the LAB ScienTEAs : Learning the Boba chemistry!

It is nothing new if I tell you that there is another bubble tea tenant in Pantai Indah Kapuk. From all the bubble tea tenants lining through out the whole PIK area, the LAB has been one of the tenants that emerged with a one-of-a-kind concept and literally sticks to it. From the interior to the uniform of the staffs, you can easily find yourself in a scientific industrial atmosphere where your bubble tea is formulated by a "ScienTEAs" (not a scientist though).

Enter the 1st Floor...

Bubble Tea menu

The lab coats worn by the staffs. The blue surgeon uniform underneath the coat is only worn by the "scienTEAs" who are responsible in formulating the drinks inside their little mixing lab.

As you can see from the pictures above, they really pay attention to the little details. They are able to design the whole area with real scientific appliances and managed to remain attractive (pardon my prejudice to the subject of chemistry or science, it's personal).

Enter the 2nd Floor...

Cute and smart on how they designed a cup holder for each chair.. 

Loyal customers..

A slight warning on the hazardous chemicals

Those are real test tubes on the ceiling..

The second floor is definitely brighter compared to the first floor. Unlike the industrial feel you'll get from down below, this level has more an urban touch to it.. In a way, it's almost cute, but they still managed to attach one or two of a few things to remain true to their concept..

Enter the drinks.. and later the food..

wild berry tea as a welcome drink on a real pyrex test tube.. Nothing alcoholic (relating to the appearance of this drink)

They have various flavors for their poppings. This one was mango flavored. Not too sweet which  I think is perfect.

Trying out their strawberry boba with a lychee yogurt tea.. Even their cups are different from the other normal ones. Trying to imitate a big test tube. You  might not be able to see this, but they have embedded measurements and their brand on each cup.

On the drinks  (20k - 30k) : I usually go with the aloe vera on normal occasions..

My first cup was pomegranate yogurt tea with small boba. I forget to ask for less sugar, so it came out to a what I think of an over sweet drink. I also didn't like the smell of artificial syrup on this drink. The small boba was perfect though.. 

My second cup was the lychee yogurt with strawberry boba. Well, this one I like. It's a perfect balance between the sour and the sweet. They claimed to be the only bubble tea tenant that has flavorings on their boba. From strawberry to pandan flavors, they give you a variety of choices for alternative preference. I also noticed that their popping has a wider selection of flavors compared to other bubble tea stores. 

The hazelnut milk tea was also satisfying. The milk is strong enough to compete with the hint of hazelnut. I like it.. I like it all..! And now I am left perplexed in choosing which one is my favorite.

I have tried their marshmallow milk on previous visit. I love love love it. It was fragrant enough and perfect for a before-to-sleep drink. I just wish they offer the warm version.

FYI, they also serve alcoholic bubble drinks.. 

Mani Moggo (120k). A sharing plate of japchae, kani salad, butter bap, soondogu kimchi jigae, paseutta jjajang, and tang soo yook. This portion was only for the purpose of the food tasting event.

Fried enoki

Soondogu Kimchi Jigae

Japchae in a beaker.. 

On the food :
Following the notable trends of K-pop, the LAB has decided to go Korean fusion for their food. On this event, I was given the chance to try out their Mani Moggo set.

The verdict : Even though it's a bit out of place from their concept, they were able to serve decent Korean food. I love how fragrant the japchae was. The chicken itself has thick fried batter with a dry coating of a red sour sauce. The sauce is definitely different from the other Korean chicken I have tasted.
To sum it all up, the set itself offers you with sweet savory flavors brought by the different dishes. It also has different textures from each distinctive items. I really enjoyed the Korean platter.

I have to give credit for the concept of the LAB and their selections of toppings. So far, I found them to be the one who offers you with wider selections of different toppings. I think they got what it takes to compete with the other dozen of bubble tea tenants on PIK. I wish the LAB an abundance of success and great luck on the future. Keep up your "scienTEAfic" work!

the LAB
Ruko Crown Golf, Blok D, no. 29
Pantai Indah Kapuk, Jakarta
twitter : theLAB_ID
instagram : thelab_id

Starbucks Food Tasting

When I received the invitation via e-mail from Starbucks, I was super thrilled!

I have always loved Starbucks for their sweet treats and unique drinks.. Believe me.. I spend a lot of my time there, whether it's only for hanging out, waiting for someone, doing my assignments, reading a novel, or just chillin' with my friends.. The world-wide chain cafe is scattered everywhere and because of that, I also think that Starbucks is one of the main reasons of what turned out to be today's youngsters coffee drinking culture. I don't personally choose Starbucks for their black coffee (I think there are many better places that serves good black coffee), but I just can't get enough of the other unique drinks that they serve, also their light bites..

I don't think I have to explain furthermore about Starbucks because I believe you guys are familiar with it as well. The thing with Starbucks is that it's practical. You know what they serve, you know what you want, they know what to serve, BOOM, consistency.. I don't even have to look at their drink list to find out what I want, what I crave from Starbucks. As if I have downloaded their menu via PDF file inside here *pointing at my own head*

I was late for an hour. Traffic was eating me alive. Thank God I wasn't the one who was driving.. (Poor Glen..)

HERE WE GO

After 2,5 hours of traffic, all of these really turned up my mood.. They were not new actually, you can find them in Starbucks stores, but this just brighten my night up!

The other fellow bloggers suddenly scooted over this tray full of red velvet and purple yam coconut cake to me.. I was quite amused actually.. 

I have never been a fan of Starbucks red velvet. I think it's the same as an ordinary sponge cake, covered with peanuts. I couldn't even smell any hint of coffee.. So, no.. I am not a fan of this one..

Now this, I love... Purple Yam Coconut Cake (28k). It has that coconut shavings texture and the yam is used for the base. I think it's superb!

My drinks for the night : Passion Tea Lemonade (this also have been one of my favorite drinks from Sbux, it's very freshening, sour and not too sweet for me), Hot chocolate (classic hot chocolate, what can go wrong with it?)

For Glen : Sea Salt Caramel Caramel Mocha (Current Sbux seasonal drink, and yes, I licked every bit of that gorgeous whip cream with a straw)

Smoked Ham Quiche. I LOVE STARBUCKS QUICHES! It's soft on the inside, has that right amount of cheesiness..  Whenever I am in for a treat, I usually order their savory quiche.. Eat it with chili sauce, super yum! (typical Indonesian's relationship with the so-called sambal)

Generous ham.. Even the one without ham is still very yummy

Another seasonal dessert : VIA Snowflake Land (17,5k). The outer has a choux pastry consistency dipped into melted chocolate and topped with white chocolate shavings above it..

The fillings was not as runny as the typical choux pastry filling. I can definitely smell the coffee from the VIA... Coffee Choux Pastry, anyone?

Classic Starbucks Cinnamon Role (which I think looks very sexy and tempting at the same time, especially with those white sugar on top of it)

Another seasonal savory treat. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH~! They use fresh basil. In the picture above, it has just been warmed so the basil went soft. It's like a garden exploded in my mouth. Lean chicken, super healthy, with a hint of sweetness from the apple, and the kicking smell of basil. COMPLETE GARDEN PARADISE EXPLOSION IN MY MOUTH!

The only thing is... The wheat bread is too thick!

Their best seller Sandwich : Rustica Smoked Chicken and Cranberry Sandwich (42k). I have tried it once, I didn't like it that much. The cranberry made the sandwich too sweet that I couldn't enjoy it. I have always preferred savory salty when it comes to my meals. It's also one of the most expensive Starbucks treats.. 

I have such a great time with my fellow bloggers.. 

At the end, after those hours being stuck in the car, it's definitely worth it to meet these people.. :)

Starbucks Coffee
Where? You know it..
Twitter : SbuxIndonesia

The Soup Spoon Food Tasting

Do you agree with Beethoven?

The custom of eating healthier food has been growing more vastly from time to time. But healthy is often related to either blandness or unpleasant flavor.. I, myself, has been trying so hard to keep the balance between those two.. Healthy but not yummy.. Yummy but unhealthy.. *Sigh* I feel like ripping myself into two so that I can have both healthy and yummy..

The thing is.. Now, we don't have to fight so hard to decide between what is yummy and what is healthy.
The thing is.. The fact that healthy eating habit keeps on growing and it varies our choices..
The thing is.. Consumers are getting smarter.. So new trending restaurants have to keep up with them..

Soup Spoon is that type of restaurant. The type of restaurant which think of your health and giving pleasure to your taste buds at the same time.. Random trivia here, do you know that eating soup is currently trending in Singapore. There have been numerous soup restaurants of various brands scattered all around Singapore.. The Soup Spoon is one of them..

With three branches open in Jakarta (Grand Indonesia, Citywalk Sudirman, and Senayan City), The Soup Spoon is expanding their Soup Culture in our country. They serve you various type of Soup from the kind where you seek for comfort while you're sick (that's my habit) to the kind where traditional is the deal.. With their third store open in Senayan City Mall, they sure are likely to announce to the consumers that they are more than only a Soup restaurant.. They also serve other meals such as pasta, rice meals, salads, sandwiches, wraps, nibbles, en papillote and even some sweet treats.. Of course, healthy is still the main highlight, even the breads are made by them from scratch, not forgetting the fresh ingredients as well..

The store's interior.. Gives you that homey cozy type of ambiance.. 

Semi open kitchen..

I love how they show the cakes and breads to the customers..

Zoom in..

Choices choices choices.. Very flexible..

drinks, anyone?

Freshly made Soup with no artificial flavorings, ready for you to be taken away and reheated at any time of the  day. I tried their Boston Clam Chowder.. It's really practical. You just reheat it in a pan or a microwave and VOILA.. Warm comforting meal with rich creamy fillings.. YUMMY

MOVING ON THE FOOD...

The theme of the night is a cocktail party.. They serve light bite sizes of some of their menu.. So without further ado, let's just begin..
Disclaimer : all the food and drink portions are specifically served only for the purpose of this event

The menu of the restaurant and the menu for tonight

Blackcurrant Breeze with Mango(32k) and Refreshing Berries infused Tea with Lychee(33k)

Smoked Salmon Bruschetta (33k). I personally like this a lot.. It's one of the appetizers that I will order again. The baguette is made freshly from scratch, topped with homemade tomato concasse smoked salmon then BAM, the star of the show, melted mozarella cheese.. 

Spicy Wedges with... wait for it.. (scroll down)

Homemade spicy mayonnaise and paprika (26k). Yes, the restaurant is everything about healthy and I think this wedges is the least healthy choice in the menu. BUT WHO CARES? That's just how much I love the wedges and their mayo (PURE HEAVEN..) With a hint of mild spiciness and their crunchy fries, it's just a bliss 

Hot Prawn Bitsque (not in the menu). Well, it's not my favorite.. I don't like the smell of the prawn, I think it's too strong..

Chicken Tikka (42k). Tandoor-spiced chicken pieces (without any colouring) with a piece of mango and homemade mint sauce.. For the sake of the event, I think they pre-made everything. So when the chicken was served to us, it's quite cold.  The chicken lost its crunchiness.. 

Hamburg Steak (57k). Grilled beef patty served with homemade NO MSG Japanese curry sauce over Japanese rice. You can tell the sauce was very different with the instant Japanese curry sauce. It's definitely way milder. The chef said they used apple as their base with various curry spices. It's not my personal favorite, but if you are a fan of healthy food, you should give this a try.. 

Japanese Udon with Poached Egg Salad (49k). It's basically udon mixed with their sesame dressing, topped with poached quail eggs. Slimy udon.. Not your ordinary salad indeed. For starter, it's udon.. If you're looking for something quite heavy, this is the right choice of salad for you.. 

Mussel Shooters (33k). I love this shooters so much! Considering that I still have my conscience, this is the only shots I can gobbled up less than 5 seconds without any doubt. The chilled tangy tomato soup with a hint of lemon and tabasco sauce gives you that edge of freshness.. The NZ mussels were perfectly cooked, it just perfected the whole thing.. 

Starting from the left side : Refreshing Mango Sago 28k (it's basically mango puree with sago pearls.. it's more of a sweet treat)  ,"Ispahan" Rosa Raspberry 32k (Sour jelly topped with blended raspberries and lychees and macarons) , Salted Caramel Chocolate 30k (My favorite! Salty buttery caramel topped with bittersweet chocolate mousse)

I love the idea of the Soup Spoon restaurant. Not only they serve yummy healthy ready to be taken away soup, but they also serve yummy healthy dishes to be eaten in the restaurant. They have variety choices of food with western to oriental touches.. From beef goulash to Tokyo chicken stew.. Got what I mean?

Facebook :   https://www.facebook.com/thesoupspoonid
Twitter      :  TheSoupSpoonID
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