The Best of Yogyakarta

Ayam Goreng Tojoyo

Writer's block is not the reason why I have not written for a while. I am just too busy with my left brain and let alone my right one. It is now the time to have the right brain working again!

In my recent visit to Yogyakarta, I was lucky enough to be in the team with people who just loved to eat and tried different food without too many arguments on the selection process. The decision on where to have dinner (and dessert afterwards) was reached unanimously, most of time within seconds. On the first day we went to Ayam Goreng Tojoyo 3 on Jalan Urip Sumoharjo. This is local-style free-range fried chicken, savory dishes. The chicken was minimally seasoned and fried without flour. But, the taste was so good that I could easily have two portions of rice with it. The vegetables (lalapan) were fresh and fit well with the chili dipping sauce (spicy sambal).

Ayam Goreng Bonita

On the second day we chose to have another kind of fried chicken, namely Ayam Goreng Bonita on Jalan Kusumanegara. It was still local-style free range fried chicken, but it is sweet marinated (bacem). The place is much smaller and modest compared to Ayam Goreng Tojoyo, but it made you feel homey and you could chat warmly with the owner. It was amazing that chicken with different way of cooking could give you the ultimate satisfaction in having the meal. Do not even try to compare the price with similar food in Jakarta as the cost was much cheaper in Yogyakarta.

Nasi Gudeng Bu Hj. Amad

We also had the opportunity to have nasi gudeg as breakfast after running few kilometres inside the University of Gadjah Mada. Gudeg is the slow cooking sweet jackfruit stew. Not too far from the campus, there was Nasi Gudeg Bu Hj. Amad on Jalan Kaliurang, which was ready to serve at 7.00 AM. This dish along with opor ayam and sambal goreng krecek is a typical accompaniment for the famous nasi gudeg Yogya. There are two types of gudeg, wet and dry. Gudeg Bu Hj. Amad was a dry one and sweeter, and it tasted well with the spicy sambal goreng krecek. A portion of nasi gudeg krecek sayap costs IDR 20 K, which is also more inexpensive compared to the same food in Jakarta. So, clear message for the travelers, Yogya is heavenly space for local culinary lovers.

Tempo Del Gelato

Finally for the dessert, you just could not miss Tempo Del Gelato in Jalan Prawirotaman. In the evening, the place would be full of the teens, but you would still find the spots to sit as they had a spacious store. Two flavors in one cup would cost you IDR 20 K. I like the level of sweetness and one small cup is a right portion for me.

Until the next culinary experience...

Tauto Pekalongan in Jakarta

Tauto Pekalongan

Tauto Pekalongan was located in Jalan Tebet Timur Dalam Raya No. 3, in front of Pasar PSPT. Lebaran holidays nearly ended but things had not got to normal; traditional market was not ready, maids had not returned to the city and there was not heavy traffic on the roads. The best time to explore Jakarta for culinary tour.
 

We quickly ordered Tauto as soon as we arrived because we both were starving. Without taking too much time, the food was served nicely. We could see that the soup was still steaming with green onion and celery leaves on the top. Try one sip of the soup – perfect! With the rice – heaven! The tauco (paste made from preserved fermented soybeans) as one of the main spices was the best and it was imported directly from Pekalongan, a city in the northern of Central Java. Buffalo meat, which was commonly used in Pekalongan as the main ingredient, was replaced by beef in Jakarta. Well, I prefer beef anyway. We had teh poci for drinks. I almost forgot to mention that their tempe mendoan was also delicious. Overall, the price was reasonable, one bowl of tauto was IDR 23,000.

Tempe Mendoan and Teh Poci

The day became one fine day after having 2 bowls of Tauto Pekalongan with 2 portions of rice just for yourself. I thanked my friend who took me to this place when I was feeling blue; not so blue anymore afterwards J

Soto Mi Mang Udin

Soto Mi Mang Udin

Helloooo all Soto Mi lovers….. let’s go to Jl Bumi 14, Mayestik, where Soto Mi Mang Udin is located. Park your car in front of an eye clinic and you may sit in the car and order or eat outside sitting on the red or green plastic chair that will be dismissed if it rains. So far this is the best soto mi in South Jakarta based on my assessment even though it was just a street vendor. I found myself enjoying two bowls of soto mi by myself. The soup was rich but clear - without any trace of fat - while few drops of lime enriched the flavor. If one ordered a complete set, then there would be slices of cabbage and tomato, noodles, risoles and the options of lean meat or kikil. Steamed rice and kerupuk keriting putih were available upon request. Your expense for one portion would be less than IDR 20 K. Soto mi was available daily Monday – Saturday from 7 AM until finish.   


Mi Aceh Waroeng Jaly-Jaly

Mie Rebus Aceh

Myself and my culinary companion are the biggest fans of Mi Aceh. We often visit Mi Aceh Waroeng Jaly-Jaly in Blok M Mall (inside Blok M Terminal) that occupies a tiny space in the Lobby level under the staircase toward Robinson Department Store to get the most delicious Mi Aceh, yet the most inexpensive one. It opens daily from 10 AM to 8.30 PM.

Mie Goreng Aceh & Rujak

What we usually order for lunch is either Mi Rebus or Mi Goreng Aceh. The use of enticing spices makes the taste sinfully good. Nonetheless, what makes it great are the acar bawang (shallot pickles) and few emping crackers as the condiments. It becomes a masterpiece that will shake your tongue; for sure the food is spicy J Sometimes I also order additional rice and a sunny side-up to go with the noodle dishes. Oh… and do not forget Rujak; reserve it for your best sweet course as dessert. With one portion of Mi Rebus/Mi Goreng costs Rp 18 K and one portion of Rujak costs Rp 11 K, the total damage for our order is usually around Rp 70K -  80K. Delicious food for two in Jakarta for less than Rp 100 K is incredible. Undoubtedly, the best value for money.

Dora Goes to Cirebon

That was the title of our WA group after Riri, Arry and myself decided we wanted to spend Christmas holiday in Cirebon. The real Dora the Explorer probably would not think of the place, but we were inspired by the girl’s spirit to explore the city!

Empal Gentong & Empal Asem

Sate Kambing Muda

All of us were crazy about the local culinary. As soon as we arrived in Cirebon at noon by train, we went directly to Empal Gentong and Empal Asem Haji Apud in Jalan Raya Ir. H. Djuanda No. 24, Battembat. We ordered Empal Gentong, Empal Asem, Sate Kambing Muda and Tahu Gejrot. Empal Gentong and Empal Asem are the specialties of Cirebon. Empal Gentong looks like Gulai (coconut milk beef soup), cooked with firewood in a large earthenware clay pot. Empal Asem is sour-tasting beef clear soup, without coconut milk. The sour taste comes from slices of tomatoes and belimbing wuluh (bilimbi). Both are best eaten with steamed rice. I myself preferred the clear version soup, although the one with coconut milk was also very good. The satay was excellent as the meat was very tender and juicy. Empal Gentong, Empal Asem and Sate Kambing were highly recommended, however Tahu Gejrot was not as good here as it was less tasty and spicy.

 

Another stop after Batik Trusmi shopping was Es Kopyor 4848, Jalan Sukalila Utara, Kejaksan. Riri and Arry were excited to have their glass of Es Kopyor while I was just watching them silently J When asked how it was, they both agreed that the kopyor was a refreshing drink, but it was not too special.
 

Mi Koclok

Since I like savory food better than the sweet ones, I was the one who was super excited when we went to Mi Koclok Panjunan on Jalan Pekarungan 104. It is chicken noodle soup that goes with a white milky soup made of chicken broth and coconut milk and thickened with corn starch. A portion of complete Mi Koclok consists of noodle shredded chicken, cabbage, bean sprouts, hard-boiled egg, lime juice, fresh spring onion and fried shallot. I was told that Koclok means “shaking”, which pointed out to the method of cooking by shaking the noodle in a small porous tin container in the hot boiling water. I like Mi Koclok, but if I have to choose between Mi Koclok or Central Javanese style Mie Rebus, I will definitely decide on the latter.
 

Grilled Prawn

The closing meal of the day was dinner in Seafood Haji Moel in Jalan Kalibaru Selatan No. 33. I could not tell the whole story here as we ate too much: fried calamari, grilled fish, grilled prawn, cah kangkung and lots of steamed rice. Although they tasted good, the food here was all incredibly spicy; you should tell the waiter if you want it less spicy.

It was just all in ONE DAY, even less than a day because breakfast was in Jakarta!

Gultik Lamandau

I truly enjoyed Jakarta when there was less traffic, just like this week when everyone went travelling and spending the end of year holiday season out of town. This was the opportunity to enjoy the street vendor breakfast without feeling in a hurry to go to the office.

Nasi Gule Tikungan

My pick was Gultik (no formal name/abbreviation but commonly known as Gule Tikungan) in the corner of Jalan Lamandau III, Kebayoran Baru. There were lots of Gultik in Jalan Mahakam, a bigger street nearby; but I always went to the one further down the road on Jalan Lamandau, because this one served not only beef but also tofu and tempe. You might be wondering because it was quite unusual to have beef gule with tofu and tempe, but trust me - it was the right combination.

 

Indonesia has lots of variation of Gule, a type of coconut-milk soup containing spicy and succulent-curry like with yellowish color from the turmeric. For this one, the cook/the seller was from Solo, a city from Central Java, so it was a Solo-style Gule. This Gule was not too thick as it was cooked in light coconut milk therefore it was very suitable for breakfast. Gule was served with steamed rice, fried shallot, few drops of lime and sweet soy sauce in addition to krupuk bawang. One portion nasi gule with beef and tofu would cost only IDR 12 K. I would highly recommend this for an early breakfast; go there at 6 AM especially when the plates and utensils were still very clean J

Gultik Street Vendor

Pekalongan-Tegal Culinary Tour

Even though my recent trip to Central Java was full of business schedule, there were still the evenings when we could take a stroll and enjoyed a little bit of the city. Whenever traveling, I always try to look for the local eatery. So, what I shouldn’t miss in Pekalongan and Tegal are tauto (sauto) and megono. Tauto is a kind of soto using local tauco (preserved soy bean pastes) as the main ingredient for the soup. Megono is close to “urap” of jackfruit with shredded coconut and kecombrang/honje flower, sometimes stinky bean (pete) is added to enrich the flavor.

Garang Asem

Megono

Our driver recommended a place where we could have nasi megono; Rumah Makan H. Masduki, which was near the alun-alun (Jalan Alun Alun Pekalongan). It was a simple restaurant without AC, but clean and homey. We ordered not only megono, but also Garang Asem. This was the first time I had Garang Asem with meat, since usually I had it with chicken. Garang Asem “Pekalongan style” was very much alike rawon in its appearance, but it was lighter, and there was a slight taste of sour and spicy in its savory broth. The whole green pepper (cabe rawit utuh) was cooked together with the soup. We were very satisfied with both megono and garang asem and it was proven by each of us ordering additional portion of rice. One portion of garang asem and one portion of megono were only IDR 19,000 and IDR 5,000, respectively. I considered this a real inexpensive great culinary experience.
 

Sauto Sedap Malam-Tegal

Bowls of Sauto ready to serve

Our journey continued in Tegal. Since we could not find a tauto place that was open in the evening in Pekalongan, we decided to have one in this marine city (Kota Bahari). Sauto Sedap Malam “Daán Jenggot Asli”, again recommended by our driver, was located on Jalan Raya Talang no 100. I would call this place warung soto, with long tables and benches. Your order came quickly, a bowl of sauto mixed  with rice. One could order chicken only or chicken + beef tripe + intestines for the meat. Ask for more onion leave if you like. The size of the bowl was not that big, so as you shouldn’t be surprised if I could have two bowls. I could not recall the price of one portion, but it costs around IDR 100 K for 5 portion sauto and hot tea for drinks. Perfect for a rainy night!

Teras Dharmawangsa

Kangkung Belacan

Looking for a place to hang out with family or friends in a casual dining environment? Teras Dharmawangsa, which occupies the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd Floor in Dharmawangsa Square City Walk can be the alternative. It offers the variety of Asian customary food and Indonesian home dishes; complete menu of appetizers, soups, poultry, farinaceous dish, noodles, meat, seafood, vegetables and desserts. For drinks, there are traditional ones such as Es Campur, Es Cendol and Es Kopyor, then mocktails, veggie healthy drinks, selection of tea, coffee and juices.

During our recent culinary tour, we ordered Mango Salad, Fish Toasted with Salted Egg (Ikan Telor Asin), Spicy Salt & Pepper Squid, Indonesian Corn Fritters (Bakwan Jagung), Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng Kampung), Kangkung Belacan, Crispy Chicken with Belacan and Garlic, Dimsum and Es Campur. It sounded a lot for three persons however their portion was petite. We really liked Mango Salad, Fish Toasted with Salted Egg and Kangkung Belacan. The rest was decent enough. My best pick was Kangkung Belacan; the hot plate morning glory with belacan sauce was put over the white omelet. The belacan sauce was not too strong and overall it was really delicious.

Teras Dharmawangsa presents a pocket friendly price even though it is under the Plataran Group, the Group which is known as serving exclusive and sumptuous dining. It opens every day from 8 am to 9 pm; Asian and Indonesian breakfast menu is available from 8-10 am.

Ayam Bawang and Es Campur

Pondok Ikan Bakar Kalimantan



Ikan Patin Bakar Bambu

Pondok Ikan Bakar Kalimantan specialty is Ikan Patin Bakar Bambu; this is patin fish marinated with spices, grilled in a bamboo. To me the taste of spices was quite close to the taste of pepes but there was some other decent flavor that I could not recognize. Ikan Patin Bakar Bambu was best when it was just served; it was still warm and the aroma could take you into heaven….  I know I was going bananas over nothing, but indeed it was so good, especially with the steamed rice. Sayur Asam, Tumis Kangkung and Lalaban were also available, but they were just okay, not so special. In fact, I don’t really like their sambal lalab but they have sambal mangga and dabu-dabu which were quite good.

The place is located off the Jagorawi toll road. To be more precise, take Cimanggis exit when driving from Jakarta and it is only 200 meters from the toll gate in Jalan Raya Tapos no. 1. The restaurant was quite big, but it could be very full at the dining hours. It is also a good place for reunion or family gathering; just make sure reservation is made in advance.  One portion of Ikan Patin Bakar Bambu per kg costs IDR 135 K, good for 2-3 persons. The vegetarian dishes cost IDR 15 K and steamed rice IDR 8K. There are young coconut and oranges for drinks. This is the place where every patin lovers should go.                                          

Lalaban Rebus & Sambal

Farewell Note

More than one week already passed since our group was dismissed, and I am still feeling blue. I remember the day I read the email about the date of movement and packing our stuff, my eyes burst into tears. This is it. The time has come that we finally have to bid farewell. Our relationship mutually as a group had grown in the past few months, especially since the news of transformation was started. We often had lunch together; we shared stories either about work, personal or family; we made decorous jokes to each other; we had martabak and ice cream during the break; we celebrated birthday; we exchanged gift; we created a WhatsApp group with the boss and without the boss (hahaha) and the list could go on and on.

Thursday, April the 28^th, 2016 was the hardest day in the office for me. I had this wishful thinking that somehow tomorrow we could go back to the same room and looking at the same faces. But it was not. We had to accept the change with the hope for betterment for everyone in the group. To all my team-mates, I learned a lot from each of you, I wish you nothing but the best and I miss you all so much! Our memories will not easily fade away....

Mi Godog Mbah Hadi



Bakmi Godog

I was very glad I could return to Warung Bakmi Djawa Mbah H. Hadi in my recent trip to Jogjakarta last month. I rated Mi Godog here as one of the best in town. Located in the corner spot of a gas station in Jalan C. Simanjuntak No. 1, Terban, the place could be fully packed after 7:30 PM. The best time to come here is in between after magrib and before isya. When ordering, the waiter gave you a queuing number, just like in the hospital or in the bank:). I would suggest choosing the outdoor table at the back, near the cooking cart. It is quite romantic as you could see Jogja lights and Kali Code while enjoying a portion of noodle.
Several selections are available: bakmi goreng, bakmi godog, bakmi nyemek, nasi goreng, magelangan and tongseng ayam. My favorite was always bakmi godog. The service was pretty quick considering the food was cooked by charcoal. One portion of bakmi would cost around IDR 20 K depending on the extra order (for example: extra chicken wing, chicken head, ati ampla usus, uritan, etc.). The sensation of having the noodle with pickles and cayenne pepper was beyond words. It was so good and this was why I always missed this place when I was in Jakarta.

Queuing Number

  

Mi Aceh Bang Jaly

Mi Tumis

I was dying for Mi Aceh therefore I tried to find one in South Jakarta area. Based on my internet search and recommendations from some friends, we went to Mi Aceh Bang Jaly in Jalan Bintaro Raya 1A, Tanah Kusir. These are to be prepared before the visit: make yourself starving, hand-held fan, and comfortable clothing; the last two are because the place has no AC.
We ordered Mi Goreng (Fried Noodle), Mi Tumis (Fried Noodle with more soup), Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice) and Roti Cane with the dipping sauce of lamb curry. None of these dissatisfied us. Everything was perfect. The noodles, either fried or nyemek, were just evilly delicious. The succulence of the noodle was perfect and the tastes of all spices made the right combination in the mouth. The fried rice was evenly appetizing. They were served together with emping and acar bawang. Definitely, the price would not make you broke; the regular fried and tumis noodles were IDR 18 K per portion and Roti Cane polos was IDR 12 K per portion. A special portion of noodle with shrimp and egg could also be requested for IDR 24 K per portion. In three words: two thumbs up. 

Roti Cane

Nothing Will Last Forever

Lontong Opor & Bihun Goreng

Here we are, almost the end of the time as a team. To celebrate the moment, our youngest Novi had a great idea to do a gift exchange. Therefore, each of us prepared an IDR 100K gift wrapped by newspaper and placed in a central location. Our Nancy arranged everything; the delicious breakfast, the meeting room and the pieces of paper for gift number.

Firstly, I would like to share with you how lovely the breakfast was. But before that, I would like to mention that Pak Nyoman’s opening speech almost brought Novi into tears :) We had all the food catered by Pak Bambang which consisted of Lontong (sticky rice), Opor Ayam (Indonesian chicken dish, cooked and braised in coconut milk), Sayur Lodeh (coconut milk vegetable stew), Telur Pindang (marbled herbal hard boiled eggs), Sambal Goreng Ati Kentang (chili potatoe), Bihun Goreng (fried rice vermicelli), Kerupuk (shrimp crackers) and the incredibly yummy Chocolate Pudding as dessert. Lontong sayur was rich in flavor and it was very easy to empty the plate in order to have another portion. Bihun goreng was also tasty and it went along well between lontong sayur and pudding :)

It was the moment of truth following the full breakfast. We really had fun during the gift exchange, starting from drawing the numbers, guessing and opening the gifts and admiring different gift ideas. Lastly, I am truly blessed for being with the team since 2011 with all memorable moments sharing happiness and tears together. Thank you Pak Nyoman, Pak Bustomi, Arry, Riri, Rahma, Khairul, Indra, Novi, the 3-A (Andri, Andre, Andrei), Yandhi, Ronny, Nancy, Delfin, Wira, Hakam and Bang Dafit; I love you all. Nothing will last forever, except the genuine friendship.

Friends Forever

RM Kenanga – Lebak Jero

Fresh Lalaban

Simple Chili

Looking for the best Sundanese food on the way to Garut? Everyone must have tried Nasi Liwet Astro or RM Cibiuk before. This time you’d better try another one. RM Kenanga in Lebak Jero is on your right before you reach Kadungora; that is if you go to Garut from Bandung.

The restaurant is modest without AC, but quite comfortable. You may choose to have a table or lesehan. What’s so special to me was the sambal, which was made by simple raw ingredients; chili, tomato and lime. Lalaban was plentiful-all fresh and rice was served by a bakul. For the dish, they have the traditional fried chicken, duck, eel, tahu-tempe, perkedel and pepes. All were sinfully tasteful and they wouldn’t cost you a lot. 

Fried Chicken, Tempe, Tahu

Mie Gaul Pak Yanto

I was surprised to find out that there was a delicious decent chicken noodle nearby my office. Located in a semi-permanent warung next to Hotel Century Atlet-Senayan, it is well-known as Mie Gaul Ex Hang Lekir Pak Yanto. If you happen to drive a car, there are few spaces to park in the gangway. 

One Portion of Chicken Noodle

I was there on a Saturday morning, having a “me time” and “mie time” by myself. I ordered one portion of chicken noodle. I was served by one big bowl of chicken noodle with generous vegetables, one smaller bowl of fried wonton and one smaller bowl of soup. You could also ask for meatballs. The taste was simply the best in its class. The level of noodle’s chewiness was perfect and the soup was savory. I paid IDR 14K for this and it was one of the best “mie time” :) The noodles are available from 6:30 AM - 2:00 PM everyday.

Brekecek - Cilacap Culinary

It is now time for local authentic culinary! I just learned about Brekecek during my recent trip to Cilacap in Central Java. Brekecek is a dish which is made from Pathak Jahan fish-head or basur (a kind of poultry). It is a combination of two words: BREK which means falling (to the plate) and KECEK which means dikecek-kecek or mixing the ingredients. By stipulating Brekecek as Cilacap local authentic culinary through a Decree issued in November 2014, the Head of Cilacap Regency would like to make it as Cilacap culinary tourism icon. One of the places that serve Brekecek is located in Jalan Slamet No. 5 in Cilacap. It looks like a canteen that could accommodate about 25 people.

Brekecek Fish Head and Basur

There is diversity in the cooking ingredients, namely red pepper/chili, green pepper/chili, shallot, coriander, candle nuts, ginger, turmeric, lemon grass, coconut sugar, bay leaf, galangal and last but not least salt. Usually the locals like it very spicy, therefore they put lots of red chili and green chili. For sure, you’ll sweat a lot when enjoying the meal, but it is the spiciness that makes it so delicious. I even sipped the juice from the fish-head followed by a mouthful of rice. I fell in love right away with this dish and I would certainly look for it whenever I visit the city. Bravo to Holcim team who took part in preserving this local authentic dish.

Brekecek with Vegetable and Rice

Warung Senggol

Ice Cendol for Free Ta'jil

When I see the photos I took during my recent visit to Garut with a tagline: Warung Senggol - nyenggol lezatnya, it quickly reminds me that it's been ages since I last wrote in this blog. Words on my culinary experience were dancing in my mind but I was not in the mood to write until today.

My trip on July 7-9, 2015 to Garut was in the middle of fasting month. I received various advice from my good friends in Darajat of having the venues for breakfasting. We finally selected a place namely Warung Senggol, which was located on Jalan Cileudug No 176, Garut. We were told that they had lime-leaf rice (nasi daun jeruk) so I was curios.



Abundant Mouthwatering Dishes

We arrived in Warung Senggol slightly after 5 PM. The place was cozy, it was bright inside. The tables and deck-chairs were arranged with warung-style and the food corner was located on the left side. Various mouthwatering dishes were on display: chicken, beef, fish, vegetables (ayam bakar, ayam goreng, gepuk, tumis ikan asin jambal, aneka pepes, cumi asin, karedok, sayur bunga papaya, jengkol, etc), too many I could go on and on.....
                                                                                                     We ordered early to avoid the breakfasting queue around the clock. We also ordered Es Ciledug (kinda es campur). Our meals including lalapan, sambal and nasi daun jeruk were ready when people were coming for breakfasting dinner and the place was really full around 6 PM. We enjoyed the free ice cendol for ta'jil first and hot tea before we had the dishes. I would say that everything was very delicious, except the tempe mendoan which was too thick and soo not original. Other than that, it was perfect - I had pepes tahu, cumi asin, sayur kiciwis and lalaban. The taste of nasi daun jeruk was very unique and I had more portion from the leftover of my friend, hahahahaha... It was one of recommended warung in Garut with very reasonable price (if not cheap, compared to the same type of warung in Jakarta).

Until my next post :)

Food Display



Won't miss the sign!

Genki Sushi





Delivered by Shinkansen

We came here to try because we were curious about my friend’s description of the restaurant. She did not clearly explain, she only told me about using Ipad to order and the Shinkansen (Japanese bullet train) to deliver the food. That sounds interesting, doesn’t it? The restaurant, namely Genki Sushi, occupied a space in the basement of Plaza Senayan near the FoodHall. We finally did it on a Friday night and it was a busy time. However, we did not have to wait for long time to get the spot. Yes, it was true – we were given the Ipad to order by a waitress and she explained about the menu selection, how to order and left the Ipad for us to explore.  We certainly took our time to order because there were plenty of choices and there were only small photos without description (you could only imagine from the names and the photos). It is good that the waiter would not wait for you!


Sophistically overwhelmed :)

Tempura Ramen

Just like the name of the restaurant, the menu was dominated by sushi and sashimi. Don’t worry for those of you who don’t like to eat raw seafood, because they also have tempura, ramen, chicken and beef teriyaki, grilled fish, soup, salad and many more. We placed an order for few portions of fusion sushi with lobster and shrimp, grilled salmon, rice, soup and salad. It was very quick. Only seconds after we hit the button for the hot ocha drinks, the waiter came with two empty glasses. There was hot water fountain and green tea powder in each desk, so help yourself. And, only minutes afterwards, the food was delivered by the bullet train, literally by a Shinkansen :)


We were satisfied with the food and had no complaint at all. Even though the service was fast, you would not feel intimidated; you could still have a good time to chat and relax because the waiters would not hastily clean up your desk and give you the bill to pay. When you finish, check the payment in the Ipad and simply take the Ipad to the cashier who will verify and receive cash/credit card. We ended up paying about IDR 250K for two; just to note that we were overwhelmed at that time so we ordered too much (but nothing remained in our plates hahahaha). It was a fun dining experience and we will surely be back again.

Lobster somethin'

Suwe Ora Jamu

Roasted Rice

Jamu, a simple term of Indonesian traditional herbal drink, is getting less and less popular among teenagers. They usually prefer to hang out in modern coffee shops and lavish bubble tea drinks. However, you would see different scene in a place called Suwe Ora Jamu, located in Jalan Petogogan I no 28, Blok A - South Jakarta. You could see youngsters or even group of families with kids visiting this eatery late afternoon until late evening.





Light Meals & Healthy Beverages

Atin and I went there on a long weekend Friday evening. Our eyes came into contact with an interior of nostalgia (jadul) such as old bicycle, vintage radio, wooden cabinet, antique chairs. The plates, cups and teapots were like treasures from the past. The candies in the jar were the ones I had used to eat when I was still in elementary school. The menu, of course, was dominated by Jamu and other herbal drinks, but they also serve traditional snacks (camilan) such as banana fritters, tape bakar, Indonesian-style toast (roti bakar), porridges (bubur kacang merah, ketan hitam, kacang hijau), and just a few heavy meals, for instance: roasted rice, fried rice and fried noodle. We enjoyed the food and herbal beverages while listening to Indonesian and Western 80’s music. The tape bakar, fried tofu, red bean porridge and roasted rice we ordered were delicious and the beverages were refreshing. Moreover, the cost was inexpensive. Jamu and other drinks ranged between IDR 9-20 K, snacks IDR 10-20 K and the heavy meals were around IDR 20 K. Now we knew why people from all ages liked this place a lot… great food and drinks, combined with soothing and comfortable ambience. For me, there is an additional reason, very close to home!

Soothing Ambience

Dharma Kitchen

Vegan in Penang

Self-service Selection

Being a sympathizer of vegetarian, I started to try various vegetarian foods. When my parents and I were in Penang, Malaysia, we went to a self-service Chinese vegetarian restaurant Luk Yea Yan. They had plenty of stir-fried vegetables and “meat” for the selection and we paid first before eating. The taste was not bad and this had triggered us to find another vegetarian restaurant in the homeland.

Food Court Sency

Having searched the internet, we found a vegetarian restaurant, namely Dharma Kitchen. At first, Mbak Eka (a truly vegan) and I decided to try their outlet in Senayan City Mall Food Court. Just like other food stalls, they offer packages of rice with 2 vegetable and 1 “meat” or 2 vegetable and 2 “meat”. The price of each package was around IDR 30-40 K, including drinks. Each of us ordered different things and for the “meat”, we tried ayam kremes (“fried chicken”), daging cabai hijau (green pepper beef) and additional satay. We were so impressed to discover that the taste was near faultless. The “meat” was made either from mushrooms or soy pulp with enticing spices and you wouldn’t think that they were not real meat. We were too full to try when figuring out that they also had a la carte for Western and Asian menu.

Lunch Package

 











This exciting vegetarian cuisine led us to another vegetarian dining experience and now we would like to try their restaurant in Grand Indonesia Shopping Mall, which is located on the fifth floor Sky Bridge. Winta, Mbak Eka and myself were starving at that time so we ordered so many dishes, these were what I could remember: mango salad, dim-sum, tom yam soup, asparagus soup, green pepper chicken, black pepper steak and cap cay. The mango salad, dim-sum, green pepper chicken and black pepper steak were excellent and very delicious, the others were ordinary. Since the restaurant had a grand opening very recently, we got a free dessert of es campur. Overall, we were satisfied and would like to return to try other dishes in the menu. Healthy food for body and mind :)

Black Pepper Steak

Ayam Rawit