The Royal Family Pudding

Ever since the government declared Jakarta’s global social distancing policy, things got quite difficult for me personally to function as an “old normal” society. Other than the fact that my moving space is limited, my food options are also limited. The first month after the policy was announced was the hardest. I experienced so many food cravings, yet I could do nothing about it because most of the restaurants were closed and I was lacking the courage to go out and get food just for the sake of it. Thank God there’s this thing called Instagram. 

From Instagram, I learned that a lot of my friends whom I follow are starting a small business where they sell homemade food. The options are quite limitless and they range from sweet to savory, light to heavy, budget-friendly to fancy-prized, and delicious to epic. One of them being pudding. Now, you may wonder, “What’s so special about puddings? I mean, everybody can make one, right?”. Well, if you can make a pudding with the texture combo of a Panna Cotta, a Mousse, and a Jelly, then you have the right to wonder. If not, I suggest you to open your Instagram and go straight to Kyu.rio’s page. 

Kyu.rio Milky Pudding! Yep, that’s the name of what my junior high school buddy has to offer. You can already tell by the name itself that Ibeth here sells a variety of milk pudding. I remember specifically that Ibeth had only one flavor on sale during her earlier time doing her business, which was the Original Vanilla Pudding with Brown Sugar Sauce. That was a month ago. From there, her business rapidly climbs the ladder of success to the point where she gains more demand from her customers. One time, on one of her pre-order listing, all of the puddings were sold out in just a count of minute I couldn’t get my hands on at least one cup. 15 minutes, if I’m not mistaken, for half a hundred cups of pudding. How amazing is that? Now, specifically today, she is currently throwing her seventh pre-order on Kyu.rio’s Instagram Page, serving a total of four flavors, including this particular new flavor that she has been working on; the Matcha flavor. Talk about glow up! 

The business rooted from a particular time when Ibeth had a craving for Gyu-Kaku’s milk pudding. Being stuck at home and having Gyu-Kaku closing its’ doors on everybody’s faces calls for desperate measure. Ibeth started to browse for recipes to make the fancy dessert itself and, after a few attempts, she succeeded. Yet, the perfectionist in her longed to improve both taste and quality of her pudding. So, she strived and managed to reach her goal with flying colors. Her family and friends loved her creation and the nudge from her boyfriend to turn this craving into a business found its’ way into Ibeth herself. Then, the rest is history. 

After a failed attempt of ordering, I finally got my hands on Ibeth’s Kyu.rio Milky Pudding on her previous pre-order listing. At that time, there were still only three flavors available to be ordered. I took my chances and got myself, at least, one of each. They were the Original, the Spiked Rum, and the Earl Grey. Each pudding was served in a cup and it came with a tiny bag of sauce. Being the extra food blogger that I am, I tried to move the pudding onto a plate so that I could make a footage of me pouring the sauce on top of the jiggly pudding, yet my attempt was to no avail as the pudding immediately tore with just a light touch. Yes, I am not exaggerating. The pudding was THAT delicate I had to succumb and eat it straight from the cup. Boo, no fun. 

The first pudding that I tried was the Earl Grey flavored, in which the silky pudding was infused with strong, yet dainty, earl grey tea and served with a spoonful of thick vanilla sauce. I took the liberty to try the pudding without the sauce beforehand and, boy, did that mouthful tasted like a subtle blast of tea. As an avid tea drinker, I know what earl grey tea tastes like, and this pudding tasted like one. As I mentioned before, the earl grey tea was strong, you definitely won’t miss it, yet it was not dominating the whole flavor; I could still taste the subtly sweet milk pudding. The vanilla sauce, on the one hand, was not overpoweringly sweet as well, and it played its’ role as the cherry on top perfectly. I really love the flavor combo of milk, earl grey, and vanilla that this pudding had. I don’t think I’ve had anything like this before in my life. No joke. After I was finished with the Earl Grey, I moved on to my second pudding, the Original. Yes, I ate two servings in under 10 minutes. What of it? 

The Original is my favorite among the two so far because it had a very simple concept, which is vanilla flavored pudding with brown sugar sauce, yet it tasted so so deliciously rich. And by rich, I mean Queen Elizabeth of the Royal Family rich. Mind boggling isn’t it? How can something that looks mediocre be having a flavor that sparks joy by the time it reaches your tastebuds? I don’t have the answer myself. Maybe you should ask Ibeth about it. She’s the mastermind behind all of this delicious dessert. 

Last, but not least, was the Spiked Rum! It shared the same concept with the Original, yet it had a little bit of rum in it to spice things up. Now, I’m not a fan of rum (I only fancy beer and Tequila) and I could definitely distinguish the rum in this pudding, yet it didn’t taste as dreadful as I thought it would be. The flavor combination between vanilla and rum work just fine, and the brown sugar sauce elevates the whole flavor of the pudding, making it more delicious and enjoyable for me to dig in. I do recommend you not to take my words for the Spiked Rum, as I’m not a fan of rum, so I don’t think I’m judging the flavor of the pudding objectively. But, it was delicious to say the least. 

It gives me a lot of joy whenever I’m eating something that my friends made. Either it be a pudding, or a doughnut, my friends are gifted with the ability to reach my heart in the quickest way possible. As for Ibeth and her Kyu.rio Milky Pudding, I bet that she has reached and won a lot of hearts with her delicious homemade pudding. I'll bet higher if you're up against me because here's a little secret that I know *whispers* her pudding tastes better than Gyu-Kaku's. 

Kyu.rio - Milky Pudding

Holymie - Sensasi Party di Holywings

Pertama kali gue tau tentang Holymie adalah dari saudara gue. Awalnya nggak terlalu gue gubris karena gue pikir itu cuma gimmick April Mop. Eh, ternyata, saat kemarin gue iseng-iseng berkutat di explore page Instagram, yang berujung mampir ke akun Instagramnya @holywingsindonesia, mie ini beneran diproduksi dan udah dijual untuk masyarakat JABODETABEK! Tanpa pikir panjang, gue langsung pesan lima bungkus dan segera gue bayar supaya bisa cepat-cepat dikirim ke rumah. Gue pikir baru akan dikirim besok, ternyata langsung dikirim dan sampai di rumah gue dua jam kemudian. Berasa kayak beli mie di warung, instan banget. 

Holymie - Sensasi Party di Holywings merupakan mie instan yang diproduksi Holywings yang dibandrol dengan harga Rp48.000,00 per bungkusnya. Memang agak mahal untuk ukuran mie instan, tapi tunggu sebentar, jangan bacot dulu. Mie Kuah Seblak Jagermeister ini terdiri dari bahan-bahan berkualitas yang terbukti enaknya dan salah satu bumbu pelengkapnya adalah Jagermeister itu sendiri. Bukan, ini bukan sembarang perisa Jagermeister, melainkan alkoholnya beneran. Gue udah nyicip sendiri dan gue konfirmasi langsung dari pihak Holywings melalui DM Instagram. Meskipun mahal, mie instan ini worth it banget buat ganti suasana di rumah kalau-kalau lo bosen dengan mie instan pasaran yang bisa lo beli di Indomaret depan komplek rumah. 

Sama seperti mie instan lainnya, satu bungkus Holymie ini mencangkup dua balok mie instan dan bumbu penyedap, tapi lo juga akan mendapat side dish lebih berupa 5 butir pentol (bakso sapi ukuran mini) dan 2 buah pangsit. Lo bebas berkreasi dengan lauk apa aja yang lo punya di rumah untuk menyantap mie instan ini. Mau ditambahin telur, kek. Cocktail sausages, kek. Kulit pangsit, kek. Bebas! Tapi, kalau gue boleh saran, lo nggak perlu nambahin lauk apa-apa lagi karena satu bungkus Holymie udah cukup untuk bikin lo kenyang berjam-jam. 

Belum ada banyak video-video di sosial media yang membahas cara untuk menyajikan Holymie. Tapi, gue pikir, siapa juga yang butuh video tutorial untuk memasak mie instan? Tanpa basa-basi, gue langsung menggodok air untuk mie instan, beserta pentol dan pangsitnya (seharusnya sih bisa langsung dimakan, tapi kondisi makanan saat sampai di rumah gue masih agak beku karena sempat disimpan dulu di freezer sebelum dikirim), dan mencampur semuanya ke dalam satu mangkok setelah selesai dimasak. Sebenarnya gue agak bingung dengan Jagernya. Gue nggak tau apakah alkohol itu harus dimasukkan ke air rebusan mie, atau dituang ke dalam mangkok setelah semuanya bahan makanan tercampur dengan bumbu. Akhirnya, gue memutuskan untuk main aman. Gue pakai cara yang kedua, karena kalau dipikir secara logis, kalau gue campur itu alkohol ke dalam air rebusan mie, otomatis alkoholnya akan menguap. Jadinya bukan Mie Kuah Seblak Jagermeister, tapi jadi Mie Seblak aja tanpa embel-embel kuah Jagermeister. 

Buat gue yang kuat makan dalam porsi banyak, porsi satu bungkus Holymie ini banyak banget untuk gue habisin sendirian. Saking banyaknya, mie instan ini bisa lo santap berdua, atau bertiga. Porsi mienya lumayan banyak, meskipun ukuran dari mie itu sendiri kurus-kurus. Padahal gue sengaja merebusnya setengah matang, biar nggak terlalu lodoh dan ngembang, tapi tetap aja banyak banget hasil akhirnya. 

Tekstur mienya cukup kenyal, dan ukurannya yang kecil membuat mie ini gampang banget disantap. Gue paling suka dengan pentolnya karena dagingnya terasa banget, begitu juga dengan pangsitnya yang diisi dengan daging ayam dan udang. Kedua lauk tambahan ini nggak main-main, isinya nggak cuma tepung dan mecin doang! Kuahnya gurih, asin, dan pedas. Kalau dibikin nyemek, rasa asinnya bakal nampol banget, jadi lo harus pakai air yang cukup banyak untuk ngencerin kuahnya agar rasanya maksimal. Tingkat pedasnya pun bisa lo kontrol sendiri karena porsi satu bungkus sambal yang ada di dalam kemasan cukup banyak. Berhubung gue nggak kuat makan makanan pedas, gue hanya menambahkan seperempat takaran sambal ke dalam Holymie gue sehingga pedasnya pas di lidah. Tapi, kalau kalian suka tantangan, monggo disuntak semua sambalnya. 

Berhubung gue tuang Jagermeisternya terakhir, saat semua elemen makanan udah bercampur semua di dalam satu mangkuk, rasanya lumayan keras, tapi nggak terlalu nyegrak karena udah bercampur dengan bumbu-bumbu yang lainnya. Masih kerasa pahit, dan aroma herbal yang menjadi ciri khas Jagermeister pun tercium, but it actually worked well with the entire ingredients! Sampai sekarang gue masih bingung kalau ditanya ini kuahnya rasa apa. Ibarat makan seblak, tapi ini seblak highclass yang lo nggak bisa sembarang beli di pinggir jalan. Enak, atau nggak? Ya, enak! Mungkin kalian agak bingung dan bertanya-tanya, “Emangnya nyambung Jagermeister dijadiin kuah mie?”. Guepun sempat berandai-andai sebelum mencicipi, dan ternyata nyambung-nyambung aja, tuh! Memang, sih, kedengarannya agak aneh. Tapi, toh, ada banyak makanan lain yang dimasak dengan alkohol, seperti steak yang dimasak dengan anggur merah, atau ayam goreng tepung yang menggunakan campuran bir di dalam adonan tepungnya. Alcohol in food works just fine and it doesn’t taste as weird as it sounds.

Gue ada highlight khusus di saah satu akun Instagram gue, @stardust.express, yang membahas tentang Holymie saking gue sukanya dengan mie instan berkuah alkohol ini. Kalau kalian ada waktu, boleh, kok, mampir!

Beberapa tips dari admin Holywings mengenai cara penyajian Holymie:

• Masukkan Jagermeister ke dalam kuah rebusan mie sesaat sebelum mie mau disajikan di mangkuk, supaya rasanya nggak terlalu kuat. Jangan terlalu lama, nanti Jagernya nggak kerasa. 
• Kasih kuahnya yang banyak, supaya nggak terlalu asin
• Holymie nggak disarankan untuk dibikin jadi mie goreng, atau mie kuah nyemek

Udah penasaran pingin nyicip, belum? Kalau udah, kalian bisa langsung pesan Holymie kalian dari aplikasi Holywings yang bisa diunduh dari App Store, atau Google Play Store. Kalau masih bingung cara pesannya bagaimana, kalian bisa tanya-tanya dulu ke admin Holywings dengan mengirimkan DM ke akun @holywingsindonesia, atau @holywingstaste. Very friendly service and quite the fast response! Kalau udah punya Holymie, mau party #dirumahaja pun serasa party di Holywings!

A Love - Hate Relationship with Baking

How have you guys been coping with social distancing and PSBB in Jakarta so far? Are you guys doing alright? Are you still keeping that sanity level real high? Or, are you in an all time low? I have been staying at home for almost two months now and, I think, I may have reached that point where I passed all that loosing-my-sanity phase that everybody’s probably experiencing. I made peace with the fact that I may have to stay a little bit longer at home now that we haven’t reach the peak of this pandemic here in Jakarta, so, I’m coping with whatever options that I have to not be idle - one of it being baking, and a bit of cooking. 

I had been baking Egg Custard Tart and Quiche at home and sold them to those who are interested in buying. I opened a pre-order on my Instagram account one day and I was surprised when I got numerous DMs from my followers, saying that they wanted to have a taste of my pies. It lit my heart with joy! Being the responsible amateur baker that I am, I complied with all of their orders and baked the sweet and savory munchies for one whole week. 

It was exhausting and fun at the same time. The longer I spend my time in the kitchen kneading dough and making custard, the more I develop this love - hate relationship with baking. I’m not trying to be cocky by saying that not a single pie that I made have failed, but all of them were successfully baked and they tasted delicious!

Now, you may, or may not, be wondering why I bake these pies. To tell the truth, I think it’s the only thing that I can bake, so far, without failing. I tried baking brownies and Angel Food Cake once, and they both failed miserably - the brownies, although thoroughly baked and had a very beautiful cracked surface, was too sweet, while the Angel Food Cake was as hard as a brick because I messed up one of the cooking method. But, when it comes to pie, it has been a smooth ride baking it since day one. 

Angel Food Cake? More like Brick Cake

The overly sweet Brownie that I made

The pie crust was scrumptious, as it had this buttery short-bread like texture that I love and, apparently, everybody in the house loves as well. One of my method in making the pie crust is to add a dash of salt in the dough, so that it would bring out the flavor of the sugar and the butter. I used to question this method because I thought that anything that has salt in it would tasted salty. Turns out, it didn’t taste the slightest bit salty, yet it had this very enjoyable savoriness that I’m fond of. 

Look at this beauty!

Mini Pies that I made with some leftover ingredients

The custard, on the one hand, was amazingly delicious! I used a lot of egg yolks in the process of making the custard concoction and it baffled me when the eggs didn’t overpower the whole flavor wheel. The custard tasted sweet and delicious, and the fact that it had this silky smooth and custardy texture blows my mind. The texture, if I may say, had this impression as if it was the love child of PUYO pudding and Panna Cotta - silky smooth, yet quite sturdy. 

I bake mostly at midnights, when everybody’s asleep and I have the kitchen all to myself. One night, I used this dashing apron that my best friend got me as a birthday present, put on some dandy ‘50s bops, and whisked my custard to the rhythm of the music. True, I was lacking a lot of sleep during this week of baking, but the joy that I got when people said that my baked goods were delicious instantly shoved away all those exhaustions. 

Leftover pie dough calls for Butter Biscuits

Other than the Egg Custard Tart, I also made a few batches of Quiche. I was overwhelmed at the time I tried baking my first Quiche as I succeed with flying colors. Although it may look a bit pale (I didn’t want to burn the crust, so I took it out from the oven earlier), but it had this kick of savory and salty flavors that was just wonderful. I used some cocktail sausages and Mozzarella cheese mixed with some milk and eggs to make the filling concoction, pour it into the savory pie crust that I blind-bake beforehand, and voila! I baked myself a serving of Sausage and Mozzarella Quiche! Again, I surprised myself. 

Chicken and Mushroom Quiche

I was doing very good in baking for money, yet the ingredients are getting more difficult to obtain as the suppliers are not getting their imported goods because of this pandemic. I don’t want to settle for some low-grade ingredients that I can get for a cheaper price, as it will ruin the entire flavor and texture quality that I set for my pies. So, I had to temporarily discontinue selling my baked goods. I still haven’t bake anything until now and I’m not planning to until I get the right ingredients. 

I sold this combo of sweet and savory pies for 50K

I guess I have to spend my time with DOTA once again.. 

The Shelter's Pumpkin Bread

There was this one time, after having a serious work out at the gym, I paid a visit to one of my favorite cafe in Bali, the Shelter, and had me a set of post-gym meal that could feed an entire village. I had me its' Soul Fuel Bowl, which I love so much for its' vibrant color and healthy ingredients, a couple slices of gluten-free Pumpkin Bread, and a heavy glass of Blue Moon Smoothie. All of them were delicious, though lacking of strong flavor because of the healthier seasonings that they use. 

My Soul Fuel Bowl tasted amazing and very fulfilling, like always, but my heart was captivated by the Pumpkin Bread, which I've never had before. I was in the mood for some bread at that time, yet I was on a diet program in which I'm not allowed to consume carbs and sugar, so I asked the waitress whether or not they have a selection of gluten-free item in stock and she gave me this slices of Pumpkin Bread. They were crunchy, chewy, quite compact, and super delicious! They truly fulfill my needs for some good bread. And, what I love most about the Shelter's Pumpkin Bread is the fact that I didn't feel guilty at all after devouring the whole thing because they were gluten-free! 

Shelter Cafe Bali
Jl. Drupadi No. 2B
Seminyak, Bali

Opening Hours:

MON - SUN: 8AM - 6PM

Contact:

+62 361 904 118

+62 813 3770 6471

Instagram

Pasirkaliki's Gormeteria

One of my favorite restaurant to visit whenever I fly to Bandung is Gormeteria. Located on the side of Jalan Pasir Kaliki, this particular restaurant is a sight for sore eyes. The interior design of the restaurant is filled with Instagramable corners that you can snap a picture with, and the food here look as beautiful as the restaurant itself, not to mention delicious. 

My first visit to Gormeteria was on the evening. My Captain asked whether or not I’d grab a bite with him and I said yes. Lucky for me, the restaurant is only a few steps away from the hotel I usually stayed at, so I didn’t need any online taxi to get me to the dinning place. Gormeteria is usually fully booked on the weekends. We were lucky enough to get us some seats because the place was packed as it was a Saturday. My Captain personally recommended me the Mille Crepe Cake, so I got the dessert after dinner. 

On my next visit to Bandung, I came back to the restaurant for lunch and ordered the exact same dishes I got when I dined in with my Captain. I opted for the Japanese Crispy Chicken Curry, a glass of Strawberry Smoothie to quench my thirst, and a serving of Thai Tea Mille Crepe Cake for dessert. Now, I know I don’t eat rice, and my main course had some full-on rice in it, but the dish is too delicious not to be eaten with carbs. 

Japanese Crispy Chicken Curry

Consisted of crispy fried chicken filled with melted cheese on a bed of rice, accompanied with a generous amount of curry, then garnished with crispy seaweed, furikake, and fried shallots. Other than the fact that this dish was delicious, it was kind of comforting to say the least. The warmth and the spiciness of the curry was truly enjoyable. It had a quite strong curry flavor, savory and a little bit sweet, and the spiciness was just on point. Although the crispy chicken tasted delicious and amazing, the curry here is the main star, folks. 

The chicken was nicely breaded and fried to perfection. They were sliced, exposing the melted cheese that was just sitting inside the tender chicken fillet. The seasoning was okay, very savory with a hint of spiciness here and there, but it didn’t overpower the flavor of the curry - which is good for me. 

I had to finish my dish slowly because I wanted to savor every flavors that were bursting inside my mouth. I wasn’t going to finish my rice, but the whole dish was just too delicious not to be eaten with rice, I finished the entire thing with nothing left but a few leftover smear of the curry. It was just too good!

Thai Tea Mille Crepe Cake

They have quite the option in terms of Mille Crepe Cake here at Gormeteria, but the MVPs are the Thai Tea and the Milo Dino flavors. On that afternoon, I felt like having the Thai Tea flavored one because I tried the Milo Dino one and it was too sweet for me, despite the fact that I ate the whole thing in just a snap of a finger. The Thai Tea Mille Crepe Cake is orange in color and it is served with a cup of Thai Tea sauce and a spoonful of chewy and sweet boba. Your girl here is not fond of boba, but she sure can make an exception. 

I love the fact that this particular dessert is not as sweet as I imagined it would be. The crepes were thin and tasteless to say the least, while the white cream hidden in between those layers of crepes was the one that gave out the mild sweetness. The texture of the cream was quite fluffy and somewhat foamy, and it was very light. On the one hand, the Thai Tea sauce was mildly sweet as well, and the consistency was not sickening for me. It was thick, yet slightly runny. The signature Thai Tea flavor was very much distinguishable, though, you Thai Tea lovers would love this baby! Oh, and the boba, was delightful. They were chewy and light, and they were not too sweet to begin with, so your girl here got to enjoy the dessert without any guilt whatsoever. 

Milo Dino Mille Crepe Cake

I had this one on the night I dined with my Captain. Between the two flavors, the Milo Dino is his favorite, so her ordered one for me to enjoy with him. Slightly different presentation than the Thai Tea one, this dessert was chocolate in color and it came with a cup of Milo sauce, drizzled with Milo powder and Milo cereal. If you’re a person who’s crazy about Milo, then this baby is your go to. 

Compared to the Thai Tea Mille Crepe Cake, this one was sweeter. Though the thin crepes were a bit savory, I could taste a hint of Milo in its’ cooked batter. Only a small hint. The white cream tasted the same, which was light and sweet. Now, the sauce here is the game changer. I’m quite sure that the basic ingredient of the sauce was Milo powder, which resulted in this dessert being sweeter than the other. I love how the texture of the sauce and the texture of the Milo cereal feel in my mouth, as I like my food to have various texture, but, again, the whole being of the dessert was a bit too sweet for me. 

It has been a while since the last time I visit Bandung. I can’t wait to fly back there and have me some of Gormeteria’s delicious dishes. 

Gormeteria

Jalan Pasir Kaliki, No. 176

Pasirkaliki, Bandung

Opening Hours:

MON - SUN: 7 AM - 10 PM

Contact:

+62 22 2052 4850

I Miss Mardin Baklava

Do you miss going out with your friends? I certainly do. Maintaining social and physical distancing is no easy task when you’re someone who values the occasional rendezvous like me. But, we all gotta do what we have to do to keep ourselves healthy at the moment, no? 

What will be the first thing you do when the pandemic is over? I’ve been thinking about that a lot and, boy, there are tons of things I want to do. I would definitely want to catch up with the boyfriend and ask him for a nice warm hug. While we’re at it, maybe we can pay a visit to this particular dessert shop at East Jakarta and unwind with some sweet pastries and Turkish tea. 

The name of the dessert shop is Mardin Baklava, a place where you can get some  authentic Middle Eastern delights in Jakarta. Some people say that Mardin Baklava has the best baklava in town. I can’t say that I disagree, because I had been coming back and forth to that dessert shop before the pandemic existed and, now, I’m craving for some good deal of baklava. That’s how good Mardin Baklava is. 

Despite the fact that Mardin Baklava has no contender in providing the locals with authentic Turkish delights, the sweet pastries that they serve at the shop are made with high quality ingredients, which resulting in a series of high quality dessert as well. I did my research on where else I can get me some authentic baklava here in Jakarta, but the results only leaded me to this particular shop at Jatinegara. 

During my first visit at Mardin Baklava, I was awestruck by their array of various baklava displayed on the counter. They were, if I may say, shining, shimmering, and splendid! The color spectrum was beautiful and captivating. If I didn’t get a hold of myself, I would probably buy one of each just because of how attractive they were. Now, I know how baklava tasted because, back in 2010 when my family and I were still living in Doha, Qatar, I had an easy access to baklava as it was being sold in most supermarkets as one of the country’s staple dessert. What intrigued me the most at Mardin Baklava was this particular dessert named Künefe. Although a portion of this Middle Eastern dessert can cost you most of your weekly allowance, you should definitely give this dessert a try when you have the chance. 

Künefe is a dessert made out of noodle-like pastry, cheese, and sugar-based syrup. The one at Mardin Baklava is quite small and pizza-like you would automatically assume the dullness of this dessert. But, wait until you get a fork and cut through it. When you scrape a bit of the dessert, the generous amount of baked melted cheese layered beneath the noodle-like pastry will stretch so far it’ll stretch all the way to Timbuktu. Now, I know my parents taught me not to play with my food, but Künefe is super fun to play with I couldn’t help myself!

The combination of the thin and crunchy pastry with the gooey and melted cheese is to die for. Despite it being soaked in sugar-based syrup, making the whole being of a Künefe a little too sweet even for my sweet tooth, I love the unique flavor of this dessert - sugary sweet from the syrup, milky and savory from the cheese, and savory and doughy from the pastry. It is so delicious! But, I have to say, the amount of syrup in this dessert is very overwhelming, I always get a sore throat after every Künefe I ate at Mardin Baklava. If you can’t handle sugar like me, you can always opt for your Künefe with less sugar. The staff at Mardin Baklava offered me to modify the dose of sugar in my Künefe, but I settle for the regular sugar because I wanted to know how the dessert would taste like authentically. 

As a personal preference, I would suggest that you indulge on your Künefe with a serving of warm Turkish Tea. Compared to any regular tea you’ll find in the supermarket, Turkish tea is way stronger, thicker, and more bitter. Of course a serving of Mardin Baklava’s Turkish tea comes with some rock sugar for those of you who like your tea sweet. But, would you want an extra dose of sugar after all that Künefe you have? Trust me, it is best to sip on the tea as it is. It’ll help you neutralize all that sugary sweetness from the Künefe you just devoured. 

Sure, you can bring the Künefe home, so that your family can also get a taste of that savory and sweet pastry, but the cheese wouldn’t be as stretchy compared to when it just got out of the oven - as it stiffen when it gets a bit of a cold air. So, if you want to bring something home for the family, always go for the baklava. 

As I mentioned previously, Mardin Baklava has quite the collection of baklava displayed on its’ front counter. When seen with the naked eye, I could spot three types of nut that they use to make their baklava, which are cashew, pistachio, and walnut. Some of them were drizzled on top as a finishing touch to the baklava, while some are hidden beneath the layers of thin filo pastry. I’m pretty sure every baklava has its’ own unique nut flavor, but I’m certain that all of them have the same basic flavor, which are nutty and sweet. 

Compared to the Künefe, baklava is way sweeter. I could only eat a tiny bite of it at a time because of how sweet it is, yet most of the baklavas are already bite-sized. The thin layer of filo pastry gets soggy after being bathe with the sugar-based syrup, making the entire texture of the baklava compact, chewy, and only a little bit crunchy. At Mardin Baklava, you can only get your baklava by the grams instead of buying it individually. They have different types of packaging for the petite dessert, ranging from 100 grams to a kilo, and you can mix it up to your heart’s content. 

I once got me the 100 grams, thinking that it may not be sufficient to feed the whole family, yet I was stand corrected. I asked the staff to mix up my baklava, as long as they’re within my 100 grams limit, and what I got was more than a dozen type of individual baklava in my gift box. The size varies from big to small and it was definitely suffice for my family of seven. We sliced and share the baklava one by one, and we got immediately full after our third baklava because of how sweet and heavy they were. 

During this pandemic, Mardin Baklava is still open for business, both dine in and delivery through Go-Food and Grab Food. I would love to place my order online so that I can cure my longing for its’ delicious and sweet Künefe, but I think I’m going to wait until this whole quarantine thing is over, so that I can enjoy my dessert warm and fresh from the oven. Soon, I hope. 

Mardin Baklava

Jl. Cipinang Jaya Raya, No. 74

RT 008 / RW 007, Cipinang Besar Selatan

Kecamatan Jatinegara, Jakarta Timur - 13410

Opening Hours (Quarantine Period):

MON - SUN: 1 PM - 10 PM

Contact:

+62 821 1203 3331

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Made's Banana Flour Co.

I’ve been a keen fan of everything gluten-free ever since I undergo this certain diet program that would help me lose a few extra kilos. I wouldn’t say it being a keto diet specifically, but it revolves around the idea of it. And, I added a few twist of not consuming rice and sugar, and simply substitute them with Shirataki Rice, honey, fruits, and other food that contains natural sugar. I’m also trying out gluten-free food because, from what I know, gluten-free food doesn’t contain all-purpose flour - which can obviously make you gain some weight from all the carbs contained in it. 

I had my eyes for quite a while on this particular bakery at Bali that serves gluten-free products. All of the bread, cakes, and pastries that they make at their place are using banana flour as its’ main ingredients, which can help those who are on a diet program like me. Its’ name is Made’s Banana Flour Company and, I think, it’s my favorite bakery, yet! 

I made a quick stop one day at one of its’ branch in Ubud and got me a loaf of sourdough bread. Like the other products that they sell at the bakery, this particular bread is obviously gluten-free! The beautiful sight of the sourdough bread was quite questionable at first because I’ve never seen any sourdough that doesn’t use an all-purpose flour looking this good. It had this funny aroma of banana and cinnamon though, which made me a tad bit skeptical about its’ taste. The only way to find out was to try it out. 

Boy, I was awestruck. This sourdough bread tasted delicious and it tasted very much like any other sourdough I’ve ever tasted before, only better! The light and chewy insides of the bread was amazing and the crispy outer layer was simply orgasmic. There wasn’t any funny flavors despite it being made out of banana flour, and the flavor of the bread was sweet and simply fulfilling my need of a good sourdough bread. I love it!

This particular loaf costed me Ro52.000,00, which was the cheapest price of loaf bread that they sell at the bakery. They have other options, such as Multi Grain Bread, White Bread, Brown Bread, Green Spirulina Bread, but the one that was in stock on that day was the Sourdough Bread. Every baked products are made fresh everyday and I was lucky enough to be able to get my hands on one of their bread that just came out straight from the oven. What I notice from this sourdough bread was the fact that it was quite heavy. It was so heavy and stiff it could make a good weapon for self defense.

It took me three days to finish the whole thing. Not that I wasn’t capable of devouring the whole loaf in one day, but I have to save it because I’m on quarantine. I don’t have the freedom to go out anytime I want just because I want to. So, I have to make every slice counts. 

Made’s Banana Flour Company

Jl. Sri Wedari, Ubud

Kecamatan Tegallalang, Kabupaten Gianyar

Bali - 80571

Opening Hours:

MON - SUN: 8 AM - 6 PM

Contact:

+62 31 908 5354

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The Smoky Mr. Roastman

“M Bloc Space: the House of Vibrant Gigs and Creative Culture”

Established on September 2019, M Bloc Space is this new kid on the bloc that managed to captivate the hearts of local Jakarta citizen with its’ old-school, yet hype, atmosphere. Its’ unique and very much ’90s-esque design makes it beyond easy to be lovable, hence resulting in a full house during most weekdays and every weekends. Not only that this place has various dinning places that serve scrumptious food, there are also numerous tenants that fulfill the needs of music and art of some people. Cassettes and vinyls are available in one of the tenants that attends to music, while local comic books are also available to be purchased, as well as its’ limited edition merchandise. I personally love to hang out at M Bloc Space because the food availability. 

My personal favorite is this particular casual-dinning place, named Mr. Roastman. This restaurant serves various smoked meat options, as well as cold beverages, breakfast-themed food, tea-time snacks, and coffee. For those of you who would love to just kill time and catch up with your homies, with some flavored tea and canele de bordeaux to share, you can definitely occupy the front outdoor seatings with its’ picnic-themed benches. But, if you’re in for a splendid dining experience, the upper indoor seating is your go to because, that way, you get to enjoy your smoked beef accompanied by an endless array of pop music playing from the speakers. 

I’ve been here a couple of times with my beloved ones and here were some of the dishes that I got to try. 

Mr Roastman Burger Combo

A quadruple-decker burger filled with tons of good stuff - meaning, this burger is four stacks high! Consists of a generous layer of pulled original Mr. Roastman’s smoked beef, chicken katsu, some beef pâté, beef bacon, caramelized onion, smoked cheese, and juicy greens hugged in between a thick buttery brioche buns. The size of this burger is quite intimidating, but I’m sure a person can devour this dish in a blink of an eye with no doubt. You can also share this burger with your best buddy if you would, like I did. 

I only tried a bite of the brioche buns because I was on a diet at the time me and my friends visited Mr. Roastman. It was quite light, though is seemed a bit compact, and it was deliciously fluffy. I could definitely distinguish the generous butter that was slabbed on the brioche, making it full of fragrance and flavorful. 

The fillings, on the one hand, were delicious to say the least. The pulled smoked beef was very smoky and rich in flavor, while the beef pâté was plain juicy and savory. I love the combination of all the meat with the sweet caramelized onions, it was just delightful! Though I’m not really a big fan of greens in my burgers, the fresh veggies definitely managed to neutralize all that grease and calmed my tummy down. There wasn’t anything to complain about Mr Roastman’s Burger Combo other than the fact that I wanted more of it. 

Southern Smoked Ribs with Fries

This was what boyfriend had at our date night at Mr. Roastman. I’m not a fan of fatty meat, so the Southern Smoked Ribs wasn’t the option I took. Boyfriend, on the other hand, loves his meat juicy and fatty, so he opted for this smoked ribs. 

Its’ size was bigger than both of my fists combined and it sure looked amazing, despite the simply presentation of the dish. Boyfriend ordered his meat to be cooked medium well and a nice set of pinkish ribs was what he got. The waiter gave him a set of fork and knife to indulge on his ribs and I think it was a mistake, because the moment that fork jabbed into the ribs, the tender meat just fell out involuntarily without it being sliced. It was THAT tender! What else do you expect from something that had been smoked for 18 hours straight? 

Mr. Roastman truly has the best smoked dishes I have ever tasted in my life! The smoky flavor of the meat invigorated my tastebuds after that one bite from the boyfriend. The smoky flavor definitely eclipsed the savoriness of the ribs, yet the seasonings that were smothered on that slab of meat were still distinguishable. Though the concept of the restaurant is casual, the dishes were definitely luxurious and rich. 

Iga Bakar Madu

As I stated before, I’m no fan of fatty meat and this particular dish has fat smothered all over it. Although the Honey Grilled Ribs share the same meat part with the Southern Smoked Ribs, this particular dish had the ribs cut into bite-sized. I tried a bit of it and regret my decision because of how fatty it was. Yet, I’m sure you fatty meat lovers out there would go crazy for this baby. 

The meat melted right away the moment it got in your mouth before you could even chew it. It was honey glazed, hence the overpowering sweetness that dominated the entire flavor wheel. It was served with a bowl of warm rice and pickled vegetables, and they sure went well with each other. 

Smoked Beef Brisket (Lean/Moist)

Now, this is my go to at Mr. Roastman! The beef brisket came in two options, lean and moist -  in which, the lean one is straight up meat, while the moist one has a good handful of fat in it. You can also chose a 100g serving, a 200g serving, or a 200g serving with potato chips. I know I ain’t weak, so I opted for the lean 200g serving with potato chips. In my head, I imagined my sliced beef brisket to be thin and lanky, hence, the decision of ordering the 200g serving. Turns out, them meat was sliced thick! I was in shock when the waiter served my order on the table. It was somewhat intimidating, but not when compared with boyfriend’s Southern Smoked Ribs. But, still quite intimidating. 

My smoked beef brisket was smoked for 18 to 24 hours and it was served with a generous amount of Mr. Roastman’s creamy and spicy signature sauce. I ordered mine medium well and, boy, it was tender! Unlike boyfriend, who was served with fork and knife to indulge in his meat, I was given a spoon and it managed to cut through the beef brisket with no effort needed. Although it was a tad bit dry, I love this dish with all my heart. Smoky, meaty, flavorful, not to mention very fulfilling, you should definitely give this one a try!

Writing this food review during quarantine is making me having this urge to go out and give M Bloc Space a visit, but I won’t. I just hope that this pandemic will be over soon, so that we can all dine again at Mr. Roastman. For the time being, let’s just stay at home and lessen the possibilities of us getting infected with the virus. 

Mr. Roastman

M Bloc Space, Pedestrian Selatan

Jl. Panglima Polim Raya, No. 37

Senopati, Jakarta - 12160

Opening Hours: 

MON : 15 PM - 10 PM

TUE - THU : 10 AM - 10 PM

FRI - SUN : 8 AM - 11 PM

Contact:

+62 819 219 9998

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