Barcelona Dining & Bar

Barcelona Dining & Bar is a quaint Spanish restaurant that serves various cuisines inspired by the flavors of Spain with a little bit of Asian twists. Offering plenty of seatings inside a two-story building, the cozy interior and the vivid colors inside of the restaurant are reminiscent of places you’d visit in the Southwestern of Europe. The restaurant is also part of Hiro Group’s growing portfolio and is located at One Satrio, an open space lifestyle center at Kuningan, South Jakarta.

The food

Crispy Pig Ear (75K) | 8.5/10

Deep-Fried Pig Ear, Garlic, Daun Jeruk, Paprika Powder, Espelette, Tartar Sauce

The pig ear was fried to a crisp without being too oily. The highlight of the dish was the Tartar sauce for me. You gotta dip it in the Tartar sauce before taking a bite. We even asked for a refill for the Tartar sauce cause it was that good.

Baked Butter Scallop (125K) | 8.5/10

Hokkaido Scallop, Shrimp, Paprika, Butter, Tobiko

The butter sauce was wonderful. The liquid gold was savory, well seasoned and the scallop was nicely cooked. Also, I like the fact that they served the dish with burning charcoal underneath the shell which kept the dish warm and the sauce from being hardened.

Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna (80K) | 8/10

Crispy Sushi Rice, Tuna Tartare, Chili Aioli, Scallion

I like the play on texture on this one. The crispy sushi rice was well-executed, crispy on the outside with moist rice on the inside. The tuna tartare was also good, but I do wish that they’d seasoned a little stronger and it’d be nice if the tartare is chilled to get that contrast in temperature and make the dish more refreshing (just my personal preference though). But overall, this was a good dish.

Wagyu Tounge (280K) | 9/10

Grilled Thick Cut Beef Tounge, Negi Sauce, Chili Oil, Yuzu Foam

Really love this dish. The tounge was juicy, tender and cut in the perfect size. The sauce was savory but fresh at the same time. This was my favorite dish out of all the dishes we ordered.

Crab cannelloni (158k) | 8.5/10

Crab Meat, Shrimp, Jalapeño Pickles, Sauce Américaine, Tobiko

The pasta was cooked al dente. The combination of the pasta, the crab meat and the sauce was really nice and balanced. Although I have to say this dish might be a better option for sharing because the portion is quite big.

Overall Experience

Me and my cousins went to Barcelona during New Year’s day and the 4-months-old restaurant wasn’t too busy. The food was great. Everything we ordered we did enjoy. Their sauce works were also really wonderful because every single dish that we had had a distinct flavor that separate them from each other. Service was also great. The waiter who served our table was knowledgable about the menu. The manager also stepped in to help accommodate our dietary restrictions. Noise level at this place was at a medium just because there weren’t too many people around our table during the time of my visit (I have a feeling it might be high if the place is crowded). All and all, I had really nice meal at this place and probably going to go back again to try their other menu.

Barcelona Dining & Bar

 

Address: CBD One Satrio, Jl. Mega Kuningan Jl. Prof. DR. Satrio No.13, Kuningan, East Kuningan, Setiabudi, Kuningan, Jakarta 12949
Telephone: +6282 28000 3501
Hours: Sun-Thrs 11:00 am -11:00 pm | Fri-Sat 11:00 am - 00:00 am

Instagram: @barcelonajkt

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Bistecca PIK Avenue

Bistecca is an Italian-American steakhouse and Martini bar that is inspired by the upscale New York steakhouses of the 1950’s. After establishing themselves as one of the best steakhouses in Jakarta with their SCBD location, Bistecca opened their second location at PIK Avenue Mall in November last year.

Staying true to their SCBD’s location theme, the interior of the PIK Avenue location is also mid-century inspired. Dining tables and plush dining chairs are complimented with black leather sofas, a cocktail bar and shelves of books that are reminiscence of a living room and a private home library of an affluent homeowner from the era where they usually entertain their guests. The space feels elegant, intimate and definitely upscale but without the pressure of having to dress up too much to dine in at the establishment.

The Ambience

The dimly lit space creates a romantic atmosphere that is perfect for a date night or an intimate meal with friends and family. Personally, I do think it is a bit too dimly lit to the point where it almost feels like a blackout (especially with the type of candles provided on each table) and flashlight from your phones might be required to read the menu. But even so, it makes a perfect venue for a candlelight dinner (quite literally). Plus, the noise level at this place is low, which is always preferable for me. The music that’s playing in low volume in the background makes it easier to talk to your dinner companions without having to engage in a shouting match across the table.

The Food

Spaghetti Aglio E Olio (225k) | (9/10)

Spaghetti Aglio E Olio with Hokkaido Scallops.

Al dente spaghetti, nicely cooked scallops and the dish was well-seasoned.

USDA Prime Beef Rib-Eye (300 gr) (655k) | 9/10

The meat was perfectly cooked, juicy and tender with crispy crusts.

Shoestring Truffle Fries (85k) | 8/10

Creamy Parmesan Spinach (95k) | 9/10

Charcoal Grilled Broccolini (110k) | 9/10

Overall Experience

I had a lovely dinner at this place. The service was good. The servers were polite and friendly. The food came out pretty fast after I placed the order. One thing to note is that the air conditioning at the restaurant was pretty cold when I was there so if you get cold easily, you might want to dress accordingly. And the air con did make the food get cold faster. So if you want to have everything while it’s pipping hot, maybe ask the server to bring the dishes in waves instead of serving it all at once.

But overall, definitely recommend this place if you’re looking for a great steak house in Jakarta or a nice restaurant for a date night.

 

Bistecca PIK Avenue

Address: PIK Avenue Mall, Ground Floor, Jl. Pantai Indah Kapuk Boulevard, DKI Jakarta 14470, Indonesia
Hours: Everyday 11:00am - 12:00am

Instagram: @bisteccajkt
Menu

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Phoenix Gastrobar PIK

Phoenix Gastrobar is a newly-opened luxurious bar in Golf Island PIK and is the newest addition to HW Group’s extensive F&B portfolio. Located between the Golden Tiger and Gold Dragon PIK—which are also owned by the HW group—Phoenix Gastrobar has ample sofa seatings, two bars, live music stage and private dining and karaoke rooms.

I got to visit the place during their soft opening earlier this week and I have to say the place has one of the most impressive interior design out of all the places I’ve been to in Jakarta. The high ceiling, the angular shapes of the balconies as well as the diagonal narrow stairs that connect one floor to the other, combined those with dark brown wooden panels, big marble fountain, leather seats, gold brass fixtures and warm yellow lights, they certainly give this place a distinct unique character. Einstein Architects really did a great job in designing this place and I’m predicting that this will be one of the biggest reason for people to come visit the bar.

Since I visited during their soft opening, most of their menu were still unavailable so I don’t think I can give a proper review on the food and beverages for now. But if you’re into cool interior design, I’d totally recommend you to check this place out. Phoenix Gastrobar just had their grand opening today (10 Feb 2023) and is now open for public.

 

Phoenix Gastrobar PIK

Address: Ruko Golf Island. Jl. Pantai Indah Kapuk No.183, 14460, Indonesia
Telephone: +6281119225168
Hours: 12:00pm - 02:00am

Instagram: @phoenixbar.id

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Monsieur Spoon Préféré Plaza Indonesia

Just one month after opening its Senayan City location, Monsieur Spoon made yet another expansion to their locations, this time with a more premium concept compared to their previous ones. Monsieur Spoon Préféré officially opened to the public on 27 July 2022, occupying one of the space in Plaza Indonesia.

(A quick disclaimer, I visited during their opening day and as you know, first day could always go either way and there are always things to improve on.)

Ambience

Promoted as the more premium location, Monsieur Spoon Préféré’s interior design fell a little short of my expectations. I sat at the semi-outdoor area and the space felt a little cramped with all the tables, chairs and decorations filling up the space, leaving little room for guests and servers to walk around at when the chairs are occupied by patrons.

And having been to their Senayan City location, I personally think that the Senayan City location feels a little more upscale than this location.

The Food

Watermelon Feta Salad (72K) | 8/10

Compressed watermelon, feta cheese, Aiko cherry tomatoes, basil, and balsamic reduction.

A nice light, refreshing summer dish to start your meal. The watermelon and cherry tomatoes were juicy and fresh. The feta cheese gave it a slightly salty note to the dish.

Now, looking at my pictures, I do wonder if a component is missing from the one that I had because the presentation is different than the picture on the menu. Perhaps the balsamic reduction was missing?

Duck Egg Green Beans (68k) | 8/10

Sous-vide duck egg with green beans, bacon, and grain mustard dressing.

The egg was slightly overcooked (not runny, but not exactly hard boiled either). The green beans were well-cooked and well-seasoned. The bacon was savory with a hint of sweetness at the same time, giving it a nice little surprise when I took my first bite. Overall, I really enjoy the dish.

Pan Seared Yellowtail (155K) | 6.5/10

Pan seared yellowtail fillet, baby potatoes, sanfina, Aiko fondue, and basil oil.

The fillet portion was generous. The fish was cooked crispy on one side, but slightly overcooked overall and it could do with a little more seasoning for my preference. But the garnish and the pesto was was well-cooked and tasty.

Linguini Chili Crab (165k) | 4/10

Linguini with crab cooked in butter garlic, fresh chili, parsley, and lemon.

Had high expectations for this dish but the flavors didn’t really deliver. The pasta was al dente but way under seasoned. It helped when I eat it with the crab meat and the garnish, but since the amount of protein and garnish were not as much as the pasta portion, had a lot of bland pasta leftover.

Seafood Lobster Ravioli (95k) | 7/10

Mixed slippery lobster, salmon, prawn, paprika jam, and lobster bisque.

Presentation was interesting, although one of the ravioli broke when the dish was served. The pasta was too thick for my preference, but the lobster, salmon prawn fillings were delicious. Would’ve given this an 8 if the pasta was a little thinner. But overall, it was a good dish.

PRÉFÉRÉ Signature Chocolate (65k)

Tarlet filled with chocolate ganache, layered with chocolate mousse and dark royaltine, coated with chocolate glaze.

(From top to bottom) Strawberry Tartlet (38k) | Bébé Banana (58k) | Apple Gateaux (65k) | Milk Chocolate Mousse (48k) | Drink: Summer Paradise (45k)

Service

Service was pretty slow. Drinks came out 15 minutes after I ordered but it took 30 minutes for the first dish to came out and about 1 hour for all the dishes to be served. There were plenty of servers around the dining room but for some reason the speed of food coming out from the kitchen was slow.

Overall Experience

It was alright. The food was a bit of a hit-and-miss, some were good, some didn’t live up to my expectations.

The servers were nice and friendly but the speed of food and other things (cutleries, take away boxes, etc) being served definitely could be improved.

But then again, this was their first day of opening, so I understand if things weren’t perfect. Service on their other locations were good so I’m chalking these up to first day slip-ups.

 

Monsieur Spoon Préféré Plaza Indonesia

Address: Plaza Indonesia, Jl. M.H. Thamrin No.28-30, Jakarta Pusat 10350, Indonesia
Telephone: +62811 2001 1873
Hours: Everyday 10:00-22:00

Instagram: @monsieurspoon
Monsieur Spoon Préféré Menu

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Issei

Issei is a Japanese restaurant and sake bar that is located on the first floor of the Elysee SCBD building. The restaurant prides itself in its yakitori and sake selections that they serve in house. I visited the place about two months ago for dinner for the first time. The interior of the restaurant is definitely interesting. The first thing I noticed when I entered was is the high ceiling that is decorated with black, wavy, solid curtain like screens which certainly give the restaurant a modern atmosphere. The dining area is pretty spacious with a combination of regular tables in the main area and booth seatings further back in the restaurant if you want some privacy.

“The design is inspired by organic pattern of natural landscape. This idea is translated into free flow curvatures that are applied into the geometry of the seatings and hanging screens.

The dark dominated color palette combined with warm illumination gives an enigmatic yet warm interior atmosphere.

Locally dan naturally sourced materials such as dark stained wood, natural stone and gravel are combined to simulate an experience of being outdoor in the nature.” —Studio Kota via Archdaily

On the mezzanine floor, they have a private room that has more of a cozy dining/living room atmosphere. On one side of the room, there’s a long table that could seat about 10 people, and on the other side, there’s the living room area which can accommodate another 10 people. TV and karaoke system are installed in the room, making this a perfect choice for a small to medium size gathering if you’re looking for a private space.

During my visit, I tried Issei’s All-You-Can-Eat yakitori package. They have two options, the Chicken Yakitori package which costs IDR 169K++ and the Premium Yakitori package which includes beef, pork, and chicken which costs IDR 249K++. I tried the Premium Yakitori package and ordered a bunch of different stuff from the menu. Some are better than the others but overall, they’re pretty good. Here are what I tried (the ones with the ⭐ were the ones I enjoyed the most):

The most unique dish of the night was this Smokey Quinoa Tsukune. Really enjoyed the play on texture between the crunchy quinoa and the tender, juicy meat. Plus, the dish presentation was really fun.

Other additional information that might be useful, parking space is limited at Elysee building. I arrived pretty early for dinner (before 6 I think) and got a self-parking space, but I found out later that after 6pm (cmiiw), they only do valet parking. Or if you prefer to self-park, there’s a parking space across the street but the building’s kind of old according to my friend who parked there. Noise level in this restaurant for me was medium to high due to the live music and the music from the speakers was playing at the same time.

Overall, I think if you’re looking for an All-You-Can-Eat Yakitori place (although I’m not sure how long they’ll have this package for so I suggest you check with them first prior to your visit) or a Japanese restaurant and sake bar, Issei is worth a try.

 

ISSEI

Address: Elysee SCBD 1st Floor #7. Jl. Jendral Sudirman - SCBD Lot 21, Jakarta Selatan 12170, Indonesia
Telephone: +62878 8621 8888
Hours: 11.00 - 22.00

Instagram: @issei.id

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