Jakarta Culinary Festival 2010 (PART I)

This is the first time I ever went to Culinary festival in Indonesia. Usually, I'm pretty much lazy since it would be crowded but since this one held in my favorite mall, Grand Indonesia, so I gave a go. There was so much "cooking demos" that I wanted to go but I only went to few. Basically the festivals starts from 5th November - 30th of November but the cooking demo with famous chefs (some are international) only lasted for 3 days. 

There are various of food being sell down there but mainly they sells western cuisines. Famous restaurant like Blowfish, Potato Head, Sarong, Four Season are there too but you know, you always need to be selective. Well, there are also Local menus outside this exclusive restaurants but I didn't have time to try *sad* ( I'm definitely going back there again! - feel like in heaven :D)

The place itself has a nice decoration but quite small in a way. I went there with my friends on Saturday around lunch time and I thought it would be so damn hectic and crowded but I was wrong. So I guess I was so blessed to be actually enjoying the ambience and didn't need to wait forever for the food to be served.

Since I'm still sick from yesterday (fever, sore-throat, feel-like-vomiting and headache) I'm too lazy to capture any photos. I didn't even remember to capture the ambience. All attention towards the food before my body is totally collapsed LOL! Here we go and check out the 2nd part too!!

This is the first menu we ate; As you can see its basically a pasta with chopped beef I may said. But anyway this food came straight from a cooking demo from Gianfranco called Maccheroncini with Beef Fillet . Honestly, I didn't like it nor any of my friends do not because of the presentation or whatsoever but the taste. You gotta be kidding me on how so ordinary it tastes. I mean for a professional and famous chef cooking this so ordinary Pasta that can be made by anyone is just sorry not impressive. It's okay for cooking pasta with beef fillets as he called it but the beef itself is too tasteless and the pasta is just like the taste of tomato juice in a way. so Just okay! Sorry for whoever his fans; so not impressive. Or its either I like much stronger taste and herbs or might be I never try a real Italian pasta :)

Disappointed with that food, we really started our Culinary Journey. So, we tried the food from Social House and Blowfish. Both of them pretty much shared the same booth. My friend tried the "Orgasmic" sushi from Blowfish while I tried "Garlic Shrimp" from Social House. And all of us like their decoration, pretty cute!

Sorry! My friend to me to pose, so I pose!! ha-ha-ha! look at my face! looking tired hey!

Ready to make our Sushi and the others too! * I was just too bored so I captured this* :p

 These are the Orgasmic Sushi from Blowfish. Basically its just a Normal sushi with grilled Prawns on top of it. Personally, I had a bite of it and I like it. It tastes good and 20 RB ($2) for 4 Sushi is cheap right? Its nicely wrapped, sweet but a it spicy too.  Recommended to try and its their 'favorite' Sushi on the list too, so do give it a try for this delicious 4 Sushi. 

What does this look to you? Yes, Garlic Prawns melted with butter, garlic and Oregano served with Garlic Bread. Hmm! Comment? I'm not being rude but this isn't delicious at all. Well, I was expecting of getting myself big prawns but for the price of 20RB ( I think so), its totally not worth it, right? Its just alright but just skip this from your menu, okay! :)

Third destination is this cafe that fills with few restaurants and I didn't capture the photo of the place! See, so smart of me! Anyway, I tried their "Eggcellent Prawn" and since I'm an egg lover, I found it nice but not delicious. Its mainly the white egg with mushroom (ew! I hate mushroom) and prawns and it reminds me so much like Kiyadon's Cawan Mushi. Well it's the same somehow! In other word of saying Eggcellent is a Cawan Mushi and the best Cawan Mushi I had is at Kiyadon. So this one is like the Sushi Tei's version of Cawan mushi. 

They also sell two kinds of Sushi  : Chicken Rica-Rica and Chicken Kalio Sushi but I didn't try any. First of all the price is quite expensive and second, it doesn't make you feel like trying. More like it doesn't look like Sushi in a way! So who am I to judge it taste since I don't give it a try but its merely spicy though.

 For this one, you gotta zoom in the photo, so just click to have better view. My friend got this for himself so I gave myself a try. Ordinary pasta but the cheese and spice makes it worth to try :)

Hello Potato Head... !! our 4th Destination and we tried most of their menus except the deserts. They have additional menus which they didn't put on the list and now I wonder what its called :p

Three of us + William (who captured the photo) were waiting for our food to be served :p

Definitely not my menu whatsoever, I hate mushroom! This is called "Field Mushroom Cream Soup & French Bread". Don't ask a Mushroom hater to review Mushroom soup but my friend likes it. She said its pretty delicious and when I smelled it, it does though. But when I tried, I felt like vomiting! But do give it a try! 25 RB for that big cup is totally worth it!!!

Don't ask me its name but this one is pretty delicious. I love on how the rice itself tastes. It didn't taste like rice since they kind of chopping it into pieces or whatever they do to it but its pretty delicious. The chicken is grilled well with some Middle eastern seasoning though its rather like Indian cuisine in a way, but overall it's good. Give it a try and I think its around more/less 35 RB :)

Their Philly Cheese Steak is also delicious despite of the bread that I'm not fond of. The Cheese grilled on top of it is great, the meat itself also taste like "Spicy Beef Yakiniku". Overall it's great but for the price, it's so not great so better share this with your friend(s) if you are still craving for more food. If you eat this yourself, you'll definitely full! And also, this Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich of Potato Head is tastier than Cheese Cake Factory but adding with some mayonnaise inside of it would be great!