ‘Strolling by Chance’ (cmiiw) was through Instagram. Saw somebody I followed posted a picture of their zen-like courtyard and I remember thinking “Wow, I didn’t know there’s this kind of place in Seoul”. So then this place immediately went to my Seoul-places-I-want-to-visit list.

Located near Hyehwa station (혜화역) at the heart of Daehag-ro (대학로), Uhjjuhdah Promenade (어쩌다산책) could easily fit to the hidden-gem category because finding this place wasn’t as easy as I thought it’d be. I followed the map to the location and arrived at the destination but saw no single sign of the place. I even rounded the block twice just to see if I went to the wrong side of the building. In the end, I found out that the bookstore cafe is located on the basement of the building.

As soon as I descended the stairs, I was greeted by the sight of the zen-garden inspired semi-outdoor courtyard I saw online. From the gravel, the rocks, the plants, and the lighting, everything about the courtyard definitely gives a sense of peace and calm to visitors who step into the space.

The indoor area itself is divided into two section, the bookstore section to the left of the entrance and the cafe section to the right. Once I stepped inside, I immediately realized that this is one of those quieter places that’s perfect for reading (it is a bookstore after all) or working. The cafe has two types of seating. One big communal table and smaller seating areas for solo visitors or small group.

The bookstore is very neat and well organized. I browsed through the shelves and saw most of the books (if not all) are Korean books.

Uhjjuhdah Promenade (어쩌다산책) is easily one of the nicest bookstore cafe that I’ve been to in Seoul. I came here during a weekday and the place was pretty quiet (not sure how busy it is during the weekend though). Even if you’re not looking to buy any books, I think this place is worth the visit just for its calming atmosphere.

Note: Photos were taken before the pandemic.

 

Uhjjuhdah Promenade • 어쩌다산책

Address: 서울 종로구 동숭길 101 지하 1층
Telephone: 02-747-7147
Hours: Everyday 12:00-21:00

Instagram: @ujd.promenade

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Surasang Korean Grill House PIK • 수라상

If you’re looking for a Korean BBQ restaurant that serves excellent premium meat in PIK area, you might want to try the newly-opened Surasang Korean Grill House (수라상). Brought by the same group behind Sushi Maru and Aneka Fish that are well-known for their excellent food, Surasang just opened its door to the public early this week, establishing themselves as one of the (if not the only one as of now) premium Korean BBQ restaurant in PIK area.

I had the chance to try their menu last week prior to their grand opening during Rinku’s 7th Anniversary dinner that was hosted at Surasang and I’m telling your right now, their food was absolutely oh so amazing.

Banchan

The dinner started off with these nine homemade banchans that were made in-house. They all tasted great and my personal favorites were their fresh and fermented kimchi. They really nailed the kimchi flavors.

Beef Uni Yukhoe (125k) | 10/10

For appetizer, got to try their Beef Uni Yukhoe that’s served on top of a piece of bite-size bread. Everything in this dish works really well together. The uni was savory and buttery. The raw beef was fresh and tender. The bread has the right texture (not too crunchy but no too soft either) that created a nice contrast with the uni and the beef. Ate everything in one big bite and it was heavenly. The seasoning was on point. Bold flavors that certainly reminded me of Korean food’s deep rich signature flavors really came through on this dish.

Japchae (120k) | 7/10

The japchae was alright for me. It’s well seasoned, the portion was generous, but the texture of noodles was a little too soft for my preference.

Seafood Sundubu Jjigae (125k) | 9/10

Their seafood sundubu jjigae is one of the best one I’ve had in Jakarta. The broth has that really rich and bold seafood flavor, the spiciness was still bearable for me who doesn’t really eat spicy food, and plenty of silky soft tofu and seafood in the bowl. Really enjoyed this dish.

Meat Cuts

“Surasang Korean Grill House proudly serves the best of the best. From Australian grain-fed beef to certified rare Japanese Kobe beef, our team personally hand-picked the beef that are pinnacle in the industry. We combined the traditional korean barbecue and modern steakhouse to deliver you a refined korean grill house.” —Surasang

(Far Left) 60 Days Dry Aged Rib Eye/Porterhouse, (Middle Top in the Bowl) Diamond Cut Galbi, (Middle Bottom) Wagyu Chateaubriand, (Bottom Right) Olive Wagyu.

All the meat that I tried from the tasting menu was excellent. Fresh, high-quality, well-seasoned meat was grilled to perfection on the table one cut after the other before the server cut them into smaller pieces in front of us. Although everything tasted excellent, I do have some favorites from the bunch.

60 Days Dry Aged Rib Eye/Porterhouse 400gr (1,500K) | 9/10

Their Dry Aged Rib Eye is my second most favorite meat cut. Tender meat, perfectly cooked and it tasted great without any additional dipping sauce.

Wagyu Chateaubriand (1,300k) | 9/10

Japanese Olive Wagyu 250gr (2,500K) | 10/10

My most favorite meat cut of the night. The Japanese Olive Wagyu was the BOMB. The marbling on the meat was excellent, super tender and juicy and it literally melted in my mouth. It was so, so good. Would definitely recommend this to anybody.

Wet Aged Diamond Cut Galbi 250gr (385K) | 9/10

The galbi was also great. Tender meat and I really like the seasoning on it. I could really taste the sweet and savory flavors combined with the smokiness from the grill.

Sweet Marinated Pork Shoulder 250gr (155K) | 8/10

Makgeolli Honeycomb (100k) | 9/10

Makgeolli, Honeycombs, Lime Juice.

The honey cut down the alcohol taste from the makgeolli, giving it an overall sweetness to the drink which still works well with the makgeolli. It kind of felt like a dessert drink but I quite enjoyed it.

With only a few good Korean BBQ restaurants around PIK area, I think Surasang could easily occupies the first spot of premium Korean BBQ restaurant in that area right now (with most other premium Korean BBQ restaurants probably located in Senopati/SCB area). Would definitely recommend this place if you’re looking for a more premium meat cuts for your Korean BBQ cravings.

 

Surasang Korean Grill House PIK • 수라상

Address: Jl. Rukan Golf Island No.71-73, Jakarta 14460, Indonesia
Telephone: +62812 6000 3503
Hours: Weekdays 11:00 AM-09:00pm | Weekends 11:00 AM-10:00pm

Instagram: @surasang_id

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