Holla, foodventurers!

To proceed, let me ask you some questions first. Please answer with “Yes” or “No” only.
1. Do you enjoy hanging out with friends in a lounge/bar?
2. Do you love to go to a place where you can enjoy food while listening to some live bands or DJs?
3. Do you love Dimsum?

If your answers are mostly yes, you SHOULD proceed to read the post below. If your answers are mostly no, you MUST proceed to read the post below as you’ll probably change your mind. 😀

Last week, I was invited to a venue. Without much of my awareness, I decided to go as I had some spare time during the appointed time. It’s on Friday anyway and my workload for the week wasn’t massive.

Without any expectation, I left my office and headed to Qi Lounge, which is located in the area of Hotel Sultan in japan Gatot Subroto. FORTUNATELY, it was that specific Friday when the famous awesome boyband, BOYZONE had their rare concert in Jakarta. So, there I was, stuck sweetly in the infamous traffic jam of Jakarta for a couple of good hours, from japan Kebon Sirih to The Sultan Hotel.

Qi Lounge is in a standalone building in the area of The Sultan Hotel, not in the The Sultan Hotel. So finding it was easy. I arrived a bit late and had a bit of doubt going inside as I am not a fan of loud bar. So, that what was I thought. I was so wrong when I entered the place and found the inside pretty calming. Unlike what I expected. From the entrance, I could see the beautifully-arranged bar with hypnotising blue backlight. Stepping further, I saw a stage with complete band instruments and noticed the dining area on the right.

The dining area has two different area, marked by a bit of an upper level where several sets of tables and cozy couches are arranged comfortably, in a more private way. The lower level is more like an area which is suitable for patrons who either love to blend in with the crowd or want to get intimate with the love bands/djs.

We were seated comfortably on the upper level and we met the kind gentlemen, Mr. Elvo and Mr. Vick, who welcomed us and briefly enlightened us with more knowledge about Qi Lounge.

Apparently, Qi Lounge is not a new-comer, and instead, a relaunched lounge which had gone through major renovation to follow the crowd demand. It was modernised and rejuvenated, and as the result, I truly think Qi Lounge is an exotic place with oriental touch. This was my first visit and I couldn’t imagine what Qi Lounge looked like before the renovation. It was a gorgeous venue, with gorgeous bar and lovely stage and inviting dance floor.

Qi Lounge didn’t stop there to impress me. Apparently, Qi Lounge offers a dining experience, but specifically in serving Chinese cuisine. One of their signature food is the Flying Noodles. Other than the noodles, you can experience some fried dim sum and pao as you enjoy the music.

Without further ado, let’s see what they had for us.

# Flying Noodle (IDR 78 k)
Made of “po chai”, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin, this signature noodle in flying chopstick figure will most likely attracts many patrons. The appearance is undeniably unique and the price is surprisingly affordable. The portion is pretty generous as this dish is meant to be shared in the first place. Eaten together with the soy-sauced chicken topping, edamame and hot fragrant broth, the noodle was pretty okay, but honestly speaking, nothing extraordinary.

# Fried Dimsum Platter (IDR 98 k)
Consisted of deep fried prawn wonton, deep fried beancurd skin roll with prawn and pan fried spring roll filled with vegetables and mayonnaise as condiment, this platter was a winning platter! These fried dimsums were real goodness, and I didn’t see it coming since honestly, I didn’t expect a casual lounge could bring real delicacies like these! To note more, we were told that the dimsums are freshly made upon order to ensure the freshness of the ingredients.

# Rainbow Bun (IDR 48 k)
When we heard of this, we thought that the buns will be coloured in several striking colours. I was wrong (it seemed like I was so wrong the whole day that evening). The rainbow expression is more about the inner part, hm.. Well, in this case, the fillings. The buns were presented in different flavours, from salted egg yolks, green tea, and chocolate. And guess what, I loved each and every bit of all those buns. Delicious salted egg yolk, scrumptious green tea, and lavish chocolate! They were all so good!

Going further with the booze, let’s see below. I should warn you, as usual, I don’t drink something alcoholic, so… 😉

# Mad Scientist (IDR 85 k) – Jimbeam White Bols Apricot Brandy Bourbon
Looking Dr.Strange-like, this will definitely appeal party-goers. From the explanation, when one liquid is filled in the tube, it will convert it to another liquid.

# Goin Nuts (IDR 85 k) – Myers Dark Rum, Bacardi Light Rum, Morisa Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream
I did cheat and take a sip out of curiosity. But I am glad I did! It was very creamy and chocolatey with the good hint of rum. Really good, actually.

From the aftertaste section, we got to enjoy the tradition Es Doger, which has been upgraded to match the gorgeous place.

# Ice Dogerz (IDR 48 k)
Apparently, tasted very similar with Es Doger, with smooth texture. But fancy appearance though! <3

What I strongly love about this place is the casual relaxed vibe, where I could spend time here for forever, blending in with the music and still digging in with nice food and drinks. Oh, I LOVED the music. The songs’ choice were epic that evening, from the mellow song “Hello” by Lionel Richie to “Jar Of Hearts” by Christina Perri. Before I could think of Adele’s casual mellow melody, somebody had started singing “Never mind, I’ll find… someone like you…~“. Oh yeah, never mind, I could just cuddle up there all night, living thru the music and say cheers!

QI LOUNGE | JAKARTA
The Sultan Hotel Jakarta
Jl. Gatot Subroto
Lagoon Tower Exclusive Entrance, Senayan, Jakarta
Phone: +62-215727239
Website: http://www.qi.co.id