November 9th, 2016. There’s a new place *again* in Senopati area. It’s not coffee shop, it’s not dessert place. They claimed that they are “Farm to table Asian Cuisine.” I saw it when passing through Senopati road. And well.. planned to come some time when I’m not so busy with foodtasting and cafe hopping. Hahaha.. But then they had foodies gathering that week. So, okay, I came. GIOI.
Homey ambiance with some separate area. Filled with decorations from Indonesia like bamboo trays acted like wallpaper, flowers and herbs plants also surrounding the place. Yes, the chef said they planted their own herbs and spices. Before the lunch, they taught us how to make sambal matah. Then after that, we had our lunch. Yaaay.
APPETIZER
Asian Steak Tartare 88k
Premium sirloin steak marinated in GIOI’s Asian dressing, fresh herbs, topped with quail egg yolk, served chilled with caramelized melinjo crackers.
Pretty presentation. Love the flowers that decorating the tartare. And they’re all edible. Wow! The texture of the beef was very tender. Juicy, of course. Just look at it, I could taste the juiciness. A little bit salty but it’s fine. Cindy loved the melinjo crackers. And June loved the flowers. LOL.
Satay Lilit 90k
Balinese-spiced minced prawn & chicken satay on lemongrass stick, served with sambal matah.
One of the best satay lilit. Too bad it’s spicy because of the sambal matah. So, yeah, I didn’t really enjoy it.. Though, it’s really fast disappear from my plate hahaha.. “It’s really delicious!” said my tummy hahahaha.. Love the texture. Very tender and tasty.
Sriracha Chicken Wings 80k
Crispy battered juicy chicken wings, tossed in GIOI’s original sriracha garlic sauce.
Served in a jar, it’s a cute way to eat chicken wings. First, pour the sriracha garlic sauce into the jar. Then, shake it shake it shake it! Chicken wings ready to be served. It’s delicious with tender meat. Well-seasoned with sweet and spicy flavour. Finger-licking good!!!
Sriracha is a type of hot sauce or chili sauce made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt.
Balado Escargot 86k
Tender water snails sauteed in balado chili, served with crispy garlic toast & Asian pesto.
Love the dish. It’s deliciously spicy with chewy texture. The garlic toast was crispy and very light. The escargot was perfect. Well-seasoned. Cindy loved it very much, she finished it real quick LOL.
MAIN COURSE
Roast Duck Curry 110k
Hoome-made Thai red curry, juicy and tender duck breast, served with locally-sourced carrot, green tomato & eggplant.
Very beautiful presentation. The colour of the curry was golden. Pretty flowers on top of it. I was in love with it. When I tried it, it’s too spicy for me. I couldn’t stand it. The duck meat was quite tender, but a little bit dry. But for the carrot, tomato and eggplant, they should improve it. They all undercooked.
Salmon Lodeh 120k
Traditional lodeh with fresh eggplant, long beans, cabbage, labu siam, green papaya & melinjo, served with seared sous vide salmon.
The best salmon lodeh. I tried salmon lodeh at another restaurant once. But this one is better. So delicious, I emptied the bowl LOL. The salmon was perfectly cooked. Not fishy at all. Crispy skin. Delightful. One of the best dishes at GIOI. And yes, I really emptied the bowl. You can ask Cindy and June hahahaha..
Char Grilled Balinese Whole Chicken 130k (Half)
Slow roasted chicken marinated in Balinese Spices, served with GIOI’s rice, corn on cab, jukut kalasan (served half or whole).
When it came to my table, I was like, “OMG rice! Very fragrant! OMG OMG!” It’s really a huge portion. I think it can feed 3 or 4 people. But when I ate the portion with Cindy and June, well, I hoped they got their own plate. Hahahahaha. The chicken was very tender and juicy, well-seasoned and perfectly cooked. The rice was super duper delish. My favourite! Very recommended!
SIGNATURE DRINKS
Chai Thai Ice Milk Tea 45k
Thanks GIOI for the lovely lunch. Welcome to our hungry community. *we always hungry* hahaha..
GIOI Plantery & Cookery
Jl. Senopati No.88
Jakarta
Phone: +62 21 7211468/+62 21 7211480
IG: @gioijakarta