Gastro Alley, a warm bistro hidden between the crowding vendors at PIK, is about to launch yummeh new offering on their existing menu. Several hungry food enthusiasts like
Wanderbites (thank you for the invite!),
My Fun Food Diary,
Mel Budiman and
Umi Fadilah were summoned to pre-test the menu.
There was an alfresco bar outside and a very cozy interior with whitewashed brick wall, dark oaks and tall black framed windows. The place was not very spacious, but pretty enough to fit in about 25-30 pax. Interesting enough, Chef Darmawan, who is also the owner of the place, was a self-taught chef with a triple degree in business major.
Thankful enough, the restaurant was all ours to enjoy that day. I couldn't imagine if there were people we should share the space with, they would certainly give us the judging stare. Simply because we (especially those with the big guns) were all out to show our appreciation for food (read: high photography standard following complex lighting and angle for picture-taking).
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| well more or less, this has always been the behind the scene of food blogger testing. Love it! |
Out of the seven courses, here is my review:
If I could just pick one dish to be eaten everyday for an
entire week, it would be:
The Artisan Sirloin.
It is very colorful and I am simply attracted to bright
colored food. Great plating aside, the meat was made using sous-vide technique
resulting in really juicy meat with aroma that would otherwise be lost in usual
cooking process. The vegetables were also fresh and crunchy, such a rare find
in Jakarta.
Comfort food to ease a bad day, I’d have the:
The Gastro Burger.
It’s just yummy to get sweet, moist and juicy patty all in
one bite. Then you taste the delicate mushroom, crunchy onion ring, of course
the fries. It’s just too bad the French fries were all soggy, the batter-coated
one would do a better job.
For the health-conscious, the choice would be:
Norwegian Salmon.
Fish is rich in protein and omega3. It is a simple dish and
for me salmon would always taste great (even greater when its raw) as long as
it is not overcooked. Be sure to control yourself while eating the yummy lemon
butter sauce, which clearly complimented the salmon to another level. Leave the
rosti potato, not worth the calories.
The dishes that will be on the table only if someone else
orders it for you:
Signature Salade
The salad was really bland in a small portion. There was no
protein chunk in it and could really use more dressing. Too bad I didn’t taste
the parmagiano reggiano disc that was said to be the highlight.
Escargot.
I like escargot, but I like it with lots of garlic and olive
oil on top of crunchy bread. Though it has a good texture, the strong lime was
too overpowering. However price was quite reasonable for this kind (53K/plate)
Perfect dessert to share while flirting with the cutie:
Truffle Chocolate Ganache.
Being a huge fan of truffle, let me tell you my review is
going to be biased. But it will not win the dessert competition during the last
FHI expo if it didn’t taste fantastic. Needless to say the presentation on a
piece of sliced natural rock doubled up the points. Just try it, rich dark
chocolate, truffle aroma and chili & raspberry powder, with white chocolate
crumbs and berry sauce.
Dessert you will unlikely find elsewhere:
Deconstructed Lemon Custard.
Why deconstructed? Because it is basically a lemon pie that
is broken down to pieces: lemon mousse, crumbles, and cream. Since I’m more of
a banana-and-berry-based dessert person, it did not win my heart. I’d probably
add more lemon zest to it too.
The mixologist pick:
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| Okay, this is not the rose shandy. I just realized i forgot to take a picture of it. This was another drink served called the Seaweed something. |
Rose Shandy.
I prefer wine over beer, but sweet beer is always a joy to
sip on and the pink to orange gradation is quite pretty to look at. The first
encounter might be super sweet, but it’s soon balanced with a slight bitter
beer after taste.
All in all it was a great time in Gastro Alley. I also happened to taste their coffee which was grounded in house with imported coffee beans. Mm-hmm, i sipped my Flat White to the very last drop. Service was friendly and the chef even cater to customized order and private functions. Give it a go when you are around the area!
Gastro Alley
Ruko Crown Golf Blok D No.23
On the same row with Minus Two and Ikkudo Ramen.
Pantai Indah Kapuk,
Jakarta Utara
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