Comfort Food at its Best

Dear readers,

August has been a terrible month with an endless cycle of stress and never ending problems. It seems to me that, every week, I keep on getting unfamiliar mishaps I have never encountered before, and I can't say that I'm not worn out. At one point, I had to go out of the house in search of fresh air. It was then when I found the one place that served me a combination of the best comfort food ever: Nanny's Pavilion. 

It was at Nanny's Pavilion when Howie's Banana Fudges Waffle and I became best friend. This particular waffle had all the elements to make one Kinan Luhur Wirastani as happy as a clam. The light golden brown waffle was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Garnished with chocolate syrup and caramel, Howie's Banana Fudges Waffle was rich in flavor. The tender and sweet sliced banana went well with the vanilla ice cream and a handful of almond. All of the food factors combined worked well with one another and each of them had their own uniqueness that can put a smile on my face.

I would definitely recommend this particular dessert for those of you who seek for happiness and comfort in food. True, a bad day can bring you down, but that doesn't mean you have to stay on the ground forever, right? If you happen to need a boost to get up on your feet, you might want to give Nanny's Pavilion's Howie's Banana Fudges Waffle a chance. 

Howie's Banana Fudges Waffle

Regards,

Kinan Luhur W. 

Mie Ayam Abadi

Mie Ayam Abadi restaurant in Serpong

After spending hours playing poker at the Mad Bean, I went to this Chinese restaurant that serves "one of the best pork noodle in Serpong", quoting what he said, named Mie Ayam Abadi. I ordered myself a portion of Hokkian Lo Mie Spesial Babi Panggang and the jumbo sized Mie Babi Asin.

My Hokkian Lo Mie Spesial Babi Panggang consisted of a handful of chewy hokkian noodle bathed in thick savory soup, with cuts of beef, fishballs, dried shrimp, veggies, and eggs, and garnished with a few slices of salty roasted pork. Hokkian noodle is slightly different than your regular noodle in terms of size, shape, and texture. While the average noodle is yellow in color, curly, and tender, hokkian noodle has this irregular and carefree shape - as if the noodle maker was making the noodles half-heartedly - and it has this broken white color. 

When I saw the presentation of the dish that I ordered, I immediately regret my decision. My Hokkian Lo Mie didn't look appealing at all - it looked like a goo of tentacles. I was aware by the fact that Hokkian Lo Mie is a type of noodle cooked in thick and heavy soup, as the waitress explained to me beforehand as I was looking through the menu, but it didn't cross my mind that it would look unappetizing. 

But, then, I said to myself to give it a try. I'm always up for anything new anyway, so I took a spoonful of the Lo Mie and dig in . . 

Hokkian Lo Mie Spesial Babi Panggang

It was delicious! True, it did not look like how I expect it would be, but it was still delicious. I love love love love love the hokkian noodle. I love it so much! I love how the noodle had this chewy texture and dough-like, yet slightly savory, flavor. 

The soup, on the other hand, was very thick and flavorful. It tasted both savory and salty, and it had this hint of fish sauce in which was enhanced by the dried shrimps. I'm not a big fan of the fish balls though, as well as the rubber-like beef cuts. And last, but not least, was the mouth-watering salty roasted pork slices on top. It completed the Hokkian Lo Mie like how a cherry would complete a bowl of Ice Cream Sundae. 

All in all, even if my Hokkian Lo Mie Spesial Babi Panggang didn't look pretty, it actually tasted pretty damn fine! 

Just like the name of the dish, Bern's Mie Babi Asin tasted salty. The already-salty hokkian noodle was topped with slices of salty roasted pork, then bathed in salty broth, so it was just plain salty. It was less flavorful compared to my dish, but it tasted fine as well.

Mie Babi Asin Jumbo

I would definitely pay another visit to Mie Ayam Abadi restaurant when I get the chance and order myself a different dish to try. You should too when you are around the neighborhood! Just, make sure you come to the restaurant when your tummy is super empty, like I did, because the serving of the noodle is pretty generous. Finish the whole thing and your brain will stop working. We, Indonesian, refer to it as kenyang bego: a state where you are over gorged with food your brain malfunctions and isn't synchronized with your body.  

Mie Ayam Abadi

RUKO Mendrisio 3, Blok B No. 28

Jalan Boulevard Illago, Gading Serpong

Opening Hours

Monday - Sunday: 7AM - 9PM

Contact:

(+62) 21 2987 1682

(+62) 812 8607 2819

The Mad Bean: Coffee & Milkshake

The Mad Bean: Coffee & Milkshake

I was introduced to this compact and cozy coffee shop located in Gading Serpong. It goes by the name the Mad Bean, owned by a particular close friend named Dimas. The coffee shop is very simple, yet very attractive, and it has this kind of comforting ambience. There are board games available in the coffee shop if you want to play games with the gang while gulping on a big glass of sweet and creamy Banana Milkshake. Yet, the coffee shop is also recommended if you want to spend some quality time with your book and a cup of good Cappuccino. 

Cute door sign of the coffee shop

Sunset was only a few minutes away

At the Mad Bean, you can find good quality and budget friendly food and beverages. Free WiFi is also available in the coffee shop and the internet connection was rather fast compared to some coffee shop that I have been to. 

At first, I was going to go for the Cappuccino, but my stomach was pretty empty at that time and I don't want to risk anything that would make my stomach acid piles up, so I went for the Banana Milkshake instead. 

My Banana Milkshake had a very simple look, served in a big glass and topped with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream. As expected, the milkshake was very creamy and heavy, thank God I made the right choice of beverage that would fill the slot in my stomach fine. It had this nice and balanced level of sweetness, and the banana pretty much dominated the whole flavor of the milkshake - which was a good thing, because I don't like milkshake that tasted sugary. I just love the ice cream on top so much! If only Dimas put another generous scoop, then my milkshake would be perfect. 

My glass of Banana Milkshake

Spot any minions?

The coffee shop was not that crowded back then, so Dimas had the luxury of joining our table for a game of cards. We ended up spending hours playing poker. It was my first time playing poker and I got pretty lucky with the whole full houses and straights. 

I would definitely go back to the coffee shop to try its' fine selection of caffeinated beverages. Who knows, Dimas might let me make my own cup of late. It has been a while since the last time I draw on espresso anyway. 

The sight of the Mad Bean coffee shop

Adorable chalkboard to brighten up the walls

The Mad Bean

Ruko Glaze 2, Block C No. 15

Gading Serpong (Near to Summarecon Mall Serpong) 

Tangerang, 15810

Opening Hours:

Tuesday - Sunday: 11.30 AM - 11 PM

Contact:

(+62) 813 8130 5326