The Comfort in Bob's Buffalo Chicken Wings

All this time, I thought my comfort food was only waffles and ice cream. Turns out, I also found comfort in chicken wings - Nanny's Pavilion's Bob's Buffalo Chicken Wings to be exact - all six pieces of them. If I had more money to spend, I would definitely go for the twelve pieces. 

It took a while for my chicken wings to be served. I'm not experienced in deep frying chicken wings before, but I don't think it takes forty minutes to serve them. Do correct me if I'm wrong. 

They came in a basket, very simple, yet still appealing. They were rather small, but meaty. I have no idea what kind of sauce the chef used to marinate the chicken wings. The menu only said, "-seasoned with Nanny's special mix of spices-" and "-tossed in a hot and tangy Buffalo-style sauce.". It almost seems like a mystery sauce to me. 

To be honest, I had a hard time to recognize the flavor of the sauce. All I could get was this mild spiciness, with a hint of sweetness here and there. The flavor was not as strong as I thought it would be. It was subtle, in a good way, and I'm into it. 

It was raining, and I have this tendency to get all sappy and mellow during rainy days, and the chicken wings were the perfect company to spend my lunch time with. Very light, very understanding, very simple, and simply comforting. 

Nanny's Pavilion

Summarecon Mall Bekasi's Ground Floor

Jl. Boulevard Ahmad Yani

Bekasi Utara, 17142

Opening Hours:

Monday - Sunday: 10AM - 10PM

Contact:

(+62)21 2957 2705

(+62)21 2957 2706

Back at it Again with the Brown Fox

I made my way back to Brown Fox: Waffle & Coffee last Saturday. As I waited for my films to be developed at Modern Photo, Pasar Minggu, I decided to have brunch at my all-time favorite waffle place in Jakarta Selatan. After almost a year of not paying any visit to the dessert shop, I finally got the time to do so and enjoyed my share of crispy golden brown waffle.

I got me a plate of Salted Caramel Waffle and a glass of Strawberry Lemonade. I was a bit hesitant in ordering beverages because I can get a bit stingy even to myself sometimes. I usually prefer to not drink if the beverages are overpriced and just get myself a bottle of Aqua at the nearest Indomaret I can find. But, this time, I gave the sweet and sour Strawberry Lemonade a chance.

My crispy golden brown waffle came not long after I made my order. It was very big and it looked super appetizing. Topped with vanilla ice cream, drizzled with salted caramel sauce, and sprinkled with chopped roasted almond, the dessert was truly a sight for sore eyes.

Believe me when I say that the waffle was delicious, because it truly was! I simply love the crispy and cake-like texture of the waffle. The waffle was rather heavy, but it was okay for me. At one point, the caramel sauce was too sweet for me I got nauseous from eating too much of it. But, the cold, mildly sweet, creamy, and somewhat neutral flavor vanilla ice cream helped the big bite goes down.

The Strawberry Lemonade was thirst-quenching and simply enjoyable. I could tell that they used real lemon and strawberry to make the sweet and sour beverages because there were pulps at the bottom of the plastic glass. Unfortunately, they put too much sugar in it. As the ice dissolve into the mixture, the sugar became very strong and eclipsed both the lemon and strawberry, making it tasted as if I was drinking sugared water.

Brown Fox: Waffle & Coffee

Jalan Taman margasatwa No. 9C

Pasar Minggu, Jakarta Selatan

Opening Hours:

Monday - Sunday: 8AM - 10PM

Contact:

+62 819 9987 0041

Ubud's Taco Casa

My first burrito experience was nothing near the word "disappointment". I was overwhelmed at first, by how gigantic it is for a single portion, but I managed to devour the whole thing by myself. What was unfortunate is the fact that I was too full I couldn't manage to bring myself to order some taco.

It was at Taco Casa where I had my first burrito, a small and compact mexican restaurant at Ubud. It can fill in about twenty people in one serving, but the parking lot only fits a couple of car and a motorcycle. I didn't get any spot on my first try to park at the restaurant. I ended up having to drive a lap, came back, then parked my car at the freshly empty spot.

The place was filled with people, but there were some tables that were vacant. Mom and I got ourselves a table and immediately order.

There were not much to choose from the menu since they serve the typical Mexican food, such as taco, burrito, nacho, enchiladas, fajitas, and quesadillas. But, they do serve a wide range of meat! Steak, chicken, shrimp, they have it here, and of course with different set of price as well.

I went for the Chicken Burrito, while Mom get herself a plate of Beef Enchiladas. I have no idea what enchilada is. I just surfed the web and it's said that enchiladas are basically rolled meat-filled tortilla topped with a bucketful of tomato and chilly sauce. It kind of reminds me of lasagna, but they tasted different as lasagna uses pastry, while enchilada uses corn tortilla.

You may worry that the portion will be a bit too much for you, because it was for me, but if you're a heavy eater, you can just enjoy your meal and be merry.

My 8-layer Chicken Burrito was humongous. It was! I'm not the slightest bit joking when I say that the burrito had a bigger diameter than my wrist. Filled with chicken meat, guacamole, salsa, cheese, sour cream, rice, and two types of beans, I couldn't move after I finish my burrito.

It was delicious, but I have to say that all the ingredients wrapped inside that corn tortilla didn't have the flavor explosion that I hoped it would have. There were not one special flavor that stands out from the rest, everybody was delicious in their own way, yet they didn't blend into one orgasmic flavor. It was okay for my first burrito experience, but I think I'm more of a taco kind of girl.

Since we ate so much, Mom and I decided to order something healthy and rich-in-fiber drink. She had a glass of Pure Apple Juice, while I have me some Beetroot Carrot and Celery Pure Juice. Mom's drink was sour and sweet, like how apple juice is supposed to taste like, while mine tasted painful and it reminded me of grass. Healthy shit sure do taste horrible. Pleh!

Taco Casa
Jl. Pengosekan, Ubud - Bali

Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday: 11AM - 10PM

Contact:
+62 812 2422 2357

Lagi-lagi Martabak Manis Tipis Kering

Maaf, ya. Kayaknya gue lagi ketagihan Martabak Manis Tipis Keringnya Martabak Bro, nih. Udah dua malam berturut-turut gue pesen terus via GrabBike. Kemarin gue pesen yang isinya Oreo dan cream cheese, nah, sekarang mau coba menu yang lain.

Karena Ibu gue nggak begitu doyan makan, apalagi kalau makanannya udah aneh-aneh dan ada marshmallow-nya, jadi gue putuskan untuk memesan menu martabak manis tipis kering yang nggak terlalu neko-neko. Pilihan jatuh pada Double Choco, salah satu menu Martabak Manis Tipis Kering Spesial dari Martabak Bro yang harganya nggak begitu mahal kalau dibandingin dengan menu yang sebelumnya gue pesen, yaitu Rp33.000,00.

Ternyata yang dimaksud dengan Double Choco adalah martabak dengan adonan coklat dan isi coklat. Gue sempat kaget pas kotak dibuka dan gue menemukan martabak tipis kering gue berwarna coklat tua nyerepet hitam. Gue kira gosong, tapi ternyata memang tampilannya begitu. 

Yang ini rasanya ciamik banget. Renyahnya martabak tipis kering itu benar-benar renyah. Adonan coklat manis dan berasa coklatnya, cocok dipaduin dengan taburan mesis coklat yang menjadi isian martabaknya. Buat beberapa orang yang nggak suka manis, mungkin, nggak cocok, ya. Tapi, kalau untuk gue sih udah pas banget. 

Dan juga, kalau martabaknya dibiarin keanginan selama beberapa jam kedepan, martabaknya nggak akan jadi lembek, melempem, dan memble seperti martabak tipker isi Oreo dan cream cheese yang sebelumnya. Mungkin karena faktor basah dari cream cheese kali, ya, yang lama-lama meresap ke dalam adonan yang kering sehingga membuatnya jadi lembek. Tapi, tetap enak, kok. 

Ransum TNI: T2PJ

Ini pertama kalinya gue nyicipin ransum TNI dan ternyata enak, pakai banget! Gue sangat menyesali faktanya bahwa pembina dan pelatih yang dulu mendampingi gue, dan teman-teman calon taruna gue yang dekilnya bisa diadu sama pantat panci gosong, nggak membekali kami dengan ransum TNI macem ini.

Bayangin aja, betapa akan kenyangnya kami dimakanin Nasi Kari Ayam untuk sarapan, Nasi Sup Daging untuk makan siang, dan Nasi Ikan Bali untuk makan malam. Belum lagi saat haus dan disuguhi satu veples minuman siap seduh rasa mangga. Ampun.

Go watch my video, now! And, by the way, you can get your own Indonesian Military Ration at Tokopedia. com, that's where I got it. Selamat makan!

Martabak Manis TipKer ala Martabak Bro

I couldn't stop myself from ordering some martabak from Martabak Bro with GrabBike tonight. Rasanya nggak ada dosanya buat gue untuk menghamburkan beberapa lembar ribuan malam ini demi beberapa potong Martabak Manis Tipis Kering ala Martabak Bro, yang diisikan dengan olesan cream cheese dan potongan Oreo. Ngebayanginnya aja gue udah nggak kuat tadi, sampai-sampai jari gue langsung luwes pas nulis orderan di aplikasi Grab-nya saking nafsunya. 

Seketika uang jajan gue langsung habis, tapi hati bahagia rasanya saat abang GrabBike datang membawakan plastik yang isinya kotak hangat nan harum. 

Harumnya beneran menggugah selera! Kalau di kartun-kartun, kotak martabaknya langsung mengeluarkan sinar ketika dibuka dan mata gue berbinar-binar, di belakang gue ada pelangi dan kuda terbang, dan liur gue berceceran kemana-mana, dan lutut gue lemas, dan gue pingsan di tempat. Lebay, sih, tapi ya namanya juga kartun, kan. 

Tampilan martabaknya pun nggak kalah menarik dengan harumnya. Benar-benar tipis, kelihatan renyahnya, agak gosong namun mengkilap (just how I like my martabak to be), banyak remahan Oreo berceceran di permukaan kotak, dan cream cheese-nya nggak main-main overdosis-nya. Nggak berekspektasi dikasih food porn, tapi dikasih food porn. Kebayang, nggak, bahagianya gue kayak apa?

Tipis keringnya beneran tipis dan kering. Renyah bukan main! Martabak manisnya, karena dipanggangnya mungkin agak lama, jadi agak gosong sedikit dan menurut gue itu enak banget. Benar-benar membahagiakan, baik perut gue maupun indra perasa gue sama-sama terpuaskan. Hanya satu aja yang kurang, yaitu cream cheese-nya yang terlalu berlebihan untuk lidah gue. The martabak had overflowing cream cheese, which might be good to some people who love cheese with all their hearts, but not me. Cream cheese gurihnya menghancurkan kemanisan martabaknya dan agak mendominasi keseluruhan rasanya. Coba porsinya lebih sedikit, pasti kombinasi rasanya pas. 

But, anyway, I ended up devouring the whole six pieces, so. . . 

The Night We Splurged at ShopHaus

I don't always eat a lot, especially during these days when I'm on a carb-free diet, but when I do, I splurged without having a damn care in the world and stuffed myself until I'm on the verge of bursting.

It was a quarter to six in the evening when I arrived at ShopHaus, a hip hangout spot at Menteng where the nibble makes one's tummy happy and the interior design is aesthetically pleasing. Inside, you will find numerous cafes and dinning places, such as NAMELAKA, BerryWell, Mockingbird, Secret Gelato, and many more. And, for those who aim to display pleasing Instagram feeds, you can definitely shoot some squares on every fancy and fabulous corners that catch your eyes at the ShopHaus.

I came too early as both of my best friends were still half an hour away from where I was. I couldn't bring myself to sit still at this double-seater table because I was uncomfortable by the fact that I was alone and surrounded with strangers at an open area. So, then, I decided to enter a health bar named BerryWell and stayed there munching on some Salmon and Hummus Wrap until I got a phone call from Sally, saying that she couldn't make it.

Contains only 246 calories, BerryWell's Salmon and Hummus Wrap was a grilled salmon and hummus filled tortilla that made my stomach and my tastebuds very happy. The fact that they didn't make it fresh at the health bar itself was a bit of a let-down. I waited quite a while for my Salmon and Hummus Wrap to be served, which was silly because why would it take long for them to heat up some instant tortilla roll? Well, never mind that.

Just a bite of the healthy wrap made my tastebuds danced with joy. The salmon was very delicious and flavorful, not any bit fishy in a bad way. It made a very delicious combination with the mushy and spiced hummus, and both element went well paired with the grilled tortilla wrap. Every bite filled my stomach nicely and the best part is the fact that the dish was healthy and low in calories I didn't feel guilty devouring the whole thing in less than 5 minutes.

As I took my last bite, I was surprised by the arrival of my other best buddy, Angel. She came after a long meeting at her office in Menteng. We were catching up with each other's lives and paused as I ordered myself a bowl of BerryWell's smoothie bowl, while Angel got herself a glass of coffee from Pigeonhole Coffee.

Since Angel was on a diet program, she didn't ordered any meal at the ShopHaus, rather she brought her own food. A bowl of greens, topped with grilled eggplant, then drizzled with a splash of balsamic vinegar. For her, the eggplant slices and the balsamic vinegar was torture. I believed that her food tasted amazing, until I got a taste of the eggplant myself. Bleugh.

My smoothie bowl, on the other hand, was sweet and delightful! PB & B was the name of the healthy and nutritious superfood and it consisted of banana, peanut butter, and multigrain milk (no idea what that is, but it sounds healthy as fvck), topped with coconut flakes, granola, cacao nibs, banana, chia seeds, and cookie crumbs. The banana flavor is strong in this one, as well as the peanut butter, but it had this weird and annoying bitter-like after taste after every spoonful. It was good, yet I couldn't help but to compare this smoothie bowl with Nalu Bowl's J-Bay which, in my opinion, tasted sweeter and way better.

Time flew as Angel and I exchange stories about work, love life, and the reason why I deleted my Instagram account. We decided to move to the second level of the building, get ourselves a table at Mockingbird, and ordered proper food for dinner.

Now, this is where things get pretty wild. Angel was starving and decided to put her diet aside. She surfed through the menu and was overwhelmed by how good the food sounds. All I could hear was an endless read back of the menu, along with a few gasps of "Oh my God!".

We ended up ordering a set of meal consisted of three different dishes. We went for the Mockingbird Salad, Hawaiian Roasted Chicken, and Sour Dough Bread with Minced Meat. It didn't take a while for the food to be served on our table. Angel glowed every time the waiter delivered our dishes and, as soon as our order was completed, we dig in.

I love love love (when you know I can't love) the Hawaiian Roasted Chicken! It was pretty big to be consumed just by one person, despite the fact that it was way smaller than the Pork Knuckle I once shared with my Mom during my trip to Germany, so Angel and I decided to share the crispy chicken thigh. It came with a pile of potato and cheese gratin, which tasted okay for me, and some diced and spiced pineapple and carrot.

I'm not a big fan of the Sour Dough Bread with Minced Meat, which was basically curry spiced minced meat sandwiched between a pair of baguette then topped with melted cheddar, but it tasted good. The baguette was a bit too hard to bite and chew, while the minced meat just fall of from where it was supposed to be and made a mess here and there. It had a very strong curry flavor, which Angel critique, yet I was kind of into it.

And last, and the least delicious, was the Mockingbird Salad. Consisted of crispy kale chips, spinach, iceberg lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, sweet potato, avocado, tofu, hard-boiled egg, and salmon sashimi, and drizzled with a generous splash of Mockingbird dressing, which I assume was merely balsamic vinegar. It was a pain trying to finish the salad. I hated the dressing, it tasted horrible, and all the ingredient didn't click with each other. We couldn't finish it.

If you have been following the story until this part, can you tell how much food I had eaten starting from the moment I arrived at the ShopHaus? Can you tell how stuffed I was? I was so full I was on the verge of exploding. It felt like as if there was a Facehugger in my stomach waiting for the right time to be born and tear my guts open. I had a minor breathing difficulties and a slight walking problem from the excessive eating. It didn't last long though.

The splurge was over for me, but not for Angel, as she went downstairs and ordered herself a cup of Gelato Secret's three-flavored gelato. Strawberry Sorbet, Green Tea, and Ferrero Rocher gelato were what she had. I had a spoonful of each, just to end the curiosity of the flavor, yet I couldn't get myself to buy one for me. I would burst in just a second if I dare to stuff myself more with this deliciously cold and sweet gelato.


ShopHaus
Jl. Tauku Cik Ditiro, No. 36
Menteng, Jakarta

Opening Hour:
Monday - Sunday: Time may varies on each shop