AGBELIN Bistro and Cafe

Hi Eaters,

A new restaurant is in town. Bearing the name AGBELIN Bistro and Cafe, this new dining establishment firmly stood in what once was Hospitalis (now permanently closed).
A FoodyID invitation brought me here. Again yet again, thank you FoodyID for constantly inviting me to your event. It's always lovely to join it.

I came pretty much late since I have 3 foodtasting invitations that day, and all happened almost in a slight different time. So I was pretty hectic going round places and stumbled late around almost an hour to reach this place. So sorry for that.

The venue is quite spacious, mostly shaded and a bit dimmed. Most of the interior were quite chic and had a youthful vibe. The place is decorated with lots of elements that picturized London in particular, starting from the wallpaper and those itsy bitsy items displayed in almost every corner of the venue.
Here's a trivia for you, the name AGBELIN actually came from the combination of the owners' name: Agatha and Belinda.

On certain days there will be live music played on the cafe. Unfortunately on the day of my visit I didn't get the chance to see it. 
But overall I find this place quite comfortable and relaxing. A soothing place to hang out with besties.

Onite Chicken Cheese - IDR 42K

At first glance I thought it was Bitterballen cause it looked pretty similar. This is actually chicken and cheese shaped circular. This one tasted pretty good although in my opinion the batter is a bit too hard. It took quite an effort to slice it with a spoon. I would prefer that it has a texture like a bitterballen, more soft and moist. But the chicken and cheese fillings were delicious, nevertheless. 

Chicken Nachos - IDR 42K

This one was really good. It's too bad I only had 1 piece of this nacho. It was delicious indeed. Those shredded chicken, caramelized onions, and mozarella cheese were just yumm! They really do made a great combo eaten altogether.

Lumpia AGBELIN - IDR 29K

Another light bites that was enjoyable to eat was this spring rolls. I do love the crispy skin and the overwhelming vegetable fillings. The dipping sauce however in my opinion could be great if it was a bit spicier, but the overall taste was quite delicious.

Kampoeng Fried Rice - IDR 37K

I just loved fried rice, and one of the variants of fried rice that I love is Nasi Goreng Kampung. I do love the strong sweet and savory taste of a Nasi Goreng Kampung. This one also delivered that significant lovable taste for my palate. Unfortunately I only had a glimpse taste of the rice only, and I didn't get the chance to try its toppings. I was told that there were slices of smoked beef inside this dish.

Ribs Soup - IDR 55K

Another dish that I like was this Ribs Soup. I love the tasty soup and those ribs were so juicy and succulent. A perfect combination when served with a hot steamy rice.

Tuna Aglio - IDR 45K

For pasta lovers, this Tuna Aglio is my recommendation. For the pasta dishes at AGBELIN, you can opt between spaghetti, penne, or fettucine. This spaghetti was perfectly cooked, al dente, and the portion was fulfilling. The spiciness level for me was just fine, as any aglio olio I expected to be, but for some other people that day it was a bit too spicy. So if you don't favor spicy food better ask them to lower the spiciness level for this dish.

AGBELIN Pasta - IDR 55K

Or if you don't like spicy pasta at all, then you can order the carbonara version. This one was also good. Perfect creamy thickness, it won't make you bloat. The taste is quite delicious and savory too.

Hungry Bryan Burger - IDR 39K

Look at that burger with those thick buns. The patty seemed hidden underneath those bun and other components of the burger, so I would hope they make the patty much bigger so it will reveal itself since patty is the main attraction of a burger. I have to say, though, the patty was delicious. It's nicely seasoned and also juicy. I'm only confuse on how they arranged the stacks on this burger. I never saw a burger with cheese on top of a fried egg. Personally I think the cheese should be directly on top of the patty, but maybe different place then different style on stacking the order of a burger fillings.

Banana Grill - IDR 29K

For dessert I had this Banana Grill, which is, well as the name of the dish would stated, sliced grilled banana served with cheese and chocolate sprinkles. It's really nice, the banana was soft, not too sweet so it combined well with the cheese and chocolate sprinkles. Basically, it's your everyday comfort food that you can easily find in Jakarta. Perhaps to differentiate it with the same dish out there then another kind of topping could be applied. Green tea maybe?

Overall conclusion, I would give this new establishment a good rating. The food is great and the ambiance is really convenient. I didn't get to try any signature drinks so my apologize if this review is only about food, but do give AGBELIN a try and tell me your opinion.

Keep on chewing!

Jazzy Dee

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AGBELIN Bistro and Cafe
Jl. KH. Ahmad Dahlan Kebayoran No. 31

Ph: (021) 7254221

Jakarta Selatan