Sunday, April 27, 2014

Cacaote at Senopati

This Saturday night I begged my mom and dad to take me to this super trending spot in Jakarta, Cacaote. Located at Senopati; where all the cool eateries are; this French-themed restaurant invites passer-bys with their incredibly appealing exterior. Take a look:

 A zoom in of the logo just because it's so pretty.
Unfortunately, I didn't take too many pictures of the interior, but I can assure you that it's pleasing to the eye. The designer deserves tons of praises. However, I must admit that the exterior is more impressive than the interior.
The desserts!


 Below are my mom and dad. First picture shows the a part of the first floor, second shows the part on the second floor behind our dining table.


ON TO THE FOOD! Beforehand, I apologize for the not-so-decent photos. I had forgotten to bring my camera and had to rely solely on my Iphone.


Seafood Pot Pie, Rp.100k.
To be honest, I was very disappointed with this dish. The menu had listed the contents of the pie, which are green peas, red snapper, white clams and baby lobster chunks. After I made my order, a waiter came up to our table to inform us that the white clams weren't available. I ordered it anyway, hoping that the chefs might just add an extra portion of the other meats. When the dish arrived, I dove right into it and found that there were a lot of snapper chunks and green peas, but only one chunk of the baby lobster. In addition, I had spotted some of the snapper chunks that still have bones attached to them. Only to make matters worse, the overall taste of the dish was bland - the mashed potatoes and meats inside seemed unseasoned. The salad was crisp, and lemon dressing was marvelous, although I think adding some more would make the salad even better.

Linguine Aglio e Olio with Baby Lobster, Rp. 135k
The pasta was so much better than the pot pie. The linguine was cooked al dente, the baby lobster was juicy and well-cooked, and the amount of salt and pepper added was right. The dish wasn't dry either - juices were seen underneath the pasta.

I actually ordered the Lobster Mac and Cheese too, but I didn't take a shot worth posting, so I'll just comment without the picture. The cheeses used were guyere and emmental (if I recall correctly), which contributed greatly to the overall taste of the dish. The baby lobster chunks were also far more numerous than in the pot pie. Just like the linguine pasta, the macaroni was also cooked al dente and the seasoning was perfectly balanced. A choice of french fries or green salad is available as a side. This dish costs Rp. 120k.

We're getting to the part where most peeps have been waiting for - DESSERTS!

The first dessert is....
Dark Chocolate and Popcorn, Rp. 45k
This is Cacaote's infamous ultimate favorite dessert of all time. This is basically a dark chocolate mousse with a chocolate cake as a base, covered in dark chocolate ganache (sprinkled with edible gold dust, mind you). It tastes amaze-balls. It was not too sweet, just like what it should be. The mousse was thick yet smooth, and having only one bite is not enough. However, there's one downside in this dessert; the chopped popcorn on the foot of the cake. As this cake was put inside a chilled display, the popcorn have lost their crunch and become rather soggy. There is no particular taste on the popcorn either.

A peek on what's inside:

Second dessert for the night...

Berry Eclair, Rp. 35k
I must start by saying that I LOVE the buttercream on top. The buttercream was deeply infused with the berries (which I suspect to be a combination of strawberries and raspberries, with a greater proportion of the strawberries). The buttercream was also chilled and very light on the tongue; leaving no traces of excessive oil to the mouth. The eclair is good, even if the eclair did not follow the texture of a regular choux - it tastes more like a kouign amann. I made the latter statement due to the fact that the eclair was crusty on the exterior, unlike choux which is supposed to be soft even on the outside. The berry filling on the inside is also in equilibrium in the sense of sweetness and sourness. The eclair was topped with berry and marshmallow pieces.

I also ordered the White Tea, in which I am not going to review because I am not an expert in tea tasting. Nevertheless, I'm going to post a picture just to show you how pretty the china looked.
The tea costed Rp. 40k

I am going to rate Cacaote 3 stars. Now don't show me that gasping faces - I rated Cacaote moderately low because I am heavily disappointed on the main course, especially the Seafood Pot Pie. The desserts also qualify as delicious treats, but I have tried better ones. Also, the price of the main course was very pricy, considering the taste which is not spectacular. I have indulged in cuisines with similar prices that are far more tasty than those. I would be revisiting, but I would only be back for the dessert.

Cacaote
Jl. Senopati Raya No. 80
Jakarta Selatan 
12190


Friday, April 25, 2014

Chanel Cruise 2014 Bags Collection

Chanel had released their Cruise 2014 collection, and I can't help but clap my hands in joy when I heard so. Chanel's Cruise collections have always been my favourite among the others, and it's mainly because the Cruise collection are mainly dominated by light, playful, pastel colours with gorgeously girly but adult-appropriate designs, and don't even get me started on the blue stripes and red linings! Navy blue and bright red are a couple matched by heaven.

So let's take a look at the pictures, shall we?
The Perfume Bag is my absolute favourite piece from this collection. Now I know what love at first sight feels like.
 This bag is incredibly similar to Karl Lagerfeld's Quilted Leather Shoulder Bag. It's no mystery, really - Karl is still Chanel's main designer.
 Back to the Chanel bags, shall we?
 The gold Chanel emblem on the handle? Beautiful.
 The Jersey and Lambskin Camera Case. Can we take a moment to admire the navy blue stripes?
The bag is awfully shaped like a picnic basket.

The Embroidered Accordion Bag. Classically black and white, this bag portrays both elegance and youth. Lovely.

NOW ON TO THE FLAP BAGS!

First up, the Red-Striped Flap Bag with Pearls.

I think it would look a lot better if the bag had more than one colour. But adding the pearls stepped up the bag to a whole new level of desirable.
 The Back-striped Flap Bag, also with pearl-studded chains. I prefer this over the red one.
 Jersey and Lamb Skin Flap Bag. This is so unique, but the lamb skin shouldn't have covered the whole bag that much. The bag is also available in black stripes and navy blue lamb skin.

 Herrington Quilting Lambskin Flap Bag. If you pay close attention, the colour isn't purely white; it's a very light shade of peach. Suitable for casual and semi-formal occasions. I am drooling so badly.
 Embroidered Flap Bag with Sequins and Pearls. It looks a little ethnic and vibrant. I am in this era where I dress a lot like a hippie, so I need this bag so very badly.


The Felt Flap Bag. Words can't describe how perfect the turquoise matches with the slight glitter. There's nothing better than shiny, turquoise Chanel Flap Bags, right?

My overall opinion of Chanel's Cruise 2014 Bag Collection is highly positive. From a young age, I've known that Chanel is the designer label that suits my style the most. Chanel made their designs innocently feminine, and while other designers failed combining contemporary sweetness with classic elegance, Chanel prevails. Not only succeeding in creating an embodiment of two different concepts, Chanel were also able to sneak in  character in their bags. Wearers can then make bold statements based on what they wear.

So, there's my review. Some of you may share the same opinions, some may not, and either way, thank you for reading my blog. Have a good night :)



Introduction

Bonjour! Je suis Steffi Wijaya, 15 ans.

 I am not French.

So, let me start by telling you a story..

I am a high school student who constantly struggled in balancing her demanding school work and enticing love for an awesome-sauce lifestyle. And sadly, I have given in too much of myself to school for the last 3 years - I did not go out that often anymore, dress up that much, or even take simple pleasures of cooking at home. My entire life was defined by only textbooks and homeworks and nothing else. Good academics and rankings were everything. 

While I am lost in this heavy trance of studying and pressure, I realized that I had become strangers with the other side of me that housed an inner persona. A persona that had the abilities to know if the ingredients of a dish just by tasting it and assemble random pieces of clothing into a gorgeous look. A persona that is an expert at engaging conversations about trends and cool eateries.

Earlier today, I was talking to my friends about what I should do outside of school, because I just think that school had consumed my whole life. And school alone isn't enough to define me, and knowing that it had in fact defined me brought me to this state of depression. A friend of mine told me that I should let my other persona's potential grow. Hence, I decided to create this blog.

This blog will be filled with reviews about hip eateries and latest fashion releases, or even my hauls. I am a newbie, and please forgive me if I sound too judgemental or biased on my reviews. Anyway, I am just here to share my thoughts on things I'm passionate about, and hopefully you will find my blog entertaining in some way :)