"Tie, aku pingin makan soto enak," ucap gue tengah sedang memasukkan tangan ke dalam kantung persembahan. Entah ada angin apa, dan dari mana, mendadak gue pengen banget makan soto. Padahal, beberapa menit sebelumnya, gue sedang berkhayal menyantap makanan-makanan cantik ala tempat makan di daerah Senopati yang lagi booming. Mendadak lidah gue ngotot pingin makan sup bening yang rasanya gurih nan mantap tersebut. "Ya udah, nanti abis kebaktian, kita ke Soto Kudus Blok M," balas nyokap. Lantas, beberapa menit menjelang berakhirnya kebaktian di Gereja Kristen Indonesia, Kebayoran Baru, pikiran gue hanya, dan hanya, terfokuskan dengan bayangan kuah soto dan suwiran ayam.
Selesai kebaktian, gue dan nyokap langsung gerak cepat ke mobil - meskipun sebelumnya mampir dulu ke beberapa tukang jajanan yang udah memarkirkan gerobak dagangannya di depan pintu gereja dan membeli beberapa jajanan untuk kami cemilin dalam perjalanan menuju rumah makan Soto Kudus Blok M. Gue membeli seporsi kue bandros, sementara nyokap membeli sepuluh buah kue cucur. Iya, kami rakus.
Ini pertama kalinya gue mengunjungi Soto Kudus Blok M setelah bertahun-tahun ngelewatin doang setiap Minggunya dalam perjalanan gue ke gereja. "Emangnya jam segini udah buka, Tie," tanya gue ke nyokap. "Soto Kudusnya udah buka dari pagi kok," balasnya, "dari jam delapan udah buka, kalau nggak salah." Memang kalau jodoh nggak kemana.
Great lighting at Soto Kudus Blok M and it was 10 in the morning
I wonder which drinks I should have.
The list of dishes at Soto Kudus Blok M
Some kerupuk to accompany your bowl of soto with
Sesampainya di Soto Kudus Blok M, gue dan nyokap langsung menempati meja yang kosong. Untungnya, karena saat itu masih dua jam menuju jam makan siang, masih banyak meja yang kosong jadinya gue dan nyokap nggak harus rebutan kursi dengan pengunjung lainnya. Kami langsung memesan dua porsi Soto Kudus, beserta dua piring nasi, ditambah dengan segelas air putih dan segelas teh tawar.
Sayangnya, meskipun restoran yang berlokasi di Jalan Wijaya ini udah buka dari jam delapan pagi, ada beberapa pilihan lauk pauk yang masih belum tersedia. Gue sampai dua kali mengganti pesanan gue karena keterbatasan lauk yang bisa gue pilih pagi-pagi. Jadi, ceritanya seperti ini..
"Mas, minta paru goreng ya," pesan gue kepada si Mas, yang kemudian dibalas dengan, "Maaf, Mbak, paru gorengnya masih belum dibikin." Berusaha untuk meredam emosi dan menahan nafsu untuk menggebrak meja, lantas gue memutuskan untuk memesan lauk lain, "Ya udah, kalau gitu, sate jantung aja deh, Mas." dan dibalas dengan, "Sate jantungnya juga belum ada, Mbak." Emosi jiwa dan raga, tapi sepertinya mood gue lagi agak manusiawi pagi itu, jadinya gue berserah pada Masnya dengan memesan seporsi baceman. "Oh, kalau tahu dan tempe bacem, nanti langsung disediain kok, Mbak." Dari yang tadinya nafsu untuk menggebrak meja, jadi nafsu untuk naik ke atas meja sambil lempar-lemparin kursi.
Telur Asin, anyone?
Some otak-otak too, perhaps?
Selang sepuluh menit kemudian, Soto Kudus pesanan gue dan nyokap disajikan di meja. Selain itu, dua porsi nasi dan sepiring lauk pauk yang beraneka ragam juga menghiasi meja kami dengan cantiknya. Potongan jeruk nipis pun juga ada; karena orang waras mana yang nggak makan Soto dengan jeruk nipis?
Disajikan di atas piring, pilihan lauk yang beragam ini mengingatkan gue akan situasi saat gue makan di restoran Padang. Rame banget, masing-masing lauk ada satu macam; ada telur pindang, sate telur puyuh, tahu bacem dan tempe bacem, perkedel, bakwan jagung, dan telur dadar otak. Iya, otak. Otaknya digoreng bareng dengan telur.
Masih agak emosi karena paru goreng dan sate jantung pilihan gue nggak ada, akhirnya gue memutuskan untuk menyantap Soto gue dengan tambahan telur asin, tahu bacem, tempe bacem, dan kerupuk kulit. Rakus, ya? Biarin.
My Soto came with a plenty side dishes
Choose your side dish wisely!
My favorite!
Soto Kudus memiliki cara penyajian yang cukup unik, yaitu di dalam mangkuk yang tergolong kecil. Isinya pun beragam, sama seperti bagaimana soto pada umumnya; ada suwiran ayam, tauge, potongan daun bawang, taburan berambang goreng, dan irisan tomat.
Harusnya sih ya, kalau di tempat asalnya langsung, Soto Kudus itu memakai suwiran daging kerbau, bukan daging ayam ataupun daging sapi. Konon katanya, warga Muslim asal Kudus menghormati penduduk beragama Hindu yang juga berdomisili di Kudus, jadinya mereka lebih memilih untuk menggunakan daging kerbau dan bukan daging sapi. Nah, mungkin karena keterbatasan sumber daya daging kerbau di kota metropolis ini, Soto Kudus Blok M lebih memilih untuk memakai daging ayam. Lebih ke cari aman sebenarnya; karena kota metropolis mana yang akan kekurangan pasokan daging ayam?
My bowl of Soto Kudus Blok M
Soto Kudus ala Soto Kudus Blok M ini kuahnya gurih banget, agak kecut dan manis, dan bakalan lebih mantap lagi kalau ditambah dengan sari-sari jeruk nipis - sayangnya, waktu itu, gue udah terlalu nafsu untuk menyantap Soto Kudus gue sampai-sampai lupa nambahin perasan jeruk nipis. Soto ini pun memiliki tingkat umami yang cukup tinggi. Yah, setidaknya sesuai dengan selera gue. Enak banget pokoknya, nggak bohong!
Awalnya gue agak panik karena porsi nasinya lumayan banyak. Berhubung sebelum menyantap soto gue udah nyemilin kue bandros lima potong, gue khawatir nasinya bakalan nggak habis. Eh, ternyata habis juga, tuh. Bahkan Sotonya pun habis sampai tetes kuah terakhir. Memang pada dasarnya Soto Kudus Blok M itu enak banget. Gue yang setengah kenyang pun berhasil menyantap ludes porsi makanan gue. Atau, mungkin memang guenya yang rakus.
Yum!
Buat para pecinta soto, kalian wajib cobain Soto Kudus ala Soto Kudus Blok M ini. Gue sih memang bukan food expert yang udah pernah mencicipi berbagai jenis soto, sampai bisa memilah-milah soto mana yang enak dan soto mana yang palsu, tapi santapan asal Kudus yang satu ini memang benar-benar enak. Nyokap gue pun bilang begitu! Kalau nggak percaya sama gue, percaya lah sama nyokap gue.
Gue saranin datang ke restoran ini mendekati jam makan siang, atau jam makan malam, dengan harapan lauk yang mau kalian pesan udah tersedia di dapur dan tinggal dimasak. Jadi nggak harus emosi jiwa raga dulu kayak gue.
An hour has passed the twelve hundred hours when Anggita, Ambar, and I arrived at the destined gyudon restaurant. We turned up an hour early than our lunch reservation, but since we were not familiar with Sudirman Citywalk - as it was our first ever visit to the hang out place and we didn't know the whereabouts of whatever shop that we could waste our minutes at - we decided to enter the dining place and checked in for lunch on Path.
Negiya Donburi, located at a corner on the first floor of Sudirman Citywalk, is a Japanese restaurant focusing on donburi as its' main menu. For those who are not yet familiar with what donburi is, or rice bowl dish literary translated, it is a bowl of rice with side dish on top. You can put whatever meat, vegetable, and sauce on top of it and it will still be called donburi. For example, a bowl of rice topped with beef will be called gyudon -gyu means beef in Japanese and the donburi is shortened into don because that is how things work. The same goes with unagi donburi, abbreviated as unadon, which is a bowl of rice topped with grilled eel; and katsudon, or katsu donburi, which is rice topped with whatever deep fried meat cutlet (generaly pork), egg, and condiments.
Fortuna was on my side as I was invited by Pak Ferdinand, the manager of Negiya Donburi, to be one of the early birds that could get a first bite of the new menus that are going to be released by the time you read this blog post. Even just with its' signature menu, the Menya Gyutan Don - in which was brought directly from Melbourne, Australia, in collaboration with the O-Bento Group - Negiya Donburi has climbed the ladder of popularity. Just imagine how well known the gyudon restaurant can be with their list of new and interesting menu!
Ambar, Anggita, Pak Ferdinand, and I
The concept of Negiya Donburi's dining place is very simple and efficient. As expected from a chain of fast-food restaurant, instead of making the restaurant look more appealing so that people will feel comfortable spending hours munching and chit-chating, Negiya Donburi focusses more on the quantity of the table available for the customer to indulge their meal. The more people come to the restaurant, the more there is to sale, the more profit the restaurant gets. Smart thinking, don't you think?
The dominating red color of Negiya Donburi makes the restaurant seems warm, cozy, and somewhat homey. True, the restaurant may be lacking of decorations as there were only a few frames of Japanese related paintings and photos, but the one wall that has hand drawn sketches of cartoon cats was more than enough to attract's people's attentions.
I thought the place would be crowded during rush hours
Party of four, please!
The sight of the inner dinning area
Loving the hand-drawn wall
This rope would come in handy
Can you believe that this painting is hand drawn?
Infused Water - Strawberry, Lemon, and Mint Leaf
We were about to chose which beverage to have to quench our thirst when one of the waitress took the liberty of recommending us one of the specialties in Negiya Donburi, the infused water.
Negiya Donburi's infused water came in four different kinds, in which each is infused with three different elements of food stuff. The one that we had was the one with strawberry, lemon, and mint leaf in it.
I love the presentation of the cold beverage. Other than the fact that the drink itself looked pretty and colorful, the jar-shaped glass used to contained it added an extra point. I could definitely tasted all the ingredients used to make the infused water; there was a hint of strawberry here and there, with a dash of minty sensation, plus the zesty and refreshing lemon that added a little kick into it.
"The infused water is very light and very suitable to be consume when you are about to have a set of meaty lunch," said Anggita. I couldn't agree more.
My glass of infused water
This water was infused with strawberry, lemon, and mint
As expected from a Japanese fast-food restaurant, it didn't take long for our dishes to be served. First came Negiya Donburi's signature dish, the Menya Gyutan Don, followed by a couple set of Original Chicken Karaage and a platter of Spicy Chicken Karaage. A few minutes later, when we had not even touch our bowl of Menya Gyutan Don yet, came the line of new dishes that are going to be launched, which were Green Chilly Beef Bowl, Japan Steak Don, and LA Karubi Don. It was pretty hectic and the table was occupied with multiple colors of food and side dishes. I was overwhelmed, yet got slightly disorientated as well.
They were one dish away from becoming piglets
Menya Gyutan Don
Menya Gyutan Don consisted of a mountain of warm and glutinous rice, topped with well cooked meat, and decorated with cuts of red chilly, green chilly, spring onion, and garlic. With a very simple, yet appealing presentation, Negiya Donburi's flagship menu managed to take captive of my heart. The color combination of the grayish brown meat and the colorful garnishment was simply gorgeous!
The meat that they used in Menya Gyutan Don was beef tongue, and I was very surprised when Pak Ferdinand told me this because it looked very much like how normal beef would look like. I didn't know about it until the last minute we were about to leave the restaurant. "I didn't tell you guys that the meat that we use is beef tongue because I don't want to scare you off," explained Pak Ferdinand. Wise. Fortunately, Anggita, Ambar, and I are not the type of people who would get grossed out easily, so we dug in anyway.
"The word "gyutan" literary means beef tongue in English, so it's pretty obvious to say the truth," he added. Guilty as charge. I blame myself for continuously skipping Japanese extracurricular class during High School.
Menya Gyutan Don
At first, I thought the rice bowl dish would be an explosion of sweetness - you know, like how teriyaki would taste like? - but, I was stand corrected. The Menya Gyutan Don was in fact savory, with a high level of umami. The beef tongue was tender, like how beef would taste like, but it had this slight rubbery and flossy texture that differs from beef. I love how the garnishment added an extra kick and brought out the flavor of the beef even more.
The dish turned out not like how I expected it would be, but in a good and delicious way that one can still definitely enjoy, especially those who favor savory dishes more than sweet dishes. Oh, and may I add that this dish is very suitable for heavy eaters, with its' pile of warm rice and generous amount of sliced beef tongue?
Can you believe that meat is tongue?
Chicken Karaage - Spicy and Original
I'm not fond of Negiya Donburi's Chicken Karaage simply because it had too much fat and oil in it, plus it tasted too salty for me. The same goes for Anggita and Ambar. However, I liked the spicy sauce poured over the Spicy Chicken Karaage as it was sweet and spicy, and it had this rough texture of a Korean hot pepper paste which I like.
On the other hand, the carrot and radish salad that came with it tasted more delicious than the main star itself. I just love how the salad was well marinated, but not wet and soaky like the one that Hoka Hoka Bento has. It went well with the spicy mayonnaise that came with the Original Chicken Karaage. I ended up devouring all three sets of salad because it tasted too good.
Spicy Chicken Karaage
Chicken Karaage with Spicy Mayo
Not my favorite karaage
Green Chilly Beef Bowl
This soon-to-be-launched set of meal consists of a bowl of warm rice with well cooked beef and onion poured on top of it, and topped with a dollop of green chilly, or sambal hijau literary translated into Indonesian. Now, who would have thought that a fusion between Japanese cuisine and Sumatran cuisine exists? Well, if you are a curious gastronomer like me, you must definitely order this new dish named Green Chilly Beef Bowl.
The meat that they used in this particular beef was very thin and had a generous amount of fat in it, making the beef extra tender with an addition of chewiness from the curly fat to the point that they almost melt in your mouth at one bite. They are cooked with a handful of chopped onion, which didn't stand out much but still added a wee bit of seasoning into the dish. I enjoyed eating this new kid in town so much simply because of the tender beef and chewy fat.
I do have to warn you that the sambal hijau was very hot and slightly bitter- and, may I remind you, that you are hearing this from a person who can't handle spicy food - yet, it played a big part in adding flavor into the dish. Just a spoonful of all of the food stuff in the bowl would take you to Japan and Sumatra at the same time. I am aware by the fact that the culture combination in this dish is uncommon, but it worked out just fine. Great in fact! If Japan and Sumatra have a love child, this would be it.
Green Chilly Beef Bowl
Just look at those fatty beef!
*excessively drooling*
Japan Steak Don
Japan Steak Don is my favorite! This dish consisted of (again, and forever will be) a mountain of warm rice, a set of medium well cooked beef tenderloin, a sunny side up, and garnished with sweet soy sauce and fried chopped garlic. I'm a big fan of fried garlic, so it was very pleasant and enjoyable for me to eat this baby up.
Judging from the ingredients used to make this dish, Japan Steak Don seemed like a fusion between America and Japan. You have the beef tenderloin and the sunny side up from the USA, while the rice, sweet soy sauce, and the fried chopped garlic used as condiments screamed Japan! Japan! Japan! I had quite a struggle to tried to work it out between both culture, but it just didn't blend as smooth as the Green Chilly Beef Bowl. Personally, I don't find the food combination in this dish worked well with each other, but that doesn't mean that each elements had its' own deliciousness.
I love the medium-well cooked beef tenderloin. As you can see in the picture bellow, the color spectrum of the steak was simply gorgeous and appealing; grayish brown on the outer ring with pink center. True, the steak would definitely tasted better if it was paired with a heap of creamy mashed potato, but it was fine with the rice and condiments. The sweet soy sauce made the steak tasted even better.
On the other hand, the combination of sunny side up with rice and condiments tasted like how breakfast at home a few years back tasted like. Mom used to make me eat rice with fried egg and soy sauce before I went to school every morning when I was in Elementary School, and this dish definitely reminded me of it.
Japan Steak Don
LA Karubi Don
LA Karubi Don had a strong Korean presence in it. Other than the fact that the beef short ribs were garnished with shredded scallions that were bathed in Korean hot pepper paste, the dish also came with a set of Kimchi.
"Give me the Kimchi," said Anggita, "let's see if its' authentic Korean Kimchi or not." Since Ambar and I were not fond of Kimchi that much, we handed over the Kimchi to the Kimchi expert and let her decide whether or not its' up to her standards.
While Anggita busy devouring the Kimchi, Ambar and I dug into the grilled beef short ribs that tasted sweet from the soy sauce used to cook it with. Boy, were they tasted superb and amazing! The meat was tender, well cooked, and it had this amount of sweetness just perfect for my taste. Even though it was quite a challenge to peel the meat off of the bone and that the rubber-like fat was not the least bit enjoyable, it still taste delicious.
"Yep, this is real Korean Kimchi," said Anggita out of the blue. She was very satisfied with how the Kimchi tasted like authentic Korean Kimchi that she ate at the home country of K-Pop. I had to take a bite of the Kimchi to see Anggita's point, but sadly it just tasted like how spicy fermented cabbage supposed to taste like for me: sour, bitter, spicy, and tangy.
LA Karubi Don
The beef bowl came with some Kimchi
Who wouldn't love this dish?
Mochi Ice Cream - Tiramisu, Mango, and Red Bean
"I hope you still have some room left for dessert, said Pak Ferdinand. His words was music to my ear, emphasizing on the "dessert". I asked him whether this particular dessert that we were about to have is also a new menu that is going to be launched soon and was replied with, "No, it's our old menu. We haven't any plan yet to take our dessert menu to the next level, so we're sticking with the mochi ice cream." Did he say "mochi ice cream"? My heart pounded in excitement.
A few minutes later, the waitress came out from the kitchen with three small bowls of what it seemed to be our mochi ice cream. They came in three different flavors, which were Tiramisu, Red Bean, and Mango. Each mochi ice cream was sliced into four pieces, making Anggita, Ambar, and I able to taste all of them evenly.
Mochi Ice Cream for dessert, woohoo!
For those who fancy fruity ice cream, you ought to try this particular Mango Mochi Ice Cream when you visit Negiya Donburi. The sweet and thin layer of mochi enveloped a joyous scoop of mango ice cream that bursts mango galore in your mouth in just one bite. I love how creamy and milky the ice cream was, and the fact that the mango flavor was not sweetly sickening deserves a two thumbs up.
A surprise awaits as you bite into the center of the mochi ice cream, as there was a ribbon of strawberry sorbet in the middle that would make you question that such delicious dessert exists. I'm not a big fan of strawberry sorbet, but this one is simply enjoyable, and it went well with the milky mango ice cream.
Mango Mochi Ice Cream
Delightful strawberry sorbet in the middle, yum!
"At first I thought it was Vanilla Mochi Ice Cream because I couldn't taste anything other than vanilla when I bite into the mochi," said Anggita, "but then I could distinguish the red bean aftertaste when the cold substance has gone from my mouth." Emphasizing Anggita's point, the Red Bean Mochi Ice Cream didn't have a strong red bean flavor in it. True, it may have bits of red beans inside the ice cream - which was very enjoyable for me as I love ice cream that has something to chew in it - but we didn't feel its' strong presence.
The mochi ice cream might not be any of our favorites, but it was still delicious and delightful to indulge. Highly suggested for Japanese-dessert lovers, whose world revolts around matcha and azuki.
Red Bean Mochi Ice Cream
Can you see those red bean bits inside?
Last, but not least, is the Tiramisu Mochi Ice Cream. Ambar and I were very fond of this certain dessert because we think that this is, by far, the best Negiya Donburi's mochi ice cream that we ever tasted - we even threw a rock, paper, scissors, to decide who will have the last piece of the mochi ice cream. It's a good thing Fortuna was on my side.
The slightly bitter, yet sweet, mochi layer wrapped a generous amount of Tiramisu ice cream that had bits of bitter dark chocolate in it. I just love love love the milky and creamy, sweet and bitter, Tiramisu ice cream. I would definitely come back for more!
Tiramisu Mochi Ice Cream, my favorite!
Yes, darling, come to mommy!
And, with that, our lunch came to an end. We are very much satisfied with how the food's presentation and taste exceeded our expectations at Negiya Donburi, and that the friendly crew and welcoming staff were very pleasing. Even though the lunch menu didn't turn out like how we thought they would be, they were all surprisingly delicious and, like what the title says, "unexpected".
The next time you visit Citywalk Sudirman, you ought to pay a visit to Negiya Donburi. Tag along some friends and family members to dine in and indulge on one of the most famous donburi in Jakarta. You won't regret a single minute you spend at this restaurant!
Ain't no Power Puff Girls, or the Totally Spies, can beat this squad
Big thanks to Kak Oliv, whom without her, this blogspot wouldn't exist.
A million hugs and kisses to the Shabu Ghin crew, Pak Greg, Kak Novi, and Kak Wisnu whose kindness exceeds the fairy godmother herself. If it weren't for you guys, I would still be a Shabu Ghin virgin until God-knows when.
✈ ✈ ✈
Me, Gita, and the Shabu Ghin crew
Unlike Gita, who happens to have eaten shabu-shabu before, I was a shabu-shabu virgin to tell the truth. I know not the origins of the delicacies, nor the food stuff contained in it. Heck, I didn't even know how to indulge in the dish properly! So, when I found out that I was invited by the Shabu Ghin crew to attend it's grand opening event, I went straight to cloud nine.
It was at noon when Gita and I arrived at the shabu-shabu restaurant - fifteen minutes into it's opening hour and the restaurant was unoccupied with crowds of hungry citizens. As an early bird, I was rewarded with a parking lot for my car. Usually, it is a bit of a challenge to get a parking space at most restaurants in Senopati because they generally only provide four, up to six, parking lots; and did I mention that the traffic is sickening?
We didn't struggle that much to locate the restaurant. Just across Seven Eleven, you just can't miss the black colored building of the restaurant, with its' eye catching white colored Japanese writings.
Definitely can't miss it
We were about to set foot into the restaurant when the staff opened the restaurant door for us and greeted us with the brightest smile ever. The waitresses then welcomed us and confirmed about whether we already have reservation, or not, in the most proper and friendliest manner they can ever bring out. No, seriously, the waitresses were beyond friendly I ended up nodding my head all the time to express gratitude every time they said something to me. "Selamat datang," she said, I nodded. "Sudah ada reservasi sebelumnya," she asked, I nodded. "Maaf, mbak, sudah ada reservasi sebelumnya," she confirmed, I snapped out of consciousness and spoke human language.
We were then escorted to our table by one of the waitresses and was given a menu. She offered to help us in terms of choosing the meat to indulge, which I accepted because I know nothing about this set of food.
I just love how this particular waitress explained to us about the details of the meat and the basic flavor of the soup used for the hot pot. She even narrowed down our food options and gave recommendations about which one we should have. How great is that, right?
Some waitress that I have encountered in my life can be ignorant about the food served at the restaurant they work at and they can be rude as well, which is an instant loss of appetite. But, here, at Shabu Ghin, you will only find the friendliest, most welcoming, and knowledgable staff you can ever find, yet. 50 points for Shabu Ghin!
Look at that happy face behind the menu board
What to chose?
There were three kinds of beef available at Shabu Ghin, which were the Special Beef, the US Premium Beef, and the Wagyu Beef. We couldn't decide which set of beef we should take because all of them looked super appealing. In details, the waitress explained the differences between each meat. "Special Beef itu dagingnya tipis dan empuk, dan lemaknya sedikit. Beda dengan US Premium yang banyak lemaknya. Dagingnya lembut juga, hanya saja lemaknya lebih banyak ketimbang dua daging lainnya. Nah, untuk Wagyu Beef, dia memiliki tekstur kelembutan yang sama seperti US Premium, hanya saja lemaknya sangat sedikit dan di permukaannya ada motif marble."
As for the soup, you can choose up to five different selections of flavored broth with an additional Rp29.000,00 each. There were five kinds of soup, which were the Original Konbu, Chicken Mizutaki, Spicy Tonyu, Spicy Seafood, and Sukiyaki.
Again, the waitress was very detailed in explaining the basic flavor of the soup, which was very helpful for me and Gita to make it easier for us to chose which we would have. "Kalau Spicy Tonyu itu hampir mirip rasanya dengan kuah opor, mbak. Nah, kalau Spicy Seafood itu seperti rasa Tom Yum, dan kalau Sukiyaki itu agak manis dan sedikit asin," she explained. She recommended us the Original Konbu Soup because people dig that particular flavor at Shabu Ghin. I decided to go with what she recommended to ease the curiosity. And, as for Gita, she went with the Chicken Mizutaki Soup.
Your choice of an all-you-can-eat buffet
Eating utensils
There were lots of side dishes to choose from the buffet table, and the choices varies from condiments, fruits, vegetables, raw food, and even cooked dishes. Me and Gita took a couple from every food stuff available so that we could have a taste of everything.
The raw food stuff were mostly fish related, and some of them I was not that familiar with. There was this bowl of what seemed to be orange balls, which turned out to be salmon flavored balls; cylinder shaped frozen dough with white filling, who goes by the name oborotsuki, that was actually fish balls; another bowl filled with white fish balls, raw fish, crab cakes, and seafood filled tofu.
I didn't eat vegetables that much on that day - as I only took a pair of baby bokcoy, a piece of baby corn, and a spoonful of bean sprouts - but I tried every mushroom served at the buffet table. There were brown shimeji, enoki, and shiitake mushroom, plus some more that were deep fried with tempura batter on the other side of the buffet table. Oh, and did I tell you that I don't like mushroom?
Some greens, perhaps?
Fish based raw food
Various options of edible fungus
A bowl of Oborotsuki, or fish balls
Personal favorite condiment
Chilly powder to add some taste
Strings of cold and chewy udon were also available for us to dig in
A diverse choices of Japanese cuisine and Korean cuisine were the options that we can chose from the cooked dishes. Two kinds of sushi were served on that day, but they didn't stand out much compared to the other side dishes, as they were merely cucumber filled rolled rice topped with fried shallots.
Various kinds of tempura were also served on the buffet table, such as spinach tempura, string bean tempura, onion tempura, sweet potato tempura, enoki tempura, and mushroom tempura. I'm not a big fan of the veggie tempura, especially the spinach tempura and string bean tempura, because they were very very oily. The tempura batter stood out more than the mushroom itself, blinding my tastebud about the fact that they are mushroom, so I keep finding myself craving for more of Shabu Ghin's enoki tempura and mushroom tempura.
I was not a big fan of the chicken karaage, though. They were fine, deliciously savory and crispy in fact, but I don't like how the chicken meat was oily and fatty.
I also had a bowl of gyüdon, which is basically a bowl of warm rice topped with sweet beef and onion soup. The flavor of the gyüdon was perfect for my taste - the beef was very tender and honey-like, while the savory and sweet broth was on point. I may not know the exact authenticity of a Japanese cuisine, but this dish right here truly was Japan in a pot.
Your choice of sauces
Unappealing, but tasted good!
A pot of beef soup to have your warm rice with
Sushi, anybody?
I found a unique fusion between Japanese and Italy in one of the dishes, which is the Bolognese Ramen. People usually blend spaghetti with bolognese sauce, but Shabu Ghin decided to go out of its' comfort zone and ended up creating this exceptional love child.
Two thumbs up for the chef who made the bolognese sauce because he, or she, actually used meat in the sauce mixture instead of just tomato like most restaurant do. There was actually a generous amount of meat in the sauce, and the sauce itself was rich in flavor - sweet, slightly piquant, savory from the meat, and a refreshingly sour from the tomato. On the other hand, the ramen was nicely cooked - not too hard and not too mushy - and it mixed well with the bolognese sauce. Simply enjoyable!
Now this is something you don't see everyday
My personal favorite was the chapchae!For those who are not yet familiar with what chapchae is, it is a korean cuisine consists of stir fried sweet potato noodle, with sesame oil, vegetable, beef, then topped with a handful of sesame seed. It was my first time eating chapchae and I feel in love instantly.
I just love the consistency of the chewy chapchae, plus whatever seasoning that the chef put into the dish made the sweet potato noodle tasted even better. Them beef and veggies add an extra kick, making the whole dish a burst of flavor.
My favorite side dish from Shabu Ghin!
Would definitely come back for more of this
The beverages here at Shabu Ghin is also refillable, and the drinks varies from hot to cold, juice to coffee, and sweet to bitter. I had a glass of iced ocha, while Gita had her share of hot ocha because she was having a sore throat.
I was very curious with this funky gadget that serves iced Milo and cold juice, just adjacent to the ice ocha machine. After I finished my glass of iced ocha, I proceed to the beverage corner to get me a glass of cold fusion juice. As expected, I didn't know how to operate the machine. I tried to look for a button to push so that the juice will flow into the empty glass that I have, but my search was to no avail. I ended up asking for help from one of the waitress.
"Mbak, boleh minta tolong," I asked, "ini pencet yang mana ya supaya keluar jusnya?" I bet she was laughing so hard on the inside because of how frustrated I was, but she managed to keep it cool and showed me the way to operate the machine. It turned out, the machine was equipped with touch screen. Damn it, technology!
Refillable cold and hot beverages
Hot beverages for those who have sore throat
Fresh and thrist-quenching Mango & Peach juice
And, thus the fun part begins!
I was pretty much blind about the whole shabu-shabu situation, so I let Gita to take charge in terms of cooking. "Nih, Kin, pertama-tama kamu masukin dulu yang lama matengnya, kayak bakso ikan dan sebagainya," she explained, "abis itu baru deh masukin sayur-sayuran, soalnya bakal cepet matengnya." I followed her instruction like a student following a teacher's order.
"Nah, nanti kalo kamu mau masak dagingnya, dicelupin kedalem hot potnya terus diaduk-aduk biar cepet mateng. Sebentar aja tapi dicelupinnya," she added.
Multitasking is not my forte, so I had a bit of a struggle between wanting to create a masterpiece with my hot pot and the need to take decent photographs. I eventually managed to do both, but some of my food stuff ended up overcooked because I let them swim in my Original Konbu soup for too long. But, they still tasted good, though.
Gita was so fluent in what she did with her ingredient and hot pot. She made the right choice in choosing the Chicken Mizutaki soup because the stock itself already tasted delicious, let alone adding condiments into the mixture. The savory chicken stock blended well with the garlic, chili, and chilly powder that Gita added, not to mention the fact that it was warm and bubbly, making the whole dish very enjoyable to consume. Pure bliss.
Would you look at that!
Gita's creation in her hot pot
My pot of Original Konbu tasted delicious as well! The soup is dominated with savory and piquant flavor, with a dash of sweet and sour in it. It reminded me of how Miso soup tasted like as they share similar flavor points here and there.
I followed Gita's instruction and put in the fish balls first, followed by the veggies and udon. I had fun cooking them raw ingredients, but it was one hell of a task.
My share of original flavored soup
Put some fish in it
My favorite were the salmon flavored balls and the oborotsuki. They tasted like how fish balls are supposed to taste, but each had a slight different flavor that stood out more compared to the other seafood ingredients.
As I said before, I'm not fond of mushroom, yet I ate every single mushroom-related food stuff available on that day. I couldn't figure out the flavor differences among enoki, brown shimeji, and shiitake mushroom, but if I have to choose which one that tasted yucky the least, it would probably be the enoki.
To me, all mushroom tasted yucky. Yet, I keep on eating them in hope that, one day, I can open my heart for mushroom and eventually fancy them.
What was inside my hot pot
We were overwhelmed by the fact that we get to try all three kinds of meat - Shabu Ghin's Special Beef, Shabu Ghin's US Premium Beef, and Shabu Ghin's Wagyu Beef - all of it for free and we can refill the meat as much as we want. We questioned it at first, but then the waitress who was with us earlier came back and explained that, "Karena mbak adalah tamu undangan, jadi kami akan menyediakan semua jenis daging yang kami punya untuk mbak coba." Lord Almighty..
I love the simple, yet elegant presentation of the meat. The three of them were sliced so evenly and thinly, and were served in a different colored container - the specials in black, the premium in white, and the wagyu in dark brown; stacked according to the price range of each beef set.
Gita taught me how to cook the beef in the hot pot, which is to grab a slice with a chopstick, dip it into the soup, stir it for a few seconds until it gradually changes its' color from red to gray, then dig in. "Nih, ya, aku bikinin dulu biar kamu coba dagingnya kayak gimana," she said whilst dipping a slice of her Shabu Ghin's Special Beef into her Chicken Mizutaki soup. I observed the whole process in fascination and, to be honest, were awestruck by how fast the meat got cooked. I tried my hand at cooking the beef and it didn't take long before I could master the whole dipping action.
My personal favorite would be the US Premium Beef, as they tasted so tenderly juicy and melted in my mouth, and I couldn't help but to crave for more of those jelly like fat that makes the whole dish taste even better. Don't get me wrong, the wagyu beef were delicious too - it was even more tender than the US Premium Beef - but they were lacking of those fatty goodness that I love so much. Even the Special Beef set, which was far less pricey compared to the other two, managed to capture my attention with its' tenderness.
Special Beef Set
US Premium Beef Set
Just look at them tender and juicy fat
Wagyu Beef Set
Layers and layers of tender goodness
Here's a quick vlog of me and Gita pigging out.
Unlimited desserts were also served on the buffet table for us to enjoy - it varies from fruits, salad, jelly, and soft cream - and we had a bit of everything. We love the chocolate and vanilla pudding the most because of its' lightness and sweetness that completed our meal. I was going to get myself some green tea and vanilla ice cream, but it was unfortunate that the soft cream machine was out of order on that day.
Some pudding to end your meal
All in all, my first dining experience at Shabu Ghin was awesome! I would definitely recommend you to dine in at this shabu-shabu house when you get the chance. True, the price of the food and beverages here can be a bit expensive, especially for my fellow cadet comrades, but I don't see why you shouldn't treat yourself once in a while.
The good news is that the restaurant is currently having this special promo that lasts until the end of October, where you can dine in like Gita and I with a special 50% discount, woohoo! Oh, and did I mention that child and senior citizen who dine in at the restaurant, will get a special prize as well? How awesome is that?
I bet you are going to love the restaurant in and out. The comforting ambience of the spacy restaurant, combined with the friendly and well mannered restaurant staff, plus the delicious all-you-can-eat food and beverages will definitely make you want to come back for more. Trust me.
