Friday, April 17, 2009

Kopitiam Oey

About 3 weeks ago, there's a new small kopitiam called "Kopitiam Oey" opened on Jalan Sabang/ Hj. Agus Salim. (Info: Kopitiam is actually more a common word in Singapore or Malaysia for a place/shop to have breakfast and coffee). The owner of this Kopitiam is Bondan Winarno, a famous Indonesian TV presenter for his culinary show.

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.

45 comments:

  1. Ahh.. I'm sorry the experience was a disappointment. Better luck with the next kopitiam, ya? :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. It'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.
    Sam

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm sorry you were disappointed with this meal. It sounded like it should have been good.

    ReplyDelete
  4. LFB: Yeah.. next time if I want to try Kopitiam, definitely will be in Malaysia ;)

    MCK: 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 :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. 5 star foodie: Yes, it should be a good one but too bad, it wasn't.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm sorry your lunch was disappointing. No good!

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a let down...I hate it when I leave a restaurant still feeling hungry! *_*

    ReplyDelete
  8. It's such a bummer when you are excited to try something and it doesn't taste good. UGH!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yuck! 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!

    ReplyDelete
  10. What 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.

    ReplyDelete
  11. oh, that's awful!! Hopefully the tea was good? I guess I would skip that place in the future...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Lontong cap goh meh?
    wonder if there oranges floating around?
    LOLz

    it is very shame that a famous tv show on culinary serve a bad food.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sorry it didn't work out for you!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oops, 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.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Sorry you were disappointed. I hate when that happens.

    ReplyDelete
  16. gee.. 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???

    ReplyDelete
  17. You 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.

    ReplyDelete
  18. what a way to spoil your lunch break!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Lontong Cap Goh Meh sound like our Chinese New Year Chap Goh Meh (Day 15 of CNY) :P

    ReplyDelete
  20. mica: Not good and the wallet became lighter!

    bangsar-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.

    ReplyDelete
  21. mary: I guess now I feel much better after pouring the bad experience in my blog :)

    tavolini: 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.

    ReplyDelete
  22. sugar bean: I wonder how about kopitiam in M’sia or S’pore, are there a lot of food choices for lunch/dinner?

    monica 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.

    ReplyDelete
  23. foodbin: Yup, definitely it’s a spoiler… even still feeling hungry but lost the appetite to eat other food.

    mimid3vils: Yes, it's the same one like that CNY 15 celebration.

    ReplyDelete
  24. plse complain hard , then you will have next visit complimentary best food !

    ReplyDelete
  25. BSG: Hahaha.. I don't want go back there for the food. One time is enough already :P

    ReplyDelete
  26. You can't win them all...and you've had so many great taste treats. Next time...

    ReplyDelete
  27. Oh no! Such a bad experience for the first visit. I wonder how many of the customers will give it a second try.

    ReplyDelete
  28. It 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!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Catherine: Yeah, that’s true…. Can’t win them all :)

    little 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…

    ReplyDelete
  30. Once a while we get a lemon as long as it is not food poisoning! Your posts from the roadside seems more interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  31. It'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!

    ReplyDelete
  32. worldwindows: Yeah... *sigh* No worries, next post will be street food again!!! ;)

    tangled noodle: That's a good idea to avoid disappointment :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. What bad publicity for the public figure; Looks good but taste bad, poor fellas. Did you pay for it?

    ReplyDelete
  34. Maybe you should drop your comment on their feedback form. Is there any available?

    ReplyDelete
  35. tigerfish: 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.

    jencooks: 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.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Sorry to hear about your less than stellar experience. Still trying to get their act together maybe?

    ReplyDelete
  37. jude: Hi Jude, thanks for dropping by my blog. Yeah, probably they still trying to get their act together :)

    ReplyDelete
  38. Aww, no, I'm so sorry that the sate was disappointing. BOO!

    ReplyDelete
  39. elyse: Yup... a big BOOOO... hehehe...

    ReplyDelete
  40. I 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.

    http://crizfood.com/

    ReplyDelete
  41. 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.

    ReplyDelete
  42. criz lai: p.s: but it's a bit smelly... so I believe it's rotten :(

    ReplyDelete
  43. I 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.

    The sate was fine for me. Maybe we just have different taste ;)

    ReplyDelete
  44. mellyana: Hi Mellyana, thanks for stopping by my blog :)
    I 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 :)

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin Related Stories Widget for Blogs