Astrid Amalia: Italian Lunch at GIA Restaurant and Bar

GIA Restaurant and Bar

Sampoerna Strategic Square

Tower 2, Ground Floor,

Jl. Jenderal Sudirman Kav 45 - 46,

Jakarta

Tel: 021-57953300

Website: www.ismaya.com/gia

The interior and decor of GIA by Ismaya Group is totally awesome. It has classy and luxurious style, with combination of black and white. Very elegant and stylish!

There are three sections in GIA. The front area that has high tables and high chairs is perfect for afternoon coffee and tea. The dining area is perfect for intimate dining experience. The bar area is good for chilling out with some cocktails.

Front Area

Dining Area

Bar and Lounge Area

With Martina Ceccolini from GIA
Picture courtesy of Burhan Abe

THE FOOD

Their foods are totally in Italian style. If you are a big fan of pasta, cheese, seafood, and pizza, this restaurant is totally your best destination. GIA has all kind of Italian food, and all the food come in a quite big portion. They say that Italian people like to eat big portions of food. Yeah! LOL!

So if you like to eat in small portion, I suggest you to bring more friends to share the food you order there. After all, togetherness in food always brings happiness :-)

Portobello In Fonduta

Grilled Portobello Mushroom, Truffle Parmesan Fondue, Mesclun, Aged Modena Balsamic

Portobello In Fonduta

The large size of mushrooms with mix salads are good for my appetizer. The taste is fresh and healthy. I always love salads in any kind of style!
If you are with some friends, this meal is good to fill a bit of healthiness in your belly before hitting some other dishes. If you are a vegetarian, this is a good choice for you.

Burrata Pugliese

Air Flown Fresh Burrata, Heirloom Tomatoes, Pesto Basil

Burrata Pugliese

Hola! Cheese is always my favorite food to eat!
The word burrata means "buttered" in Italian. The soft texture burrata is a fresh Italian cheese made from solid mozzarella on the outer shell; and a mixture of cream, mozzarella, butter and sugar in the inner part. When I cut the burrata with knife, the outer part is a bit hard, but when the knife reaches the inner part, I can feel something smooth and melted inside. Yummy!
The freshness of the vegetables in the plate balances the salty to creamy taste of the burrata. Very perfect companion!
The bread is thin and crispy. They will not make you feel too full.
I recommend this food to be shared with your friends. Don't keep good things only for yourself, okay :-D

Tortelli Di Zucca E Ragu d'Anatra

Rosted Pumpkin Filled Tortelli, Duck Braised Ragu, Parmesan, Rosemary, Orange Evoo

Tortelli Di Zucca E Ragu d'Anatra

Tortelli is a type of squared shape filled pasta. When I eat it, I can feel a bit of meat and herbs inside the pasta. The pumpkin ingredient in the pasta gives a delicious taste to the tortelli. The duck based ragu or sauce and the cheese add more colorful flavor to the tortelli.
And the Evoo actually stands for Extra Virgin Olive Oil :-)

Bavette Allo Scoglio

Bavette Pasta Aglio & Olio, Baby Squid, Black Mussels, Clams, Prawns, Pinot Grigio White Wine Fumetto

Bavette Allo Scoglio

Oh yeeesss!!! This is my favorite food! This is the food to die for :-))
The ribbon pasta noodle is simply cooked with garlic, oil, seafood and wine. But the simple pasta does not taste simple in my mouth. The variety of seafood gives a sea aroma in the dish that makes me feel so pacified. A few cut of chili gives a soft kick in my mouth!
Love! Love! Love!

Dentice Al Vapore

Poached Snapper Fillet, Puttanesca Sauce, Fresh Tomatoes, Olives, Capers, Garlic, Evoo

Dentice Al Vapore

I feel rainbow is around me when I eat the snapper. Because the tangy and salty sauce with lemon cheer up my mouth; while the olives, capers and fried garlic make the dish feel a bit playful.
This is a very healthy protein for your lunch or dinner.

Limone Mandarino

Vanilla Tart, Lemon Custard, Mandarin Supreme, Caramelized Pumpkin Seed, Pistachio Ice Cream, White Chocolate Flakes, Meringue, Beetroot Puree

When you have something sweet to close everything, it means you have the happy one.
This sweet dessert is created for those sweet-tooth people. I don't have to describe the taste of the dessert with my words. By looking at it, I know that its sweetness and freshness really make my day.
The dessert is best to be consumed with a cup of black coffee that balances its taste.

Over all, I love all the dishes I eat in GIA! In my calculation, all of the dishes I eat in this moment can be consumed by three people. So yeah, I will bring more friends the next time I visit GIA.

Have a happy meal, everyone!