Tuesday, August 27, 2013

E&O (Eastern & Oriental) Jakarta

I felt privileged when I received an invitation to dine at E&O (Eastern & Oriental). This new restaurant situated in Kawasan Mega Kuningan is a collaboration between chef Will Meyrick of Sarong and Mama San restaurants in Bali, and the creators of Loewy and Union. E&O serves Thai-Vietnamese cuisine with refreshing cocktails and a fine wine list that pair well with the food. The interior of this restaurant is elegant and romantic with the dimmed light and small candle on each table. The service was quite excellent. 


When my dining partner and I arrived at the E&O, we were greeted warmly by the marketing manager and her assistant. Then, we headed directly to the bar area to try the cocktail and mocktail.

Pineapple Coriander Margarita - Rp. 90.000
Silver Tequila, Homemade Lime Juice, Pineapple, Coriander Root.

Virgin Sling - Rp. 45.000 
Pineapple, Cloudy Apple Juice, Passionfruit, Almond Syrup, Soda.

From the bar, we moved to the dining area. The menu for that night's dining was already chosen and prepared by the marketing manager. She wanted us to try the specialty dishes. As a person who doesn't eat spicy food, most of the dishes were a bit spicy for my liking but believe it or not, I just couldn't resist to try and eat them.

Chicken Betel Leaf - Rp. 25.000/ piece.
with Coriander, Roasted Shallots, Capsicum and roasted Chili Relish.
This beautiful starter has a great combination of taste - sweet, salty, sour and spicy that kept me wanting more.

Chicken and Prawn in Egg Net - Rp. 65.000
with Peanuts, Lemongrass, Mint and Pickle Cucumber and Shallots Relish.
It's a decent appetizer but after eating the tasty Chicken Betel Leave, this chicken and Prawn in Egg Net tasted a bit bland.

Selection of Northern Thai Relishes and Crispy Tempura Vegetables - Rp. 125.000

It's quite interesting to learn that tempura can match nicely with these Thai dipping sauces "Nam Prik Ong" (chicken & tomato, the original Nam Prik Ong is using pork), "Nam Prik Goong" (dried shrimp, chili & lemon), and "Nam Prik Num" (aubergine & green chili).


While my dining partner and I were eating tempura, chef Will Meyrick greeted and had a little chat with us. It was so nice to catch up and hear about his latest activities. Chef Will Meyrick is so busy with his hectic schedule like working at his three restaurants, having a spot on the judging panel of Top Chef Indonesia and his TV show named "Street Food Chef" which first  aired on 24 August 2013 on TransTV,

Southern Hot and Sour Soup of Fish - Rp. 80.000 (Half)/ Rp. 140.000 (Regular)
with Kedondong (Ambarella) Leaves, Turmeric, Chillies, Lime Leaves and Coriander.
This soup is just an eye and mouth opener.  It looks so colorful served in small bowls. When I had the first spoonful of this soup, it was just like a unique explosion in my mouth. Very tangy, spicy and totally briny were the dominant flavors of this soup. 

Grilled Beef Salad - Rp. 90.000
with Green Mango, Shallots, Peanuts, Mint and Nam Jim Jaew. 
It might be a simple salad but everything blended so well. Although it was pretty spicy for me, I couldn't stop putting more and more on my plate.

Twice Cooked Beef Short Ribs - Rp. 220.000
with Sweet Fish Sauce, Cucumber and Nam Pla Prik.
This was the winner of the night! The tender caramelized ribs were amazing. They were quite cloying at the first bite, but after I dipped it to the Nam Pla Prik sauce and spice powder, the taste became perfect. 

'Choo Chee' of Crispy Barramundi - Rp. 170.000
with Chili and Thai Basil.
The fish, another scrumptious dish being served during that night, was cooked to crispy perfection. It was complemented by a red sweet creamy sauce.

My dining partner and I were actually already very full after consuming all the dishes, but we just couldn't help ourselves from sampling the two tempting and yummy desserts.

Cocoa Ganache with Peanut Butter Palm Sugar Ice Cream 
and Honeycomb Crumble - Rp. 50.000
I was impressed with this ice cream made with peanut butter. How come there's not more peanut butter ice cream out there?

Durian Pannacotta with White Sticky Rice - Rp. 50.000
As a durian lover, I really adored this dessert! This durian pannacotta was so smooth and creamy that it melted in my mouth.
All prices are subjected to government tax and service charge.
Current currency:
1 USD = Rp. 11.000

It was an absolutely wonderful dining experience at E&O. The dishes were creative and also daring in their choice of flavors. I know for sure I will be back again for the Durian Pannacotta :)

Location:
E & O Jakarta
Menara Rajawali, 1st Floor
Jl. Dr Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung LOT#5.1
Kawasan Mega Kuningan,
South Jakarta
Phone : 2902 3418

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