Have you heard? There's a brand new Italian restaurant in South Jakarta (it's been open for 2 weeks by the time this post is published). Big Deal! So what makes it different from the others that already existed?
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| Live life like an Italian, cin cin! |
Well, firstly, this place would not have existed if someone didn't quit her job as an associate in one of the Big Four accounting firms. Some bold and rather tough decision it must have been, to give up a clear, stable & well-paying job, for something as uncertain as opening a restaurant in the highly volatile market such as Jakarta. But that's exactly what this young lady did, she had the guts to pursue her passion.
Take a break, relax, you're home...
As you leave your car in the care of the (free) valet parking staff, you'll walk past a short stone pathway leading to the main door of the 'house'. From the outside, the well manicured lawn looks very soothing to the tired urban eyes, that normally see concrete jungles and metal bumper of other cars daily.
The 'house' is an interesting combination of rustic, vintage and some raw industrial feel, with dominant wood and stone elements. It's a reflection of the personal taste of the owner, who conceded that she single-handedly picked almost all of the ornaments, furnishings & decor from all over the places. That's how much energy & effort she put into her new 'baby'...
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| a grand piano, if you fancy to impress other guests with your Mozart-y tunes. Please ask for permission beforehand! |
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| feels like home, don't it? |
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| Notice there are red colour everywhere (my favourite colour)? |
Inside the main area of the 'house' is a bar, where all sorts of elixirs are crafted by the skilled bartenders...
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| The bar |
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| The components of your drinks |
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| Coffee & alcohol, why not? |
The main area of the 'house is an open space, with a black grand piano in one corner and a row of black leathered booth tables against the wall at the opposite end. And there are curious art pieces on the walls, such as these...
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| Vintage, hand-sketched maps of Italy |
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| Chandelier and black-leathered booth tables |
The restaurant favours non-smoking guests, but to cater to everyone, there's an area specially designated for smoking guests next to the open-pizza kitchen. This smoking area has equally pleasant view overlooking the lush lawn and there's even a floor-to-ceiling wall mural depicting a vintage map of Italy, hand-drawn by the University lecturers & artists from a prestigious arts institution in Jakarta.
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| The hand-painted wall-to-ceiling mural of vintage Italy's map |
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| Differentiating factors: The little vintage elements |
But my favourite spot has got to be the tables by the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, surrounded by the lush green lawn. I call it the 'glass-walled patio', as it is somewhat an extended part of the main 'house' and the floor is wooden panel, unlike the stone-floored area inside the 'house'.
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| This is my favourite part of the 'house' |
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| The glass-walled patio. The place is not dark, but I edited it this way to show the lush manicured lawn outside |
There are also plenty of private rooms which can accommodate various size of groups depending on your occasion & needs, each of the room undoubtedly as well decorated as the rest of the 'house'. Despite the looks and the table setting, this is not a fine-dining restaurant, in fact, it is quite casual and homey.
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| One of the bigger private rooms, again it's mostly in red |
Buon Appetito!
It was a rainy afternoon on a weekday, we started with some cocktails, one was coffee based and the other one which I had, was light and fruity. From the colour and the taste, I suspected it had some champagne in it, but didn't confirm with the bartender. I think ladies would enjoy this sweet & refreshing chilled cocktail.
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| Kahlua, Baileys and Coffee-based cocktail |
Bresaola Con Insalata Di Rucola - air dried beef carpaccio salad with rucola, shaved parmegiano, fresh tomatoes and balsamic reduction. The carpaccio is quite salty from the air-drying, and the seasoning are generous, recommended is you love strong & bold flavours.
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| Bresaola Con Insalata di Rucola IDR 79,000 / 115,000 |
Pizza Con Funghi - Italian-style, crispy crusted pizza, topped with a medley wild mushroom, taleggio, fontina, thyme, truffle oil and shaved grana padano. The scent of this pizza is intoxicating, especially to truffle addicts like me. The base of the pizza is not as thin or dry as biscuit, but the crust is biscuit like. Umm, yes, I could finish the entire pan myself actually (when hungry and not having anything else hehe).
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| Toss the Pizza, Chef! |
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| Pizza Con Funghi IDR 139,000 |
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| Pizza, also available as take away |
Pasta Primavera - Spicy grilled king prawn, garlic confit, anchovies, kalamata olive, chili flakes, capers, white wine, tomato and baby rucola. I'm personally biased for creamy type of pasta, but this one honestly impressed me. I love the al dente pasta (I'm guessing from the shape, it's linguettine), that tasted boldly salty, but spicy (careful, there are some chili inside), and somewhat addictive. Never realized blanched rucola actually tasted quite good. I was enjoying the pasta so much, I almost forgot to try the prawns! LOL!
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| Pasta Primavera IDR 159,500 |
Too bad I was in a rush, and didn't get to try the dessert (yet). Well, the menu at the moment is only 1 page long from Antipasti to Dolci (some Italian restaurants have menu that can be compiled into a novel! LOL).
So, what do you suppose makes an Italian restaurant different from the others? For me, it is not just about the food, but the venue, experience and memory. Cumulatively, they make us prefer a place to the other. Patio is different for all the reasons I mentioned above...
Additional Info:
From 23-28th December 2014, there will be special Christmas Set Menu priced at around IDR 800k++ (I heven't got the exact digits), for a few courses. If you're looking to spend a special dinner with your dear ones, this place might be one of the options for you. =)
*) Prices are subject to 11% Government Tax & 10% Service Charge
Patio Trattoria & Pizzeria
Jl. Wijaya XIII No. 45 (click to open Map)
South Jakarta (Panglima Polim)
Ph: +6221 7241362
Instagram: @PatioJakarta
For live and regular updates,
stalk my Instagram: @ellynatjohnardi
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