MonViet at Setiabudi One, Jakarta

Yesterday, I had a chat with an ex-colleague who really loves to eat Thai and Vietnamese food. He told me that he had visited almost all Thai and Vietnamese restaurants in Seattle, USA. So far, he could not find any good Thai and Vietnamese restaurant in Jakarta. I suggested him to try and eat at monViet, which in my opinion is one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Jakarta. 

Since monViet has just opened a new branch in Setiabudi Building One and it is much closer than going to Lippo Mall Kemang, we decided to go there today.

A stall of the Vietnamese baguette.

Open kitchen.

Platter of monViet - Rp. 69.000

A combination of monViet's appetizers.

The Cha Gio Re (crispy spring rolls) was delicious as I remembered. My ex-colleague was impressed with the freshness of the Goi Cuon Tom Ga (summer rolls with shrimp and chicken). We enjoyed these appetizers with peanut sauce and sweet sour chili sauce.

 Banh Mi Ga - Rp. 44.000
Vietnamese baguette.

I chose this baguette because of the five spices sauteed chicken intrigued me. The baguette was fresh and crunchy. As for the chicken,  the first 3/4 chicken in the baguette was pretty dry. Good thing that the 1/4 of the chicken tasted better (maybe because of the sauce).

Bun Nuong Sa - Rp. 52.000

Vermicelli with lemongrass grilled chicken on the top.

Bun is the favorite Vietnamese dish to my ex-colleague and I. It is a must to order whenever I see this on the menu in a Vietnamese restaurant. The Bun at monViet in Lippo Mall Kemang was amazingly delicious. But then, my ex-colleague and I were quite disappointed of this totally tasteless Bun Nuong Sa. I seriously missed the sweet zesty taste in the sauce. Besides, the vegetables in the bowl were mostly just the romaine lettuce, bean sprout and cucumber, very little of the Vietnamese fresh herbs.

Ca Phe Sua Da - Rp. 41.000

Iced white coffee  

For the drink, we ordered iced white coffee. It was not served until I reminded the waitress; we had almost finished our meal. When the waitress finally brought the two glasses of white coffee, she told us to wait until the coffee has done dripping from the individual small metal French brewing drip filter then the ice cubes will be delivered to our table. 

I asked the waitress to bring the ice cubes directly after I saw there was no more coffee dripping into the glass. At that time, we already done eating our meal. We waited and asked again for the ice cubes. I even asked three times to different waiters but still none of them brought the ice cubes until my ex-colleague had to ask for the fourth time using a bit harsh tone. 

Well, thank goodness for the wonderful iced white coffee; it definitely eliminated our annoyance as soon as we had the first sip of it.

 All prices are subjected to 10% government tax and 7% service charge.

Current currency:

1 USD = Rp. 12.531

Location:
MonViet Setiabudi One
Setiabudi One
Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said
South Jakarta
Tel: 5201040

Related post: MonViet Kemang, Jakarta

Disclaimer: The review and opinion expressed here are purely according to my personal taste. There's a possibility that the taste of the food might change later on, which could affect the review and opinion here. I also affirm that no monetary or non-monetary compensation has been received from this restaurant for writing this review.

Vietopia, Cikini

It has been almost 10 years since the last time I have visited this Vietopia Vietnamese restaurant. It used to be one of my favorite restaurants and I visited quite often with my ex-colleagues during lunch time. It was really nice to come back to this restaurant. The decor and atmosphere have not changed much. With French songs played softly while I was enjoying my lunch here again, it definitely brought me nice memories.

Mix Appetizers - Rp. 55.000

The mix appetizers supposedly contained of Banh cuon (fresh spring rolls filled with shrimp, chicken, egg & vegetables), Chao tom (grilled shrimp paste rolled around sugar cane), Cha gio (fried spring rolls filled with minced chicken) and Cha cua (crab cakes). Unfortunately, the Chao tom was out of order. My favorite, for sure, was Cha gio - the fried spring rolls.

Bun Bo Xao - Rp. 50.000

Traditional Vietnamese vermicelli dish served with grilled NZ beef mixed with lettuce, onion, garlic, peanuts and nuoc sauce. The nuoc sauce which made from water, fish sauce, lime juice, vinegar, palm sugar, lemon grass, chili and garlic tasted pretty mild for the spiciness and tanginess. I personally prefer pungent taste for nuoc sauce.

Ca Phe Sua Da - Rp. 36.000

Iced Vietnamese coffee with sweet condensed milk.  

All prices subjected to 10% tax and 5.5% service charge.

Current currency:

1 USD = Rp. 12.430

Location:
Vietopia
Jl. Cikini Raya No. 33
Central Jakarta
Tel: 3915893/ 3103790

Opening hours: 11.30 am - 10 pm

Disclaimer: The review and opinion expressed here are purely according to my personal taste. There's a possibility that the taste of the food might change later on, which could affect the review and opinion here. I also affirm that no monetary or non-monetary compensation has been received from this restaurant for writing this review.

MonViet at Kemang, Jakarta

I had heard so many times people are praising this authentic Vietnamese restaurant named MonViet that already has been serving for over 40 years in Vietnam. For sure, I really wanted to give a try but the location is too far from my place which is in Lippo Mall Kemang Village. I could not be happier when my ex-colleague who was craving for Vietnamese food, came up with an idea to have lunch at MonViet.

Cha Gio Re - Rp. 43.000

My ex-colleague and I enjoyed this delicious Vietnamese crunchy spring rolls very much. Dipped it into the sweet sour hot sauce definitely added a nom nom effect.

Pho Tai - Rp. 55.000

My ex-colleague's favorite rice noodle with freshly sliced beef, beansprouts, Vietnamese basil leaves and a slice of lime. 

Bun Bo Nuong Sa - Rp. 58.000

My choice was this wonderful dish, a combination of cold vermicelli with the tender lemongrass grilled beef, Romaine lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts, pickled carrots and daikon, peanuts, and Vietnamese herbs (no idea what are all the names of the herbs). This dish was surely fragrant!

The best way to eat this dish is to mix all the ingredients with the sweet fish sauce.

Thai Milk Tea - Rp. 27.000

A good strongly brewed tea with condensed milk.

All prices are subjected to tax and service charge.

Current currency:

1 USD = Rp. 11.600

I totally enjoyed the food. It reminded me to the authentic Vietnamese taste that I had when I was traveling in Vietnam a few years back. I will absolutely come back again to MonViet! :)

Location:
MonViet
Lippo Mall Kemang Village
The Avenue of The Stars
South Jakarta
Tel: 29528439

Disclaimer: The review and opinion expressed here are purely according to my personal taste. There's a possibility that the taste of the food might change later on, which could affect the review and opinion here. I also affirm that no monetary or non-monetary compensation has been received from this restaurant for writing this review.

Madame Ching, Jakarta

Madame Ching is a restaurant not only served Chinese food but also Vietnamese food. It's located in Menteng area - the Central of Jakarta.

Prawn Salad with Noodle Rice - Rp. 38.000

Hardly to see the noodle rice in this dish but the taste was OK.

Fresh Spring Rolls - Rp. 35.000

Choices of crabstick or shrimp, mixed with lettuce, cilantro, bean sprouts, vermicelli, kyuri rolled in rice paper. Served with signature sauce. I couldn't find the bean sprout nor vermicelli inside the spring rolls. It's fresh but tasted pretty bland although I dipped it into the sauce.

Dry Green Noodle soup - Rp. 36.000

Freshly home made green noodles served dry with minced chicken and shrimp and fish cake, spring onions with signature condiments. 

Grilled Chicken Rice - Rp. 50.000

Broken rice with char-grilled chicken thigh served with steamed chicken pate and salads.

Iced Tea

Aqua water

All prices are subjected to tax and service charge.
Current currency: 1 USD = Rp. 11.290

Location:
Madame Ching
Jl. Surabaya No. 24
Central Jakarta
Tel: 3155145

Disclaimer: The review and opinion expressed here are purely according to my personal taste. There's a possibility that the taste of the food might change later on, which could affect the review and opinion here. I also affirm that no monetary or non-monetary compensation has been received from this restaurant for writing this review.

Le Bakery & Cafe in Biloxi, MS

I was so curious when my host mother told me that we were going to the best pastry in town where there is always a long line in front of the shop every morning. She drove me and her two daughters to this Le Bakery & Cafe in Biloxi.

The owner of this pastry and sandwich shop is an old lady from Vietnam. She and her daughter run the shop. They were very friendly.

The filled croissants.

Loaves.

There are also Vietnamese snacks.

Coconut sweet rice , Bahn Bao - steamed pork dumpling, Chinese star cakes - sweet rice & mung beans,  Banana sweet rice cake with coconut cream.

Shelby and Emily were having their breakfast from Le Bakery.

As for me, I had two croissants for my breakfast - cherry cream cheese and lemon. Believe me, even two croissants were not enough because they were so good :)

Cherry Cream Cheese croissant - USD 1.49

Love the filling and each of the flack.

Lemon croissant - USD 1.49

Biloxi beach.

Location:
Le Bakery & Cafe
280 Oak St.
Biloxi, Mississippi 39530
USA
Tel: 228-436-0850

Disclaimer: The review and opinion expressed here are purely according to my personal taste. There's a possibility that the taste of the food might change later on, which could affect the review and opinion here. I also affirm that no monetary or non-monetary compensation has been received from this restaurant for writing this review.

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