Senopati is definitely an area where endless restaurants and bars can be found. Funnily, it’s still growing and we’ll keep counting stars for the moment. The overgrowing of restaurants are always welcome for food enthusiasts, but for some loyal and every-day-passers-by in the area, I guess they will be pissed. It’s like saying hi to traffic jam and hours of boredom and occasionally swearing to some random cars parking (or not) on the street. Me myself, as part of the foodies community, kind of goes to the former. New restaurant means new place to venture. Or else, I will cease to exist.
Mid Town Bistro Lounge, Dining Restaurant and Sport Bar has just opened more than a week ago. It’s strategically located and you can easily reach the place from the main street without having to join the traffic jam party in the senopati street. If you know Twenty8 in that area, then you can easily find Mid Town. Yes, apparently Twenty8 has closed down for permanent and now, Mid Town has taken over. Same location, same building, but different concept, different management. For a start, Mid Town is equipped with three kinds of areas, starting from the lounge, the dining area, and the sport bar. Oh, extra gossip, one of the shareholders is Mike Lewis. X)
From the façade, there haven’t been much of a change, aside from the signboard. But from the inside, some changes and improvements have been made. Significantly, the first floor has been replaced with a more casual ambiance but with a touch of elegance. Some exotic colours can be found all around the place to tease the eyes, from the blue coaches to the purplish hanging lamps. There’s a wine cellar on the right of the room and a bar is located at the end of the room. This area is their lounge, where you can sit while casually chit-chatted with friends, or else, even enjoying your personal me-time while sipping some of the best wines. I sat there for a while and found this area seemingly transformed into a relaxing space, which is less intimidating compared to the previous interior (when it’s still Twenty8).
Then, taking the stairs up, you can find another area. An area equipped with proper dining tables, chairs and comfortable semi-sofas. They are playing with colours here, to light up more the spacious room. Mainly, wood paneling and ornaments are everywhere to bring the more natural atmosphere. Since I visited the place in the afternoon, the dining area was definitely a bright beauty., somehow, in a down to earth kind of vibe. The day light coming in from the windows was gorgeous.
There’s even a meeting room here, which seems to fit in a group of 10 perfectly. Business meeting or small social gathering can really use this room.
Up to another story, there is a sport bar. Since its normal operational hours is at 5 PM to 12 AM, I didn’t get a chance to see the bar at its best. But I managed to snap a few pictures though for your preview. Although in the evening, when it’s actually open, the place will certainly transform into a livelier and more exotic version of bar. Oh, what’s so great about this place is that the management are flexible when it comes to opening or closing time. If you plan on using the venue for your gathering, event or even just enjoying sport games through the night with friends, you can contact them directly and have some arrangements.
The tour for the place was over in a short while, but the journey for my belly had just started. At first, I had a slight doubt about their food. Usually when a venue does good in their interior, design and similar stuff, the taste of their food often falls short. But I kept myself open-minded and just enjoyed the ride. Sitting by the window is always my favourite. Yes, it helps in the picture-taking process, but my main reason is always more about the view that I can enjoy while talking and having the lunch/dinner. There’s something enjoyable seeing the view outside of the windows.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that F&B menu in each area is different. The lounge is more about the small food and awesome variety of drinks. For the dining area, the food selection is far more extensive and tempting in its own way. In fact, the entire front-page of the menu boards is filled with 30 (or probably more) choices of food ONLY. From Asian to European to American. Their approach in food concept is more about fusion, making extraordinary food which have more or less been adjusted to suit our tongue.
Quality-wise, it was said that they truly pay a serious attention for the quality. I guess I had to find out myself, right? One more thing. For you, the dedicated drinkers, will find the place a heaven in its own league too. Classic cocktail and special concoctions are available to please you. There are of course other stuff, from whiskey, malt to bourbon. Let’s check my experience out.
# Strawberry Frost (IDR 45 k)
From the mocktail section, I asked for a glass of good-looking mocktail. Then I got one. Topped with a handful of strawberry ice cream, this mocktail is definitely what every strawberry-lovers ever wanted. It was definitely good-looking, but a tad too sweet for me. For my personal liking, the sweetness can be toned down a bit.
# Prawn A La Jilo (IDR 105 k) – From the 1st and 3rd Floor
Starting fresh, there was this beautiful prawn starter. For most people who know me pretty well, they must have known that I don’t usually eat seafood such as crab, squid and prawn. I always have this excuses about the allergy. But, of course as a foodie I still have to try all food, so I usually will take a bite or two, and leave it there on the plate if I dislike it. I thought the same too when I saw this prawn (oh, my distant cousin!). But well, after I took a bite, instead of leaving it on the plate, I leave it all inside my tummy. Oh gosh, THIS IS SO GOOD! That’s the sentence I kept saying, probably a hundred times. Yeah, the prawns were cooked perfectly. I don’t know how the chef did it, but the prawns were super tender, chewi-sh, and perfectly seasoned. This dish was very unique and I rarely encountered a dish this magnificent. It was spicy, with complex flavor and without me knowing, the plate was all empty. That’s how good it was!
# Duck Rilette (IDR 120 k) – From the 1st & 3rd Floor
Duck dishes rarely fails me, so I was excited when I saw this beautifully shredded duck sitting on the table. This dish was pretty unique. The duck was slowly braised, and served with caramelized onions, and slices of toasted focaccia bread. A side of house salad is presented for a healthy complement. The way to eat it is actually by topping the focaccia bread with the duck meat and the caramelized onions. Then dig in. But that always goes back to the guest. If you don’t like onions, set it aside, but anyway, dig in! 😉 I had two versions of this dish, both set up in a different style. Since I couldn’t decide which are better, I posted both.
# Kani Salad (IDR 65 k)
Another starter, which actually is pretty common. But really, Mid Town is full of surprises. The Kani Salad was incredible. It’s almost in the same league of greatness as the Prawn A La Jilo. You might read this now and tilt your head a bit, wondering how a healthy salad can be as good as I wrote here. Guess what, check it yourself and you will know what I meant! I have no logical words to explain it, but the dressing of the salad, the freshness of the veggie, and the umami I tasted in my mouth when munching it, priceless!
# Mushroom Cappuccino Soup (IDR 65 k)
Okay, I tell you what. Spoiler alert, this was my least favourite for the whole lunch! Well, what’s wrong with this soup? Nothing actually. It was probably because it was a bit cold, and it was my fault since I took a long time admiring the colour, the presentation and busy taking the pictures, and eventually, it was just too cold. But I bet when it’s eaten hot/warm, it might create a positive impression. Well, lesson of the day, please take picture of anything soupy fast and eat it like it’s going to be stolen. Cold soup fails big time. The blame is on me. ;P
# Yaki Steak (IDR 185 k)
This is something Asian and I found it very appetizing in the eyes. On the plate, there was this yellow yaki mesi or Japanese fried rice, topped with 180 gr of Australian Sirloin Fillet and completed with a small bowl of teriyaki sauce. The gorgeous juicy Australian sirloin looked crazy good and I could see the pinkish middle which had me salivating. After trying, I could simply understand when they mentioned about their fixed attention to quality. The quality of the Australian sirloin was very good. Loved the succulent meat so much and it just tasted so good with the teriyaki sauce, plus an extra savouriness from the yaki mesi.
# Scallop Risotto (IDR 145 k)
One of the best-looking risotto(s) so far. I wasn’t a big fan of risotto until recently I encountered a couple of good risotto dishes in several restaurants. When they presented this, I was happy. It turned out that this risotto was a real goodness. The risotto was cooked nicely and all covered in fragrant cream, with a hint of truffle oil. The mix of lovely scallops, prawns and asparagus was perfect. Oh, and I loved the parmesan tuile. It did not only served as a garnish, but actually add more crunchy texture when crushed and spreaded across the risotto.
# Quattro Formaggi Pizza (IDR 115 k)
Oh, pizza, the usual suspect! Who doesn’t love pizza? It’s more or less everybody’s comfort food for now. But pizza is tricky. There are several versions of pizza, either thick base or thin crispy base. Which side are you on? Me? I can always go with both. But well, Mid Town created the base in a neutral way. A pizza base that approaches the thin side, but not that crispy thin that cracks easily in one bite. It makes a good consistent pizza base, funnily almost a bit similar to a pie crust, only thinner. The toppings? There are many. Cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese and cheese. J Oh, I’ll be real. Royal crème, blue cheese, gouda cheese, mozzarella, majoram herb and parmesan cheese. Anyway, it’s good, and it’s cheesy! I also think that they sprinkled a bit of truffle oil which was a very good and elegant touch for this cheesy pizza.
# Mixed Berries Pana Cotta (IDR 55 k) Flawlessly elegant dessert surely won’t hurt. What I didn’t see coming is the taste. Berries are usually well-known for its sourness. I kept that in mind when I saw it. Then a spoonful of this soft-textured panacotta changed my mind. This was super good. The creamy soft texture, the fragrant flavor and the hint of sourness from the berries was subtle, barely there but exist to bring some depth of flavor. Gorgeous closure for the day.
My taste-ride was done and over. The result? I WANT MORE. Yes, this Mid Town is truly passionate when it comes to food, or ambitious, in a terrific way! The food was amazing and almost flawless. Every dishes was served in a very pleasing way, both for the eyes and the tummy. In fact, from all of the above that I reviewed, only the soup failed to please me, and that’s because I left it cold! And there are other gorgeous dishes as well. Oh, I haven’t even tried the Baby Back Ribs yet. <3
I have nothing else to say again here. Any more words will smell like bull, and I didn’t intend to give you false expectation. Remember that when it comes to taste, it will go back to your preference and sometimes, the consistency of the restaurants. My experience here was beautiful. But, anything can happen. Guess what? My suggestion to you is this, plan your meet up with your friends at the weekend, and pay this new venue a visit. Tell me about your opinion on instagram or maybe here. You’ll be the judges.
Note: They even have packages for Lunch Set, starting from IDR 75 k – IDR 95 k). Value for money!
See you foodventurer.
MID TOWN BISTRO LOUNGE | JAKARTA
Jalan Tulodong Atas No. 28, Senopati (Behind SCBD)
Phone: +6221-5274088
Webstagram: www.midtownjakarta.com
Instagram: @midtownjakarta
Operational Hours: 11 AM – 12 PM
