Très Bon Café Chez Oh La La Maison

At times I just want to spend the rest of my Sunday afternoon sitting alone at some place quiet, with good & free WiFi connection, good music in the background, good coffee and accompanied by my one and only faithful laptop. Union, Monolog or de Luca at Plaza Senayan would've been ideal, but they didn't pass the last criterion: these places are always packed!

The French-inspired interior

That was when I recalled that the recently re-branded Oh La La had just opened its new outlet that was named Oh La La Maison at Bellagio Boutique Mall in Lingkar Mega Kuningan. As I walked in, little did I know that the core team of Oh La La was there: the owners, Chefs, bar consultant and the Barista Trainer: my friend, Daniel Kaurranny. I was standing less than 2 meters away from him and I didn't even notice! *slaps forehead.

As I ordered for the coffee, I inquired if they used arabica or robusta beans. The crew promptly returned with 'Arabica' at the tip of his tongue. It was a done deal, as I've always preferred arabica to the other types. For the coffee, Oh La La uses its house blend, a mix of Mandheling, Sulawesi & Flores coffee beans.

Barista Trainer, Mr. Daniel Kaurranny in action

It was fascinating to watch Daniel prepare my Cappuccino and Latte. His hands moved deftly from one knob to another lever. From grinding the beans, to extracting the espresso and steaming the milk, these took him only a matter of few minutes! Look at how my poor digital camera failed to capture his swift hands in action.

I've also learned that ground coffee are normally extracted between 23 - 28 seconds to create your espresso shots. The longer the extraction time, the less acidic it would taste. I like mine with as low acidity as possible. My single-shot Cappuccino that was extracted in 28 seconds tasted tangy & lemony at the tip of the tongue & chocolate-y at the end. I personally prefer the double shot, which tasted bolder and fuller-bodied than the standard single-shot version. Daniel, you read my mind! He gave me double-shot from the beginning, without even asking me beforehand!

Single-Shot Cappuccino, Latte and Double-Shot Cappuccino

(peek-a-boo!) Zuppa Soupe IDR 42,000

BBQ Chicken Wings

With 3 cups of delicious coffee on my table, I wasn't feeling up for a big meal, so I ordered a Zuppa Souppe on the side. The soup was made the way I like: thick & creamy, with generous button mushrooms and chicken bits. When eating Zuppa soups, I just love to dunk the entire pastry puff in my soup to make it soggy and pudding-like. So I did the same, but realized that it wasn't such a good idea after all, as the soup was already creamy & thick enough. 

I ended up spending my Sunday noon over good coffee, good company and good conversation with Daniel, Chef Adrianus 'Andre' Putra (Oh La La's Corporate Chef and host chef of Trans 7's Bintang Lima) and Chef Francis Lim (who had previously been with Jack Rabbit Jakarta & Nannini). And just before I left, I managed to steal one chicken wing that Chef Andre and Daniel were greasily involved with, at the bar. Thanks for sharing guys! ;)

In case you're wondering, Oh La La Maison is different from Oh La La Cafe in several aspects:

v Maison is located in a shopping mall, but since it is on Ground floor, it can be accessed directly from outside. It is open until 2AM, ready to provide the night owls with their share of caffeine.

v Maison has a bar at the right wing, where the smoking tables are. If you work in Lingkar Mega Kuningan area, this could be an alternative spot for your post-work drinks.

*) Service Charge 5% + Tax PB1 10%

Oh La La Maison
The Bellagio Boutique Mall
Kawasan Mega Kuningan Barat Kav. E 4/3
South Jakarta
Ph: +62 21 30029725
Open Hours: 7.30AM - 2AM
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