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

Pidza Inc. One of a kind Pizza!

Pantai Indah Kapuk has been one of my favorite destinations for hanging out with my friends. The continuous growth of new cafes and bars with competitive concepts gives you plenty of choices of where to have a quick bite and spend your evening with your companies. Besides, my house is quite near to that area, so I have been enjoying the 'non-traffic-it's-so-near' advantages.

I think it's a great destination for hanging out, but I am not sure that all of those restaurants, cafes, and bars serve you with great or even decent food.. Some even serve questionable drinks. My friends and I can guarantee you that we have become victims of the attractive concepts given by the cafes. It's so deceiving that when we found out about the quality of the food or drinks, it's such a major turn off. 

But don't lose hope. The other reason why I keep going back there is because there are still some places that serve decent yummy food. Like tonight, for instance. 

I have been passing by Pidza Inc. for months with no intention of trying it. Why? The answer is simple.. The place is not attractive enough. Compared to the other cafes, Pidza Inc. must definitely play catch up with the other cafes if they wanna attract more customers.  In another way, I think it's quite secluded cause it is located in the less crowded area. Pardon me for being that shallow, but in my defense, my eyes are locked to the new comers who keep giving grand eye-catchy touches to their places. It's too many that I don't have the chance to try it all and Pidza Inc. seems to be buried under the spotlight. Well, let me make it clear to you that I am not a high-end freak who only wanna eat in hip cool places. If you have seen my instagram pictures, then you will know that I spend most of my time eating food from street hawkers. Yet, I am only human.. and sometimes I do have my flaws.. Getting attracted to something eye-catchy is one of it. ;p

Well, tonight, one of my friends recommended this Pizza place. Whenever there's good food, I am down for it.. So here it goes..

Australian Pizza (49K). Thin crust pizza with a sunny side up, bacon, and hash browns. Well, the menu said it's hash browns, but it's basically small pieces of potatoes. The taste? YUM.. I love it.. It's also quite cheesy, which is a super positive plus point..

American BBQ Pizza (52K). In a way, I like this better than the Australian one. There's something about the tomato BBQ sauce that made me crave for more. In terms of presentation, this one is less attractive. They only give you two pastrami and two hams. But again, the sauce itself is a flavorful explosion..  

Penne Pollo Al Fredo Creama (37K). My friend ordered this so I only had a bite. Definitely better than Pizza Hut's bland pasta.  This one has a creamy fragrant, served with pieces of chicken.. 

The funny and unique thing about Pidza Inc. is that they have choices of Pizza with international flavors. From Indian curry pizza to oriental pasta, their menu is filled with diverse flavor from all over the world. I didn't take a picture of the menu because at first, I thought we were only getting a quick bite. But after tasting their pizza, I changed my mind and decided to write a good review about this place. Oh, and when I stepped inside, the first thing I noticed was the smell of cheese filling the whole place! As a cheese lover, I am loving it.. 

I definitely am going to go back to try their other pizzas. Am quite curious for their Indian Pizzas.. To sum up, I do recommend this place for all of you thin crust pizza lovers.. Be adventurous with your choices and order something unusual from your daily preference.. 

Oh, it's not new information that Pluit PIK area is the nest of Indonesian Chinese, especially Medanese.. 

Medanlang Pizza.. LOL.. We were laughing to ourselves when we saw this on the board.. Medanlang means medanese in hokkien. Good game to step it up, Pidza Inc.. Good game indeed..

Pidza Inc.
Ruko Cordoba Blok E No.6
Pantai Indah Kapuk
(021)56983377
Twitter : @PidzaInc
Facebook : PidzaInc Jakarta

Beatrice Quarters : a Lil' French Escape

I really laughed a lot today. Oh boy, do I really need it! My crazy friends, who randomly somehow can be close to me even though we don't go to the same school or university, "kidnapped" me. Sometimes I still wonder about my friendship with these people, how the hell can I be inside their circle of friends? Well, I love them anyway and I have always enjoyed my times being "kidnapped" by them. ANYWAYYYYYY....

Dilmah Earl Grey Tea (35k)

Okay.. For starters, how cute is that teddy bear tea pot?

I just got back from Beatrice Quarters in Pantai Indah Kapuk. It was not my first visit and most definitely won't be my last. I actually have reviewed it in my blog before so this post will be considered as a re-visit review. Each time I go there, I just feel this place has the cutest theme among those numerous-ever-growing-new-restaurants in PIK. It has that niche for feminine adorable touches.. But, besides of the cute tableware, the restaurant also offers you with delicious fusion of French Italian dishes, from papillote to pasta, from risotto to rice pizzas (the rice is definitely nothing Italian). Oh, not forgetting their cute yummy beverages and desserts..

We were kind of barbaric as we were all very hungry. At first, it was quite hard for me to decide what to eat as the menu really give you a variety of choices. From poultry to wagyu, they seem to have it all. The staffs were very patient in handling our table. The only thing that I had to complain about is the length of time needed to serve our food. Fortunately, my friends and I made ourselves busy. We were chit chatting nonstop and maybe some part of us had forgotten that we were hungry at that moment.

Picture time...

One of the outdoor seats... Isn't it just adorable?

Please do mind Kendrick's EPIC face on the right side.. We sat ourselves on the very back of the cafe..

Silly us taking photos of our reflection from the golden teddy teapot..

Even the menu is uber cute

The Feast... 

From left to right : Illusion (Blueberry with milky blended-consistency for 28k), Iced lemon tea with Iced Lemonade

Fish and Chips (33k)

Herbes John Dory with butter rice and butter cream pesto sauce. It's very fresh indeed. Too bad the portion is quite tiny. The boys may ask for more.. (that's what my friend did, he ordered another)

Bacon Egg Carbonara Fettucini (35k)

Basil Bacon and Egg fettucini (35k). The basil is quite pungent and pesto-like. Since I am a fan of pesto, I like the taste of it.. But if you're not a pesto fan, then I won't recommend this one..

Carbonara Bacon and Egg spaghetti (35k). Yes, both the carbonara pasta are yummy! Should I say they are very creamy-aromatic..

Rissotto Rototo di Pollo (55k). It's rissotto with chicken roll. 

The sauce completed the meal. The chicken was perfect, not too dry. The rissotto was creamy enough.. 

While we were eating the main courses, it started pouring down heavy rain and instead of running to the car which was parked very far away from the place, we decided to stay put and order some desserts (although we were full).. 

DESSERTS

Chocolate Banana Toast (55k). 10cm of bread with Vanilla ice cream, chocolate sundae, cream and slices of banana. What can possibly go wrong?

Classic Honey Toast (35k). Both the toasts are yummy. I love the outer texture of the bread, especially when it is soaked with the melted ice cream or chocolate sundae. Superrrrrr yummy... 

I was too busy having fun and laughing my ass off in this place that I had forgotten to take home the receipt. Maybe you guys realized that some of the prices are missing above. The receipt (after tax) showed that we spent Rp 516.000 for all of the food, desserts and drinks.. Oh, they are having this promo of getting a free Classic honey toast for every 500k purchase so we decided to take away our free toast as we just couldn't possibly fit anything more in.

P.S : My belly is in a serious bloated condition right now -___-"

Beatrice Quarters
Jl. Marina Ruko Crown blok B 26
Pantai Indah Kapuk
Phone : 081322157245
Website : http://www.beatricequarters.com/
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beatrice-Quarters/166864063404917

all the things that I've done

Sorry for the absence and long haul of no new post.. I've been quite occupied with final exams..Now, I am having my 3 months of holiday, which put me in quite a pickle since I got no idea what I should be doing for such a time..

Well, what I haven't been stop doing is of course going to places to eat. I've been too lazy to edit the photos and just gonna post it straight from my Samsung Note. So, here we go..

The first place I went is located in a less glamorous location, in fact, it's quite popular for its prostitutes -___-
Don't get me wrong, I only went there for the food.. and I was with my family.. It's called WAN WEI XIANG SU KI and it is located in Lokasari. So you just go straight inside then it'll be on ur left side.. The menus are written both with Mandarin and poorly translated Indonesian. I guess most of the people who go there are Chinese.. The specialty in this place is their turtles, but my family don't eat turtles.. so for you Pi-oh lovers should definitely try this place out..

Even the utensils are just like the ones in China.. They have to sterilized it

Just the menu.. Every page is sinfully tempting..

You can see on your, we have fried shrimps (the outer skin was fried till it's so crispy u can eat the whole thing); dried chili; peanuts; sesame seed; onion; spring onions; fresh red and green chili.. It's so yummy and savory!~ 

Of course, it's not a Chinese restaurant without pork.. We were just too lazy to order the ribs, so we ordered the boneless one instead.. This is with the sweet and sour sauce.. Also very yummy

There were only the four of us so we didn't order that much..

This is green beans with salted eggs.. The best vegetable dish ever! The seafood restaurants in Jakarta usually put the salted eggs on shrimps, squids. Who knew that putting it on green beans could be so delishhhh?

Cou You Ping.. My favorite Chinese snack.. It's just flour actually and I also don't know why I am so into it. But these aren't that good compared to the ones in Little Sheep / xiao fei yang

This dish really reminds me of China.. The chicken was cut to small pieces and it makes u quite  hard to eat it cos in every piece, there is definitely bones.. but the taste.. OH MY GODDDD... Love it so muchh.. They put a lot of oil in it,so the fire keeps cooking the dish.. 

Healthy healthy.. The only way I'm gonna eat eggplant.. This is not one of the stars of the meal

Now the second place is located in a very decent location. This one is from JIUZHAI VALLEY in PIK.. They offered the same style cooking, pure Chinese dishes that haven't been influenced with Indonesian touches.. The chef is also from China, said one of the waitresses. But the menu is lesser than WAN WEI XIANG.. The things that I love from this place is the Chinese herbs, a seed-like called mala..

This is beef with veggies cooked together into a stew with lots of chili and mala.. If you can only see the black round dots, that are the mala. If you bite into one of them, ur tongue'll get numb for a while. But it's so fragrant and very different from the herbs we use in here

simple jiao zhi

Only in China I can find this..But here we are.. This is basically pork belly cut into thin slices and cooked with chili, spring onions, some spices, and again lots of oil.. YUMMY.. 

This chicken was also cut into small pieces that it was irritating to debone it on ur own, but damnnn it's salty, fragrant, so yummy that I couldn't stop taking it.. Even the chili are salty enough to be eaten with the rice alone..

If I have to compare the two places, I'll definitely go to Wan Wei Xiang for more Chinese dishes. But if we're talking bout the location, I'll definitely will go to Jiu Zhai Valley more often cause it's near my house and the area is well, not like the other one..

Both places have a typical Chinese restaurant ambiance, they really don't put much effort in warming up the place. But I don't care about it actually, the food covers it all.. Nom Nom Nom.. I'll definitely go back for some more Chinese dishes..