Glou Wine & Bistro

French food with Indonesian twists. That’s the kind of food you’ll find at Glou Wine & Bistro, a cozy casual French bistro in Melawai. Opened last September by Jaddi+ in collaboration with Chef Renatta Moeloek and Chef Adam Rizal Pradana as the brains behind the French-(Peruvian-Spanish)-inspired menus, Glou also strives to highlight local produce by incorporating unique ingredients from all around Indonesia into their dishes. The idea translated into every plates that they served, giving patrons an elevated dining experience that is reminiscent of a home-cooked meal.

The Food

Roasted Cauliflower (75k) | 8.5/10

Charred bell pepper sauce, tahini, almonds and pickled shallots.

The cauliflower was roasted nicely, giving that right amount of crunchiness without it being to hard. The sauce was creamy, savory and there’s a smokiness from the charred bell pepper that works wonderfully with the roasted cauliflower. The crispy almond gave a hint of nuttiness and added to the texture of the dish. And the pickled shallots were amazing. Just the right thing needed to balance the cauliflower and the sauce, making the overall dish brighter and more refreshing. This was my favorite dish from my visit.

Bone Marrow Escargots (185k) | 8/10

Escargots in herb and anchovy butter on top of a bone marrow.

The dish is nicely seasoned in butter and herbs with lemon. A nicely executed straight forward dish. We did ask for a bread replacement (I think they gave us sourdough) per a friend’s recommendation because according to her, the bread that came with dish was way too tough and since we aren’t really a fan of tough bread, we followed her recommendation and glad that we did. Also, appreciate that the restaurant accommodated our request.

Fish Meunière (175k) | 8/10

Pan seared whole flat fish with herb butter and lemon, pickled green Pontianak chilli.

The fish was fresh, didn’t taste fishy at all. Nicely cooked where the fish meat is still tender and the flavors are reminiscent of Indonesian flavors for sure.

Steak au Poivre (465k) | 8.5/10

Grilled US Prime steak, unripe green peppercorns from Bogor, andaliman and parsley.

Super tender and juicy meat, sliced nicely sitting on top of a plate full of brown sauce. I asked for a medium for the degree of doneness of the meat and this was one of those rare occasions in Jakarta where I actually get a medium steak on the plate (most restaurants usually served it over or under unless I’m at a nice steakhouse). That was pretty impressive. The green peppercorn sauce was also very delicious. I thought it’s going to be stronger, but the peppercorns were actually very subtle, making the whole dish very enjoyable and again, reminiscent of local flavors.

Overall Experience

The food at Glou Wine & Bistro certainly lived up to the concept of the restaurant itself, a casual neighborhood French bistro that reminds you of home. I actually didn’t know what the concept of the restaurant was prior to my visit because it was a last minute decision to go to try this place. But after I’m done with my meal, the first thing that came to mind was that the dishes and flavors of everything I ordered tasted like French food but with familiar Indonesian flavors infused to them which I was pleasantly surprised.

Service was also wonderful. The server who waited our table was friendly, knowledgeable about the menu and made us feel at home. They adjusted the timing of the food according to our request, checked-in periodically without feeling too overbearing and our glasses were kept full the whole time we were there.

Noise level was a bit high for me since it wasn’t a full house when I was there but as the evening progressed, I did had to raised my voice more and more so that my friend could hear me speak.

All and all, if you’re looking for a casual French bistro restaurant with wine selections, Glou Wine & Bistro is worth checking out.

Glou Wine & Bistro

 

Address: Jl. Wijaya II No.56, RT.5/RW.7, Melawai, Kec. Kby. Baru, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12160, Indonesia
Telephone: +62821 7000 1270
Hours: Mon-Sun 11.00 - late

Instagram: @glou.jakarta

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Flor

“Crafted with Passion, Baked with Precision.” That is the motto of Flor, one of the newer addition to Jakarta’s cafe scene that just opened six months ago. The bakery is part of Ismaya’s new viennoiserie concept in collaboration with pastry chefs Kevin Pratama and Saskia Auryn who bring in their expertise to create a selection of intricate and exquisite viennoseries, entremets and whole cakes that are both feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds.

“We devote careful time and attention to the development of our pastries and entremets, ensuring each creation is crafted with utmost care. Our products are available in limited stock as we bake only three times daily. To secure your treat, it's best to arrive early.

Rest assured, we believe that good things in life are worth the anticipation and patience.” —Flor

Avocado Chocolate (76k)

A blissful combination of flourless dark chocolate cake with dark whipped ganache, avocado mousse, and avocado insert, all embraced by sea salt chocolate sable.

Strawberry Basil (Toba Temptation) (80k)

Layers of strawberry mousse and coulis with sweet basil pesto on a soft vanilla sponge and crunchy almond streusel, crowned with a mascarpone chantilly.

Jasmine Mango Szechuan (84k)

Jasmine tea mousse, mango passion cremeux, and mango passion coulis with a surprising kick from the mango Szechuan peppercorns inserts, all embraced by a delicate vanilla sponge.

Raspberry Rose Lychee (79k)

Pistachio Calamansi (86K)

Pistachio mascarpone mousse, mascarpone chantilly, calamansi ganache, calamansi gel, pistachio praline, pistachio biscuit and a sprinkling of almond streusel.

Hazelnut (84K)

Layers of hazelnut mousse, hazelnut praline, and creamy sea salt caramel, all nestled upon a hazelnut sponge cake.

St. Honore (80k)

Layers of puff pastry paired with vanilla mascarpone chantilly and dulcey ganache, accented by creamy sea salt caramel, vanilla cake, crème pâtissière, choux au craquelin, and coated in caramel glaze.

Banana (76k)

Enchanting flavors and textures of Jivara banana ganache, Jivara mousse, caramelized banana, banana pudding, banana cake & chocolate streusel.

What i ordered

Truffle Mushroom (57k) | 7.5/10

A roller coaster ride of buttery pastry, mushroom magic, and a smooth-as-silk cream cheese finish.

Very strong savory truffle flavors. The middle part did feel a bit soggy, probably because of the truffle, mushroom and cream cheese that are sitting on top of it. But overall it’s still enjoyable. This was the only savory menu I tried on my visit.

Pain Au Chocolate (38K) | 9/10

Bicolor chocolate croissant made with layers of flaky pastry and filled with rich Valrhona Ariaga dark chocolate.

The layers on the pain au chocolate is exquisite. It’s super flaky to the point that I don’t think I can eat this without making a mess (and I mean this in a good way). The ratio of the chocolate to the overall pastry is also just right, making it not overly sweet. Really enjoyed this one.

Ube Croissant (52k) | 8/10

Ube-infused croissant and whipped ganache topped with almond crumbles.

The staff told me this is one of their best seller for their croissants so my friend and I decided to try it. This one was also not too sweet and I think to enjoy this, you have to get all the components in one bite. Also, the presentation and the color of this croissant is certainly very attractive.

Avocado Chocolate (76k) | 8/10

A blissful combination of flourless dark chocolate cake with dark whipped ganache, avocado mousse, and avocado insert, all embraced by sea salt chocolate sable.

Eating this certainly reminded me of one of my favorite childhood drinks, avocado juice with chocolate condensed milk. This tastes exactly the same but in form of a moist cake. I get why this is one of their best seller. The flavors are very familiar (especially for Indonesians I’d imagine) and it’s probably one of the reason why it’s so popular with the locals. Although I have to say, out of all the things I tried, this one was a tad too sweet for my personal taste.

Strawberry Basil (Toba Temptation) (80k) | 7/10

Layers of strawberry mousse and coulis with sweet basil pesto on a soft vanilla sponge and crunchy almond streusel, crowned with a mascarpone chantilly.

If you like strawberry, you should definitely try this one. It’s not too sweet, and the strawberry flavor certainly shined through. The most unique part was the sweet basil pesto inside the mochi-like component on top (and fyi, despite the fact that the staff told me it was mochi that was on top, no, it wasn’t mochi. The texture of the outer layer is solid).

Pistachio Calamansi (86K) | 8/10

Pistachio mascarpone mousse, mascarpone chantilly, calamansi ganache, calamansi gel, pistachio praline, pistachio biscuit and a sprinkling of almond streusel.

This one is another one of the best seller and I actually quite enjoyed it. The pistachio calamansi flavors blend quite harmoniously in my mouth as the sweetness and nuttiness of the pistachio was balanced by the acidic and refreshing calamansi.

Overall Experience

If you’re looking for a place where they sell desserts and pastries with attractive visuals, this is the place to go. Honestly, I had my reservations prior to my visit because usually in Jakarta, things that are visually pretty don’t necessarily taste very good. But after trying three of their pastries and three of their entremets, I can say that this place is worth trying, especially if you’re into desserts.

Their entremets are really well made, visually attractive, and taste pretty good. Although some are sweeter than the other, the overall consensus from my friend and I is that we think Flor is worth trying.

The cafe itself is not very big and they don’t have a lot of seatings. So if you don’t want to wait for a table, I would recommend making a reservation prior to your visit.

FLOR

 

Address: Jl. Gunawarman No.11 A, Jakarta Selatan 12110, Indonesia
Telephone: +62858 1111 0939
Hours: Mon-Thu 7 am - 6 pm | Fri-Sun 7 am - 8 pm
Baking Time: 7am | 11am | 2pm

Instagram: @flor.jkt

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Barcelona Dining & Bar

Barcelona Dining & Bar is a quaint Spanish restaurant that serves various cuisines inspired by the flavors of Spain with a little bit of Asian twists. Offering plenty of seatings inside a two-story building, the cozy interior and the vivid colors inside of the restaurant are reminiscent of places you’d visit in the Southwestern of Europe. The restaurant is also part of Hiro Group’s growing portfolio and is located at One Satrio, an open space lifestyle center at Kuningan, South Jakarta.

The food

Crispy Pig Ear (75K) | 8.5/10

Deep-Fried Pig Ear, Garlic, Daun Jeruk, Paprika Powder, Espelette, Tartar Sauce

The pig ear was fried to a crisp without being too oily. The highlight of the dish was the Tartar sauce for me. You gotta dip it in the Tartar sauce before taking a bite. We even asked for a refill for the Tartar sauce cause it was that good.

Baked Butter Scallop (125K) | 8.5/10

Hokkaido Scallop, Shrimp, Paprika, Butter, Tobiko

The butter sauce was wonderful. The liquid gold was savory, well seasoned and the scallop was nicely cooked. Also, I like the fact that they served the dish with burning charcoal underneath the shell which kept the dish warm and the sauce from being hardened.

Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna (80K) | 8/10

Crispy Sushi Rice, Tuna Tartare, Chili Aioli, Scallion

I like the play on texture on this one. The crispy sushi rice was well-executed, crispy on the outside with moist rice on the inside. The tuna tartare was also good, but I do wish that they’d seasoned a little stronger and it’d be nice if the tartare is chilled to get that contrast in temperature and make the dish more refreshing (just my personal preference though). But overall, this was a good dish.

Wagyu Tounge (280K) | 9/10

Grilled Thick Cut Beef Tounge, Negi Sauce, Chili Oil, Yuzu Foam

Really love this dish. The tounge was juicy, tender and cut in the perfect size. The sauce was savory but fresh at the same time. This was my favorite dish out of all the dishes we ordered.

Crab cannelloni (158k) | 8.5/10

Crab Meat, Shrimp, Jalapeño Pickles, Sauce Américaine, Tobiko

The pasta was cooked al dente. The combination of the pasta, the crab meat and the sauce was really nice and balanced. Although I have to say this dish might be a better option for sharing because the portion is quite big.

Overall Experience

Me and my cousins went to Barcelona during New Year’s day and the 4-months-old restaurant wasn’t too busy. The food was great. Everything we ordered we did enjoy. Their sauce works were also really wonderful because every single dish that we had had a distinct flavor that separate them from each other. Service was also great. The waiter who served our table was knowledgable about the menu. The manager also stepped in to help accommodate our dietary restrictions. Noise level at this place was at a medium just because there weren’t too many people around our table during the time of my visit (I have a feeling it might be high if the place is crowded). All and all, I had really nice meal at this place and probably going to go back again to try their other menu.

Barcelona Dining & Bar

 

Address: CBD One Satrio, Jl. Mega Kuningan Jl. Prof. DR. Satrio No.13, Kuningan, East Kuningan, Setiabudi, Kuningan, Jakarta 12949
Telephone: +6282 28000 3501
Hours: Sun-Thrs 11:00 am -11:00 pm | Fri-Sat 11:00 am - 00:00 am

Instagram: @barcelonajkt

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% Arabica Jakarta PIK Golf Island

% Arabica just opened its fifth location in Jakarta by introducing what could possibly be one of the most iconic structure of their outlet in Indonesia to date. Located in the middle of PIK Golf Island’s main roundabout, it’ll be hard to miss the unique modern circular structure enclosed by floor to ceiling glass surrounding it, giving you a glimpse of their signature all-white interior. 

On top of that, they’re also introducing their first drive-thru service in Indonesia at this location, offering you the option to grab your coffee on the go. The multi-award winning design studio Nomura no. 10 who’s responsible for many of % Arabica’s world-wide outlets including this one, certainly has done a wonderful job with the space.

*% Arabica Golf Island PIK will be open to public on December 9, 2023.

 

% Arabica Jakarta PIK

Address: Bunderan PIK, Jl. Pantai Indah Kapuk, 14460
Telephone: +62-811-1992-0007
Hours: Mon-Thu 8:00am - 10:00pm | Fri-Sun 7:00am-11:00pm

Instagram: @arabica.indonesia

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Locos BBQ • 로코스비비큐

Locos BBQ (로코스비비큐) is a Texas style BBQ restaurant that opened at the top of Gyeongridan-gil (경리단길) in 2014. They specialize in tender, flavorful BBQ meat that has been aged for more than 24 hours and sell craft beer, wine, and cocktails that go well with the meat.

When I walked towards the entrance of the restaurant after I passed their big logo signage in front, I was greeted by the strong smell of smoke coming from their open kitchen behind the counter where a variety of smoked meat is being displayed. The waiter asked me to wait before finally signaling me to follow him to enter the restaurant and seated me on one of the empty long tables.

I arrived at the place around 6 pm on a weekday for dinner and the place wasn’t too busy. There were 4 other people who were already in the middle of their meal when I got there and were seated spread out across the restaurant.

The vibe of the restaurant is reminiscent of the BBQ restaurants I’ve been in the States. They have a bar area right next to the entrance, dimly lit with yellow lighting and blue and red neon light as accent colors. The main seating area is decorated with globe string lights hanging on the ceiling, rough textured walls, and wooden tables and benches. I think they nailed the interior pretty well. Plenty of seating available as well as private room if you prefer for special events.

I ordered their Half Rack Original Baby Back Rib (₩21,900) that is served with fries, buns, coleslaw and jalapeños. The meat was super tender and fell off the bone when I cut it. The seasoning and flavors were pretty solid, although the sauce was a bit on the sweeter side for my personal preference. I did ended up dipping the meat into the additional sauces they provided on the table: the Sweet Barbeque, Mustard Barbeque, and Chipotle. They were all good sauces, but I think my favorite was the Chipotle sauce. Overall, it was a great Baby Back Rib for me.

As for the sides, the fries was really good. They were very crispy and not oily at all. The buns were a little dry for my taste and kind of reminded me of those breakfast buns we got on the airplane. But maybe they’re suppose to be like that so when I eat the buns with the meat and the sauces, they’ll compliment each other more? Not sure. The coleslaw was alright and I did wish that it was served chilled instead in room temperature.

The noise level in this place is medium to high since there’s music in moderate volume playing through the speakers. And the place did get busier after the dinner rush started. I ended up ordering the Korean Spicy Baby Back Rib to-go for my friends after my meal and I had to wait for about 30 minutes or so because there were more people then. The Korean Spicy Baby Back Rib was good too by the way. It’s just too spicy for me since I can’t handle spicy food very well. All in all, if you’re craving for some good Texas style BBQ in Seoul, I would totally recommend this place to try.

 

Locos BBQ • 로코스비비큐

Address: 서울 용산구 회나무로 83
Telephone: 02-794-3234
Hours: Everyday 11:30-21:00 | Weekdays Break Time: 14:00-16:00

Instagram: @locos_bbq_official

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