Being tempted by the outlook of the restaurant and the owner's name plus the 50% off for the drinks during the soft-opening, my colleague and I gave a try for the food during a lunch time about 2 weeks ago.
When we got in to the restaurant, we felt an interesting atmosphere...
Then we looked at the menu. For lunch, there're only 3 kinds of food being served (should be awared because this is a place for b'fast or coffee):1. Gado - Gado Bonbin (blanched mix veggies in peanut sauce)
2. Lontong Cap Goh Meh (rice cake in chicken curry)
3. Sate Ayam Ponorogo (chicken satay)
Both of us, chose the Sate Ayam Ponorogo because we had a look on the other tables that the Lontong Cap Gomeh portion was so little and the Gado - Gado didn't look really appealing so it left to the Sate Ayam that still looked quite appetizing. Then, we ordered the Mint Tea for our drinks.
I was already so excited when the Sate came on to the table but... what a big disappointment at the first bite, the sauce tasted just like plain sweet peanut butter mixed with water and the chicken got a sour taste and a few of them had a weird smell - uh oh.. rotten chicken??? My colleague even couldn't finish 1/2 of the plate. So, we left the restaurant still feeling hungry.
I guess it's not really a big surprise when I read in an online local newspapers on the following week; a man complaint about the chicken porridge that he bought there for a take-out. My colleague told me that we supposedly also should make a complaint in that online local newspapers, but... naaah... I think I better just make a complaint here in my blog :P
Disclaimer:
The review and opinion expressed here are purely according to my personal tastebuds. There's a possibility that the taste might change to the food later on that can affect the review and opinion here.
Ahh.. I'm sorry the experience was a disappointment. Better luck with the next kopitiam, ya? :)
ReplyDeleteIt's disappointing to try a new place and find it not up to your expectations. I know the feeling well. Sometimes I'll like a restaurant the first couple of times and find later that its food isn't as good as it originally was. I've also experienced, such as you have, that some restaurants have a difficult opening and suddenly they improve. You never know.
ReplyDeleteSam
I'm sorry you were disappointed with this meal. It sounded like it should have been good.
ReplyDeleteLFB: Yeah.. next time if I want to try Kopitiam, definitely will be in Malaysia ;)
ReplyDeleteMCK: It's really a big disappointment especially because the owner is a well known person for the Indonesian culinary. Hopefully, he will improve the food in his restaurant :)
5 star foodie: Yes, it should be a good one but too bad, it wasn't.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry your lunch was disappointing. No good!
ReplyDeleteWhat a let down...I hate it when I leave a restaurant still feeling hungry! *_*
ReplyDeleteIt's such a bummer when you are excited to try something and it doesn't taste good. UGH!
ReplyDeleteYuck! Raw or rotten chicken will be a restaurants downfall, bet it is not there for long!! I hope your next restaurant experience is a great one!
ReplyDeleteWhat a disappointment! I would let the restaurant manager know how unhappy you were with your meal. It won't change anything but you'll feel better. It's possible they are still working out kinks in the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteoh, that's awful!! Hopefully the tea was good? I guess I would skip that place in the future...
ReplyDeleteLontong cap goh meh?
ReplyDeletewonder if there oranges floating around?
LOLz
it is very shame that a famous tv show on culinary serve a bad food.
Sorry it didn't work out for you!
ReplyDeleteOops, seems like the food is not too good. Hopefully they'll improve it then. But only 3 types of food for lunch, their choices are too limited.
ReplyDeleteSorry you were disappointed. I hate when that happens.
ReplyDeletegee.. did u say that the owner is some celeb? so no quality one arr? dunno hw to hire a proper cook? or for that matter plan a proper menu???
ReplyDeleteYou should have called the restaurant and told them. Maybe they would apologize and give you a deal for next time? Don't know if it works that way over there.
ReplyDeletewhat a way to spoil your lunch break!
ReplyDeleteLontong Cap Goh Meh sound like our Chinese New Year Chap Goh Meh (Day 15 of CNY) :P
ReplyDeletemica: Not good and the wallet became lighter!
ReplyDeletebangsar-babe: Ah.. forgot to mention, beside still feeling hungry, we actually also lost our appetite.
pam: Yeah.. it’s a really big disappointment.
sarah herman: Not so sure whether the restaurant could survive or not because the price isn’t cheap either and that street where this place is located, is one of the famous place for the street food in Jakarta.
mary: I guess now I feel much better after pouring the bad experience in my blog :)
ReplyDeletetavolini: The mint tea was Ok. Definitely, I will not come back to that place.
pisang goring: Oranges in lontong cap goh meh? Eh…. I didn’t know that you put oranges in lontong cap goh meh… M’sian way, is it? That’s so new to me!
sara: It’s ok, it’s an experience.
sugar bean: I wonder how about kopitiam in M’sia or S’pore, are there a lot of food choices for lunch/dinner?
ReplyDeletemonica h: Yeah, a culinary celebrity’s name isn’t a guarantee that his food tasted good.
TNG: Yup, the owner is one of the most famous persons in Indonesian culinary. Beside having his own TV show for Indonesian culinary, he is even the head of Indonesian gastronomic tour called “Makan Sutera”
MTC: That time, the restaurant was very crowded and busy, so my colleague and I prefer not to make any noise and just left the restaurant. As for the man who complaint about the chicken porridge, the owner of the restaurant asked his bank account number in order to return the money he paid for the chicken porridge.
foodbin: Yup, definitely it’s a spoiler… even still feeling hungry but lost the appetite to eat other food.
ReplyDeletemimid3vils: Yes, it's the same one like that CNY 15 celebration.
plse complain hard , then you will have next visit complimentary best food !
ReplyDeleteBSG: Hahaha.. I don't want go back there for the food. One time is enough already :P
ReplyDeleteYou can't win them all...and you've had so many great taste treats. Next time...
ReplyDeleteOh no! Such a bad experience for the first visit. I wonder how many of the customers will give it a second try.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like that kopitiam may not stay in business very long. On the bright side, at least you got to eat there once! But it's horrible not to be able to finish a meal that you've ordered and have to pay for. On the bright side again, at least you live in one of the best food cities in the world!
ReplyDeleteCatherine: Yeah, that’s true…. Can’t win them all :)
ReplyDeletelittle inbox: Probably, people will still come back there not for the food but for the drinks and also the free wi-fi.
sapuche: Yes, an experience eating at a restaurant owned by a famous person in culinary which served not nice culinary, hehehe…
Once a while we get a lemon as long as it is not food poisoning! Your posts from the roadside seems more interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt's terrible when your expectations are let down so badly but at least you're willing to try a new place. I'm somewhat risk-averse so I usually end up waiting until someone reviews it first!
ReplyDeleteworldwindows: Yeah... *sigh* No worries, next post will be street food again!!! ;)
ReplyDeletetangled noodle: That's a good idea to avoid disappointment :)
Is Oey a Last Name?
ReplyDeleteWhat bad publicity for the public figure; Looks good but taste bad, poor fellas. Did you pay for it?
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should drop your comment on their feedback form. Is there any available?
ReplyDeletetigerfish: Yes, I read somewhere that the "Oey" comes from the last name of the owner, not so sure how he came up with "Oey" because his Indonesian last name is Winarno. Big possibility, he is a Chinese descendant.
ReplyDeletejencooks: Yup, I had to pay for the food but then I didn't complaint when I was in the restaurant.
food for tots: Unfortunately, there's no feedback form. If they provide it, definitely, I will fill out the form.
Sorry to hear about your less than stellar experience. Still trying to get their act together maybe?
ReplyDeletejude: Hi Jude, thanks for dropping by my blog. Yeah, probably they still trying to get their act together :)
ReplyDeleteAww, no, I'm so sorry that the sate was disappointing. BOO!
ReplyDeleteelyse: Yup... a big BOOOO... hehehe...
ReplyDeleteI would think the sate were marinated and frozen for too long. Sometimes, chemical reaction in food especially meat when frozen could make the food taste sour.
ReplyDeletehttp://crizfood.com/
criz lai: that's a big possibility... I think it's either rotten because it was keep too long outside the fridge before it being "cook" or the deep it in lime juice first.
ReplyDeletecriz lai: p.s: but it's a bit smelly... so I believe it's rotten :(
ReplyDeleteI do like the place. Because they serve a very good coffee (black coffee). It is hard to find such a place around Sabang, that open at 7 a.m. For me, it's perfect for breakfast before go to the office.
ReplyDeleteThe sate was fine for me. Maybe we just have different taste ;)
mellyana: Hi Mellyana, thanks for stopping by my blog :)
ReplyDeleteI only had a lunch at Kopitiam Oey once. My colleague and me felt the same disappoinment on the sate because there's something weird about the chicken, but then, there's always a possibility that what we experienced might be different than other people and also the taste has been improved now :)