My whole experience on the Table |
I still remember my first encounter of a delicious Pho
noodle soup, it was in Orange County of Los Angeles. I had just finished up my
classes and a friend who originated from Turkey decided that we should try
Vietnamese for lunch. I have always been open to trying different kind of food
from all over the world, to me it always feel like tasting its culture, history
and the most obvious, their taste buds.
The Pho noodle soup is a Vietnamese noodle soup consisting
of broth, rice noodles called Banh, a few herbs and meat that usually comes either
beef or chicken. Needless to say, I fell in love with Pho and Vietnamese food
that day (in the most unlikely place) and thus the start of my quest to find
the most authentic Vietnamese food there is.
Ultimate Ice Lime Tea - IDR 40K |
Imagine my delight to find a nice Vietnamese Restaurant in
Jakarta, Bo & Bun. The restaurant serves Asian food but I would like to say
it concentrated more on Vietnamese cuisine, prices ranging from IDR 40K to IDR
135K. I had actually tried Bo & Bun in Bali, Seminyak and I loved their
food (mostly the Vietnamese menu) and without having to crave for their food
anymore I could easily reach it in driving distance.
For those who are not aware yet, much of the Vietnamese food
are heavily influenced by the French (during their colonization) and thus
created a kind of fusion into the traditional Vietnamese food. Ever wondered
why Baguette would be the most common bread in Vietnamese sandwiches? Thanks to
the French I supposed.
My favorite Corner |
With ‘French influence’ aligning to Bo & Bun, the décor
was a sort of homage to their culture blend. Classic wallpaper ordains the
ambience with hanging chandelier in a romantic French bistro setting. The
restaurant has two floors of dining area with the kitchen located on the third
floor. With the second floor being packed, I sat by the window on the first
floor with natural light coming in reflecting softly on the rounded marble
table (insta worthy!)
Vietnamese Rice Paper Roll - IDR 40K |
Vietnamese Spring Roll - IDR 40K |
I started my meal with Fresh Vietnamese Rice Paper Roll –
IDR 40K and Vietnamese Spring Roll – IDR 40K. The fresh rolls consisted of
Prawns, Coriander, Mint, Pickled Carrot and lettuce and the Spring Roll
consisted of chicken, shredded cabbage, wood ear mushrooms and glass noodle.
Though the vegetables were a little bit weak for me, they
should have been more fresh than it was served, I loved the sauces that come
with both menus; peanut and fish sauce. The peanut sauce as a little bit
different from the typical Vietnamese Restaurants would serve and it caught my
attention, the texture was thicker and sweeter in taste. The Fish sauce used
Lime juice, which made it freshly zesty and elevated the whole taste.
AH- MAZING!!!! |
After about 20- 25 minutes (I was already pre warned of the
wait) the pho was finally served and I could smell the goodness of all the
spices and herbs that had been charbroiled and boiled together with the beefy
soup for about 12 hours that intensified the beef broth flavor (that is
dedication to serve only the best), which in the menu is called the “12 hour “ PHO – IDR 90K.
The bowl consisted of beef broth, rice noodle, herbs, sliced
tenderloins, beef shanks, beef meatballs and onions. The side serving that is
actually a very big deal for me to enjoy the Pho comes in fresh bean sprouts,
sliced chili, Thai basil and lime complete with Shiracha and Hoisin sauce.
My favorite Meal here |
I personally truly enjoyed the bowl of Pho, very happy me;
the soup is rich in flavor with inviting aroma from all the spice and herbs
with tender and juicy meat really sealed the deal. The ’12 hour’ Pho comes in
limited supply everyday (due to how they prepare the foor), knowing that do
strategized or called the restaurant before hand to avoid any let downs.
Pork Chop with Jasmine Rice - IDR 95K |
Not wanting the meal to end I ordered the Pork Chop with
Jasmine Rice – IDR 95K, this dish would be the second on the list to sell out the
most in a very short time, again keep that in mind.
The dish comes with one thick grilled pork chop that is
marinated with lemongrass, sunny side up, pickled carrots, jicama (Mexican
turnip), and cucumber. The pork chop was grilled perfectly with great amount
seasoning and I have to admit that this dish would be better if they can slice
the pork chop thinner and give us two chunks instead of one so that the pork
will be tender and juicier. Do not forget the dipping sauce because it will
give you that extra kick of tangy sweet flavor.
Bahn Mi Thit with lemongrass pork/chicken - IDR 75K |
The last but not least on the table is Bahn Mi Thit with Lemongrass Pork – IDR 75K, I would say that this
bahn mi sandwich shows more originality compared to other places I had been to
and tried. The pork was cooked for around 18 hours and as the result the pork
was tender and melts in your mouth. The baguette itself has crunchy texture
outside and yet soft in the inside that is filled with lot of fresh vegetables.
Trying their dessert " BAHN FLAN" - IDR 55K |
Coffee was probably the biggest thing introduced by the French
in the 19th Century (it turned the local Vietnamese from
traditionally a tea drinker to Coffee). I was tempted to order the ‘Frozen
Vietnamese coffee’ But this belly failed on me, I was too full by the end of my
meal. So do give it a go and let me know if it is good.
The overall taste on the menu is pretty good, friendly
staffs, nicely decorated restaurant with pleasant ambiance to experience dining
in. I would strongly recommend this to be one of most places to visit when you
are in PIK (Pantai Indah Kapuk) area or perhaps their original location
Seminyak, Bali.
BO AND BUN
Ruko Garden House Blok B no 18C
Jalan Pantai Indah Kapuk Boulevard
PIK, Jakarta Utara
PH : +62821 1383 6954
IG : @boandbun
Hrs : Mon - Sun
10am - 10.30 pm