Early Morning Update

It's 9.30 in the morning in Bali. I just had breakfast with the whole family. Managed to wake up at 6.30 and jogged my way through the village. Well, I didn't cover the whole village, per se, but I ran until the next village. Much achievement, such accomplishment!

Then I got home, cut me some fruits for pre-breakfast, then shared a portion of nasi bungkus with my Mom and Dad. Washed my dirty laundries from this week, took a bath, and currently enjoying some Japanese Marlboro. Life is good. 

Akhirnya Kesampaian ke Holy Wings

Udah tiga kali, dalam dua bulan terakhir, gue ke Holy Wings tapi gagal terus dapat tempat duduk, yang berujung gue (dengan keadaan hati yang gondok) terpaksa kembali ke kostan. Ya, mau bagaimana lagi, ya, wong gue datangnya pas akhir pekan, udah pastinya tempat itu ramai pengunjung bermabuk-mabuk ria. Akhirnya, sore ini gue memutuskan untuk berkunjung ke tempat nongkrong tersebut pas di jam bukanya. Berhubung hari ini hari kerja, gue sangat yakin gue akan mendapat kursi kosong. Kalau sampai nggak, berarti kebangetan, soalnya gue cuma seorang diri.

Holy Wings mempunyai konsep yang agak mirip dengan Pao Pao, di mana tempat nongkrong ini adalah restoran merangkap bar. Makanan andalannya adalah chicken wings dan pentol yang disajikan dengan berbagai macam bumbu. Makanan lain pun ada, yang pakai nasi juga ada, tapi kebanyakan makanannya adalah cemilan untuk menemani alkohol yang kalian pesan. Pilihan alkoholnya banyak banget, bisa pun kalian ke bar dan menunjuk ke botol mana yang kalian mau. Tapi, jangan lupa untuk menyiapkan lembaran seratus ribu yang banyak karena harga makanan dan minuman di tempat ini lumayan mahal.

15 menit lewat jam bukanya, yaitu pukul 5 sore hari, gue disambut oleh salah satu pelayannya yang berjaga di pintu masuk restoran tersebut (restoran merangkap bar lah, ya). "Berapa orang, Kak," tanya si Mbak mungil. "Saya sendiri, Mbak". Lalu gue diarahkan ke meja yang bisa menampung 10 orang. Baiklah.

Sampai sekarang, gue masih menjadi pelanggan pertama dan satu-satunya pelanggan di Holy Wings. Nggak ada orang sama sekali! Bahkan para staf Holy Wings pun masih sibuk dengan mengecek sounds system untuk live music yang entah jam berapa akan dimulai. Para staf yang berjaga di belakang bar pun tengah berlatih lemparan-lemparan botol dan gelas kocoknya. Seandainya suara dentuman musiknya nggak terlalu menggelegar, gue jamin bisikan para jangkring bisa terdengar. Krik krik serr~

Sambil menunggu Salted Egg Chicken Wings, gue menghabiskan waktu dengan menulis, ditemani oleh segelas teh tawar panas. Nanti, kalau kalian mau pesan minuman yang sama dengan gue, jangan bilang "teh tawar panas", ya. Mintanya, "hot tea". Kalau ditanya, "Pakai gula, nggak?", baru deh jawab sesuai dengan kebutuhan.

Ditengah-tengah tulisan gue tentang Rumah Makan Apeng, pesanan gue datang: Salted Egg Chicken Wings yang udah gue impi-impikan dari tiga kali kunjungan gue yang kunjung gagal. Satu porsi harganya Rp45.000,00 dan isinya adalah tiga potong paha dan tiga potong sayap. Gue diberikan dua pasang sarung tangan plastik dan satu buah ember kecil oleh pelayannya. Gue singkirkan laptop ke samping gue, lalu gue mulai melahap ayam goreng tersebut dengan diiringi dentuman irama yang membuat gue ingin memesan bir Bintang ukuran besar. Sayang besok gue terbang.

Karena gue diberikan meja di bawah pohon sintetis, gue nggak mendapat penerangan yang cukup untuk mengabadikan tampilan chicken wings-nya dengan mode kamera biasa. Maka dari itu, saatnya Huji beraksi!

Satu porsinya berisi enam potong ayam, yaitu tiga paha dan tiga sayap. Disajikan dengan mangkuk alumunium yang beralaskan wadah kayu, tampilan chicken wings yang cukup sederhana ini berhasil membuat mulut gue banjir air liur. Padahal masih panas, tapi tetap gue santap dengan semangat 45.

Ayamnya digoreng dengan sangat sangat baik, di mana kulit dan tulang mudanya sangat garing, tapi dagingnya tetap empuk. Agak sedikit berminyak, tapi nggak apa-apa, dan bumbu telur asinnya sangat berlimpah. Bahkan di dasar mangkuknya masih ada dan menggenang sehingga bisa gue cocol dengan suwiran daging pahanya. Di depan gue adalah bar yang dipasangkan empat buah televisi besar yang sedang memutar Star Wars: the Last Jedi. Gue berasa seperti makan di rumah: sambil nonton tv.

Setelah ayam gue habis, gue masih belum mau pulang, jadilah gue pesan satu porsi Babi Panggang Bangka seharga Rp75.000,00. Gue lupa bentukan babi panggang asal Bangka itu seperti apa, jadilah gue tanya salah satu pelayannya untuk menjelaskan ke gue tentang makanan tersebut. Sayang, pelayan itu nggak tau dengan makanan yang disajikan di tempat restoran tempat dia sendiri bekerja. "Itu, mmm, kayak babi guling gitu, Kak. Ada pork belly-nya dan kulit keringnya," jelas si Mbak setelah bertanya ke beberapa teman kerjanya. Ya udah lah, lebih baik gue pesan aja biar gue tau sendiri.

Gue pikir porsinya besar karena harganya yang cukup mahal, ternyata cuma sedikit banget. Disajikan di mangkuk kecil, berhiaskan daun pisang yang ujung-ujungnya gue buang, potongan Babi Panggang Bangka itu disajikan dengan sambal pedas di mangkuk kecil terpisah. Potongannya sangat kecil dan sangat tipis, tapi rasanya luar biasa!

Betul kata si Mbak, memang Babi Panggang Bangka itu seperti babi panggang pada umumnya, hanya saja bumbunya yang beda. Kulitnya garing banget, seperti kerupuk saat digigit, dan rasanya sangat gurih, sementara dagingnya kering dan alot, tapi rasanya manis dengan sedikit ada rasa rempah-rempah. Untungnya, rasanya sama persis seperti babi panggang asal Bangka yang waktu itu sempat dibawakan salah satu Oom gue sepulangnya dia dari Bangka, jadi gue nggak kecewa sama sekali dengan porsinya yang sedikit dan cukup mahal ini.

Gue saranin, kalau kalian mau ke Holy Wings di akhir pekan, kalian bikin reservasi tempat dulu dengan menelfon nomor di bawah ini. Asli, sakit hatinya berkepanjangan kalau nggak dapet tempat. Mau nunggu, sih, bisa, tapi meja mana yang akan kosong di akhir pekan, kan? Pilihannya antara sabar, cari tempat lain, atau balik ke kostan dan pesan bir Bintang via Go-Jek.


Holy Wings
Jl. Kertajaya Indah
Blok S No. 201
Kertajaya, Surabaya 60116

Opening Hours:
MON - THU: 5PM - 11PM
FRI - SUN: 5PM - 2.30AM

Contact:
(+63) 811 319 8168 

Rumah Makan Apeng Kwetiauw Medan

Makanan Medan di Surabaya? Nggak masalah!

Malam Minggu gue akhirnya berwarna. Yang biasanya hanya gue habiskan di depan laptop, nontonin video-videonya BuzzFeed di YouTube, kali ini gue jalan-jalan keliling Surabaya bersama salah satu sahabat gue sedari SMP dan beberapa teman baru. Kami berempat, ada gue, Sally, Cacha, dan Icha. Kami menempati jejeran bangku di depan sebuah restoran, yang kabarnya makanannya enak banget, dan kami memegang nomor antrian ke-12. Padahal waktu itu udah hampir pukul sembilan malam, yang artinya waktu makan malam udah jauh lewat, tapi restoran ini masih penuh oleh warga Surabaya menikmati hidangan oriental di dalamnya.

Mari kemari yang lapar malam-malam!

Rumah Makan Apeng Kwetiauw Medan adalah salah satu restoran di Surabaya yang digemari masyarakat sekitar, begitu juga dengan pendatang-pendatang dari luar kota. Dari luar, restorannya nggak terlalu kelihatan besar, tapi pas masuk ternyata luas dan lebarnya ke dalam bukan ke samping. Sally yang hanya beberapa kali dinas ke Surabaya aja udah duluan nyobain hidangan dari RM. Apeng, padahal gue udah tinggal di Kota Pahlawan ini hampir setengah tahun lamanya. 

Menu 1

Menu 2

Kami harus mengantri cukup lama karena padatnya pengunjung malam itu. Sekitar setengah jam dan satu piring kue lobak seharga Rp10.000,00 kemudian kami dipanggil oleh salah satu pelayan yang memakai seragam layaknya taruna IPDN. 

Tampilan dalam restorannya sangat sederhana, hanya meja, kursi, dan dapur tempat memasak makanan. Kami diarahkan ke meja kami yang letaknya agak di bagian belakang restorannya. Kami hanya butuh 5 menit untuk menentukan makanan dan minuman apa yang mau kami pesan, kemudian penantian kembali dimulai. 

Kue Lobak yang hasil fotonya agak buram. 

Kelihatannya proses pemasakannya cukup cepat meskipun tamu lagi ramai-ramainya. Kurang dari setengah jam kemudian, pesanan kami dihidangkan semua di meja: 3 porsi mie keriting goreng, 15 buah pangsit goreng, satu kaleng susu kacang, satu botol air mineral, satu gelas teh manis hangat, dan satu gelas teh tawar hangat. Kedengerannya memang biasa aja, tapi ini mewah banget. 

Karena sebelumnya gue baru aja melahap satu porsi salad buatan Crunch Haus sendiri, dan setelah dari Apeng kami berencana untuk mampir ke Holy Wings, gue memutuskan untuk berbagi Mie Keriting Goreng dengan Chacha. Porsinya cukup untuk satu orang, tapi kalau kalian datang ke sini dengan keadaan lagi lapar-laparnya, gue rekomendasi kalian untuk memesan satu setengah porsi. 

Mie Keriting Goreng

Ternyata Mie Keriting Goreng ini adalah campuran mie goreng dan bihun goreng yang dimasak dengan telur orak-arik, potongan bakso ikan, lembaran sawi dan tauge yang nggak begitu banyak, dan lapchiong. Tampilannya berantakan banget, seperti habis di aduk-aduk sembarangan di penggorengan, tapi itulah yang membuat gue cukup nggak sabar untuk menyantap meskipun waktu itu keadaan lambung gue udah hampir penuh. 

Gurih dan enak. Telur orak-arik yang tercampur dalam untaian mie dan bihunnya mengingatkan gue akan mie goreng tek-tek abang-abang yang biasa dijual di gerobakan. Asinnya cukup, tauge dan sawinya berhasil memberikan jeda dari gurihnya keseluruhan santapannya. Yang paling gue demen dari semua lauk yang ada di piring itu adalah potongan lapchiongnya yang sedikit terlalu tipis untuk gue. Manis, gurih, babi, dan nendang banget! Gue nggak kecewa dengan Mie Keriting Goreng buatan Apeng ini, tapi mungkin gue udah menetapkan standar yang terlau tinggi karena Sally dan kawan-kawan yang lainnya sangat semangat ketika merekomendasikan gue hidangan ini, jadi di suapan pertama gue udah keburu kecewa duluan. Nggak ada faktor “wow”-nya, tapi bukannya nggak enak. 

Pangsit Goreng

Kenikmatan pangsit gorengnya melebihi pangsit goreng buatan Bakmi GM. Mungkin karena diisi daging babi kali, ya, jadi di lidah gue rasanya enak banget. Ada pilihan daging lain, kok, buat kalian yang nggak makan, atau nggak doyan, babi. Saus celupannya juga mirip dengan yang ada di Bakmi GM, berwarna merah pekat dengan sentuhan merah jambu, kental, dan manis. Tapi, gue masih lebih suka saus pangsit gorengnya Bakmi GM ketimbang ini. 

Nggak butuh waktu lama bagi gue untuk menghabiskan makan malam kedua gue. Setelah makan, gue tutup dengan sekaleng susu kacang yang manis dan sebatang rokok. Nikmat dunia.

P.S. Kalau kalian kedapetan nomor antrian yang cukup jauh, di depan restoran ada etalase besar kepunyaan restoran itu juga yang menjual berbagai macam kudapan khas Medan, jadi kalian bisa nunggu sambil nyemil. Jajanan pasarnya cukup terjangkau, mulai dari Rp10.000,00 sampai Rp30.000,00. Kue-kue juga ada. Tapi, jangan banyak-banyak makannya, nanti keburu kenyang duluan sebelum makan di restorannya. 

Bermacam-macam jajanan asal Medan di depan restoran.

Banyak pilihannya, monggo dipilih.

Jangan dilihatin, tok, sambil dibeli, 

Rumah Makan Apeng Kwetiauw Medan

Jl. Kedungdoro No. 267, Wonorejo

Tegalsari, Kota Surabaya

Jawa Timur 60251

Opening Hours: 

MON - SUN: 8.30AM - 11PM

Contact:

+(62)31 534 5778

Jank Jank Wings

Akhir-akhir ini gue lagi doyan-doyannya makan chicken wings. Padahal, selama 23 tahun lebih hidup gue di bumi, gue nggak bisa makan bagian ayam lain kecuali bagian dadanya. Tapi, entah sejak kapan, semua itu berubah. Gue mulai bisa makan bagian sayap sampai ke tulang-tulangnya. Bagian paha pun perlahan mulai gue tekuni. Bahkan sekarang gue udah bisa makan ayam goreng digigit langsung tanpa disuwir dulu seperti biasanya. Perubahan yang cukup signifikan, bukan?

Hari minggu kemarin, gue mencoba chicken wings garapan Jank Jank Wings yang berlokasi di daerah Rungkut. Gue beli 18 potong sayap ayam dengan tiga saus yang berbeda, yaitu Cheese, Barbeque Hickory Smoke, dan Hot Gaprok, dengan harga total Rp90.000,00 sudah beserta ongkos kirim ke daerah Surabaya Timur. Karena jarak Rongkut dengan hotel tempat gue menginap nggak begitu jauh, gue hanya perlu menunggu sekitar setengah jam saja sampai pesanan gue sampai. 

Ayamnya digoreng dengan sejenis tepung yang membuat potongan ayam tersebut mirip dengan tampilan ayam McDonald dan ayam Sabana, hanya saja sepertinya digorengnya kurang lama karena warna hasil gorengannya masih kuning langsat dan bukan kuning kecoklatan. Meskipun begitu, hasil gorengannya cukup bagus, menurut gue, dilihat dari tnigkat kerenyahan kulit ketika gue gigit dan gue suwir. Dagingnya cukup empuk, sayangnya warnanya agak pucat. 

I present you, Jank Jank's chicken wings!

Dari tiga saus yang gue pesan, yang paling gue suka adalah saus Barbeque Hickory Smoke. Rasa barbequenya nggak terlalu membuat mual, manisnya nggak berlebihan, dan yang membuat saus itu enak adalah rasa asap, atau smokey flavor-nya, yang ketara banget. Ada sedikit rasa merica di dalam saus itu juga sehingga membuat varian rasanya semakin beragam.

Rasa saus kejunya cukup gurih dan sedikit asin, cocok dipadukan dengan suwiran daging ayam yang empuk dan lembaran kulitnya yang kriuk. Sayang, sausnya terlalu encer. Padahal kalau dibuat lebih kental akan lebih nendang dan, mungkin, bisa ngalahin saus barbeque tadi. 

Look at them crispy wings. 

Saus yang terakhir adalah saus Hot Gaprok, yang pada intinya adalah saus pedas dengan sedikit rasa manis yang rasanya mirip-mirip dengan rasa sambal di restoran-restoran Thailand. Pedasnya nyegrak, membuat gue bengek di suapan pertama, dan pedasnya crnderung pahit. Tapi, setelah gue telan, barulah gue bisa merasakan aftertaste manis di pangkal lidah gue. Cukup menyenangkan, tapi tetap bukan favorit gue. 

Clockwise, from the top: Hot Gaprok, Cheese, Barbeque Hickory Smoke.

Tapi, meskipun chicken wings dari Jank Jank Wings cukup enak, gue masih lebih senang dengan chicken wings kepunyaan Crazy Wings yang waktu itu gue pesan ke kostan melalui aplikasi Go-Food. Ayamnya lebih garnig dan lebih enak, menurut gue, meskipun hasil gorengannya lebih mirip ayam goreng rumahan daripada ayam goreng McDonald. Menurut kalian, bagaimana?

Jank Jank Chicken Wings

Jl. Dukuh Kupang VI, No. 15-17

Dukuh Pakis, Kota Surabaya

Opening Hours:

MON - SUN: 10AM - 11PM

Contact:

(+62)822 4504 5093

Q11

Setiap gue terbang ke Kuala Lumpur, sebisa mungkin gue selalu menyempatkan diri untuk mampir ke kantin pekerja. Nggak semua pilot tau adanya surga dunia ini. Letaknya persis di bawah papan tanda parkir Q11, ada dua pintu lebar yang salah satunya selalu terbuka dan pasti ada, minimal, 2 mobil terparkir rapi di depannya. Gue menyebutnya Kantin Q11.

Gue baru tau bahwa kantin ini ada setelah gue pindah ke Surabaya. Semasa gue terbang dari Jakarta, boro-boro mampir, tau aja nggak. “Aku tak jajan sek, ya,”ucap salah satu kapten gue sesampainya kami di Bandar Udara Internasional Sepang. Waktu itu adalah penerbNgan pertama gue ke Kuala Lumpur setelah pindah ke Surabaya. Gue bingung, kapten mau jajan di mana. Baru setelah beliau kembali ke pesawat membawa gembolan kresek berisi nasi kambing dua porsi gue tau mengenai tempat jajan mewah nan murah tersebut.

Salah satu jajanan yang sering gue beli, selain nasi dan lauk pauk, adalah susu merek Dutch Lady. Konon katanya susu ini dulu beredar di pasaran Indonesia, jaman Ibu gue masih rajin manjat gunung dan Bapak gue tengah dipukulin di barak Juliet, tapi sekarang udah nggak kelihatan batang hidungnya.

Dutch Lady ini pertama kali dikenalkan oleh kapten gue yang langganan borong susu dengan varian tiga rasa ini minimal setengah lusin setiap kalinya mampir ke Kantin Q11. “Kamu mau rasa coklat, atau stroberi,” tanya beliau. “Terima kasih, Capt, saya nggak usah nggak apa-apa. Lagi diet soalnya,”balas gue. Dasar memang F.O. nggak tau diri. Rezeki, kok, ditolak. “Lho, sampeyan mau, atau nggak?” Ya, mau lah! Tapi, kan, lagi diet. Bagaimana, dong? “Wong sampeyan wes kurus gitu, kok, masih mau diet. Coklat, atau stroberi?” Akhirnya gue menyerah. “Stroberi, Capt, hehehe.”

Bentukan kemasan yang sangat mirip dengan kemasan susu kotak garapan Indomilk. Susunya sangat pekat dan berat, krimnya terasa banget. Perisa stoberinya, meskipun gue tau bukan dari buah stroberi asli, tetap terasa wajar di lidah. Nggak terlalu manis dan cenderung gurih sebagaimana susu itu gurih. Dijamin kenyangnya kalau udah minum susu Dutch Lady ini, tapi harus gue akui hanya untuk setengah jam pertama setelah susunya abis saja. 

Mantao, Bao, and Pork

I’ve been eating baos at Dynasty Paradise for almost half a year now and never for once I tasted its’ salted egg bao. So, this afternoon, I made my way back to my favorite Chinese restaurant in Surabaya and dig in. Of course I didn’t just ordered the Steamed Salted Egg Yolk Buns. I also got me a piece of a samcan filled mantao and a plate of thai char pork, which is basically grilled sliced pork cheek. 

Although it was passed lunch hour, as I was eating at around three in the afternoon, the restaurant was still jammed with locals indulging on rice and noodles. I always go for the outdoor seating so that I can smoke. It’s a good thing there were a few seats left. It took a while for my food to be served, as well as my simple warm tea in a glass, but all was well. 

First, came a bamboo steamer filled with three of my Steamed Salted Egg Yolk Buns. They looked very different from the salted egg buns I had before as they were black in color and shaped rather small. Their sizes were only half of my fist! The buns felt very firm and solid, yet soft as well. I poked a hole on one of those buns and squirted the fillings out like those viral video of Gudetama buns spilling their fillings from their bums a few years ago. It was very amusing, yet torturing because I couldn’t wait any longer to taste the buns. 

Paradise Dynasty went for a sweet approach for its’ salted egg bao. Each bao, despite its’ rather small size, contained just enough amount of salted egg fillings. It was not too much, but I could feel the splash of salted egg on my first bite. It tasted grainy on my tongue, which was not bad, and it had bits of the salted egg yolk inside the mustard-colored lava. The sweetness was okay. There was no bad, nor stinky, aftertaste after I swallow it. 

I think this one is probably the best salted egg bao I have ever eaten, yet! I’m sorry Pao Pao. 

Moving on to the samcan-filled mantao, with samcan being a slice of braised pork belly. I was expecting a warm food, yet I got a room temperature mantao on a plate. Maybe I left it too long since it was served because I was busy taking pictures and videos of my food. 

I love the mantao very much. It was thin and soft, but also chewy and it had a slight sweetness in every bite. It went well with the braised pork belly, but not with the lettuce slice, so I had to take it away from my sandwich. The pork belly was very flavorful and dominated by sweetness. It wasn’t my favorite because the meat was not that tender and it had lots of layers of fat in it, which I don’t like. I managed to finish the pork belly first, leaving some mantao behind. Then, things got interesting from there. 

Remember that I also ordered a plate of pork cheek? Okay. So, I grabbed a few slices of the pork cheek, stuffed them in between the leftover mantao, and I dug in. It tasted so much better! 

The sliced pork cheek was very very crispy. The meat part, the fat park, and the skin part, all of them were very crispy and savory, and it had an intense level of umami in it. Slightly oily, but was still okay to munch on. The flavor combination of the soft and sweet mantao with the savory and crispy pork cheek deserved a standing ovation. I really really recommend all you guys to order this dish and indulge yourselves in it. You won’t regret a single thing! 

I ate, and I ate, and I ate. I had me a warm tea with no sugar to end my late lunch. Didn’t manage to finish all the food, so I took it home with me for later at night when I feel like munching something. 

Paradise Dynasty

Mall Ciputra World, 3rd Floor

Jl. Mayjen Sungkono, No. 87-89

Gunungsari, Kota Surabaya

Jawa Timur 60224

Opening Hours:

SUN - THU: 10AM - 10PM

FRI - SAT: 10 AM - 12AM

Contact:

(+62) 31 5120 0155

Timoer Kopi yang Mengecewakan

Gue udah menemukan tempat nongkrong paling nggak enak seantero Surabaya, namanya Timoer Kopi. Niatan kami, gue, Sally, dan Cacha, untuk ke sana adalah awalnya untuk brunch cantik di cafe yang (setelah kami lakukan penelusuran di interntet) menyajikan kopi yang ciamik dan tempat foto-foto yang estetik. Tapi, ya, tujuan awalnya kan mau brunch, tapi, kok, kami nggak menemukan menu makanan apa-apa, ya? Bahkan di website semacam Trip Advisor dan Zomato pun nggak ada. Kami hanya bergantung pada ketepatan Google menyajikan informasi berupa ulasan dan gambar. Ya sudah lah, gue pikir, yang penting sampai di sana dulu aja. Gue udah laper banget. Perut gue nggak bisa berhenti menjerit, bahkan sampai bisa didengar oleh Sally yang sedang mencatok rambut gue.

Kami pesan taksi online melalui aplikasi di handphone dan kami langsung berangkat dari Novotel Samator di daerah Surabaya Timur. Yang seharusnya adalah perjalanan 22 menit menuju Timoer Kopi menjadi ngalor-ngidul nggak jelas selama satu jam lamanya. Supir taksi online kami yang sok ide inisiatif belok ke sana, belok ke sini, padahal rute menunjukkan lurus dan hanya lurus aja. "Ealah, harusnya ini nggak belok, Mbak. Lurus, tok, ini. Nggak usah belok ini," ucapnya. Gue udah terlalu lapar dan, apabila, gue ikut bersuara, keadaan bisa jadi mendadak runyam. 

Akhirnya kami sampai setelah satu kali putar balik, satu mundur cantik, dan perdebatan mengenai di mana letak Timoer Kopi. Timoer Kopi itu, saudara-saudara sekalian, terletak di sebuah bagian dalam ruko dan sama sekali nggak ada papan tanda apapun di bagian luar ruko, atau dipinggiran jalan, untuk memberitahu warga sekitar di mana letak tempat ngopi yang katanya interior design-nya oke punya itu. Belum lagi karena posisinya di dalam, benar-benar bangunan paling pojok di antara bangunan-bangunan lain, kami harus melewati segelintir potongan-potongan bata dan tumpukkan semen karena sedang ada pembangunan di ruko sebelahnya yang kalau kita kepleset juga sampai. 

Ya, udah. Untungnya udah sampai. Masih ada seiprit kesabaran yang tersisa untuk gue bisa bersosialisasi dengan manusia sekitar sampai makanan gue datang. 

Salah satu pelayan yang berjaga siang itu, kebetulan hanya ada dua pelayan aja, mempersilahkan kami duduk dan mengantar tiga pasang menu ke meja kami beberapa menit kemudian. Menu yang satu adalah menu makanan, sementara yang satu lagi adalah menu minuman. 

Menu minumannya cukup beragam, mulai dari kopi sampai mocktail. Di sini juga menyediakan pilihan V60 dan kopi hasilan manual brew lainnya jika kalian senangnya yang seperti itu. Karena gue udah lama nggak minum kopi, dan karena terakhir kali gue minum kopi asam lambung gue melejit, gue memesan satu teko teh daun serai untuk siang itu. Terlepas pilihan minumannya yang variatif, menu makanannya basi banget. Nggak bohong. Hanya ada tiga macam makanan aja, yaitu Nasi Gila, Nasi Ayam Sambal Matah, dan Tuna Aglio e Olio. Waduh, perasaan mau brunch cantik?

Saat itu adalah sekitar pukul 12:40 siang hari. Kami bertiga dengan cekatannya memesan minuman dan makanan yang kami mau. Karena kebetulan pilihan makanannya hanya tiga, jadi lah kami memesan masing-masing dari makanan tersebut untuk kami santap. Hitung-hitung kalau makanannya beda-beda, kan, jadi bisa saling icip. Kami juga memesan satu potong banana bread yang terpampang dengan cantiknya di etalase kasir, yang kami lewati saat kami masuk ke cafe tersebut. 

Kami kira pelayanannya akan cepat, ternyata nggak sama sekali. Minuman memang datang paling awal, tapi kami pun harus menunggu agak lama. Banana bread kami aja, yang kami minta untuk disajikan segera, baru disajikan di meja kami kira-kira 20 menit kemudian. "Mohon maaf ya, Kak, nunggunya agak lama. Banana bread kami nggak menggunakan tepung, tapi menggunakan ragi yang difermentasi, jadinya harus dihangatkan dulu supaya nggak keras," ucap salah satu pelayannya. Gue udah mau mencak-mencak, tapi masih gue tahan. 

Untungnya, banana bread-nya enak! Teksturnya empuk dan cukup padat. Keseluruhan kue itu sendiri udah manis, ditambah lagi ada potongan coklat leleh dan potongan pisang di sela-sela kuenya, jadinya tambah manis. Manisnya pun nggak membuat gue mual dan menurut gue ada di takaran porsi yang pas untuk dimakan bertiga oleh perempuan-perempuan kelaparan yang batas sabarnya hampir habis menunggu makanan yang nggak kunjung datang. Instant energy boost!

Hampir pukul setengah dua dan nggak ada satupun makanan yang datang. Gue mulai resah, Sally mulai nggak sabar, tapi untungnya Cacha masih waras untuk menetralkan hawa negatif yang kami berdua hasilkan. Kami bertiga serentak menatap dua pelayan yang dengan sangat lambannya memotong cabai dan menanak nasi di dapur yang jelas terlihat dari tempat kami duduk. Lamban banget. Selamban itu. "Gue kayak lagi ngeliat binatang yang lambat banget kerjanya itu di film Zootopia," ucap Cacha. Iya, betul, Flash si kukang. Bukannya nggak sopan, tapi pelayannya memang selambat itu. 

Akhirnya kami bertiga menyimpulkan bahwa, mungkin, bukan salah pelayanan di Timoer Kopinya, tapi memang cafe ini dibuat untuk santai. Nggak boleh nggak sabar kalau makan dan minum di sini, minimal nggak ada acara apa-apa dan memang tujuannya adalah untuk duduk sembari ngeteh, atau ngopi sembari ngerjain tugas kuliah (karena letaknya dekat dengan ITS dan UNAIR, mungkin cafe ini digemari oleh banyak adik-adik mahasiswa yang senang dengan kesunyiannya), atau foto-foto di semua sudut-sudut estetik cafe ini untuk bisa diunggah ke Instagram. Makanannya aja dimasak satu persatu dan dengan sangat-sangat lambat pula. Kalau yang dimasak rawon, atau rendang, gue bisa memaklumi. Tapi, ini hanya nasi pakai lauk. Lauknya pun nggak susah masaknya, cuma sosis dan bakso dipotong, dioseng dengan telur orak-arik, tumpahin kecap yang banyak, tambahin garam dan merica buat rasa-rasa, dan terakhir tambahkan irisan cabai. Nggak masuk di akal. 

Inhale. Exhale. 

Makanannya nggak istimewa. Hanya sekedar makanan rumahan yang kalau kita masak di rumah pun hanya karena itu udah malam dan perut lapar, tapi nggak ada bahan banyak dan kemampuan kita untuk masak juga terbatas, nah, jadilah makanan-makanan di Timoer Kopi ini. 

Gue harus mengakui bahwa nasinya enak. Teksturnya empuk dan rasanya manis, contoh nasi yang enak banget kalau dimakan pakai lauk, porsinya juga nggak terlalu banyak kalau untuk makan-makan cantik. 

Makanan yang pertama datang adalah Nasi Gila, yang berupa sepiring nasi dengan tumpukan potongan lauk berkecap seperti yang gue jelasin di beberapa paragraf sebelum ini. Rasanya, ya, manis kecap dan sedikit gurih aja. Sekian. Untung sosis dan baksonya dimasak sampai matang, kalau nggak bisa bubar dunia persilatan. 

Selang 20 menit kemudian, datang Nasi Ayam Sambal Matah yang gue pesan. Tampangnya mengerikan dan kering. Sambal matahnya berwarna coklat seperti habis digoseng dipenggorengan. Setahu gue, sih, sambal matah itu disajikan mentah, tapi mungkin guenya juga yang kurang informasi mengenai dunia kuliner. Ayamnya dimasak sampai matang, tapi nggak sampai alot, atau susah dikunyah karena teksturnya yang seperti karet. 

Pedasnya bukan main. Gue sampai harus beberapa kali berhenti makan saking pedasnya dan gue memang nggak kuat pedas. Keseluruhan makanannya yang panas dan kering membuat sensasi pedas dan nyelekit di mulut gue makin menjadi-jadi. Rasanya cukup hambar karena nggak ada rasa lain selain ayam yang gurih dan sambal matah yang pedas, alhasil gue beranjak ke kasir yang merangkap dapur dan meminta kecap agar makanan gue ada manisnya sedikit. 

Makanan yang terakhir datang, dan datangnya pun sekitar pukul dua siang, adalah Tuna Aglio e Olio. Porsinya cukup banyak, warnanya merah menyala dari osengan cabai dan tomat, dan penyajiannya cukup menarik perhatian. Menurut gue, tingkat kematangan spaghetti-nya pas banget karena teksturnya yang nggak lembek dan juga nggak keras. Bumbu dari spaghetti itu sendiripun cukup untuk perasa dan suwiran tunanya juga nggak terlalu sedikit. 

Tapi, gue tetap kecewa karena gue udah terlanjur berekspektasi tinggi terhadap Timoer Kopi. Gue sama sekali nggak merekomendasikan kalian untuk makan di cafe ini. Minum masih oke, tapi harus super sabar dengan pelayanannya yang sangat lelet. Tempatnya pun sangat cantik kalau kalian mau foto-foto cantik nan manja. Tapi, kalau untuk urusan makan, mendingan kalian cari warteg aja. Makanannya jelas, pelayanannya cepat, dan harganya terjangkau. 

Timoer Kopi

Este Square D2-D3

Jl. Mulyorejo Utara, No. 145-A

Surabaya, Jawa Timur 60115

Opening Hours:

TUE - SUN: 9AM - 9PM

Exhale.

There are times when I feel idle. I don't have the motivation to do anything. I can't clear out my mind that's constantly drowned by my thoughts, which most of them are very negative. I struggle to keep my sanity untouched, nor drowned, by the branching questions that pops up on the corner of my brain that always end at "I'm not good enough". I feel isolated from happiness as my body emits this rage and hate towards everything and everyone. I feel uneasy with myself. Maybe it's a hormonal thing? I'm not quite sure. But, I hope it is. 

The only thing that has been keeping me intact is cooking and eating. I have this tendency to binge eat everything in sight, which is bad knowing that I can gain a lot of weight by just eating a handful of rice, so I decided to cook my meal. Whatever it is, just cook, as long as it doesn't contain any carbs and processed sugar. My sugar intake is from fruits alone, while my energy comes from the braised chicken breast and fried tempeh. Although poptarts are far more delicious that a plain old tempeh, I tried to eat healthy every day. 

I know this particular writing of mine is all over the place, but I need to get this word jumbles that had been lingering in my head. There are still lots of food reviews I need to write, travel diaries I need to tell, and pictures of dishes I need to show, but I can't bring myself to write well. I hope my mind will get better soon. 

Maple & Oak and Friends

This was almost a year ago, on the day my best friend turned 23. She invited me, and some of her closest friends who are my friends as well, to a brunch at this adorable restaurant at Menteng named Maple & Oak. I brought nothing but myself and a bouquet of sunflowers for her. Though roses and daises are nice, I’ve always been fond of sunflowers more. 

The Birthday Girl

There were less than ten of house and we had food coming to our table according to our orders. I had me Maple & Oak’s signature Maple Butter Brioche and a Strawberry Sour Mocktail. Angel had her share of Seared Salmon, while Cindy had a plate of nicely roasted beef with sautéed vegetables which name escapes me. Febby had a burger and Sally, who came a bit late because she was working at that time, had the same menu like I did.

I can't with myself.

All of the food were beautiful. Mine was breathtaking: a plate of toasted brioche drizzled with the restaurant’s signature maple truffle butter, garnished with beef bacon and scrambled eggs, and a sprinkle of sliced strawberries and cherry tomatoes. It came with another serving of maple syrup just in case I needed an extra kick of sweetness, which in fact yes. 

Maybe I wasn’t familiar with how truffle oil tasted like. To me, the scrambled egg tasted very very fishy and dreadful. I thought it was uncooked, but then again I used to eat half-boiled egg, so it shouldn’t be a problem. I asked the girls to taste the egg as well and they all understood what the horrible flavor tasted like. So, I asked one of the staff to check with the chef regarding the quality of the food.

Maple Butter Brioche

Angel's Seared Salmon

A few minutes later, he came back and explained that it was supposed to taste like that. But, he was kind enough to offer me to recook the egg. I accepted the offer and got a well done egg in the end. It still had the fishy aftertaste, but I could deal with that. 

My Strawberry Sour Mocktail

My toasted brioche, on the other hand, was amazing combined with the butter and the maple syrup. I’ve learnt to love bacon and maple, so the combination was awesome. Despite the fact that it’s beef instead of pork bacon, it was thickly sliced and grilled to perfection. The veggies on the sides were fresh and very delightful to the palate as a flavor neutralizer. 

Cindy's burger, with fries on the side.

Cindy's meal of the day. 

The other food was also amazing as I got to taste a wee bite of each dishes. Angel’s salmon was soft and savory, Cindy’s beef was smoky and flavorful and very tender, while Febby’s burger patty was just on point. 

Work that angle, Angel!

My mocktail sure was fresh and thirst quenching. The strawberry was there, but it didn’t dominate the flavor of the drink. It had a bit of sourness in it from the lime, and the amount of mint was enough for me to nibble on.

We also had desserts: Mascarpone Blueberry Crumble and Bailey’s Tiramisu. Both of the desserts were basically two glasses filled with cake crumbs, garnishes, and creams. They were very delicious, but my favorite was the Mascarpone Blueberry Crumble simply because I’m not into Bailey’s. 

Brunch with the girls. 

Maple & Oak

De Ritz Building, Ground Floor

Jl. HOS. Cokroaminoto No. 91

Menteng, Jakarta

Opening Hours:

MON - SAT: 8AM - 9PM

SUN: 8AM - 8PM

Contact:

(+62)21 390 6757

Pao Pao & Phong Through Huji

I want to introduce you to my two new favorite spots to eat and drink, where one serves authentic Korean food along with the whole bottled Soju and karaoke place for a night of singing with your coworkers on the weekdays, and the other one that serves booz and Chinese dumpling and baos as well as some DJ performances during the weekends to pump up that wild child side of yours.

Ladies and gentleman, I present you Chicken Phoong: Chicken and Huf and Pao Pao: Liquor Bar & Dimsum Parlour. 

Pao Pao: Liquor Bar & Dimsum Parlour

Jl. Senopati, No. 16

Senopati, Jakarta Selatan

5 PM - 1 AM (opening hours may varies depends on day of visit)

I went to Pao Pao on a Saturday night with my friend, Gavin, when my craving for good bao was at its’ peak. I’ve been craving for its’ Salted Egg Bao for two weeks and my friends, who became the victims of my continuous chatter about how I want to go to Pao Pao so bad, had to have the assumption of me wanting to go to Pao Pao to get wasted.

“Why do you want to go to Pao Pao? Are you planning on getting drunk,” one asked. 

“Woo girl, you tryna’ get some action in there. Nice,” one judged.

“Kin, I don’t even have money to buy food and you’re asking me to drink,” one sobbed. Who invited you on the first place anyway? I was just saying that I want to go to Pao Pao.

And, no, people. I don’t want to go to Pao Pao to drink (that particular night that is). I was craving for a good steamy bao!

I arrived at the dimsum parlour at five, approximately at the time when they were supposed to be opened. I entered the dark restaurant and was welcomed with confused gazes of the staf, who were sitting together making a circle on the back of the restaurant. “Excuse me,” I said, “it’s five. You guys are open, right?” Unashamed.

One of the staff came to me and apologized about how the restaurant was actually serving, but all the staffs were having a pre-work briefing, so they were all still on idle, meaning they can’t serve yet. “But, I’d be happy to take your order. And, you may sit as you wait. Although, we have a two hours slot policy per table that require you to finish your meal at seven because you come at five. Would that be okay,” she added. As long as I don’t get kicked out, I’m fine. 

Half and hour later, our table was decorated with plates and bamboo steamer. We ordered a lot of food! Salted Egg Bao, Deep Fried Mantao with Condensed Milk, Chicken Wings, Deep Fried Spiced Chicken Roll, and our drink was Iced Coffee Late and Hot Oolong Tea. You may think that those weren’t exactly a lot, but it sure was for me and Gavin who happen to have such short intestines. 

Let me start with the Salted Egg Bao. Each portion of this Chinese delicacy contains of three fluffy buns and it costed Rp39.000,00. The presentation of the bao was very plain and simple, yet it made me very curious on how they would taste like. I tried to rip one of the bao in half, so that I can take pictures of the salted egg fillings, but instead of being cut into two I accidentally poked a big hole on the center and the salted egg filling just oozed out like a molten lava cake. It shocked the heck out of me. That’s when I realized that those steamed buns were very soft and that they didn’t have this hard bao skin as they were easily crackable. 

I took a big bite and, oh God, my mouth was filled with oozing sweet and creamy salted egg filling. The texture of the bao was so soft and fluffy, slightly chewing, and they were still warm which added a plus point. I love love love the salted egg filling. For me, it had a balanced sweet and savory flavor, and it didn’t make me feel like vomiting when I ate a lot of it. A bit grainy here and there, I assume it was from the salted egg itself, and it didn’t have a stinky aftertaste. Enjoyable all the way. 

The fried mantao was my second favorite, first being the Salted Egg Bao. Deep fried to perfection, golden brown in color, cracked skin, and very solid outer shell yet squishy when poked with a finger. Served with a small plate of condensed milk, although I believe it doesn’t contain anything other than sugar in it, each portion of these mantao was Rp35.000,00 in price and consisted of four mini fried buns. Good deal indeed. 

Mantao with condensed milk is never wrong. Sure, you can have it your way by dipping it into chilly oil and chilly flakes, but I do my mantao sweet y’all. The inner part of the mantao was pipping hot. The fluffy savory, and slightly oily, bun blended perfectly with the super sweet and thick condensed milk. It didn’t take long for me to finish one. 

Gavin ordered a plate of Chicken Wings to share. I was a bit disappointed when it was served on our table. Pretty and seemed well-fried, but there weren’t any wings in it. I love chicken wings for the wing part and what was served on the table was chicken thighs. Why would Pao Pao named it Chicken Wings and not Chicken Thighs if they are going to serve chicken thighs? 

Despite my disappointment, I still had a bite of the chicken thighs just to try what it tasted like. Crispy, savory, not at all oily. It had a dash of white powder on the surface of the chicken, probably the remaining flour as coating. It was served with a plate of sambal kecap, which is an Indonesian traditional condiment consisted of sweet soy sauce and slices of chilly. A very nice match. But, still a big let down.

Last, but not least, was the Deep Fried Spiced Chicken Roll. Boy, such a long title for food it should probably be a subtitle instead of a title. The whole name explained the food itself on what it made out of, so I don’t have to bust my ass stating the obvious, right? 

Crispy bean curd filled with minced chicken that had the same texture as an ebi, or prawn. I was shocked at my first bite because I thought I ordered the chicken one instead of the prawn one - because Gavin is allergic to prawns and he can have a severe allergic reaction if he consume it. I munch the whole dish and didn’t taste any prawn at all, so what I thought was eating turned out wrong. Chef, you fooled me for thinking a chicken as a prawn. Kudos to you! 

All of the food that we ate that night was amazing. And because our slot was almost finished, me and Gavin immediately cleansed any remaining crumbs on the table, pay for our meal, and hopped to another cafe for dessert. As it got darker and darker, Pao Pao’s signature red neon light was lit and people were starting to pack the restaurant. In hours, the bar will dominate the parlor and the people will dance their worries and heartbreak away. 

Pao Pao is, and will always be, my favorite dimsum parlour. Its’ Salted Egg Bao deserves a standing ovation for its’ balance of flavor and great bao texture. Those buns that I ate at home can go screw themselves. 

Chicken Phong: Chicken and Huf

Ruko Wijaya Grand Center Lt. 2

Jl. Dharmawangsa VI, Blok F No. 41-48

 Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan

5 PM - 1 AM (opening hours may varies depends on day of visit)

The next day, I went to Phong with my cousins, Nuning and Adji, and his girlfriend, Nadja. Nadja was actually the one who mentioned Chicken Phong and how she was craving for the fried chickens. At the same time, me and Nuning were craving for some good chicken wings as well. So, we all decided to head out for dinner at Chicken Phong, then after that we get Nadja, who slept over at my house the night before, back home.

Located at Ruko Wijaya Grand Center, the same block with Kaca Mata Restaurant and Nasi Campur Kenanga, Chicken Phong was at the inner part of the block and its’ surrounding was as dark as a stray alley. I wouldn’t go there if it weren’t for Nadja’s recommendation of good chicken. The plate looked like one of those bad places where you can get kidnapped and raped by a drunk ahjussi (the Korean term for Indonesia’s oom-oom). This is me being honest from the bottom of my heart.

A building with a simple door, with a modest plank nailed just on top of the door’s upper border, was there. We got in and was welcomed with a staff sitting on this counter at the corner of the small room. “Four persons,” I said. Which was replied with a, “Please proceed to our second floor.” On my left was a big fridge filled with bottles of various kinds of beers. I took the stairs that leaded me to the second floor, and it was very disturbing as the walls surrounding the stairs had this red splurge pattern on it. “It’s like a murder scene in here,” said Nuning. 

As we arrived on the second floor, there was a big fridge filled with beers again on our left just before the entrance door to a dark room with very little light in it. It was, in fact, the dining area. It has this karaoke place vibe to it, with all the blue, red, and green light surrounding the dark room. There were nobody there that greeted us, or leaded us to our table, so we sat ourselves on the chair that was close to the Tv. Trot music (a specific genre of Korean music, similar to a dangdut in our country) was played and boomed through out the entire room. 

A minute later, a waiter came to our table and handed us the menu. Chicken, chicken, chicken, tteokbokki, chicken, vegetable, chicken, soju, and more chicken. That was the whole menu.

We settled with two plates of half a chicken, one was the Hot Spicy Seasoning Chicken and the other one was the Hot Spicy Chicken. I also ordered a plate of Toppoki to share and Adji got us beer for drink, which had a buy 3 get 1 promo at that time. 

The Toppoki, or tteok-bokki, came first after around 15 minutes of waiting. It was the most beautiful tteokI have ever seen (I once ate this plater of tteok at a cheap Korean restaurant named Mujigae and it tasted awful), the gochujang sauce was flooding the plate, drowning all the dishes used on that plate. There were plenty of lettuce, leek, tteok (rice cake), odeng (fish cake), and eggs, enough as the appetizer for the four of us. 

Mid eating, our first set of chicken came. It was the Hot Spicy Seasoning Chicken. Nothing extravagant, only a pile of deep-fried chicken overflowing with dark red seasoning sauce that looked totally tantalizing and made me drool as I see them being served on my table. There were wings and chest parts, which are my favorite part of a chicken, and I immediately tagged them to be devoured. They were still super hot as they just got out from the wok, but I took one of the wings I had tagged nonetheless. 

I tore the wing just to release the hot steam that was trapped inside the juicy meat. I wait a minute before I bite into it so that I won’t burn myself. 

By the grace of God, this chicken is amazing. It’s the best deep fried Korean chicken I have ever had. Despite the fact that those deep fried chicken, that was battered in flour mixture before being fried, was glazed with thick and spicy seasoned sauce, the skin was still crispy as a motherfvcker. They were not soggy at all! I was so happy to be able to enjoy such delicious and crispy goodness. I didn’t talk, nor engage in most of the conversations the others were making, while I ate as I was THAT busy savoring the amazing chicken wings. 

A minute later, came the Hot Spicy Chicken Wings that were golden in color. It was served with some salad on the side, consisted of shredded carrot, shredded cucumber, and slices of lettuce, along with some mayonnaise and ketchup. Most of the parts served were wings and I couldn’t be happier. 

After I finished with my seasoned glazed wings, I decided to try the other chicken dish. I took the medium sized one, tear it into two, and waited for it to cool down a bit. Then, munch~

Very crispy skin, yet tender meat. A wave of savory and umami smacked me in the cheek and I was lost for words. The chicken wings were so damned good I bullshit you not! This is the best one, yet! Eating this particular wing made me let out a series of crunch and crisps and splash (the splash being my saliva dripped mid munching). I like this one better than the previous one.

Okay, compared to the Hot Spicy Seasoning Chicken Wings, the Hot Spicy Chicken Wings didn’t have that much seasoning on it, but it was full of its’ own flavor of umami. I love this one better because they were dry and clean. The chicken wings that I had before had too much sauce glaze on it, which is great for some people, but not for me who don’t like slobbery food. They both tasted great, but I love this one more. My trick was to dip the Hot Spicy Chicken Wings into the Toppoki’s gochujang sauce. Instant flavor level up!

The four of us finished the whole plate clean. We stayed at the restaurant for another half an hour, waiting for the food to go down so that we won’t be trippy on our way to the car. All in all, we spent around Rp500,000,00 for dinner. Not bad at all. 

P.S. All photos were taken by an application named Huji (effortless retro on the go). And, one more plus point is that both of these restaurants allow smokers to smoke indoor, yaay!