Moi Bistro (Gunawarman): Small Vietnamese-French restaurant, serving delightful Pho

As I said before, it's relatively difficult to find an exceptional Vietnamese food in Jakarta other than the usual chains such as Pho 24 (which is not necessarily bad). Moi Bistro attempts to take Vietnamese cuisine to the 'high street' of Gunawarman/Senopati, competing with reputable heavyweights in the Jakarta food scene.

A blend between Vietnamese & French cuisine is not uncommon. To my understanding, there is quite a French influence in Vietnam's culinary identity as France once colonized the nation. I'd say a more accurate description of Moi Bistro's style is Vietnamese with French influence (instead of French-Vietnamese) because essentially it's more of a Vietnamese restaurant.

The place has some personality; there's an effort to create a brand for the restaurant, the decor is well-thought, the dishes are rather unique. Moi Bistro leaves quite an impression for its customers.

There was nothing too special or attractive about Moi Bistro's appearance from outside. I've passed this place many times but it failed to create an impression. I only visited because that time I was craving for some Vietnamese food. Just wished the place had done something more to 'scream out' its presence, especially in an area so packed with bold restaurants & cafes.

The whole decor was nothing extravagant or pretentious either. But it has quite a personality. I liked the subtle Vietnamese touch with the brick red colored tables, colorful wallpapers, and posters here and there. I don't know much about Vietnamese art or design, but there's something distinctively South-East Asian with the way Moi decorates its interiors.

On to its food.

Moi Bistro offers a range of Vietnamese dishes & a bit of French/Western too. You'll find Vietnamese Pho, Banh Mi (sandwich), and spring rolls alongside the likes of Duck Confit and steaks.


Fresh Spring Rolls
IDR 45k

Fresh, juicy, chewy. Moi's spring rolls are one of the better ones I've had in terms of taste & freshness. I guess spring rolls rely heavily on freshness, and even chained restaurants such as monViet or Pho 24 are sometimes plagued with withering vegetables. Thankfully this was not the case for Moi, which is commendable.

They actually fall apart too easily, as in the vermicelli & other ingredients aren't compacted. As you eat it bits by bits, some parts of it will fall off. But this is not a big deal considering the great taste.


Pho.
Rice noodles, Raw U.S meat (there's a selection of regular boiled beef, US Meat, mix, and Raw Wagyu, all with varying prices)
IDR 125k

The broth is very tasty. Most of the pho I had were clear and the taste is a balance of herbal & meaty. But Moi Bistro's pho is very meaty. The flavor of the beef is strong in the broth itself. It took me my surprise, but I like it very much. This will depend on your personal preference; some people may like their pho to have a milder taste, but others, like me, prefer them strong like this.

The meat is great; strong beef character, tender, good-tasting. It came in a generous amount too. The US Meat pho is more than twice the price of 'regular' meat, which makes you wonder whether it's worth it. I think it's worth the price.

My only problem with this, though, is strangely the noodles. It's thin, very slippery to the point that it's difficult to eat it with chopsticks. They taste insubstantial when eaten. This is rather weird, since most pho I know have thick noodles.


Duck Confit Banh Mi (baguette sandwich).
IDR 55k

I have to say the banh mi wasn't too pleasant. I mean, the vegetables are fresh and all but the duck confit itself felt wet & soggy. I wasn't really sure why; maybe the duck confit was made into a pate, but in any case I think it erodes the duck flavor as well.

The baguette wasn't as hard or crunchy as I expected it to be; dare I say it's rather wet too.

Vietnamese banh mi don't generally come with too much seasoning, so it accentuates the flavor of the meat (which is usually marinated with a lot of flavor). Unfortunately the duck confit in this dish brought down the whole sandwich too, at least for me. I ended up dipping the banh mi in the spring roll sauce a lot to compensate.

Lunch for two cost me about IDR 300k; that includes 1 appetizer, 2 main courses, 1 coffee, and 1 tea. Moi Bistro is reasonably priced, and the price range is quite wide from the IDR 50k sandwiches to IDR 300k steaks. I'd recommend the pho if you're visiting.

The staff are friendly & knowledgeable, and the place secluded from the busy roads of Gunawarman. It's a great establishment to have a serious meal or just hang out. When I was there, the crowd were quite mature, which is the crowd that I think are attracted by Vietnamese food nowadays.

I generally liked Moi Bistro. It has utmost attention given to the quality of meat it serves, and the freshness of vegetables as well. It has became the place I go to when needing a refined pho.

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Location: Gunawarman Street, just about 80 meters from KFC intersection. Right-side of the road.