BO AND BUN PIK - JAKARTA - eatandtreats - Indonesian Food and Travel Blogger based in Jakarta

As an avid fan of Vietnamese food sometimes I find it hard to fulfil my craving either because the lack of options or simply because I am bored with the ones I normally go (just sometimes you want something different vibe and food wise), and I was super glad when one day I was driving around PIK and found that Bo&Bun was about to open soon (align with Cake-a-boo)!!! Just a couple of weeks ago I finally managed to have lunch here with my sister!

I am a regular to their first outlet in Seminyak and consistently become my first option when I am craving for good Asian food (aside from Lantern which owned by the same group), while Lantern focuses more to the Asian-Peranakan cuisine, Bo&Bun's food is highly influenced by Vietnamese cuisine. This particular PIK outlet was definitely way more spacious compared to the one in Bali but I must say that each has its own charm, the one in Bali was small but I like the moody-earthy vibe, while the one in PIK had this French bistro vibe to it, a little more posh yet still humble if you know what I mean.

Expect to find various contemporary Vietnamese cuisine to spice up your palette like Pho, Vietnamese rice dishes and Bahn Mi, but as you roll over the pages of their menu you'll soon find various Asian cuisine too. Tried their 12-hour Pho before on my very first visit to their Bali outlet and has been my choice ever since, alongside the very good Chicken Noodle! I actually had the pictures from the last Bali visit but they're somewhere in my holy hard drive so I really have to dig in and found the files (will sure update this blog post).

Price range for the food here ranges from IDR 30k-95k

As for the drinks, here you can find various options of tea, coffee, sodas, juices, beer & ciders, wine, Bo&Bun Specialties, mocktails and milkshakes with price ranging from IDR 15k-100k

Thai Iced Tea (IDR 35k), Summer Days (IDR 40k)

Thai Iced Tea (IDR 35k)

Their Thai Iced Tea was the kind that I like, you got that red tea flavor dominating the flavor with semi-creamy texture and not overly milky. This was delicious and refreshing.

Summer Days - IDR 40k
Their Summer Days is one of their signature specialties and reminds me of the sparkling Virgin mojito with lemon, mint, syrup and crushed ice.

Spicy Lemongrass Pho - IDR 90k

I think I remembered that two weeks ago I wasn't feeling my best and I think I wrote about it in my blog and having this was like a short legit escape for my palate (after days only having porridge and veges), but this was very good and refreshing! Don't be intimidated by the look because it was not crazy spicy (more like 'hint' to me) with mainly savory, tangy flavor and you can definitely tell that the broth ingredient is rich, complex yet very delicate, perfectly firm rice noodle and generous onion, herbs and tender beef slices topping! I am honestly loving this to the 12-hour Pho but again they were quite different in terms of ingredient, I just like food with a more hint of spicy to it.

Pork Chop with Jasmine Rice - IDR 95k

This was a simple & delicious dish to choose if you fancy rice dishes, but seriously the highlight of this dish has got to be the pork chop and how well it was marinated! Before being grilled, the meat was first marinated with rich lemongrass seasoning which infused this savory and sweet flavor mainly to the coating of the pork, with this wok aroma that altogether added the deliciousness of this dish (and me like scrapping the surface, had it with rice and SO GOOD! The pork chop was also tender enough and even though you're suggested to have it with Nouc Cham (fish sauce) dipping sauce, I honestly could go on without it.

Egg nom nom!

Bao Gao Pork Belly - IDR 65k

Another pork dish that's worth trying here: Bao Gao Pork Belly with twice cooked pork belly topping in homemade steamed buns along with crushed peanuts, pickled cucumbers, hoisin sauce, fresh coriander, chilli and hoisin sauce. The pork belly was cooked to perfection with this tender meat and juicy fat and because the pork belly was very saucy, I like how the soft-fluffy bun could absorb the sauce so you kinda get that hoisin flavor anywhere you bite! Well I guess since I am a die-hard pork lover so this is a plain YES!

Banh Flan - IDR 55k

Sweet closure to my lunch in Bo&Bun was this Banh Flan aka French creme caramel of smooth vanilla custard with dark caramel and paired with Vietnamese coffee and crushed ice!

You can actually have it how you want it, but the staff there taught me that the suggested way would be having the crushed ice on top of the French creme caramel and have the Vietnamese coffee poured on top of it.

The creme caramel was creamy and milky without tasting overly eggy to my liking, yet the strong Vietnamese coffee managed to balance it off. Good combo.

Based on my experience, I feel like the food here in Bo&Bun came with such interesting and presentation, something about the food that was vibrant with a pop-factor, overall delicious looking and thankfully managed to impress my palate too! As I told you earlier I am a regular to their Bali outlet and there must be a reason, and that's quality and consistency, as simple as that!

I don't think I can replace my love for their Bali outlet because you know it's about that Bali vibe that you can't replace, but at least I know I don't have to travel 1,5 hours on a plane ride to have their delicious Vietnamese food.

The best of luck and welcome to the jungle! Keep up the great work!!!

Bo&Bun PIK

Rukan Garden House Blok. B No. 18C

Raya Pantai Indah Kapuk RT. 7/2

Kamal Muara, Penjaringan

Jakarta Utara 14470

Opening hours: 11 AM-10 PM

Average spending for two: IDR 200k

Dresscode: none

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