Ciknic Roast Chicken, Dharmawangsa, Jakarta

South Jakarta area has never failed to amaze us with all the variety of things we can find, one of the latest findings that is worth checking is definitely this 7 months old cute little café, Ciknic Roast Chicken. Located at the strategic Ruko Dharmawangsa Square (just opposite to Dharmawangsa Square), Ciknic (literal combo of Chicken & Picnic)  brings the concept of picnic in the middle of city, with roast chicken as their signature dish.

Ciknic occupies the first floor of the shop house, small yet comfortable. Almost half of the area is used as semi-open kitchen and counter and the seating area is limited. However, we can also opt to sit outside as they also have few tables but yes, this is the smoking area. The café is nicely decorated with picnic-related bits, including the hanging leaves on the wall, grass behind the seats, even the red and white checkered tablecloths! So are we ready to go to picnic? 😉

Ciknic Roast Chicken specializes in their homemade Roast Chicken, and also many other chicken-related dishes as well as other comfort food which we think, very unique, but still suit Indonesian tongues very well. From starters to desserts, we can find variety of Asian and Western dishes made in a way they can compliment each others. Beside that, we think the prices are also very affordable considering that the serving portions are big and the quality of the food.

Prices for F&B range from IDR 15,000 to 138,000.

Smashed Avocado Crostini IDR 35,000

First to try was this recommended starter plate which look pretty at the first glance. Basically a canapé, with a base of round-cut wheat bread topped with smashed avocado, bocconcini (egg-shaped mozzarella cheese), and cherry tomato, this definitely can’t go wrong for a starter. If only the bread were toasted longer until a bit more crispy, that would have been perfect! We love how the cherry tomato gave color and texture to the crostini, and it was good and light to prepare our appetite before the heavier meal.

Smashed Avocado Crostini IDR 35,000

Gourmand Salad IDR 40,000

Very appetizing salad, we must say, judging from the way it was presented. Colorful fresh vegetables like mixed lettuce and cherry tomatoes, served with battered chicken, later sprinkled with feta cheese and crispy beef fat. YUM! The honey mayo dressing was nicely sweet and tasty, and the generous serving is like an icing on the cake!

Gourmand Salad IDR 40,000

Ciknic Platter IDR 55,000

And of course, yours truly can never resist a platter when she sees it on the menu! Ciknic Platter consists of nori seasoned fries, calamari, chicken pops, and herb fries, styled in such an irresistible way, LOL. You might think it’s just a regular appetizer platter with all fried stuffs with the dipping sauce, but well, I love how they seasoned each items and we still can enjoy them with the dip. My favorite was the nori seasoned fries, but Mr. K was fond of the calamari.

Ciknic Platter IDR 55,000

Ciknic Platter IDR 55,000

Half Roast Chicken IDR 74,000

So, here is the signature dish of Ciknic: the Roast Chicken! For a start, we can choose the portion, from Quarter (IDR 42,000), Half (IDR 74,000) and Whole (IDR 138,000). The prices include the roast chicken and free sides: 1, 2, and 4 respectively. We tried the Half portion so we got half chicken (2 pieces – breast and leg) and 2 free sides.

Options of Sides (IDR 12,000 each): sauteed potato, herb fries, truffle potato puree, ciknic rice, red chili rice, sesame rice, white rice, mixed green salad, creamy spinach, sauteed vegetables.

Half Roast Chicken IDR 74,000

First thing first, the plating is gorgeous. When the plate was served on our table, the roast chicken was still smoking hot! The glistening sauce covering the chicken was just so inviting, and yes, it’s better to dig in right away as to enjoy the maximum tenderness of the chicken while it’s still warm and juicy. We admit we took time to take photos and when we started eating, the smoke had gone. Although the inner part was still hot (smoke came out when I cut the chicken), it’s definitely better to eat it immediately when it was served.

The chicken was very well-seasoned and they are not afraid to put variety of herbs and spices for sure! I love how the tastiness was absorbed so perfectly until the inside, but not too much. For the sides, we had Ciknic Rice, somewhat like aromatic rice with nice fragrance and slightly spicy, which actually goes very well with the roast chicken. The other side we tried was Creamy Spinach that was served on separate plate (again, with generous serving), we found it a bit “milky” instead of creamy but it was decent to compliment our chicken!

Half Roast Chicken IDR 74,000

Green Chili Chicken IDR 42,000

Beside the roast chicken regular dishes, I urge you to try their Green Chili Chicken, which are available in 3 styles: roast, pan-fry, or rice bowl. We tried the rice bowl and it actually uses pulled roast chicken mixed with green chili. Normally, green chili dishes are not too spicy but here I spotted many orange chili cuts so I have to tell you, this is like a land mine and suitable for spicy food lovers! It’s so tasty, hot, and addictive at the same time I couldn’t put the bowl down once I start, LOL!

Green Chili Chicken IDR 42,000

Green Chili Chicken IDR 42,000

Milkshake IDR 31,000

For the drinks, we tried the recommended flavored-milkshakes such as Beng Beng and Strawberry Rosemary. We expected something with more prominent flavors, for example, the Beng Beng milkshake didn’t have any Beng Beng flavor at all, only a hint of nutty chocolate and nothing else but milk. We thought if they put actual Beng Beng (chopped or just part of it) on the glass or as sprinkle, it could have been better. The Strawberry Rosemary was okay, although we think it will be more appropriate to name it Strawberry Mint for its prominent minty flavor. XD However, the light taste of the milkshakes won’t make you feel sick drinking this while eating your seasoned roast chicken for sure!

Strawberry Rosemary & Beng BengMilkshake @IDR 31,000

Salted Egg Ice Cream & Fried Mantao IDR 35,000

Now now now, this is the best part: this salted egg ice cream and fried mantao is THE BEST!! We could taste the salted egg perfectly and guess what, they also put the bits of salted egg white on the ice cream, woohoo! If you like anything salted egg like I do recently, you’ll definitely love it! The fried mantao was crispy on the outside and super soft on the inside, eat the ice cream with it and you’ll know what I mean. MUST TRY!

Salted Egg Ice Cream & Fried Mantao IDR 35,000

As consumers nowadays are trending toward more health-conscious eating, this café attracted us with their signature dish, which is known to be a healthier choice than typical cooking style  of chicken (fried). I left with a good impression of their food, and will definitely be back in the near future for the green chili chicken and salted egg ice cream (LOL!), and also to try their new weekly menu. Yes, beside chicken dishes, now they also offer weekly menu which are non-chicken dishes.

If you are looking for a cozy place to spend lovely lunch/dinner around Dharmawangsa area, this place is for you.

===

* All prices are subject to 5% service charge & 10% government tax

** This review is written based on our visit on 12 August 2017.

Follow Us in:
EMAIL | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | GOOGLE+

Check our IG story for LIVE UPDATES:
@foodescape_id

CIKNIC ROAST CHICKEN
Ruko Dharmawangsa Square
Jl. Darmawangsa VI No. 46
South Jakarta 12160
Indonesia
Ph. +62 21 72780645
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

Opening Hours:
Mon – Sun 11AM – 10PM