Oseng Tuna Asap "OTAJI"

Ini udah ketiga kalinya gue menjalani puasa di barak. Meskipun guenya sendiri nggak menjalankan ibadah puasa, gue turut meramaikan dengan iseng-iseng ikutan temen-temen gue puasa. Inginnya sih, dengan gue ikutan puasa, lemak di badan gue bakal meluruh beserta ampas-ampas yang biasa akan gue buang di pagi hari, alhasil lingkar pinggang gue mengecil dan celana dinas harian gue pun melonggar. Eh, kenyataannya berat badan gue malah naik gara-gara puasa hari pertama hampir pingsan, yang akhirnya gue harus mengisi perut dengan dua porsi nasi goreng gerobakan. 

Puasa-puasa berikutnya pun, nafsu makan gue justru meningkat. Yang tadinya mau buka puasa dengan kolak doang, gue malah berakhir menyantap menu buka puasa yang disediakan di Ruang Makan Jatah Taruna - nasi secentong besar, ikan filet asam manis tiga potong, tempe balado satu potong, dan takjil dua mangkok. Kacau. 

Tapi, ada satu menu yang menghiasi minggu pertama bulan puasa di barak gue, yaitu Oseng Tuna Asap "OTAJI". Semua berawal dari teman sebarak gue, Anggita dan Ambar, yang tiba-tiba ditawarin tester tuna asap ini oleh tetangga sebelah barak kami. Saat itu gue belum pulang pesiar, jadi yang baru mencicipi tuna asap dewa ini baru mereka berdua. Sepulangnya gue ke barak, gue disambut oleh Anggita dan Ambar yang teriak-teriak, "Kin, patungan yuk beli tuna asap dari barak sebelah! Enak banget, sumpah, setoplesnya cuma 65 ribu!"

Belum gue memutuskan untuk ikut patungan atau nggak, Anggita inisiatif lari ke barak sebelah untuk mencomot sepotong besar tuna tester untuk disuapin ke gue. "Coba deh, enak banget," katanya. Bentuknya sih berantakan dan nggak karuan, agak kurang menjanjikan, warnanya hitam pula, tapi gue lahap juga pada akhirnya. 

Dan, ternyata, beneran enak dong! Meskipun bentuknya berantakan, daging tunanya sendiri tergolong agak keras dan alot, dan nggak lembek benyek yang bakalan hancur jadi bubur ikan pas udah masuk mulut. Bumbu pedasnya terasa banget - gurih dan super super pedas, sampai-sampai gue kewalahan nahan sakit perut dan bulak-balik ke kamar mandi di pagi hari. Cita rasa dari proses pengasapannya pun kuat dan nampol banget di lidah. Gurih, pedas level neraka, manis, bercampur jadi satu. Gue nggak menyesal sama sekali ikut patungan sama Anggita dan Ambar demi setoples Oseng Tuna Asap "OTAJI". Enaknya pake banget!

Akhirnya, minggu pertama bulan puasa gue, Anggita, dan Ambar pun lengkap dengan kehadiran tuna asap dewa ini. Biasanya Anggita dan Ambar menyantap tuna asap ini pas sahur, karena mereka berdua terlalu males untuk sahur di ruang makan, sementara gue gantian menyantap oseng ikan ini untuk buka puasa. Gue nggak kuat kalo gue ngegayem tuna super pedas ini subuh-subuh, karena lambung dan usus gue dijamin bakal melilit pagi-pagi saking pedasnya. Udah lemes karena ikutan puasa, tambah lemes lagi gara-gara nahan sakit perut. Kan lucu. 

STPI, Sarasehan Bekasi - Jakarta (Told You I'll be Back!)

Last friday night, I went out to Tebet to attend this dinner gathering with some friends from my school. Those who come were the ones that live around Bekasi and Jakarta. Now, this gathering was held so that we can get to know each other well - since we were not that familiar one another, including myself. The gathering started at around 4 o'clock in the evening, but my friends and I were tardy because we got caught in a super long traffic jam.. we ended up arriving at the cafe at 7.

Trimar Cafe is a small cafe located in Tebet, squeezed between bistros and pretty much drowned in a sea of hungry youths. Indoor and outdoor seats were available for those who dine in this cafe. A compact stage, complete with a big screen, were set at the outdoor area and a game of soccer was aired that night. As I stepped into the cafe, I notice how soccer-y the cafe is. The walls were decorated with pictures of soccer players, whose face and name I'm not familiar with. There was this one wall printed with picture of a soccer stadium, with writings of "Manchester United" on it. The only thing that is not soccer-related in this cafe is a billiard table just a few steps away from the entrance - which I didn't use because it was monopolized by my seniors. 

My classmates, my friends from different courses, and my seniors were seated at this long wooden table. The gathering was led by a friend of mine nick-named Celi, who happen to excelled at being an MC. We introduced ourselves, got to know each other, and throw jokes at one another. A pleasant atmosphere was created that night. 

Everybody was paying attention as Celi spoke

Soon, it was time for us to grab our plates and scoop food onto it. There were lots of side dishes available for us to consume - stir-fried vegetables, spicy fried noodles, spicy Beef Teriyaki, Chicken Rolls, bakso, and spicy chicken. Most of the side dishes I ate were spicy, but they were delicious as well! For example the Chicken Rolls, filled with diced boiled chicken and ragoût, was creamy and fun to chew. And the Beef Teriyaki was well-cooked and very peppery in a delightful way. 

To be honest, I was expecting an individual portion of dinner instead of a buffet, but it was okay. The guys, especially my friends from course Pilot 66, scooped a - hell - lot of rice and side dishes I was awestruck. I accidently did they same thing that my friends did, to scoop a lot of food onto my plate, and dig in. It's a habit I can't get rid yet..

"That's an awful lot of portion for a girl," one of my friend said

A friend of mine nick-named Step brought a laptop with internet connection with him. Me and my friends ended up munching and chewing while laughing at our other friend's Facebook pictures. We chatted and exchanged Instagram account, as well as Twitter account and LINE ID. It was a fun night. But, a fun night wouldn't be fun without some picture-taking, right?

 

Trimar Cafe

Jl. Tebet Raya No. 90

Tebet Barat, Jakarta

Phone: (021) 835 2921

Opening Hours:

10 AM - 11 PM

Risol Soub's Break-fasting Event

A friend of mine who goes by the name Memes has a big brother who opened a snack joint with his buddies named Risol Soubs. This particular snack joint is located at Tebet, and it held a break-fasting event a while ago during the Ramadan Season. Orphans, friends, and family were invited to this gathering, including me. At first, I was only going to attend the event, but then it turned out that Memes' camera's memory card malfunctioned, so I ended up being the documenter.

When I arrived at the location, the place was jammed-pack with people. The orphans, who were the main guest of the event, were sitting at the front yard, listening to a lecture by an ustadz. I proceed to the kitchen and found Mas Dika, Memes' big bro, preparing some snacks to be given to the guests. There were lots and lots of risols, and a tray of what it seemed to be deep-fried banana coated with chocolate and powdered sugar. My hands were all fidgety, wanting to snatch one of those good-looking bananas, but then I heard Mas Dika exclaimed, "It's an inferno in here!". I wasn't sure how to respond to his shouting as he was wearing three layers of top, T-Shirt, Baju Koko, and a thick Denim Jacket, in a pipping hot kitchen. 

Don't you just want to snatch a stick or two?

The sight of Mas Dika, preparing risols for the guests

The Before and After of Risol Soubs' famous flavored risols 

Fry them until they are brownish gold in color

Trays and trays of risols

While we all wait for the Adzan to echo around the neighborhood, we played games with the orphans. The game is simple, whoever can do a task or answer a question will win a lovely Disney bag. I was planning to join the game, I mean come on who wouldn't want a Disney bag, but it turned out that the questions were addressed to the kids only. Blue blistering barnacles. 

The shy boy managed to complete the first task, which is to sing the Adzan

The excitement of wining a prize

Memes and Kak Agham, letting those two girls complete their task

"Yaaaay, I won a Minnie and Daisy bag," cheered the little girl

"Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar," said an ustadz at a mosque near our place. Everybody was excited to break their fast. Mas Dika's friends gave out snack boxes for the orphans and everybody else to enjoy. The snack box was filled with two pastries, a chocolate cake, and a cup of pudding, along with a glass of mineral water. Then, it was followed by a tall glass of fruit soup. Man, those refreshing and juicy fruit soup was awesome! I got myself a glass with endless refills.

Boxes of snacks, ready to be given away

Stack them boxes

Always say a pray first before you eat

I bet those chocolate cakes tasted superb

My share of fruit soup

Another friends of Mas Dika, ready to hand out some fruit soup

"Calm down, calm down, everybody will get some!"

As night falls, everybody took out their praying clothes and praying mats, and shalat side by sides. Soon after the praying was finished, it was time to feast. It was a very luxurious dinner, with all those rice set and side dishes. There were two big plates of rice set, or Nasi Tumpeng, decorated with a wide selection of side dishes. There were spicy potato cubes with chicken liver, chicken, fish, meat, slices of eggs, potato cakes, vegetables, crackers, and macaroni. The table was occupied with food and dinning utensil, and those who would love to eat are allowed to queue. 

The sight of the luxurious Nasi Tumpeng

The sweet and savory macaroni 

Since the kids were our first priority, we let them queue first. It was an endless line of hungry mini-mes, excited to have their plate filled with various food. The ladies who were in charge of scooping the food did their job very well as they scoop every side dishes available on the table to the kids' plates. Unfortunately, the little fellows were rather picky with their food. So, instead of accepting the luxuriously decorated plate, they choose the food that they want to have for dinner themselves, which mostly was a spoonful of rice and a piece of chicken. The food ladies were very flustered, but it was a rather funny scene to see. 

A spoonful of this and a handful of that

The kids were really happy with a plate of rice and a piece of chicken 

"But, I only want rice and chicken."

The first Nasi Tumpeng was finished!

The kids enjoyed their meal as much as I did. We had dinner together, and we chatted and made jokes. I made friends with some of the little boys, whose names unfortunately escaped me. They were really happy that they can enjoy such delicious food, even if it was just a big spoonful of rice with two types of side dishes. 

Dinner was fun!

Careful there boy, you don't want to choke yourself!

Fried chicken. Fried chicken everywhere. 

"Hey, big sis, take a picture of this," exclaimed one of the boys. I turned on my camera and fired a flash. The boy was biting his drumstick with a big smile on his face. "Big sis, take a picture of me too," shouted another one. He did the same pose as his friends, taking a big bite of the chicken, but this time with a big grin instead of a smile. They were really adorable!

I had fun with Risol Soub, and with the kids too! I will definitely come if Risol Soubs held another break-fasting event next year. 

Risol Soubs

Jl. Tebet Utara 1, No. 12

Jakarta Selatan 12820

Phone: (021) 9067 0158

Dinner With The Yearbook Committee

Meet the Yearbook Committee

I just got home after spending the night at Mr. Curry with the Yearbook Committee. We broke the fast, had dinner, and devoured parfaits. I've been wanting to go back to Mr. Curry and I finally did it. I even prepared my stomach by not munching on snack after I had brunch to show how determined I was. Today was my second visit to Mr. Curry and the food was still as delicious as ever.

Started with a glass of complimentary sweet tea, then followed with a glass of Iced Lemon Tea and a plate of Tori Karaage as an appetizer. There were dates and glasses of tea served on the table as complimentary dishes for the Muslims to break the fast. Much to my surprise, the tea tasted different in a good way. It was sweet, yet it has this flavor that tasted very familiar. Either it was fruit-flavored tea or candy-flavored tea, I couldn't tell, but it sure tasted good!

Iced Lemon Tea

Some dates to break the fast

A glass of funny flavored complimentary tea

There were twelve of us, dinning in at Mr. Curry, and we ordered plenty of food. Sally, Enno, and I shared a plate of appetizer because we didn't want to get ourselves full before the main course. Well, at least I didn't. The Tori Karaage was delicious and crispy, but it was fatty and squishy. I'm not a big fan of food that still has fats in it, especially the squishy and the rubbery ones, so I just took a piece of the Karaage. 

What I love about the appetizer was the lettuce and the dipping sauce. There was a slice of lettuce on the Karaage plate and I was in the mood for some juicy greens, so I took it and dipped it in the Tartar sauce. Man, that piece of lettuce was juicy! The Tartar sauce was very delicious, savory and sour, as well. Too bad I didn't bring some breadsticks with me. 

Tori Karaage for appetizer

Creamy Tartar Sauce

Cindy ordered herself a plate of deep-fried tofu for appetizer. They were as big as thumbs and very few. I tried a bite. It turned out that those tofu had a rather unique texture. "Delicious, right, Kin? These tofu are crispy on the outside, yet very soft and light on the inside," said Sally. Yes, those tofu were very light. The inner part of the tofu was very soft and fragile, it literary disperse in your mouth. Highly recommended for those who prefer a rather light appetizer!

Light and crispy deep-fried tofu

Febby's delicious looking cream soup and juice

"Curry-a-plenty" described our dinner perfectly. I ordered myself the same dish that I ordered on my first visit to Mr. Curry, which is a plate of Katsu Omurice for dinner, crispy chicken katsu on top of fried-egg-enveloped tomato fried rice. It came with a generous amount of savory curry sauce on the sides and a tiny bowl of salad. I enjoyed the dish very much! It's a good thing I didn't eat snacks beforehand.

Febby's creamy omelet rice

My crispy and delicious Katsu Omurice

Salad for dessert

Christy's Curry Katsu Rice

Sally's Fried Cheese Salmon Curry Rice

The thing about Mr. Curry is that they always have discount promotions everyday. The promo may vary, depending on what day that you dine in. Since today was Thursday, and Thursday's promo is "Buy two Jumbo Parfaits, free one Macaroon Parfait", we had a parfait party! 

I've been wanting to try Mr. Curry's parfait and I finally did. I ordered myself a Chocolate Banana Jumbo Parfait, like the one that Iqbal and Bagas had. Judging from the size of the parfait, Sally and Enno decided to share their parfait because they didn't think that they could finish a glass. Bimo, Andrew, Anty, Cindy, and Febby had three different flavors of Macaroon Parfait, which were Cookies and Cream Parfait, Tutty Fruity Parfait, and Chocolate Parfait. Dimas had a big glass of Blueberry and Kiwi Jumbo Parfait. Christy ordered herself a Green Tea Jumbo Parfait. And then there was this Strawberry Pudding Parfait that belonged to Christy and I, but we decided to share it with the girls.

Bimo's and Anty's Cookies and Cream Macaroon Parfait

Andrew's and Febby's Chocolate Macaroon Parfait

The Jumbo Parfait consisted of corn flakes at the bottom of the glass, then topped with some creamy and stuffing whipped cream. The whipped cream was covered with a generous amount of Vanilla ice cream, then it was garnished with toppings accordingly. Each parfaits had different toppings, but we could all find Strawberries and Pocky sticks in every parfait that we ordered. The Macaroon Parfaits, on the other hand, had different flavored macaroons on top of the Vanilla ice cream.

Cindy's Tutty Fruity Macaroon Parfait

Dimas' Blackberry and Kiwi Parfait

Good Lord, look at those parfaits!

Stop tormenting me, parfait. You know I can't resist you. 

Sally's and Enno's Mango Parfait

Christy's Green Tea Parfait

My Chocolate Banana Jumbo Parfait was very very very delicious! The chef used shredded dark chocolates as toppings, which blended well with the Vanilla ice cream and made the whole parfait itself didn't tasted too sweet. The roasted almonds were also very delightful to be consumed, along with the strawberry and the bananas. Then I proceed to dig a little dipper to get myself a spoonful of whipped cream and corn flakes. A hint of chocolate fudge was found, mixed with the whipped cream and the corn flakes, making the bottom part of the parfait the best part there is. The next thing I know, I finished the whole parfait all by myself.

Then I proceed to get a taste of the yellow colored pudding on top of the Strawberry Pudding Jumbo Parfait. The pudding was pretty tasteless at first, but then it gave this slight caramel flavor as you chew. The other girls were stuffed, but I continued to eat my second parfait. I had to stop at some point because Osmosis Jones accidentally bumped into my Puke Button, somewhere inside my body, making me feel all queazy.

Strawberry Pudding Parfait that was shared with everybody

My Chocolate Banana Parfait

This parfait, I worship it. 

Delicious stacks of corn flakes at the bottom of the parfait glass

All I can say is that dinner was great! If you're looking for a place to break the fast with your friends and family, Mr. Curry is the right place to be. A wide selection of appetizer, main course, and dessert is available at Mr. Curry, and I can guarantee your satisfaction. They even have a daily discount promotion, which includes a 2-in-1 lunch set and a buy-2-get-3 promo! For more information, you can check out Mr. Curry's Twitter account here.


Mr. Curry
Restaurant Row Level 3, Pondok Indah Mall 2

Jl. Metro Pondok Indah 

Jakarta 12310

Phone: (021) 7592 0666

Opening Hours:

Monday - Sunday: 10 AM - 10 PM