Not Complete • 낫컴플리트

Stumbled upon Not Complete (낫컴플리트) by chance when I was exploring Hyehwa-dong (혜화동) during one summer day in June. It was quiet when I walked into the spacious cafe on the second story of a building in one of the alleyways in Hyehwa. The place was brightly lit by the natural lighting that shines through the windows surrounding the space and soft jazz music was playing in the background.

It was the cafe’s third week of soft opening so the place was pretty much brand new. First thing that came to mind after I sat down was this is a perfect place to read a book, do some work or to catch up with friends because, other than the occasional sound of the coffee machine brewing or water running from the kitchen, the noise level in this space is perfect for me who doesn’t really like noisy places. The cafe also have a good selections of coffee and non-coffee options as well as dessert and pastries on the menu. If you’re looking for a quiet cafe around Hyehwa area, this place is definitely worth to check out.

 

Not Complete • 낫컴플리트

Address: 서울 종로구 성균관로 12-5 1층 2층
Hours: Monday to Saturday 12:00-21:00. Closed on Sundays.

Instagram: @notcmplt

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Cafe Aalto by Meal Do • 카페알토 바이 밀도

Cafe Aalto by Meal Do (카페알토 바이 밀도) is the first artist collaborative project by Meal Do (밀도), a popular bakery that is well-known for their cube breads and loaf. The name of the cafe itself is inspired by Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto, a world-renowned Finnish architect and designer whose works include architecture, furniture, textiles, glassware, as well as sculptures and paintings. The interior of the cafe is designed by Teoyang Studio and heavily inspired by Aalto’s works.

“We wanted to share Alvar Aalto's inspirations and preferences through out the cafe. Birch wood veneer louvered wall which resemble the birch forest and the gold mirrored ceiling which reflects the users like the lakes in Finland. Even the soft tone of the indirect lighting in the space came from the use of sunlight in Alvar Aalto's architecture.” —Teoyang Studio

“Teoyang Studio has installed thinly slatted birch screens that frame a deep-set cut-out ceiling to recall Aalto’s Savoy Vase, whilst diners perch stylishly on the iconic Stool 60 and Chair 66.” —Wallpaper.com

I actually really enjoyed my visit to this place. The interior of the spacious cafe is impressive, the atmosphere is relaxing, plenty of tables and chairs for you to do some work if you opted to do so, and this location feels very different than Meal Do’s other locations that are usually smaller. The cafe is actually located inside Amore Pacific Headquarters Building (아모레퍼시픽본사빌딩) so there are other stores that you can visit while you’re there.

 

Cafe Aalto by Meal Do • 카페알토 바이 밀도

Address: 서울 용산구 한강대로 100 지하 1층
Telephone: 0507-1479-5052
Hours: Weekdays 08:30-20:00 | Weekends 10:00-20:00

Instagram: @cafeaalto.bymealdo

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Bistecca PIK Avenue

Bistecca is an Italian-American steakhouse and Martini bar that is inspired by the upscale New York steakhouses of the 1950’s. After establishing themselves as one of the best steakhouses in Jakarta with their SCBD location, Bistecca opened their second location at PIK Avenue Mall in November last year.

Staying true to their SCBD’s location theme, the interior of the PIK Avenue location is also mid-century inspired. Dining tables and plush dining chairs are complimented with black leather sofas, a cocktail bar and shelves of books that are reminiscence of a living room and a private home library of an affluent homeowner from the era where they usually entertain their guests. The space feels elegant, intimate and definitely upscale but without the pressure of having to dress up too much to dine in at the establishment.

The Ambience

The dimly lit space creates a romantic atmosphere that is perfect for a date night or an intimate meal with friends and family. Personally, I do think it is a bit too dimly lit to the point where it almost feels like a blackout (especially with the type of candles provided on each table) and flashlight from your phones might be required to read the menu. But even so, it makes a perfect venue for a candlelight dinner (quite literally). Plus, the noise level at this place is low, which is always preferable for me. The music that’s playing in low volume in the background makes it easier to talk to your dinner companions without having to engage in a shouting match across the table.

The Food

Spaghetti Aglio E Olio (225k) | (9/10)

Spaghetti Aglio E Olio with Hokkaido Scallops.

Al dente spaghetti, nicely cooked scallops and the dish was well-seasoned.

USDA Prime Beef Rib-Eye (300 gr) (655k) | 9/10

The meat was perfectly cooked, juicy and tender with crispy crusts.

Shoestring Truffle Fries (85k) | 8/10

Creamy Parmesan Spinach (95k) | 9/10

Charcoal Grilled Broccolini (110k) | 9/10

Overall Experience

I had a lovely dinner at this place. The service was good. The servers were polite and friendly. The food came out pretty fast after I placed the order. One thing to note is that the air conditioning at the restaurant was pretty cold when I was there so if you get cold easily, you might want to dress accordingly. And the air con did make the food get cold faster. So if you want to have everything while it’s pipping hot, maybe ask the server to bring the dishes in waves instead of serving it all at once.

But overall, definitely recommend this place if you’re looking for a great steak house in Jakarta or a nice restaurant for a date night.

 

Bistecca PIK Avenue

Address: PIK Avenue Mall, Ground Floor, Jl. Pantai Indah Kapuk Boulevard, DKI Jakarta 14470, Indonesia
Hours: Everyday 11:00am - 12:00am

Instagram: @bisteccajkt
Menu

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Phoenix Gastrobar PIK

Phoenix Gastrobar is a newly-opened luxurious bar in Golf Island PIK and is the newest addition to HW Group’s extensive F&B portfolio. Located between the Golden Tiger and Gold Dragon PIK—which are also owned by the HW group—Phoenix Gastrobar has ample sofa seatings, two bars, live music stage and private dining and karaoke rooms.

I got to visit the place during their soft opening earlier this week and I have to say the place has one of the most impressive interior design out of all the places I’ve been to in Jakarta. The high ceiling, the angular shapes of the balconies as well as the diagonal narrow stairs that connect one floor to the other, combined those with dark brown wooden panels, big marble fountain, leather seats, gold brass fixtures and warm yellow lights, they certainly give this place a distinct unique character. Einstein Architects really did a great job in designing this place and I’m predicting that this will be one of the biggest reason for people to come visit the bar.

Since I visited during their soft opening, most of their menu were still unavailable so I don’t think I can give a proper review on the food and beverages for now. But if you’re into cool interior design, I’d totally recommend you to check this place out. Phoenix Gastrobar just had their grand opening today (10 Feb 2023) and is now open for public.

 

Phoenix Gastrobar PIK

Address: Ruko Golf Island. Jl. Pantai Indah Kapuk No.183, 14460, Indonesia
Telephone: +6281119225168
Hours: 12:00pm - 02:00am

Instagram: @phoenixbar.id

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Humbolt • 훔볼트

Humbolt (훔볼트) is a dessert cafe in Seongsu-dong (성수동) that has been around for quite a while now. My first visit was in 2017 and they’re still operating until today, so it really says something about the place.

Decorated with sleek gold and marble interior, the cafe occupies a three-stories space that has plenty of seatings ranging from working station style seating, casual meetup seating and outdoor seating if you prefer to enjoy the weather outside. They sell a variety of coffee & non-coffee drinks, desserts as well as bread and pastries.

To somebody who doesn’t drink coffee like me, finding a cafe that has a pretty extensive non-coffee options (and by extensive, I mean they have other menus than the generic chocolate or matcha latte) is somewhat hard. So I was pretty happy when I see that Humbolt (훔볼트) offers quite a bit of non-coffee options. I tried their Rose Latte (장미라떼) and it was actually pretty good. The temperature was just right, not too sweet, the forth is light and foamy, and it came with rose petals on top of it. It was perfect for a cold day.

If you’re looking for a dessert cafe with non-coffee options that has plenty of seatings for casual meetups or working session, I’d definitely recommend you to check out this place. And oh, I think they also have live music session as well, but you might want to check out their Instagram or call them up for more info on that.

 

Humbolt • 훔볼트

Address: 서울 성동구 성수이로 58 1층
Telephone: 02-462-5122
Hours: Everyday 10:00-22:00

Instagram: @humbolt.cafe

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