Barcadia

Hidden inside an unassuming building near Bundaran HI is a secret small library that serves as an entrance to Barcadia, a speakeasy bar at the very heart of Jakarta. Serving classic cocktails as well as innovative mixes inspired by sweet treats and local delicacies, Barcadia offers patrons a sanctuary to escape the busy life in the city.

When you arrived at the building, step into the small library where you can find Barcadia’s house rules hanging on the wall next to the entrance.

House Rules (For Season Two):

1. Keep the Peace

2. Mind Your Manner

3. No Smoking (E-Cigs Only)

4. Respect the Cocktail

5. Love Reading Book

6. Payment is Mandatory

7. Keep This Place Exclusive ;)

This is also the place where you can search for hidden old coins that you can use to exchange for special gifts from the bartender. The coins hidden are limited per day so you might want to come early if you wish to find one.

This week, Barcadia is kicking off their Season 2—The Prohibition Era: Step Into The Twenties. 

“Inspired by the clandestine speakeasies of the 1920s, we’ve crafted an immersive experience that pays homage to the spirit of defiance and indulgence that defined the era.”—Barcardia

As soon as you enter, you’ll be greeted by one (if not more) of Barcadia’s friendly bartenders who’ll quickly get you seated. The space feels like an extension of the library and is decorated with wooden panels, marble tables, leather sofas and bar stools with framed vintage art deco posters hanged on the walls. The warm dim lighting and jazz renditions of pop songs playing in the background create a cozy atmosphere to wind down after a busy day.

This (almost) 5 months old bar has about 25 seatings available inside the space—8 seats at the bar, 4 seats at the two small booths for two on one side of the room, and about 8 seats at the leather sectional sofa with an additional 4 round chairs around the circular marble table.

For their new season, Barcadia is introducing 12 new cocktails menu while keeping 2 (out of the 12) menu from season one. With 14 different unique cocktails on the menu, there are options for everybody to choose from. Or if you’re feeling more adventurous, you can always go with the “Surprise Me” option and the bartender will gladly mix you one.

Season 2 Menu. Courtesy of Barcadia Jakarta.

Tuberose (170k) | 8/10

Naked Malt Whiskey Sedap Malam, Spiked Gum, Absinthe, Peychaud’s Bitters, Aromatic Bitters.
ABV 35,7% • Floral • Spiced • Fragrant

Cheese Cake Factory (200k) | 9/10

Corazon Blanco Tequila Fat-Washed Butter, Blueberry Vanilla Liqueur, Malic Acid, Cream Cheese, Milk Clarified.
ABV 21,5% • Creamy • Toasty • Sweet

Funky Collada (190k) | 7.5/10

Roku Gin Cempedak, Roasted Grated Coconut Cordial, Pina Juice, Milk Clarified.
ABV 14,3% • Fruity • Tropical • Toasty

King of Fruits (200k) | 7.5/10

Jung & Wulff Guyana Rum, Local Leaves, Durian Syrup, Lactic Acid, Foam Agent.
ABV 16,7% • Custardy • Gentle Sweet • Aromatic

Other things that might be worth mentioning, they do serve light bites such as Wonton, French Fries and Shin Ramyun and they welcome outside food and online food delivery. There’s no minimum charge, walk-ins are welcomed and reservation is recommended for guaranteed seating. And if you make it ’til here, say this season’s magic word “Boleh pinjem buku?” to the bartender and they’ll let you mix your own cocktail behind the bar. Also, check out @munchandsnap.jkt’s reel for a special discount (valid until 30 April 2024).

 

Barcadia

Address: Jl. Blora No.10, RT.2/RW.6, Dukuh Atas, Menteng, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10310, Indonesia
Telephone: +62 877-8808-0998
Hours: 6 pm - 2 am

Instagram: @barcadia.id

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Peacock Lounge at Fairmont Jakarta

Peacock Lounge is one of the restaurants inside Fairmont Hotel Jakarta that’s well known for serving delicious afternoon tea as well as a selection of delectable desserts and main dishes. The spacious lounge is decorated with white marble tables with rattan chairs as well as comfortable sofas at the corners of the space. Complimenting their elegant chic interior, classical music is playing softly in the background, making this a perfect place to relax or to wind down after a busy day. 

Peacock Lounge’s decoration usually changes seasonally and currently, through the month of March & April, the lounge is decorated with spring sakura inspired theme, thus the presence of pink flowers and ornaments around the space.

A couple of days ago, my friend Winda (@munchandsnap.jkt) invited me to have an afternoon tea at the Peacock Lounge and so I went to visit the place with her. We had the seasonal Sakura Afternoon Tea set which includes tea (or coffee if you prefer) for two and its accompanying sweet and savory treats that are served in their iconic white leather chest of drawers. 

Peacock Lounge - Seasonal Sakura Afternoon Tea Set (Available until 30 April 2024). Menu courtesy of Peacock Lounge.

Sakura Afternoon Tea (588k) | 8.5/10

For the tea, they exclusively serve TWG teas and we tried the Sakura! Sakura! and Pink Flamingo. They were really fragrant and excellent, as expected from TWG I suppose. 

For the treats, they were delicious. The savory ones were well seasoned and the sweet ones weren’t too sweet at all, making them a perfect pair to have with the teas.

Out of the 19 treats served, my most favorite ones were the Mini Taco (white taco, lobster tartar, avocado, tomato pear) and the Mini Pastry Cup (smoked chicken torchon, sun dried tomato paste, gingerbread toast). There were so much great flavors on those two bites.

We also tried TWG’s Chocolate Earl Grey and Number 12—both were recommended by our server who told us these are some of the more exclusive teas that TWG has and are best served iced instead of hot. 

The Chocolate Earl Grey is supposedly the world’s first rich and aromatic black tea and is accented with fresh notes of rare bergamot and pure dark chocolate. I got to say this was delicious. The chocolate earl grey fragrance and taste really shine through and per our server recommendation, we added sugar after our first sip and it completely changed the taste of the tea, making the chocolate flavor bolder. 

The Number 12 was also interesting because the coffee flavor in the tea is really prominent. But since I don’t drink coffee, I can’t really give an accurate description for this one. But I did definitely taste the coffee flavor and Winda (who usually drinks coffee) said it was delicious.

Winda also ordered additional à la carte items to take home, which were the Lemon Basil Cheese Crumble, Teh Tarik Éclair and Raspberry Macaron. I got to try the Teh Tarik Éclair (Jasmine tea leaves infused in Balinese Tabanan chocolate cremeux) and although I really enjoyed the Jasmine tea flavors, I feel the chocolate cremeux filling was a bit much and ended up overpowering the jasmine tea flavor. I ate my second spoon with less filling and it was much better for my personal preference.  

This was actually my first time at the Peacock Lounge and I really enjoyed my visit. The place has nice interior and lighting, relaxing music, great tea selections and desserts and excellent service. And their afternoon tea set is actually one of the better ones out of the places that I’ve tried in Jakarta. 

If you’re looking for a chill, relaxing afternoon tea spot, I highly recommend this place. Also, if you want to try the Sakura Afternoon Tea Set, it is available until April 30th. 

 

Peacock Lounge at Fairmont Jakarta

Address: Fairmont Jakarta, Jl. Asia Afrika No.8, Gelora, Tanah Abang, Jakarta, 10270, Indonesia
Telephone: +62 21 29703333
Hours: Everyday 12:00 pm - 08:00 pm

Instagram: @peacockloungejkt

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TANYU Bugis Junction • 探鱼烤鱼

Tan Yu (探鱼烤鱼) is a Chinese restaurant that is well-known for their popular menu, grilled fish that can be cooked according to your liking from the 12 kinds of flavors they let you choose from. Originated from China, Tan Yu opened their first overseas flagship store in Singapore in December 2017 and has now expanded to 4 other locations in the city. Although their grilled fish is their most popular menu, Tan Yu also serves a variety of other menus that are both spicy and non-spicy.

During my recent trip to Singapore, my Singaporean friends took me to Tanyu, which is apparently one of the restaurant they often frequent. 

We arrived at Tanyu Bugis Junction around 6:40 pm and immediately got seated at one of the booth by the staff. Since I never been to this place, I told my friend to just order whatever she thinks is good. And so her recommendation was the Grilled Limbo Fish with Fresh Green Pepper (S$48.9), with the addition of Golden Combination (S$14.8) (which consists of golden mushrooms, potato, lotus root, and luncheon meat), long cabbage and rice.

The food came out pretty quickly after we placed our order. First, came a plate of snacks that consisted of a mix of 9 different types of crackers and peanuts. Then came the Jumbo Lemon and Lime Drink (S$18.9) that we ordered to share. And when they said jumbo, they weren’t kidding because the drink literally came out in a jumbo glass goblet looking container with a tap on it (I forgot to take a picture of this drink but see the size of this drink on the vlog).

Not long after that, the fish came out with the add-ons we ordered. The limbo fish is topped with fresh green pepper and the Golden Combination was actually already placed under the fish, simmering in the dark brown broth. 

Grilled Limbo Fish with Fresh Green Pepper (110gr) S$48.9 | 9/10

After adding in the long cabbage and let the fish simmer for about 5 minutes, we took out the fresh green pepper out of the pot so that the soup is not too spicy since I can’t really eat spicy food.

Prior coming to this place, I wasn’t expecting a lot since, one, this place is gaining popularity amongst Indonesians lately and usually hyped-up places on social media don’t live up to their hype. And two, I’m quite picky with fish dishes so I have my reservations prior coming to this place. But my friend told me their fish is fresh so I’m more open to trying it out. Having said that, I can say that I’m pleasantly surprised that this is one of those few places that live up to its hype. 

The broth was delicious. It’s thick with flavors, savory and you get that numb mala hit at the end of every slurp (and it just got better as the soup simmered). The fish was fresh and the meat was buttery soft. For me personally, since I can’t handle spicy food and despite the fact that we only left the green pepper simmered for 5 minutes, this dish was pretty spicy. But it was still bearable since I ate it after cooling it down on a separate bowl and with rice. Also, the drink that we ordered tasted even better after eating the spicy fish. The portion was pretty big and I’d say it’s probably enough to share between 4 people (there were 3 of us and we definitely didn’t finish the whole thing) or maybe even 5 people if you order more add-ons.

If you’re a fan of mala or spicy food, would definitely recommend this place to try. My friends told me some locations are busier than others, so you might have to line up for a table if you come during lunch or dinner rush. A line was formed shortly after we took our seat at this location and we went there on a Thursday night. Also, might be better to bring a friend or two if you want to try their grilled fish since the portion is quite big.

 

TANYU Bugis Junction • 探鱼烤鱼

Address: 200 Victoria St, Floor B1 #02-45 Bugis Junction, Singapore 188021
Telephone: +65 62655655
Hours: Everyday 11:30 am -10:00 pm

Instagram: @tanyu_sg

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Teddy Beurre House • 테디뵈르하우스 용산점

Teddy Beurre House (테디뵈르하우스) is a European-style bakery that offers a wide variety of delicious baked goods from the classic French pastries to more unique ones like their pistachio kouign-amann and krungji (a croissant nurungji—Korean scorched rice).

The cafe is located at Yongnidan-gil (용리단길), an up-and-coming neighborhood near Yongsan Station and was one of the first cafe that opened around that area before it gotten more crowded with newer cafes these days. 

The interior of the cafe is based on the cafe’s name itself, Teddy Beurre—or Teddy Bear—where you can find a number of teddy bear stuffed animals, paintings and other teddy bear related decorations inside the cafe. There are about 30 to 35 seatings inside and the place was pretty packed when I went to visit during midday on a Tuesday with my friend. But luckily, there was no line (there usually is, especially during the weekends) and we got a table right away.

After browsing their extensive pastry selections, I ended up picking up their number 1 best seller, the Beurre Croissant (₩5,000), the Corn & Egg (₩5,800) and another one of their best seller, the Pistachio Kouign-Amann (₩6,300). For the drink I ordered their Ice Pistachio Cream Milk (₩7,500).

Also, this cafe has the one drink per person rule, so even if you’re buying pastries, you’d still have to order one drink per person if you’re dining in.

Beurre Croissant (₩5,000) | 8.5/10

Crispy, flaky, buttery croissant. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. They did the basic right. 

Corn & Egg (₩5,800) | 8.5/10

Crispy, flaky, buttery croissant and then add over hard egg and corn in the middle. This is the perfect breakfast option for me. I liked it. 

Pistachio Kouign-Amann (₩6,300) | 8/10

First off, the shape is pretty interesting for a kouign-amann. Definitely not the shape that I’m used to. The pistachio tasted wonderful. It’s nutty and not too sweet. The texture of the kouign-amann was not as crunchy as I thought it’d be (especially after eating the croissant). Probably because I didn’t heat it up before eating it (they do provide small ovens to heat up the pastries). But overall, I still think this was pretty good.

Ice Pistachio Cream Milk (₩7,500) | 9.5/10

This is one of their signature menu (at least the latte is) and the drink is basically consisted of milk topped with thick pistachio cream and crushed pistachio. The cream is nutty, sweet with a hint of saltiness to it. And the texture is just right, making it easy to sip the cream along with the milk. It’s also good to have it with their croissant. I really enjoyed this drink and would definitely order this again when I go back.

Also, I can’t tell you how happy I am to see this under the non-coffee menu because if you’re not a coffee drinker like me, you know how challenging it is to find a good non-coffee option other than the basic tea, milk tea and hot chocolate (although Seoul cafes definitely has more good non-coffee option alternative than other countries in my opinion).

If you’re looking for a good pastries or a unique good non-coffee option, Teddy Beurre House is definitely worth checking out. From the time I spent there during my visit, seeing the amount of people that came to dine-in and did take-away, it’s obvious that the place is pretty popular amongst the locals. The bakery has also gained popularity amongst the tourists too lately so expect the place to be busy when you want to come to visit.

 

Teddy Beurre House • 테디뵈르하우스 용산점

Address: 서울 용산구 한강대로40가길 42 1층
Telephone: 0507-1379-8667
Hours: Monday - Friday 11:00-22:00 | Saturday & Sunday 10:00-22:00

Instagram: @teddy.beurre.house

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Hanmiok Cheongdam • 한미옥 청담동

One of the Korean dish that went viral on social media last year was Hanmiok’s Chadol Gujeolpan (차돌구절판) because of its unique presentation that undoubtedly makes a good content for travelers who were visiting Seoul. And so last spring, I went to Hanmiok Cheongdam (한미옥 청담동) with @munchandsnap.jkt to try it out.

We arrived at the restaurant at 4:30 pm to avoid the dinner rush, but apparently there were 7 other groups who have the same idea as us so we still had to wait in line for our table. We put our name and phone number on the machine for the waiting list and waited around for an hour before we finally got seated at our table.

When the server came, we ordered the medium Chadol Gujeolpan (차돌구절판 中) for us to share. Now what exactly is a Chadol Gujeolpan? Gujeolpan (구절판) itself is the traditional Korean Platter of Nine Delicacies that is plated in nine divided sections in an octagon shape or the plate itself. Hanmiok’s version of this is served with Korean beef brisket (the chadolbaegi) on a black pan.

10 minutes after we placed our order, the server came back with our food and started setting up to cook the Chadol Gujeolpan. The first two ingredients were the Korean beef brisket or the chadolbaegi (차돌백이) and water parsley (미나리) that were already placed on the pan. They cooked these first before adding more ingredients to the pan.

The next six ingredients were (see photo below in clockwise direction) kimchi (김치), bean sprouts (콩나물), bracken (고사리), scallops (관자), octopus (문어), and buckwheat pancakes (메밀전병) in the middle.

After the beef brisket and water parsley were cooked, they used the oil from the beef to cook the scallops, octopus and buckwheat pancakes before adding the kimchi, bracken, and bean sprouts in.

And lastly, after all of that were cooked and neatly placed in a circle, the server pour egg (계란) from a golden aluminum teapot into the middle part of the pan to complete the ninth ingredient of the dish. The egg is then cooked with a blowtorch until it’s done with a silky smooth finish.

Chadol Gujeolpan (차돌구절판 中) ₩59,000 | 9/10

Chadolbaegi (차돌백이), Water Parsley (미나리), Kimchi (김치), Bean Sprouts (콩나물), Bracken (고사리), Scallops (관자), Octopus (문어), Buckwheat Pancakes (메밀전병), Egg (계란).

I have to say I love this kind of food. The ingredients themselves are not fancy, but each components are well-seasoned and the flavor of everything works together. For me, the best way to eat this dish is to mix up the ingredients in every bite because each combinations gave me a different flavor profile. So mix two, three, or four things in a bite. Or if your mouth could fit everything, the whole 9 things in a spoon (although that might be a bit too much honestly). But one thing that I would recommend is to at least mix one meat with one veggies and the egg. You’ll get that nice juicy bite where the meat is balanced out by the acid from the veggies and everything kind of just bursts in your mouth. So satisfying.

The portion of the medium Chadol Gujeolpan (차돌구절판 中) is more than enough for two people. Although I did order a bowl of rice just because I wanted to have the dish with rice and me and my friend were fully stuffed at the end of the meal.

Service was okay at this place. The servers weren’t the friendliest, but they weren’t rude either. The food came out pretty quickly though. But overall, the meal was really satisfying and I really like it.

If you want to come to this place, be prepared for the possibility of waiting for your table. It helps if you have a Korean phone number since you can input them into the machine and you can walk around the area while waiting (they’ll call/message you when you’re table is ready). But if you don’t have a Korean phone number, you’ll have to wait around the store at least when your turn is near.

Will I come back again to this place? I already did actually. Went back in the fall with a different group of friends, although my second visit was to their Yeouido location and the food was as good as this location.

 

Hanmiok Cheongdam • 한미옥 청담동

Address: 서울 강남구 선릉로 822 지하 1층
Telephone: 02-545-4622
Hours: Monday-Friday 11:00-22:00 (Break Time: 14:30-17:00) | Saturday & Sunday 12:00-22:00 (Break Time: 15:00-17:00)

Instagram: @hanmiok0616

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