66 Goes to Bali: Rumah Makan Ayam Betutu

Bli Dito took us to Rumah Makan Ayam Betutu to have lunch. It is one of the most popular and most visited dining place in Bali. The restaurant is famous for its' traditional Balinese dish, which is the Ayam Betutu, or seasoned roasted chicken. 

Rumah Makan Ayam Betutu khas Gilimanuk

Ayam Betutu is a local delicacy in Pulau Dewata. The chicken is either steamed or roasted, then cooked with spices and seasoning, and the cooking method for every regions in Bali varies. The one that I ate was cooked in Gilimanuk's way, which was cooked with lots of onion, garlic, chilly pepper, turmeric, ginger, coconut oil, and black pepper. As a person who has a weak colon, yet loves hot and spicy dishes, Gilimanuk's Ayam Betutu was both heaven and hell. 

It was around two in the afternoon when we arrived at the restaurant and it was a challenge to find an empty table for us to monopolize. The place was packed with people hungry for the super hot chicken. I was beginning to worry that we will not find any seats, but Lady Luck was upon us. Immediately, Bli Dito marking the place by resting his bottoms, and took the liberty to order the dishes for us: Ayam Betutu Kuah. Thank God it didn't take long for our lunch to be served. 

Our mouth-watering Ayam Betutu

Our chicken was served with rice and side dishes, such as Plecing Kangkung, fried peanuts, and Sambal Matah. Plecing Kangkung is another traditional dish from Bali, which is blanched water spinach topped with sambal made from chilly pepper, shallots, garlic, lime, and shrimp paste - super hot, yet very refreshing - while Sambal Matah is made from raw shallots and lemongrass. Both side dishes were smacking, yet my favorite would be the Sambal Matah. I just love the spicy and sour taste of the raw shallots, not to mention the addicting crunchiness. 

Man, that chicken was hot!

The refreshingly spicy and sour Sambal Matah 

Just look at that gorgeous bright color

We were very hungry, plus we are cadets who are trained to eat anything on sight in a snap, so we ended up devouring our meal in less than five minutes. The Ayam Betutu was well cooked as the meat was very tender and the seasoning soaked into it nicely. On the one hand, the broth was also very flavorful and hot. I was in pain. I got sweaty armpits and runny nose, but the chicken was deliciously savory and rich in taste. I tried to eat my rice with a little bit of everything and BAM! explosion of flavors. 

I would probably go for the Ayam Betutu Goreng next time I visit Rumah Makan Ayam Betutu since I'm not that into soaked chicken. But, for those of you who favors it, it is highly recommended.

Daddy Dito slicing the chicken evenly so that we would get an equal share of the meal

Selamat makan!

It's a good thing ice cream was available to ease the pain in my mouth. Its' name is Es Goyang si Jegeg, or Jegeg's Es Goyang, an old skool Indonesian ice cream made from coconut milk and flour. I went for the durian ice cream, while Gavin had the mung beans ice cream. Both were deliciously milky and creamy, but I liked Gavin's ice cream better because it had this bean bits in the ice cream, even though my ice cream had a strong durian presence in it. 

When you visit Bali, you ought to make a pit stop at Rumah Makan Ayam Betutu. Try its' famous Ayam Betutu, along with various sambal on the side, and tear up because of how hot it is. You won't regret every bite of it. 

Each ice cream costed Rp10.000,00

My durian flavored ice cream

Want some? 

Rumah Makan Ayam Betutu

Jalan Raya Tuban No. 2X

Badung, Bali

Contact:

+62 361 757535

66 Goes to Bali: Warung Makan Nikmat

On the first day of our stay in Bali, the gang and I went to Warung Makan Nikmat, a restaurant specialized in Javanese dishes with a wee bit of Balinese sparks here and there. I know what you guys think, "Why eat at a Javanese restaurant when you're in Bali", right? Well, why the hell not? 

Warung Makan Nikmat is just 10-minutes-drive away from the airport. Located at Jl. Bakung Sari, the restaurant is hard to miss, as it had this gigantic green-colored banner sticked on the roof. Same like any other Indonesian restaurant, Warung Makan Nikmat looks very modest and simple - it actually looked a bit like a warteg, yet bigger and slightly modernized.  

Warung Makan Nikmat

The restaurant had a wide varieties of dishes and they are displayed in a large food display made from glass. They were very colorful because they are cooked using the finest spices and herbs that the chef can find in Bali. I lost count on how many kinds of dishes available for us to dig in - all sorts of meat with various method of cooking, countless veggies to indulge for those who fancy some greens, and even traditional Balinese treats like sate lilit. It was a shame the restaurant didn't serve any suckling pig because the owner is a moslem. But still, the food was a sight for sore eyes.

The system here at Warung Makan Nikmat is to point at the food that you want to eat, then the food lady will then put the dish onto your plate. You can have whatever and as many dishes as you want. Each dish has its' own price and it varies depends on the type of the dish. After you're done decorating your plate with food, the food lady will count the total price of the meal and she will hand you a card with the nominal price printed on it. Pretty cool, don't you think? 

Gavin being confuse in choosing what to have for lunch

Gavin and Bli Dito who ate here often whenever they visit Bali recommended me the Ox Tail's Soup. "Swear to God, it's the best Ox Tail's Soup there is," said Gavin. But, since I was not in the mood to suck on tail bones, I skipped the offer and choose me another dish to have for lunch. 

Gavin, on the other hand, was dying to have the so-called delicious broth, so he ordered a bowl. Accompanied with a plate of rice, sweet and sour squid, and serundeng (sauteed grated coconut), the chubby fellow enjoyed his Ox Tail's Soup. He offered me a bite and, boy, was that soup tasted delicious. I simply love the warm savory broth of the Ox Tail's Soup, it truly was delicious! On the one hand, the ox tail was cooked to perfection. The meat was very tender and it fell off the bone right away, I didn't have to struggle to cut a small piece of it.

Gavin's set of meal

I had me a plate of warm white rice with omelet and sate lilit. Sate lilit here is a traditional Balinese cuisine, which is minced meat on a stick. They commonly use pork, fish, or chicken meat here in Bali to make the sate lilit, and my favorite is the fish satay.

The sate lilit here at Warung Makan Nikmat is brown-ish red in color because of the chilly pepper that they use, hence it tasted spicier compared to any other satay I have ever tasted. I love how the satay was grilled nicely, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It went well with the warm rice and the omelet.

A plate of warm white rice with fried egg and sate lilit for me

What Pace Febrian had for lunch

Bli Dito's luxurious dish

How much does your lunch cost?

A selfie wouldn't hurt
From left to right: Pace Febrian, Bli Dito, Gavin, and yours truly

After we finished with lunch, we made a short trip to Pasar Seni Kuta, a marketplace where you can buy souvenirs with shockingly expensive price if you can't bargain. You can find lots of good to bring home with you here at Pasar Seni Kuta. Bangles, necklace, canvas bags, t-shirts, tanktops, you name it! But, you have to be able to bargain if you don't want to spend a ridiculously big amount of money for a piece of T-shirt. It's a good thing we were with Bli Dito, otherwise Pace Febrian will get charged Rp90.000,00 for a pair of sandals. 

The marketplace is just a few steps away from the beach. Since we were waiting to pick up another friend of ours, who were on a flight to Pulau Dewata, we took the liberty to take lots of selfies with Pace Febrian's brand new GoPro Hero 4. 

The sight of Pasar Seni Kuta

Gavin and Bli Dito

What is vacation without a beach?

Welcome to Bali!

#sorrynotsorry

Warung Makan Nikmat

Jalan Bakung Sari

Gang Biduri No. 6

Kuta, Bali

Pasar Seni Kuta

Jalan Kartika Plaza
Kuta, Bali

Cimory's Soya Milk: Watermelon Flavor

Ambar, my chubby and lovable dorm mate, bought me a bottle of Cimory's soya milk. She told me once about how nice and funky-tasting the soy milk and she promised me that she will bring one for me one day. Just yesterday, she kept her promise by bringing me a bottle of the watermelon-flavored soy bean drink. Yes, watermelon. 

Cimory is well known for its' flavorful yogurt drink. With "Sehat itu Enak", or "Healthy is Delicious" literary translated, as its' slogan, Cimory continues to pursue its' mission to introduce healthy and delicious beverages to the local citizen. Just recently, the brand has launched a new product, the soya milk, which available in two flavors: watermelon and original.

You can tell the watermelon scent coming out from the bottle as you open the cap. It was not that strong as it reeks of soy bean like any other soya milk does, but it was clearly there. The color of the milk was soft pink, a bit pale actually, different compared to the pink color that you usually find in strawberry-favored milk.

I took a sip of the drink. It was a bit challenging to distinguish the watermelon flavor at first, but after another sip or two, you will start to get the hang of it. Again, it was not that strong, but it's there. The watermelon flavor lingers in your mouth after you have swallowed the drink. Other than that, it was just plain soy bean milk.

I would give Cimory's watermelon-flavored soya milk a 5 out of 10 for easing the curiosity. I guess I will stick with regular soya milk in the future.

Roti Abon Gulung

My soon-to-be aunt, who is a stewardess in Sriwijaya Air, flew to Jayapura last weekend and brought back two boxes of Roti Abon Gulung, woohoo! I have been wanting this local delicacy for ages and I finally got it, all thanks to her.

Aunty Echy brought a pack, which consists of two boxes of Roti Abon Gulung, while each box is filled with ten pieces of buns with five different toppings and fillings. The buns are available in five kinds, which are: beef floss, chocolate floss, cheese floss, chicken floss, and tuna floss. Each bun is almost as big as my fist, and the amount of the meat floss they used to make this babies are ridiculously generous.

I got a souvenir from Jayapura, woohoo!

Roti Abon Gulung is a rolled bread with meat floss filling. The original Roti Abon Gulung is actually filled with either beef floss or chicken floss and they are bigger in size - each bun shares the same length as my palm and as thick as my fist. But, then, they discovered new toppings and flavors to go with the bread and, thus, the result is the mini bread with a new twist. 

Aunty, you spoil me. 

From left to right: Tuna, chocolate, cheese, chicken, beef

I'm just in love with the buns! The bread is not soft and chewy like those buns that you can get at Bread Talk or Bread Life - they are rather thick and compact, and slightly heavier than most bread. The bread is filled with the meat floss, then rolled and shaped like a square. My favorite would be the beef floss and chicken floss, followed by the tuna floss, then the chocolate floss and, last but not least, the cheese floss.

Beef Floss Bun is my favorite. The bread is soaked with condense milk, then filled with savory and sweet beef floss, and topped with a wee bit of sesame seed and some more floss. You can smell the mouth-watering aroma of the bread teasing you. Combination of flavors explode in your mouth with just one bite. It was sweet and savory at the same time, and also meaty and juicy. The amount of beef floss they used in one bun was very generous compared to other buns that I bought here in Jakarta. Instant fave!

While the chicken floss bun shared the same physical appearance with beef floss bun yet sweeter taste in meat, the tuna floss bun had a strong tuna flavor in it and its' color is slightly softer and dominated by ecru. The chocolate bun and cheese bun were my least favorite, but they still tasted nice. 

Beef Floss Bun

Chicken Floss Bun

Tuna Floss Bun

Chocolate Floss Bun

Cheese Floss Bun

When you go to Jayapura, make sure you get yourself a box of this baby. You will probably miss one hell of delicious delicacy if you don't.


P.S. Aunty Nechy, if you're reading this, thank you so much for the Roti Abon Gulung! Safe flight!

Bintang Carica in Syrup

At Sekolah Tinggi Penerbangan Indonesia, there is this thing called adik asuh (or adoptive junior literary translated), a tradition in the institution where you can adopt a cadet who enrolls after you to be your "younger brother", or "younger sister". Your adoptive junior doesn't have to be in the same major as you are. You can have as many adoptive junior as you want as long as you take care of them, and they take care of you - and by "take care", I mean literary taking care of them, as if you are bonded by blood. 

My adoptive junior named Baruna and his hometown is in Salatiga. He brought me a souvenir from his hometown, which is a local fruit named Carica. "This carica fruit is very popular in my hometown," he said, "the fruit is similar with papaya, but smaller and the local people usually candied them before they sell it to the tourists." Curious about the famous star-shaped fruit, I made him promise to bring back a jar. He nodded in agreement. 

The oh-so-famous Carica

As promised

"Bintang Carica in Syrup" caught my attention the moment the jar was in my hands. Apparently, the shape of a carica is similar to a starfruit, yet chubbier and slightly look more like a quanco. The fruit is sliced and stored in a jar with a combination of water and sugar, hence the super sweet syrup. "Best eaten cold," was written on the jar. Being a good girl, which I am thank you very much, I put the jar into the freezer for an hour before I indulge. 

The sight of the syrupy galore

The texture of carica is far from a papaya as it was chewier and softer. I have to say, the syrup was too sweet for my liking. If only they used less sugar, I think the candied fruit will be one of my favorite treats. But, I believe the syrup can be used to make flavored ice tea, instead of just being thrown away into the trash bin - imagine the flavored tea with carica bits at the bottom of the glass, yum! 

I really like the taste of the fruit, very sweet and chewy. You can just eat it right away, or you can use them to make cold fruity beverages and fruit cake I believe. They are very much enjoyable, and I'll give it an 8 out of 10. 

Want some?

P.S. Baruna, if you're reading this, thank you so much for the souvenir! I hope you like the milk tarts I brought you from Bali.