Yellow for Lunch

I've been wanting to make a Scotch Egg and I decide that I would make one for lunch today. As I was preparing the ingredients, I checked my gas and I ran out of it. Don't know who to call, nor where to get one, so I decided to stick with some fruits. Sighing from the bottom of my heart.

A Family of Five

A friend of mine, who goes by the name Velly, is going to go to Jogja to attend her university. We decided to have lunch together, since it will be a while before she can go back to Jakarta, along with Icha, Sally, and Angel. HEMA, a dutch restaurant located at Kemang Pratama, is where we had lunch yesterday. We ordered lots of dishes, starting from main course until dessert, and we spent hours at the dining place as if we were the owners. 

Icha and I were the first ones who arrived at HEMA, followed by Sally. I had not have breakfast in the morning, which made me my stomach sung the song of its' people. I took the liberty to go through the menu and stumbled upon the words "San Francisco Beef Minced Steak". Any food that has a name that long ought to be one great dish! So, I decided to order myself a plate of that San Franciscan steak.

20 minutes later, a waitress with a traditional Volendam dress, approached our table and handed me a plate of burger. A pair of bun, with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and onion rings in the middle, covered with tomato sauce and barbeque sauce, and topped with a pair of nicely grilled minced beef enveloped in barbeque sauce. French fries were also spotted on the plate, adjacent to a puddle of what it seemed to me like another barbeque sauce. I have to say that the presentation was not as extravagant and flashy like how I imagined it to be, but I kept in mind that "simple is best".

My San Francisco Beef minced Steak

I ate the vegetables first because I'm not a big fan of veggie burger, then continued by finishing the french fries, which were countable and were not as thin as McDonald's french fries. I munch, and munch, and munch, until it was the buns and the steaks left. I took a bite of the grilled beef and I was taken aback by the fact that it tasted very similar to McDonald's burger meat. The buns, on the other hand, were far from similar with McDonald's burger buns. I'm guessing that those fluffy bread were grilled on a non-stick frying pan after the chef applied some margarin on them. 

I was not in the mood to eat the almighty San Francisco Beef Minced Steak like the way I devour Burger King's Double Bacon and Cheese Burger, so I stuck with my fork and knife. Classy fellow, aren't you self? All in all, the dish tasted nice, although not that spectacular like what I had in mind. The meat went along with the bun perfectly, and the barbeque sauce was awesome!

The chef didn't give a generous amount of french fries, if I may say

Angel, Sally, and Velly ordered themselves some spaghetti and iced lemon tea. Them spaghetti were very appealing and nicely decorated on a white oval-shaped bowl. Glazed with sweet and savory tomato and meat sauce, sprinkled with shredded cheese, and topped with a celery. Sally offered me her lunch and I didn't object, although I hesitated a bit because I was a bit full from eating the San Francisco Beef Minced Steak. The spaghetti was good, but I didn't find anything extraordinary from the dish. 

Spaghetti for lunch, yum!

The dish would be perfect if they add some more shredded cheese

Icha, on the other hand, ordered herself a big plate of HEMA's Sirloin Steak. The steak itself was as wide as my palm, served with french fries and vegetables, and coated with barbeque sauce. Being a person who feel stuffed easily, Icha handed over the duty of finishing the dish to Velly. I helped by finished the french fries and the vegetables, which I continuously dipped in the barbeque sauce available. I don't know why I fancy barbeque sauce that much.

Icha's Sirloin Steak smothered in barbeque sauce

After the main course, it's time for some desserts! Despite the fact that I had, and still have, a sore throat, I ordered myself a cup of strawberry ice cream. The others ordered a couple plate of a Poffertjes, one was served with powdered sugar and the other was served with Vanilla ice cream and powdered sugar. Poffertjes are Dutch's version of pancakes. It is made from the same batter that we use to make pancake, yet they have a rather spongy and light texture. Shaped like a small turtle, Poffertjes are usually served with powdered sugar or butter. At first, I doubt that I would like this particular traditional Dutch dish, but then I took a bite. Poffertjes really really tasted nice, especially those crispy rings they have. I personally love the one with the powdered sugar. If you happen to go to HEMA to have lunch or dinner, I highly recommend this particular dessert. 

Strawberry ice cream, topped with strawberry syrup and cherry

POFFERTJES!

Icha couldn't help but to continuously stick her fork to the grilled batter

After we had lunch at HEMA, we went to Angel's place. We were served with lots of snacks by Angel and her little sister, Tasya. There were Dynamic's Pillow Wassant, Union's Red Velvet cake, Food Hall's Japanese crackers, Ketan, and even Marshmallows. At first, it was like heaven to me, but then Angel's little sister said, "You can't go home before you finish all of the food." Good Lord, what mess did I got myself into?

We were forced to finish all these food

HEMA Dutch Resto

Jl. Kemang Pratama Raya 

Blok MM, No 19-20

Kemang Pratama, Bekasi

Phone: (021) 8241 2761

Opening Hours:

Monday - Sunday: 10 AM - 10 PM

Lunch Compilation

When a neighbor gives you a set of lunch, you don't question it!

Don't have time for a plate of rice and meat? Grab some sandwich instead

Hospital food isn't that bad

Sometimes the least provides a lot

Fried Kwetiauw for those who fancy chinese food

A bowl of sweet noodle to jiggle up that taste bud of yours

Graduation feast don't have to be all mighty and flamboyant, right?

A plate of fried fish that I can indulge by myself

Heart shape nuggets to celebrate Valentine's Day

Burger King's Lunch Promo

From June 7 to June 9, Burger King had this promo where you can buy a lunch set, contains of rice, fried chicken, and a glass of soda, for Rp 10.000,00. Being a person who wouldn't want to miss an opportunity like this, I managed to visit Burger King and be a part of people who participate in this lunch promo. It was Saturday afternoon when I decided to have lunch at this fast food restaurant. I had a TOEFL test on that day, and I was a bit exhausted from listening to people making conversation, so I thought "Burger King for lunch it is!"

It's a good thing I got there on time. People were lining up to try the lunch promo since it was the last day. I was with my friend, Dennis, and we bought four lunch set. One was for me, another one is for Dennis' driver, and the other two were for himself. I got myself the breast of a chicken, which is my favorite parts of chicken because it contains lots of meat and deep-fried skin. The lunch promo was fulfilling, but I would pick McDonald's though. I prefer to have McDonald's fried chicken because, I think, they look more appealing and more fresh. As for Burger King's, it was kind of so-so. It tasted so-so too. But at least we were full, so I didn't make a fuss about it.

Burger King

Tebet Green

Jl. Letjend MT. Haryono, Kav. 25 - 26

Tebet, Jakarta Selatan

Phone: (021) 8378 0978 

Dad's Lunch II

A few days ago, I received a couple of emails from my Dad. The first one was "New York Steak" in tittle, and the other one was "Fish and Chips". So, I opened the emails and found a couple of nice pictures of luxurious food in it. The first one was obviously a plate of New York Steak. Boy, aren't that plate of food looks gorgeous? With black pepper sauce decorating the nicely grilled beef, a generous amount of corn on the side of the plate, accompanied with some vegetables and golden potatoes, I bet my Dad had an awesome lunch.

I wouldn't mind to have those golden roasted potatoes right now

I'm guessing that he ate lunch with his roommate, or else how would he finish another plate of luxury? The second dish was probably a plate of fish and chips. I love fish and chips because they are deep fried and tasted good. This particular Fish and Chips used curly fries, instead of your regular stick-shaped fries. I'm guessing that those ring-shaped objects beside the fish fillet were either onion rings, or deep-fried calamari. Just by looking at the pictures, I'm sure that my Dad's roommate had a great lunch. I bet the salad tasted refreshing, especially after you finish the whole plate of deep-fried food. 

I bet the salad tasted refreshing, especially after you finish
 the whole plate of deep-fried food

A Trip to Bali (Part 5)

My last day at Bali was the day Aunt Tami's newborn baby get his blessings. The people in the house woke up early in the morning to get ready, including me. We had belayad for breakfast, which is one of the so many cuisines that you can find in Bali. A bowl, made out of styrofoam, which were filled with a couple of shaped rice, some shredded chicken, a stick of chicken meat, a slice of egg, some vegetables, and a chunk of meat entered my stomach and I felt happy. 

This particular dish is called belayad. It looks a bit funky, but it taste great!

By eight in the morning, all of us were prepared, along with the food. Aunt Tami's helpers started to decorate tables with lots of food and drinks. One of them was this particular traditional snack named Biji Salak. Salak, you see, is a fruit which has a thumb-sized seed on the inside. Biji Salak is not literary made out of Salak seeds, but it is made out of a mixed of dough and sweet potato. I love this food, because it tasted sweet. The brown color originated from a traditional sugar cube that you can find in Indonesia named Gula Jawa, Javanese Sugar literary translated. If you happen to stumbled upon this traditional cuisine, don't miss the opportunity to have a bite.

Wait until you try my Mom's and my Grandma's Biji Salak. 
Both of them tasted great!

This pink drink is a punch. It contains syrup, coconut water, coconut fruit, and some grass jelly, which is very refreshing to be indulged during summer. I took a cup and poured myself a couple spoonful of this drink. It tasted delightful, especially after you eat some spicy food. 

I always scooped the grass jelly the most

Bwonies Kukus Amanda, or Amanda's Steamed Brownies literary translated, was my favorite dish of the day. Amanda is famous for its chocolate and cheese brownies, which tasted superb. These brownies are like the spinach to my Popeye. It tasted beyond delicious, not to mention it has different texture for the cheese parts and the chocolate parts. I love the cheese parts the most, despite the fact that the chocolate parts were soft and puffy, sweet, and a bit nutty. 

I lost count on how many brownies I devoured that day. Half a dozen slices, perhaps?

This traditional snack looks pretty funky, don't you think? Green in color, that bowl is filled with food which goes by the name of ketan. Do take notes that it is green in color because it was cooked with pandan leafs, no artificial coloring used. You see, ketan is fermented rice. It tasted sweet, more or less like how a rum should tasted like. Despite the fact that I'm not that fond of this dish, I still gave it a try. Didn't like it like always, but the other guests were delighted by it for some reason.

The white cube-shaped food is called uli, which goes well with some ketan

Another luxurious lunch I couldn't pass. There were so many vegetables and chicken meat. I made sure I tried all of the food that was provided on the tables to end my curiosity. There were rice, two kinds of vegetables, shredded chicken, chicken meat on a stick, and this particular dish which was very peculiar to me. I forgot the name of the dish and, I think, I didn't get myself some of that dish. 

I took some spoonfuls of rice and a spoonful of each dishes,
except the one on the right which name I forgot

Chicken meat on a stick was amusing.
It gave you this caveman-like feeling when you eat it.

A bowl of marinated and well cooked starfruit leafs

A bowl of spicy and bitter vegetables who goes by the name pare

Roasted pig! They have roasted pig in the house and I was excited when I spotted one. It was my second time seeing such glorious food, my first was at my teacher's wedding, and also my first time of actually ate a slice. The skin was golden brown in color, the rear end of the pork was stuffed with rice-stuffed leaf. The pig was rather small, at its teenager year, perhaps? Other than my excitement, I couldn't help but to think that particular scene in the Hunger Games when Katniss shoot an arrow at an apple on a roasted pig's mouth when she was trying to impress the people from the capitol. Priceless. 

I bet the ears are crunchy and a bit chewy

It was about time someone started to skinned the pig, or else we wouldn't have lunch

A plate of rice and some crispy pork skin for lunch were good for me

Angry birds gone wild

A quick trip to Bali felt like an adventure! I got to taste various kinds of food I have never tasted before, I got to visit Pasar Badung which felt like entering Narnia, and I even got to have waffles for dinner. True, Indiana Jones' would probably have a more blood-pumping and thrilling adventure, but, hey, it's up to us wether we want to live our life to the fullest or not. Life's an adventure, right?

Ramen 38 Sanpachi

My Mom has found the best restaurant to indulge on authentic Japanese ramen. Believe me when I say "authentic", because the ramen that they sell at this particular restaurant share the exact same taste like the one they sell at Japan. Ramen 38 Sanpachi, is the name of the restaurant, a place where you can enjoy ramen like never before!

This restaurant is famous for its ramen, despite the fact that they have other non-noodle dishes in their menu. Those who come to this restaurant are mostly Japanese and Chinese-Indonesian. Ramen 38 Sanpachi is located at the second story of Kamome Swalayan, a building in which is filled with Japanese restaurants and shopping spots where the products are mostly imported from Japan. It is like heaven on earth for Japan enthusiast!

When you enter the restaurant, the staff will welcome you with, "Irashaimase!" which means "Welcome to our shop!". The waitress will literary shout the phrase, then followed by the other staff, which makes the restaurant echoes. Might as well act surprise and excited. 

There are tables for those who come in group of four, tables for couples, and bar table for those who come all by himself. What caught my attention the moment when my Mom and I entered the restaurant are the televisions, one at the back, and one near the bar table, showing episodes of Sailor Moon. It feels like my childhood is being splashed down at my face. "Moon Prism Make Up," said Usagi the Sailor Moon. I jumped with joy as the waitress lead us to our seats.

A moment after we found a place to rest our bottoms, another waitress came up to us, giving a glass of cold water. Guess what? It is free. This restaurant is doing the same custom that those ramen restaurants in Japan do. They give us free water, and we can refill after we have finished it and it is still free. How cool is that? She also gave us some menu to choose, which made me ended up ordering a bowl of Tonkatsu Chasu Ramen. Curly noodles, cooked medium, topped with four slices of pork, and some vegetables. I also ordered a plate of Shoyu Tamago, eggs in which was dipped in a pan of broth, to go along with the ramen. My Mom ordered some Gyoza, grilled pork-filled dumplings that can make you snap random Japanese phrases the moment it enters your mouth. Let's just say that lunch just got real.

As a person who can leisurely consume pork, Tonkatsu Chasu Ramen flew me to the moon. It tasted ridiculously delicious! I bet the chef is a kind and generous person because he gave us a generous amount of pork inside the ramen bowl. The broth was amazing, it is as if you are devouring Mount Fuji. It is best if you eat the ramen with some chilly oil and pepper. Trust me on this, you would probably dumped any instant noodle that you have at your house after you tasted this particularly delicious ramen. 

The Gyoza, or should I say the pork-filled dumplings, sent me to a bed of roses. They were crispy on the outside, and chewy and soft on the inside. I recommend you to eat this nectar of God the moment it is served on your table. You will find yourself wiping your face with tissues because the oil from this dish would just squirts out. Careful not to stain your new dress there. 

As a person who fancies eggs, I have to say that this eggs scored 9.8 out of 10. It was three and a quarter cooked. You can see in the picture that the egg yolk looks gooey and heavenly. Shoyu Tamago, the name of this egg, is an egg which was dipped in a pan of broth. The egg absorbed the savory liquid, which makes is savory and a bit salty unlike any other boiled egg. Totally recommended for those who self-proclaimed themselves as egg lovers.

After we finished our meal, the waitress will immediately took the bowls to be washed. Then, another waitress will appear, holding her tray in which was filled with some beautiful shot glasses. Oh look what we have here, it turned out to be jellies. A couple of cube shaped jellies, one is Lychee flavored and the other one is Orange flavored. Guess what? It is free. I repeat, free! They do this kind of service where they would just give us free drinks and free desserts. I was overwhelmed. First they gave us free water, and now they gave us free jellies for dessert? My perfect kind of restaurant.

People, get in to your vehicle and drive yourself to Ramen 38 Sanpachi. Order yourself a bowl of ramen, but don't order any drinks. Enjoy yourself enjoying the ramen while watching on numerous episodes of Sailor Moon. Take your time. Enjoy the Japanese atmosphere surrounding the restaurant. Be a Japanese for a day! Oh, and did I mentioned that they have this book shelf at the restaurant, filled with numerous manga and Japanese magazines for you to read? Yeah, they have a book shelf filled with numerous manga and Japanese magazines for you to read. Guess what? It is free!

For further information, you can check out Ramen 38's Twitter here, or at its website http://www.ramensanpachi.com/

Ramen 38 Sanpachi

Kamome Swalayan

Jl. Melawai Raya 189B, Kebayoran Baru

Jakarta Selatan 12160

Phone: (021) 7280 0268

Opening Hours:

Monday - Friday: 11 AM - 1 AM

Saturday - Sunday: 11 AM - 10 PM

Holidays: 11 AM - 12AM