Mom's Homemade Burger Patty

It's New Year's Eve and Mom's preparing food to welcome 2015. This afternoon, she made a batch of burger patty to be grilled next year (that is me trying to break the ice, ba-dum-tss!). Like always, she didn't follow any recipe, she just made it up herself. Mom's recipe to make burger patty was pretty simple, you should definitely try it when you get the chance!

Mom's Homemade Burger Patty

Ingredients:

- a couple of onion 

- 4 cloves of garlic

- salt & pepper (as much as you like)

- 1.5 kg of grinned meat 

- 4 egg whites

- olive oil 

How to Make:

- dice your garlic

- slice, or chop, your onion accordingly

- mix your onion and garlic together

- pour some olive oil into your non-stick frying pan

- stir-fried your onion with medium heat until they are golden brown

When your onion is nicely cooked, turn off your stove and let the onion cools off

- prepare your meat by placing them in a container

- pour some salt & pepper onto your grinned meat and mix it well

My Mom prefer to use her bare hand to mix the meat with. If you would like to use some kitchen utensils, then be my guest. 

- next, pour the egg white and mix well

- when the onion is cool enough, spread them onto the grinned meat and mix well

Why do we have to wait until the onion cools off? This is so that the meat wont cook when it makes contact with the onion. 

- when your meat nicely mixed with the other ingredients, grab a chunk and make balls with it big enough to fit in your hand.

- then, with your finger, flatten it up until it shares the same thickness with your finger

 Your burger patties are ready to be cooked!

- pour a bit of olive oil into your frying pan and fry your burger patties with medium heat

Keep an eye on your patties, you don't want them to over cooked because it will make the meat becomes too dry. 

- voila, your burger patties are ready to be eaten!

SHIROKUMA: Simply Overrated

After Sally and I had lunch at LOCALE24 Diner & Bar, we headed to Shirokuma to get ourselves some ice cream. A birdy told us that Shirokuma is famous for its' matcha dessert - green tea ice cream, green tea cake, green tea rice balls, you name it! - so we went to the dessert house to get a taste of its' overwhelming green-tea-based dessert.

Sally had a bowl of Matcha Anmitsu - a traditional dessert bowl with mochi, shiratama balls, chunky red beans, matcha jelly and served with a side of brown sugar syrup. She asked for an additional ice cream on top, which costed her an extra Rp12.000,00. 

There were three choice of ice cream: vanilla, matcha, and twist. Sally went for the Twist Soft Cream because it was a combination of matcha ice cream and original milk flavor Japanese Soft Cream.

Matcha Anmitsu

I ordered a lovely Matcha Cake Parfait for myself, which consisted of soft cream layered with matcha cake, cornflakes, mochi, shiratama balls, chunky red beans and matcha jelly. My dessert is pretty much the same with Sally's. We were only lacking one or two elements each. 

Overall, the presentation of the dessert is excellent. They were very adorable and very appealing to the eye, very kawaii if I may say. But, do they tasted as good as they look? 

The soft cream was creamy and milky. It wasn't too thick, nor easily melt. Unfortunately, the Twist Cream was dominated with the original milk flavor cream, making it hard to distinguish the matcha flavor of the soft cream. 

On the other hand, the matcha cake in my parfait had a strong green tea flavor, yet, the texture of the cake itself was horrible. The cake was very stiff, as if the baker put too much flour in the batter, and it crumbled easily. Yes, the matcha flavor is very strong in this cake, too strong it made the cake tasted bitter and simply unpleasant. As a sweet tooth, I was disappointed by how the cake is lacking of sweetness. 

Next, is the shiratama balls. Shiratama balls are made from glutinous rice flour. It is similar with mochi, as they both were made from the basic ingredients and share the same chewy texture. Shirokuma's shiratama balls were basically tasteless, even the matcha shiratama balls didn't have any green tea flavor at all. It was a bit of a challenge for me to finish my rice balls because they were very unpleasant to my taste buds. 

Didn't like the chunky red bean in my parfait because they made my dessert tasted weird. And they weren't even sweet, just plain nutty! But, I did enjoy eating the matcha jelly on the bottom of the glass - they were sweet, slightly bitter, chewy, and tasted like green tea. The cornflakes tasted like, well, cornflakes and it blended well with the ice cream.

Matcha Cake Parfait

Now that I have tasted a glimpse of Shirokuma, I can say that the dessert place is overrated. Sure, they may have cute and adorable desserts, but they don't taste as good as they look. They are only good for Instagram and it ends there. Not recommended for those who strive for delicious dessert. 

SHIROKUMA

Ruko Crown Golf, Blok A No. 23

Bukit Golf Mediterania, Jalan Pantai Indah Kapuk

Pantai Indah Kapuk, Jakarta

Opening Hours

Monday - Sunday: 12PM - 10PM

Contact
+62 21 2923 7523

LOCALE24 Diner & Bar

My best friend Sally is back from Australia woohoo! She has been away for half a year and she is finally back to Indonesia for Christmas holiday. We made plans with the rest of the girls to meet up, but unfortunately Icha was studying for her final exam and Angel was having her wisdom teeth removed, so it was just the two of us. We decided to go to Pantai Indah Kapuk for some culinary adventures, and our lunch place was at LOCALE24 Diner & Bar.

LOCALE24 Diner & Bar

After a two hours drive under heavy rain, we finally arrived at Pantai Indah Kapuk. It was not that difficult to locate the dining place because you just can't miss that signature rivulet colored bus. The restaurant does look small from the outside, but as you step into the place, you will find an american-diner-themed bistro. 

Christmas songs was played through the speakers. There was this big Christmas tree near the cashier table. The restaurant was a sight for sore eyes.

The lovely bar of LOCALE24's

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ~ ♪

Sally's back from Aussie, woot!

We were pretty hungry when we arrived at LOCALE24, so we immediately browse through the main course section and order us some meal.

Sally got herself a plate of Crispy Pork Over Rice that costed her Rp40.000,00. I didn't expect the restaurant to serve Asian dishes, because judging from both interior and exterior design, I thought they would be serving non other than American food. Lesson learned: don't judge a book by its' cover.

The presentation of Sally's meal was very simple. A handful of rice topped with a sunny-side-up, with mustard and crispy pork bathed in soy sauce on the sides, and garnished with some greens. I took a spoonful of the pork as I was curious, and it tasted good. The pork was nice and crispy, I really love its' texture that shared similarities with deep-fried lungs - it's a shame they only use soy sauce for its' broth. But, no matter how delicious this dish was, there was nothing special about it. Even my Mom can make it at home.

Sally's Crispy Pork Over Rice - 40K

As for me, I had me a platter of Waffle with Fried Chicken Sandwich. It came with french fries and macaroni as side dishes, and chilly sauce for some dipping business. The overall presentation of my sandwich waffle was very lovely as they were served on a cutting board blanketed with deli paper. What I love the most was the adorable little flag on top of my waffle!

The waffle itself was deliciously crispy and chewy on the inside. Too bad the batter was sweet, making the waffle had a hint of sugary goodness in it, which didn't work well with the thick and savory fried chicken. It felt like seeing Fred hooking up with Velma, and not Daphne. (Remember, Scooby-Doo?)

On the other hand, the macaroni was very enjoyable as it was glazed with butter and onion mixture. It had a strong onion flavor, which I am fond of. The french fries were crispy golden brown, nicely salted, and they were slightly spicy from the pepper. 

My Waffle with Fried Chicken Sandwich - 42K

Loving the miniature flag

For dessert, we ordered this brand new dry-ice-based dessert named Cool Kids. This kind of dessert is very popular nowadays. You can find some ice cream parlors at malls that makes their ice cream and dessert using liquid nitrogen and dry ice, and apparently LOCALE24 has discovered a few ways to experiments with them also.

Cool Kids consisted of a beaker of creamy and sweet iced latte jelly drink and three bars of ready-to-dip chocolate biscuits. It took a long time to prepare the dessert, we had to wait for almost half an hour, but it was worth it. The waiter will then serve the dessert and explain how to indulge it.

First, we have to drink the iced late to neutralize the flavors in our mouth. I really love the latte, it was very creamy and thick, and slightly sweet but not too bitter. We were given shot glasses to drink the latte with, and at the bottom of the shot glass was a glob of coffee-flavored jelly. Very delicious!

After we were neutralized, simply grab a bar of biscuit and dip it into the liquid nitrogen. Leave the biscuit be for around two minutes so that the nitrogen will soak into the chocolate goodness. FYI, the dry ice mixture was 100˚-200˚C cold! It was so cold your hand would burnt if you touch it too long.

2 minutes passed, you take your biscuit and have a bite. Because the biscuit is super cold, those who have sensitive teeth might want to be cautious because your teeth will hurt by just taking a bite, like I did. I felt the stinging sensation as I bite my biscuit, then it spread to the molar teeth as I chew. You will also feel this burning sensation on your tongue when the cold dessert made contact.

But, the fun part about eating this dessert is that, when the dipped biscuit has entered your mouth, smoke will come out from both mouth and nose of yours. The smoke was created as cold temperature from the biscuit made contact with the hot temperature inside your mouth, making us look like a fire-breathing dragon from How to Train Your Dragon. I included a video of me and Sally taking turns in enjoying LOCALE24's Cool Kids, you might want to take a look.

The new kid in town, Cool Kids

They gave us three bars, when there were two of us. Mean. 

Overall, I would rate my experience dining at LOCALE24 a 7 out of 10. The food was good, although it can be better, and the price was also student-friendly. Love the new kid in town and looking forward to try the other two dry-ice-based dessert. 

LOCALE24 Diner & Bar

Ruko Gardon House, Blok B10-11 

Bukit Golf Mediterania

Jalan Raya Pantai Indah Kapuk

Pantai Indah Kapuk, Jakarta

Opening Hours: 24 Hours

Contact:

+62 21 2903 3162

SepotongKue

SepotongKue, a dessert shop located at Pasar Santa, is famous for its' fluffy homemade choux, or puff pastry - which I have to admit was very delicious and insanely addicting. I visited SepotongKue when it opened a booth at Monas during Anlene Moveathon's even on December 8th. Since I didn't get to try its' famous dessert when I visited Pasar Santa, I quickly grabbed me some rupiah and got myself some pastries.

One of SepotongKue's best selling prouct is its' Special Choux. This is, by far, the fluffiest and most scrumptious choux pastry I have ever tasted in my hometown. It was very light, not that airy, and it had this different kind of taste that distinguish it from any other pastry I have ever eaten before. Can't tell what it is, but it's a good one! The choux was filled with a spoonful of thick custard, then topped with slices of fruit, usually kiwi and strawberry. 

Took my first bite of my Special Choux and I fell in love immediately. I just love how the pastry was filled with just the right amount of custard - not that overflowing, yet not too few either. I love how creamy and sweet the custard was, which went well with the savory pastry. The fruit on top was like a cherry on top of a sundae, it completed the dessert. Yet, it was very unfortunate that with just a couple of bite more, the choux was completely gone from my hand. 

Wouldn't you like some of SepotongKue's famous Special Choux? 

The second best selling product from SepotongKue is its' Ice Cream Choux. There are three varieties of ice cream, which are Vanilla Tella, Choco Jaffa, and Green Tea - all of the are homamade. I got to pick a flavor for my ice cream, so I went for the green tea ice cream to ease my curiosity. Made with fresh milk, non-dairy cream, and the best quality green tea, this dessert deserves a two-thumbs up! Not to mention it goes very well with a hint of Nutella on top. 

The ice cream was very creamy and thick. Its' matcha flavor was very rich and strong, yet wasn't that sweet. I was a bit disappointed with my choice of ice cream because it didn't blend quite well with the choux, as both element was lacking of sugary goodness, so, it was just okay. But, the ice cream itself was nice though!

The breakfast of champions

If you would like to get a bite of SepotongKue's delicious Special Choux and Ice Cream Choux, you ought to visit its' stand at Pasar Santa. You can even get in touch with its' owner via Instagram and website, and get some information about where she's going to open up a stand at an event or two. 

SepotongKue

Pasar Santa - Upper Floor #119

Jalan Cipaku 1, Kebayoran Baru

Jakarta Selatan

Opening Hours: 

Wednesday to Sunday

From 1 PM to 8 PM

EggO: Take Me Away

Get your waffles at EggO!

Its' name is Eggo, a brand new waffle stand that I found at Summarecon Mall Bekasi. I've been wanting to try out this waffle stand for months, but I haven't got the chance to do so - until last Sunday.

After having a lunch date at Sushi Tei and a stress-relieving shopping spree with Mom, we stopped by at Eggo on the basement floor of mall to grab a bite of its' unique-looking waffles. 

Located on the basement floor of Summarecon Mall Bekasi

We can build our own waffle by combining our choice of flavors and toppings. I wasn't in the mood to mix-and-match funky-tasting flavor with random sprinkles to create a unique and anti-mainstream waffle, so I decided to have something ordinary: chocolate flavored waffle with chocolate chips.

Build your own waffle

Unlike any regular waffle, Eggo uses this particular wide egg-shaped waffle pan to create their waffle, hence a rather unique and uncommon shape of their product. The waffle guy would first pour the toppings into the waffle pan, then create the batter whilst heating up the pan, pour the batter into the molding, and let magic do the rest. It didn't take long for my waffle to shape up, just a scroll or two on Instagram and ding! your waffle is ready to be served.  

Egg-shaped waffle pan

The batter bar, with ready to use batter and your selection of bottled flavors

Pour them batter into the pan

After the waffle was taken out from the pan, the waffle guy put the waffle on a tray to cool off. I thought he would just leave the waffle be to cool off by itself, instead he clicked on of the switch on the counter table and woosh! a pair of tiny electric fans turned on and helped the cooling process of the waffle. Not everyday you can find a smart guy like him, don't you think?

Using fans to cool down the waffle

Look at them chocolate chips!

My waffle was adorable! It had the shape of a hexagon, and on the top of each 'eggs' was this garden of delicious looking and scrumptious chocolate chips. The edges of the waffle was extra crispy, just how I like it to be, while the 'eggs' were chewy and deliciously bite-sized. You can just pinch an egg, pull it out, and eat it right away. Or, if you don't want no fuss, you can just bite all the way through it. The waffles was lacking of sweetness, but the chocolate chips managed to cover it up right away. Overall, I'm giving an 8 out of 10 for Eggo. 

Next time you go to Summarecon Mall Bekasi, why not stop by at the waffle stand and give yourself a try!

Peek-a-boo!

Enjoy your share of waffle

Summarecon Mall Bekasi

Jalan Bulevard Ahmad Yani Blok M

Sentra Summarecon Bekasi 17412

Basement, BF-IC-16

Opening Hours: 10 AM - 10 PM

Yourganic

Last week, I tasted the fanciest and most expensive milk in my life. Unlike your regular milk that you usually buy at the supermarket - the ones that came out from a cow's udder - this milk is made out of raw almonds. It shares the same concept as soy milk, as both drinks were made from nuts, it's just that they use almonds instead of soybeans. 

It goes by the name Yourganic. 

Ever since Yourganic became one of the hippest highly-recommended healthy product in society, a lot of people are dying to get a taste of its' famous almond-based milk. It has become popular among Indonesian Instagram celebrities, such as @pupupaula, @soniaeryka, @anazsiantar, and many more. Yourganic continuously gets great feedbacks from its' consumers because of its' vision to offer an alternative way for us to enjoy our glass of milk. 

The positive benefits that you can get from drinking a bottle of Yourganic is endless. Other than the fact that it improves women's health and mood during menstruation, it increases stamina and also contains lots of vitamin that is good for one's body. On the one hand, it balances your daily mood, plus it clear acne and blemishes from your face. Last, but not least, it can boost one's libido and increase endurance in your sexual function, not to mention the percentage of improvement in fertility that a woman can undergo exceeds expectation. 

I got the chance to try out its' best selling product, which is the Maca flavored raw almond milk. Maca itself is a kind of plant, a type of nuts to be exact, that is believed to be a medicinal herb and an aphrodisiac. I have never tasted one before, nor seen one - heck, I just found out that a kind of plant like Maca exists in this world! - so, you can imagine how excited I was.

Now, before I get to the part where I explain about its' texture and flavor, I would like to recall the opinion from most people of how healthy food tasted disgusting, while unhealthy food is often delicious - so that you can get the mental picture of how this non-dairy product tasted like.

I have to be honest, Yourganic's Maca flavored raw almond milk did tasted a bit weird and funky. The liquid has this clumpy and nutty texture. I even bumped into some nut bits twice! It has a strong almond scent, which is quite nice. As expected from a nut-based milk, it tasted like its' main nut ingredient: almond. Creamy and milky on the one side, and it also had this hint of caramel flavor in it. It was nice and quite enjoyable, yet I'm not very fond of it. Mom, on the other hand, loved the milk so much she ended up being the one who finished it. 

For those vegetarians out there, you ought to try this product. Yourganic is also good for those who are on diets and for those who are trying to lose some weight. Yes, a bottle of milk can be quite expensive (I bought mine for Rp38.000,00), but it worths the price to be healthy. Don't mind about the funky texture and flavor, I bet you will enjoy it eventually in the end.

For more information, you can check out their Instagram and blog.