Our Weekly Escape

Seperti yang teman2 tahu, kami dari Our Weekly Escape suka banget minum kopi yang nggak terlalu manis. Jadi kami seneng banget waktu nyobain Es Kopi Aren dari Becca's Bakehouse ini.

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Selain rasanya yang nggak terlalu manis, kopinya juga wangi dan strong. Cocok diminum untuk menghalau ngantuk! 

Oh iya, kami juga ada pesan croissant buat sarapan:
1. Truffle Cheese Croissant
Keju dan truffle-nya berasa banget! Kombinasi asin dari keju dan aroma dari truffle itu memang klasik banget, ya? Becca's Bakehouse berhasil banget bikin croissant ini jadi istimewa karena lapisan luarnya yang crunchy dan isinya yang oh-so-cheesy. FAVORIT!!!
2. Salted Egg Croissant
Awalnya agak kaget karena pas kami cobain, loh kok manis. Ternyata isinya memang Salted Egg Custard... pantesan aja manis, hehehe. Perpaduan asin dari salted egg dan manis dari gula bikin croissant ini punya rasa yang unik. Tapi untungnya kami makannya sharing, karena kayaknya nggak kuat juga kalau habisin satu sendirian.

Ya, sebenarnya nggak bisa dibilang menu sarapan juga, sih.
Waktu kami ke sini memang masih pagi, dan kami jadi pesan smoothie bowl-nya yang katanya paling recommended: Sweet Violet.

Rasa smoothiesnya sendiri sebenarnya cuma berasa pisang aja, sih. Tapi topping di atasnya ada banyak banget. Mulai dari chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds, sampai granola. Permainan teksturnya oke banget, jadi nggak bosen meski makan semangkok besar sendirian. 

Oh iya, sebenarnya Toska juga jual beberapa makanan berat, tapi waktu kami datang masih terlalu pagi dan kami belum lapar .
Kayaknya mereka juga jualan kopi dll, dan banyak banget menunya yang ada opsi vegan-nya. Jadi untuk teman-teman yang mau nyoba pola makan vegan yang lebih sehat, mungkin bisa dicoba, nih!

Secara service sendiri menurut kami Toska lumayan oke. Cuma kami agak bingung aja kenapa lantai duanya katanya hanya boleh ditempati kalau per orangnya pesan makanan minimal IDR 60,000. Padahal pas kami datang, kelihatannya nggak ada yang nempatin juga, tuh. Agak kecewa sih jadinya, karena nggak bisa foto-foto kece dari atas, hehehe.

Kami nyobain rasa Raspberry Yoghurt & Baileys Cream.
Rasa yang Raspberry sih agak terlalu asam untuk selera kami, ya. Tapi memang seger banget sih, kalau dimakan di hari yang terik banget. Favorit kami adalah yang Baileys Cream, karena wangi Baileys-nya berasa banget.

Selain dari itu, mungkin yang menarik perhatian kami adalah cara membuat es krimnya yang menggunakan liquid nitrogen. Memang sih, ini bukan hal baru. Terutama karena kami udah pernah lihat beberapa vendor es krim lain yang juga menggunakan liquid nitrogen sebagai gimmick. Tapi mau berapa kali pun kami tonton, tetap aja seru lihat prosesnya, hahaha.

Overall, boleh lah untuk dicoba. Terutama kalau lagi panas banget dan kebetulan lewat di depan Wicked Cold. 

Jujur kami ketinggalan banget, nih. Baru nyobain Latteria kemarin ini, dan OMG... kemana aja kita selama ini :))

Gelato Bar yang satu ini pilihan rasanya banyak banget, dan semuanya enak! Kami sebenernya mau pesen semuanya, tp apa daya perut nggak muat banyak2.

Yang di gambar itu kami pesan ukuran Medium (3 scoop) dengan rasa: 
- Cheesecake 
- Kinder Egg 
- King of Fruit (Durian)

Suka banget sama yang rasa duren. Coba kalau ada potongan duren beneran di dalam es krimnya. Pasti makin mantappp.

There is no shortage of a good coffee shop in Jakarta lately. But one of our favorites has always been Saudagar Kopi, right in the middle of Jalan Sabang (Jl. Haji Agus Salim) in Menteng, Jakarta Pusat.

We ordered this Iced Irish Creme Brulee because it was midday, and we wanted an icy drink to quench our thirst. At first, we didn’t realize thay the sugar syrup sits at the bottom of the glass, so we inadvertenty took a whole sip of their unsweetened latte on the top layer of the beverage. We certainly appreciated the slight bitterness and how creamy it was.

Thoroughly stirring the beverage, however, turned it into an almost completely different drink altogether. There is a subtle caramel taste to the coffee, with a sweet undertone that is very familiar to anyone who have tried some variations of caramel latte. Since we also stirred the charred sugar layer on the top, we got that delicious crunchy bites every now and then, transforming a seemingly ordinary beverage into an outstanding one.

The Iced Nutty Joe Latte from Saudagar Kopi packs a flavorful hazelnut in every sip. They said they are using their signature chocolate sauce, which probably explains why the beverage tasted more like a mocha than a latte, but we digress.

If you love the taste of hazelnut, be sure to order this one up, especially on a hot, humid, and sunny day. Saudagar Kopi also offers freeflow mineral water for everyone, so you can always cleanse your palatte after every drink you have. (Which we reckon you will do often, especially after a flavorful beverage like this one!)

Unfortunately, we didn’t try the apple pie that was on display the other day, since we were still full from our bountiful lunch several moments before entering the coffee shop. But we’ve seen a lot of people ordering slices of them, and if the cake is as good as their coffee, we could see how it was so popular among the crowds. 

There is nothing more satisfying than a bowl of piping hot claypot dish when you’re feeling under the weather. We’ve heard about Claypot Popo from one of our friends, and he recommended eating their food on a particularly bad day, saying that it would lift up our mood. 

The food we ordered, “Claypot Sapi Telur Mentah”, is essentially layers of rice, very thick broth, diced carrots, corn kernels, sliced beef, and raw egg yolk. We especially liked the sambal they serve this dish with.

While the dish looks pretty as is, the best way to eat it is to mix everything and gobble it down, one spoonful at a time. We would regard this dish as a comfort food, as it did wonders in bringing back our mood when we were not feeling well. Definitely a must try, especially for anyone seeking a hearty, warm, and fulfilling dish.

The decorations in Claypot Popo feels very quaint and homey; it feels like you’re eating in a traditional Indonesian Chinese house, with its narrow halls and high ceilings. They plastered the attic walls with dated consumer goods labels, giving the place a specific charm we can’t quite explain. 

Alongside our claypot dish, we also ordered “Locupan Ayam Asam Manis”, which is a locupan dish (chewy udon-like noodles) with a diced chicken topping drenched in a sweet and sour sauce. The cripsy bits they garnished the dish with is actually crispy tofu, which adds a quite pleasantly surprising texture to the dish.

If you haven’t tried a locupan dish before, we urge you to try getting your first bowl here. Although the dish is not brothy, this one is also a very hearty and comforting food. 

 

**CHICKEN NAMBAN DON**

When we crashed into the cafe, we were starving. We had been exploring Museum Macan on the same day, and we could really use a big bowl of rice to fuel our energy. Three Folks' Chicken Namban Don did just that. It's easy to fall in love with their Chicken Namban Don, which is a deep fried Karaage with sweet and sour sauce served over steamed rice. The touch of tartar sauce on top was also a welcome addition. The slight ginger taste in the chicken batter was subtle, but very appetizing. Our only gripe is that the tartar sauce didn't have enough diced boiled eggs in it, causing us to crave for more.

There's much to love about Three Folks Coffee's signature dish. One particular thing to highlight is the balance of ingredients they put into every bowl. From the crispy and succulent chicken pieces, hearty sweet and sour sauce, fresh lettuce, and even the warm miso soup, this Chicken Namban Don is a set menu you wouldn't want to miss on your weekly escape. We recommend asking for an extra serving of tartar sauce, in case the litlle drops they serve is not enough for you.

**GYU CHEESE DON**

It's really hard to find a non-Japanese restaurants that serve delicious Gyu Don, let alone authentic ones. But eating a bowl of Three Folk's Gyu Cheese Don sure reminded us of just how popular the cheese topping is to Japanese's donburi (rice bowl) dishes. The sliced beef was cooked in a sukiyaki-style sauce, and was served over steamed rice. We reckon this menu would be popular because, come on. Beef and cheese? :)

**CHICKEN KATSU CURRY**
We never thought we would be ordering this menu from a cafe. But there was little choice at the moment, and we were starving. So we did the only sensible thing we could, and ordered the largest portion rice menu from Three Folks Coffee's repertoire.
What we liked the most about this dish is perhaps the crunchy coating on the chicken. It was generous, perfectly fried until golden brown, and tasted like heaven. Their curry sauce is a typical Japanese curry with bits and pieces of carrots and onions, which only serve to heighten the flavor of the chicken. Overall, a very satisfying meal. We wouldn't hesitate to order this the next time we're in Three Folks Coffee.

Okay, we weren't lying when we said we were starving. Munching on the Gyu Cheese Don, in addition to the stellar Chicken Namban Don and Chicken Katsu Curry, was a testament to just how hungry we were. The Gyu Cheese Don, in particular, had generous servings of beef slices that packed a lot of umami flavor. The cheese sauce drizzled over rice was a bit on the salty side, though, so you might want to order a sweet drink to balance the flavor out.

**EARL GREY CRANBERRY ICE CREAM ON CONE**
Who doesn't love ice cream? With an interesting flavor combination like this, we were left craving for more! The dessert has a very pronounced earl grey aroma, which is always a good thing. We think they added a pinch of salt to the mixture to balance out the sweetness, which works surprisingly well with the tartness of the cranberries. They even sell pint-sized ice creams for all of you ice cream maniacs. Definitely the highlight of our visit to Three Folks!