[NEW MENU] UNION, Pondok Indah Mall (PIM) 3, Jakarta

UNION is probably a good example of how sweet F&B business can turn out to be, when things are done in the right way. Since the first outlet’s opening in Plaza Senayan back in 2011, the brand still keeps shining, even brighter than ever. Nowadays, it has been spreading its wings to several outlets around South and Central Jakarta, and there’s no sign of slowing down for sure.

This time, I am gonna write about the new menu that I got to try last week, as they have just been launched recently. Before I start with the food, I want to write about the place first.

Although I am very familiar with the UNION outlet in Plaza Senayan, believe it or not, this was my first time visiting the outlet in Street Gallery of Pondok Indah Mall (PIM). The outlet is located on the Ground Floor of the mall, and its location is super strategic as it’s visible from the main lobby for drop-off, and from parking basement, it’s just so close from the elevator.

Just like typical Union Group’s establishments, they have sort of similar interior design and furniture. The inviting bakery is located in the front side like other outlets, but I was surprised to see there was no queue at all and the bakery looked so clean and neat.

Stepping inside, there is a large wine rack which heads to the main dining area. The outlet is separated into indoor and outdoor area, with typical Union seating style: very close distance between tables, which I don’t really fancy. The outdoor seating area is actually much better because it gets better light and it’s less cramped for sure!

Moving on to the new menu.

So basically, the great point about this outlet in PIM is that they have their own wood-fired pizza oven in the house. Means that only this outlet serves pizza, while the ones in Plaza Senayan and Union Deli in Grand Indonesia don’t.

This time, there are 4 new pizza menu created by the Head Chef Adhika Maxi, which are inspired by the iconic pizzerias of New York City, the new Pizza dishes are decidedly American in character, but with Chef Maxi’s personal twist. With these classic pizza creations, he wants to introduce another classic comfort food to the customers at Union. Better yet, all these pizzas are available in thin and thick crusts, so everyone can have what they like!

Spicy New Yorker IDR 110,000

Pepperoni, Hot Jalapeno, Onion, Cabe Rawit (Bird’s eye Chili).

So this was my first choice upon seeing the 4 new pizza menu, because I was simply intrigued by the word “spicy”. XD I always love additional jalapeno in my food because it instantly adds the kick and strength to the flavors. Spicy New Yorker looks spicy enough with all the jalapeno cuts all over the pizza, but it was nothing because the actual “spice” comes from within, beware of the hidden “land mine” a.k.a the cabe rawit!

The Spicy New Yorker didn’t disappoint. There are so many surprises waiting for those who are brave enough to take the challenge, MUST TRY!

Hawaiian IDR 115,000

Grilled Chicken, Chicken Ham, Fresh Pineapples, Fire Roasted Peppers

This Hawaiian pizza is as classic as it gets. Awesome combination of sweet and savory flavors, it’s acceptable to all ages of customers. From adults to kids can enjoy this equally. To be honest, we are not fans of Hawaiian pizza because we just can’t stand the taste of hot, cooked, soft pineapple, but seriously, this was good. The pineapples were still crunchy somehow and I personally enjoyed it.

The Hamburger IDR 110,000

Ground Beef, Cheddar, Pickles.

If I thought the Spicy New Yorker is good, this is even better. I had never expected that I would have claimed this as my favorite among the 4, but I do. The Hamburger is a unique creation of typical hamburger flavor made into pizza topping and *is* still enjoyable as the way it is. Basically a combination of super typical hamburger: ground beef, cheddar, and pickles, I was surprised to find myself unstoppably munching on this!

Do try this because for now I think only UNION PIM has this menu in Jakarta 😉

The All-American IDR 115,000

Sausage, Pepperoni, Mushrooms, Onions

The last one was the all-time favorite: All-American pizza. This is the best choice for meat lovers as they use 2 kinds of meat: sausage and pepperoni, along with mushrooms and onions as toppings. Usually All-American or American Favorite pizzas are definitely my favorite, but I wasn’t really impressed by this version. The meats were kind of over grilled and a bit dry, and I wish they were given more generously.

I tried both thin and thick crusts, and as much as I liked them both, I would take the thick one. As these menu are inspired by New York pizzeria, I was expecting a New York style pizzas, which are usually light and thin with enough toughness. I found the thick one more enjoyable as it was quite springy and closer to the NY-style pizza I know, with airy thicker part on the edge and don’t easily crack. The thin crust one was nice but I found it more vulnerable and less elastic.

Portion-wise, the pizzas are served in large-sized pan, cut into 8 slices. I personally think that the portion is great, enough to be shared for 2-4 person. Moreover, the price range for pizza menu is very affordable, from IDR 95,000 to 135,000 only.

Beside the pizza menu, there are also several Soda & Floats drink menu, which are priced at affordable IDR 35,000 each.

Passion Float IDR 35,000

Passion Fruit Syrup, Passion Fruit Purée, Soda, Passion Fruit Sorbet

I love, love, love this. A drink made for passion fruit lover, it was sweet, sour, and refreshing. If you think passion fruit soda drink is too outdated, try this one and it will blow your mind away!

Cherry Coke IDR 35,000

Maraschino Juice, Grenadine, Caramel Soda

One thing I miss a lot about being in the USA is the cherry coke, which is not available in Indonesia. The Cherry Coke here is an interpretation of THAT cherry coke from Coke brand, with the ingredients that are excellent enough to make a decent one.

For the “coke”, they mix the grenadine and caramel soda, while they use Maraschino juice to bring in the cherry flavor. Maraschino juice comes from Maraschino cherry, a preserved sweetened cherry, which is also known as “cocktail cherry”. Amazing attempt of creating the infamous Cherry Coke!

Root Beer Float IDR 35,000

Root Beer and Vanilla Ice Cream on top, classic!

Strawberry Charlotte Cake

For the dessert, we tried the newly-launched Strawberry Charlotte Cake, which is created by the Pastry Chef of UNION, Karen Carlotta.

Since its first release to the public, it has been getting good responses from customers of UNION, and we were lucky that we got to try the last slice of the day (and it wasn’t even 6pm yet that time!). The cake base is sponge, which was quite solid and dense for a sponge. The texture wasn’t the most moist, but it was still enjoyable. I love the light sweetness of the taste, accompanied by the natural sourness from the strawberry. Must say it was a sweet ending for our dinner at UNION that day.

We really enjoyed the new pizza menu (and drinks) from UNION PIM. The pizzas are not spectacular in term of toppings, but as the Chef wishes, I think he is quite successful bringing the comfort food to the customers. I am sure that this visit is not the last one, and I always know where to go when I crave for the hamburger pizza! 😉

*The Food Escape team are not paid whatsoever for writing this post.

Follow Us in:
TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | GOOGLE+

UNION PONDOK INDAH MALL (PIM) 3
Street Gallery Terrace Ground Floor
Pondok Indah Mall I
Jl. Metro Pondok Indah
South Jakarta 12310
Ph. +62 21 2952 9781 / 82 / 83
Opening Hours:
Mon-Sun 11AM – late
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM