Warung Pasta

If you're in the mood to chow down on good quality pasta with student-friendly price, then Warung Pasta is the place that you have to visit. Located at Kalimalang, WarPas is a bit tricky to find because of its' petite physic and it is hidden behind a towering tree. Even the billboard sign is clouded with tree branches. If you're coming from Jalan Caman Raya, you just have to go straight on Jalan K.H. Noer Alie and the restaurant will be on your left. 

Ambar, my chubby dorm mate, and I paid a visit to the pasta house and had some nice spaghetti for early dinner. Mine was a plate of Spicy Tako, consisted of your choice of pasta with olive oil, octopus, boiled egg, nori, and chilly pepper - in other words, I was having myself a plate of seafood pasta. The spaghetti is available in three portions: small, medium, and large. I went for the medium portion that costed me Rp25.000,00. 

My spaghetti was deliciously creamy and slightly fishy in a good way. I just love how the chef soft-boiled my egg. The yolk was slightly runny, while the egg white was a bit squishy even when it was nicely formed. I just love the flavor combination between the yolk and the creamy savory spaghetti. And the best part was, the creamy sauce didn't give me nausea like how creamy spaghetti usually does, which is an A+ for me. 

The savory and creamy Spicy Tako

Ambar had a plate of Meatlover Spaghetti. Consisted of your choice of pasta with meat sauce, minced meat, and cheese, this particular spaghetti tasted like the usual spaghetti marinara. The tomato sauce was very strong, and it was lacking of minced meat like they promised. It didn't taste that bad, but if I were Ambar, I would probably go for a different menu. 

Ambar's Meatlover Spaghetti

Being food lovers, Ambar and I, a medium portion of spaghetti just won't do, so we decided to order another dish: pizza pie. The pizza that we had was the Cheeze Me Up Pizza Pie, consisted of three kinds of cheese, crusty edges, and layered dough. I really enjoyed the combination of cheese and tomato sauce as its' topping, yet I'm not quite fond of the pie dough. It was thick and it had layers like pastry dough, but the taste was just a bit off.

The sight of the Cheeze Me Up Pizza Pie

Want some?

Overall, I would give this place 3 stars out of 5. Extra points for the budget-friendly price and the various portion. Definitely love the menu, with its' wide varieties of pasta and choice of seasoning, not to mention an endless selection of appetizer and dessert. Worth a visit!

Warung Pasta

Jalan K.H. Noer Alie, No. 1

Kalimalang Plaza, Bekasi

JOIN: Kedai Kopi Bulungan

JOIN is the name of a coffee shop - a petite joint located at Bulungan, South Jakarta, where you can enjoy good coffee with budget-friendly price, yet high quality coffee beans. Some nights, the boys and I would just drive ourselves to the coffee shop to enjoy a sip or two of our favorite joe, and converse with endless topic like there's no tomorrow. 

Other than coffee, they also have some munchies to enjoy your beverage with. The grilled sandwich, for example, are available with various fillings such as chocolate sprinkles, cheese, Nutela, and many more. They are grilled with a sandwich toaster that would create funky pattern on the bun. The edges of the sandwich would be crusty and stiff, while the middle part would be squishy and soft. Very simple, yet deliciously enjoyable.

My chocolate sandwich

One night, the baristas were trying out their new creation named Paradise. They manually brewed their coffee beans on the spot and let their hands do the magic. I just sat there edgily, waiting for my cold beverage to be served, like a curious puppy. 

A minute later, I was served with a glass of bubbly latte. The spectrum of chocolate was mesmerizing as the color gets darker and darker from the upper part of the glass until the bottom. In the middle of the glass was a marble-like pattern created by the latte as it clashed with each other.

Paradise tasted like rainbow. There were so many flavors in one glass. I could taste the bitter coffee beans dominated the whole drink, but at the same time the sourness of the espresso hit me. There was a hint of sweetness now and then, but not that strong compared to the bitterness. Loving the bubbly and creamy texture of the drink, but the coffee was so strong I couldn't sleep the whole night and I had trouble at the ladies room in the morning. Blame me for having a weak colon.

Bubbly top

A glass of Paradise

What makes JOIN special is that even though the coffee place is very small, and located just at the corner of a sport hall, it is packed with crowds almost every night. And the people who come to the coffee shop are somewhat quirky and very artsy - very hipster like if I may say, judging from their unique ways of dressing up. 

There is no signature taste and flavor for the drinks being sold at JOIN because every barista has their own signature way of making the beverages. My favorite, and also my good pal's favorite barista, would be Brutus, a sour faced chubby guy with black wavy hair who is actually fun to talk to. Another favorite of mine was DM, a petite college guy majoring in music and art at Institut Kesenian Jakarta who plays music like non other. Too bad he resigned from the coffee shop to work towards his degree.

It has been a while since the last time I hang out at JOIN with my good pals, Galuh and Ega. I might visit the coffee shop this weekend to bring back them good old memories. What do you say, guys?

JOIN - Kedai Kopi Bulungan

Jalan Bulungan, Blok C No. 1

Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta

Mickey Mouse Pancake Pan

This is a super late post because I bought the Mickey Mouse pancake pan earlier last year.

But, I don't see why I can't brag to you guys, so here it is. 

The pancake pan that costed Mom Rp60.000,00

One day, Mom and I was shopping at Ace Hardware, a shopping place where you can get hardware products and home improvement tools. As I was strolling around the kitchen section, I notice this familiar looking object on my left. The signature big circle in the middle with two smaller circle on top made me realize that it was Mickey Mouse. But, it was better than just Mickey Mouse. It was a Mickey Mouse pancake pan! 

Mom bought it for Rp60.000,00. We took it home, washed it clean, and immediately try out its' Disney magic. Since I was not in the mood to make my own pancake batter from scratch, I decided to use an instant pancake batter I found at the Supermarket. I quickly made the mixture, turn on the fire to medium heat, and cooked me some pancakes.

The result was satisfying! I got a plate full of Mickey Mouse pancakes with slight burn here and there, but it was like how I wanted them to be. You can clearly see Mickey's face printed on the pancake. Just add some additional toppings, like ice cream, chocolate syrup, and rainbow sprinkles, turn on your Disney playlist, and voila! your very own Disneyland treats at home. 

My Mickey Mouse pancakes

Very satisfying result, right?

Photo taken by a good friend

66 Goes to Bali: La Plancha

Introducing Gavin, Alhamd, Bli Dito, and Pace Febrian

If you're looking for a great spot to enjoy sunsets with your loved one in Bali, then La Plancha is the right place for you. Located at Seminyak, La Plancha captivated the heart of local citizen and tourists with its' colorful shack and beanbags by the beach. Loud music roamed around the beach as we enjoy our drinks, and it continues until night. Even when there is a minimum payment system at La Plancha, which is Rp100.000,00 per person, the place definitely worth a visit. 

The gang and I arrived at La Plancha at around 5 in the evening. Just the right time to enjoy some drinks and chat while we wait for the sunset. The place were not that crowded at the moment, so it didn't take long for us to find some beanbags to sit on. 

I simply love the decoration of the beach bar! The colorful beanbags were beyond adorable, not to mention umbrellas were available at every table, and they were multicolored.

La Plancha

Which beanbags should I use?

Don't you just love the umbrellas? 

One of the waiter, being friendly with customer

There is a minimum payment at La Plancha, which is Rp100.000,00 per person. I decided to have myself a glass of cocktail, while the guys were having beer and smoothie. For those who are not familiar with what a cocktail is, it is a an alcoholic drink consisting of spirit and non-alcoholic ingredients, such as fruit juice, lemonade, or cream.

Full team, plus Fidh!

I've been wanting to try a Cosmopolitan ever since I drown myself in a Tv series named Sex and the City. In the series, the main character named Carrie Bradshaw proclaimed Cosmopolitan as "her drink". She never skips her favorite cocktail whenever she comes to a party. Being a curious person that I am, I just had to try this bomb.

Care for some refreshing drinks?

Bli Dito being cool

What's with the expressions?

Cosmopolitan is a  mix of vodca, triple sec, cranberry juice, and lime juice. It was pink in color and it was garnished with orange peeling on top. Same like any other alcohol, its' bitterness stung my taste buds, but it had a hint of sweetness from the cranberry juice and sourness from the lime juice. Overall, I did enjoy the Cosmopolitan, but I didn't see me in that cocktail to declare it as my "drink".

Carrie's favorite cocktail: the Cosmopolitan

The guys ordered some munchies to go along with their drink. There was the Fried Calamari and the Potato Wedges. The Fried Clamari was served in a long oval-shaped wooden plate, complete with two kinds of dipping sauce on the side. I had to give an extra point for this snack because they were well fried, so the meat was not rubbery from being overcooked, nor squishy because of its' rawness. Loving the sweet and spicy dipping sauce made from chilly oil. 

And then, there was the Potato Wedges. Served in a funky looking cone, it remind me of an ice cream sundae, minus the whipped cream and cherry on top. It also came with a bowl of dipping sauce, which I'm not that fond of compared to the calamari's set of dipping sauce. 

Fried Calamari

Have some potato!

Can't stop munching!

It didn't take long for me to finish my Cosmopolitan. Since the guys still had their beers, I decided to order me another cocktail which I was dying to try: Pina Colada. 

Ever heard the song "Pina Colada" by Jimmy Buffet? It goes

'If you like Piña Coladas, getting caught in the rain
If you're not into yoga, if you have half a brain
If you like making love at midnight in the dunes on the cape
I'm the love that you've looked for write to me and escape' 

Classic, right? Ever since I heard the song, I kept having images in my head of how a Pina Colada would taste like. Now I know. 

Pina Colada is a rum-based cocktail, with a combination of coconut cream and pineapple juice. I don't like rum that much because of its' bitter cough-syrup-like taste, but this one is an exception. Dominated by its' pineapple flavor, my Pina Colada cocktail was very refreshing. I just love the crushed pineapple bits in the drink. Not to mention, the bubbly coconut cream was delightfully delicious. 

Compared to Cosmopolitan, I like Pina Colada better. But, I still can't proclaim it as my drink as it was not "me" enough. Am I making any sense? 

My first Pina Colada

We spent hours at La Plancha chit chatting, taking pictures, singing along to the funky oldies music, and even throwing ourself into the water. The sky was a bit cloudy, but we could still enjoy the beautiful sunset at Double-six Beach. I was soaked from being thrown to the sea by Gavin and Alhamd, thank you very much guys, I ended up on the car's trunk on our way back to the hotel. 

Next time I visit Bali, I will definitely go back to La Plancha. 

Selfie with the guys who threw me into the water

Enjoying my Pina Colada with Pace Febrian

Don't get fooled by its' funky sunglasses, this guy is a tricky fellow

An overcast sky

Sunset at La Plancha

La Plancha

Mesari Beach

Between Jalan Dhyanapura and Jalan Double-six 

Seminyak, Bali

Maamoul from Mecca

For some reason, I am flooded with souvenirs this week. First, was the Roti Abon Gulung from Jayapura. Then, there's the watermelon-flavored soya milk from Ambar. Next, was Dheddy's salted duck eggs from Sidoarjo. And then, there is this Arabian biscuits named Maamoul from a friend of mine who just went for umrah to Mecca.

Maamoul biscuit from Saudi Arabia

Her name is Annisa, but she prefers to be called Caca. She is an AvGeek - an abreviation for Aviation Geek, is a person who loves planes and aircraft - whom I met at the INDODEFENCE Expo & Forum back in 2014. Since the both of us are into aircraft, even when it seems like she masters more knowledge about it more than I do, we get along quite well. 

Last Christmas holiday, she went to Mecca for umrah - a tradition the moslems do where they would visit the Kaaba and perform a series of rituals acts - and she brought back Arabian snacks for yours truly. "Since you love eating so much, here's some treats for you to enjoy," she said. 

The packaging of the biscuit

Maamoul is the name of the Arabian snack. Each box contains 16 mini packaging of the treats. They are round in shape, with simple design of flower and lines on top, and in the middle of it was the dates filling. 

The texture of the food is more like a shortbread instead of biscuits as it was very fragile and crumbly. The shortbread was very plain, mildly sweet and it didn't tasted as buttery as any other shortbread I have ever tasted before, but the sweetness from the dates saved the day. I love how the filling was thick and slightly chewy - it made the whole thing very enjoyable. A cup of Turkish Tea would probably go well with the maamoul. 

The simple design of the shortbread

Look at those thick date filling

P.S. Caca, thank you so much for the Arabian treats! I hope we can meet soon and have a culinary adventure together. 

Telur Asin Sedap Rasa

Today, I received a souvenir from my classmate named Dhedy. It was a box of salted duck eggs originated from his hometown back in Sidoarjo. Telur Asin Sedap Rasa, its' name is, produced by a man named Khoiron at Desa Kebonsari, or Kebonsari Village. 

Telur Asin Sedap Rasa

Care for some eggs?

The salted eggs were different compared to any other salted eggs I have ever eaten in my life. Instead of the usual bright blue color, the color of the egg shell was brownish black; and they were slightly bigger. The eggs were smothered in salt and was smoked, hence the burnt shell producing the dark color. You can even smell the familiar scent of charcoal sticking on them. 

I crack open an egg and was welcomed with a broken white color of the egg white and bright orange yolk in the middle. Like any other salted eggs, the texture of the eggs were very firm, gelatin-like, and very rubbery. The texture of the egg white was less firm than the yolk, yet both are slightly crumbly. 

I shared the duck eggs with my dorm mates, Gita and Ambar, and we finished the whole thing in just 15 minutes. Every bite of the egg was heaven on earth! They didn't tasted as salty as regular salted eggs do, which was nice and enjoyable for a person who's just not that into salty food like me. I just love how the thick yolk would stick onto your teeth as you chew it. Those eggs tasted so good. Too good we ended up devouring all of it instead of saving them for later. 

Don't get fooled by their covers

The yolk is the best part

P.S. Dhedy, if you're reading this, thanks a lot for the eggs. They were overwhelmingly delicious!

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