Not Today

Today, I woke up knowing that it's going to be a shitty day. But, I'm not just going to let myself dwell on it. So, I brought myself to get out of bed, reached out to my girlfriends, gave me a long and refreshing shower, painted my nails the color of Eragon, and made myself a nice loaf of brownies.

I looked up the recipe online. After minutes of scrolling and contemplating about which recipe I should use, I finally decided to use this one. I was too lazy to measure the ingredients in grams, so I settled with cups. It took some minutes to prepare the batter then, when I'm done, I put it in the oven for about 40 minutes.

The result was fine, if I may say. It doesn't look like how brownies should look like, with its' even and cracked surface, but it was okay. I cut into it to have a tasted and it also doesn't have the texture of a brownies. Maybe I did something wrong with the batter that made it have the texture of a spongy chocolate cake but, hey, I'm down with that.

In life, sometimes, things just don't work out the way you want it to be. Even when you think you did the best you could, without making any mistakes whatsoever, shit still happens. Let alone if you do make a blunder, big or small. But, it's okay. That's just how life works.

Now, are you gonna let yourself be down in the dumps? I say, not today.

1030 Cakes & Quickbreads' Sticky Chewy Choco Brownies

Happy Post-valentine's Day! <3

I got a package from 1030 Cakes & Quickbreads today, woohoo! It was raining when Pak Yon, the name of the manager of a cafe where I worked a couple years ago, parked his car in front of my house to give me the package. It turned out, Pak Yon made an online cake shop, in which you can get yourselves a box of homemade baked cakes and breads with lovely packaging. He contacted me a few weeks ago, telling me that he would like to send out some of the products for me to taste. It didn't take long for me to accept the offer. 

So, today, I have received a box of brownies from 1030 Cakes & Quickbreads. It goes by the name Sticky Chewy Choco Brownies. It came inside a black box wrapped in silver ribbon. It is said that the baked good contains an "addicted effect", making me became more and more curious about the homemade brownies. 

The brownies was wrapped with aluminum foil and there was a sticker on the edge of it to make it look more neat. I tear open the aluminum foil and was welcomed with another sheet of what it seems to be parchment paper. I have to give an extra point for the fact that 1030 Cakes & Quickbreads did some serious wrapping method for their product, all sealed and clean, even when it made me feel like I was given a prank where I have to tear layers and layers of sheet for a no-good mischievous joke. And after a set of paper tearing, I could finally see the sticky and chewy brownies. 

Sticky Chewy Choco Brownies was its' name. The appearance of the baked brownies looked promising. All dark and brown - which tells us that it was nicely baked - garnished with some almonds, and a crack on the surface that made the brownies looked even more palatable. The brownies itself was light, both sliced and intact, and the edge was very crunchy - which made it crumbled a bit when Mom sliced it with a knife.

I was hoping for a thick gooey and fudgy brownies, yet I what I got was a rather airy and light chocolate cake instead. As I savor the texture and flavor of the brownies, it became clear to me that the brownies tasted more like a simple chocolate cake than a Sticky Chewy Choco Brownies. It was not sticky, nor chewy, at all. 

For those who are into brownies that are not fudgy and thickly sickening, then you would love 1030 Cakes & Quickbread's Sticky Chewy Choco Brownies. But, for those who fancy a gooey and heavy set of brownies, like I do (especially when it contains lots of nuts and accompanied with a scoop of vanilla ice cream) sorry to say that 1030 Cakes & Quickbreads' brownies is not your soulmate. 

1030 Cakes & Quickbreads

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Hard Rock Cafe Jakarta

Mom, Dad, and I paid a visit to Hard Rock Cafe Jakarta today, the one that's located at Pacific Place. It was 7.30 in the evening when we arrived. Mom booked us a table in advance, so it didn't take long for the waiter to escort us to our seats. The restaurant was not that crowded for a Saturday night, yet maybe it was just because we were a bit too early. One of the waiters said to us that there would be live music performance tonight, so we decided to order us some food while we wait.

Hard Rock Cafe Jakarta

Not that crowded for a Saturday night, right?

I ordered myself a glass of Strawberry Basil Lemonade, while Mom and Dad had their pint of Heineken. If it wasn't for the promise I made to myself - about how I'm not going to drink any alcohol until I turn 20 - I would probably settle down for a Pina Colada, or Cosmopolitan. I have never drink any of those two cocktails before, and I'm dying to taste one so that I can release myself from curiosity. 

Strawberry Basil Lemonade is basically your typical cold and thirst-quenching lemonade, but with a little garnish of crushed strawberries and basil. The combination of those three elements made this drink highly recommended for those who fancy a sourly fresh light beverage. Not that sour compared to lime mint, yet not that sweet compared to punch. It was lacking of sweetness for my taste, but it was nice and very enjoyable while it lasted. 

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

It turned out, I finished my Strawberry Basil Lemonade faster than I expected, I ended up ordering a second beverage: Wildberry Smoothie. A combination of fresh banana, wildberry syrup, pina colada mix, and orange juice blended into one refreshing tutty fruitty smoothie that would give a little kick to your taste bud. I like this one better than the Strawberry Basil Lemonade. The sweetness was just right for my taste, not to mention it had a quite light texture for a smoothie - not too clumpy, nor liquid-like - but it needed a little bit more banana in it.

Wildberry Smoothie

We started off with a Jumbo Combo, a mixed plate of appetizers such as, Santa Fe Spring Rolls, Hickory-smoked Chicken Wings, Onion Rings, Potato Skins, and Tupelo Chicken Tenders - served with four different kind of sauce: Tartar sauce, mayonnaise, tomato sauce, and Thousand Island Dressing. 

My favorite was the Tupelo Chicken Tenders and Potato Skins. The chicken tenders were deep-fried into perfection, brown in color and very crispy. They were slightly spicy because the batter contained bits of pepper in it. I love it best to be eaten with some Tartar sauce, as it added more flavor into the already-salty-and-savory chicken tenders. On the one hand, the Potato Skin were also enjoyable. Topped with some Jack and Cheddar cheese, seasoned bacon bits, and green onion, the potato had been a second favorite of mine. The edges were crispy and chewy at the same time, while the middle part of the potato was not mushy like how I expected it would be. Nicely seasoned, nicely grilled, and nicely served. 

Nothing special about the Onion Ring. Like always, I ended up getting rid of the onion and enjoyed the deep-fried batter instead. Again, it tasted better when its' dipped in Tartar sauce. 

Santa Fe Spring Rolls were filled with spinach, black beans, cilantro, corn, jalapeños, diced red peppers and jack cheese, which was nice and healthy, but it was clearly not a favorite of mine. They were nicely stuffed as there were no empty squishy space in the spring rolls. I'm guessing vegetarians are very much fond of this particular appetizer. 

I'm not a big fan of chicken wings. Hard Rock Cafe's Hickory-smoked Chicken Wings didn't change my opinion about my likings towards this particular dish. Mom was fond of its sour and piquant flavor though, but not me. Even when its' well-cooked and not oily, I still didn't like it. 

Jumbo Combo

The main course that I had was a plate of Grilled Salmon Fillet. I shared my plate with Dad, and it only took us around 15 minutes to finish our meal. The fillet was topped with Merlot-garlic butter, and served with a couple scoop of garlic mashed potato and vegetables. I personally loved the garlic butter on top of the salmon as it melted down the fillet. It enhanced the flavor and the savoriness of the nicely grilled fish. 

Grilled Salmon Fillet

Mom is allergic to any kind of seafood, so she didn't join Dad and I in devouring the salmon. Instead, she ordered herself a plate of New York Strip Steak. Nicely grilled and cooked, the meat was very tender and savory. You wouldn't miss the oil spurted out from the meat as you penetrate a fork in it and slice it open with a knife. It was an enjoyable sight.

New York Strip Steak

I was super stuffed after I finished my salmon, but there were still an extra space for some dessert, so I ordered myself Hard Rock Cafe's famous Hot Fudge Brownie. I had to wait for 15 minutes for my brownie to be ready, and it was worth while. My plate of dessert was very appealing - square-shaped brownie topped with vanilla flavored Haagen Dazs ice cream, whipped cream, chopped walnut, hot fudge, chocolate sprinkles, and cherry on top. 

The brownies itself was slightly sticky, a bit warm, and it had this amount of sweet that would make you feel sick if you eat it too much. A couple scoop of vanilla ice cream went well with the brownie as it neutralize the taste that you got from eating the chocolate cake. The whipped cream was different compared to other whipped cream I have ever tasted in my life as it had this thick texture, not that sweet, and it was not airy even the slightest bit. Overall, the brownie made an excellent dessert and a perfect closure for a fancy diner.

Hot Fudge Brownie

Hard Rock Cafe Jakarta

Pacific Place, Ground Floor #G-05

SCBD LOT 3-5

Jalan Jendral Sudirman, Kav. 54-55 

Jakarta Indonesia

Opening Hours: 

Sunday - Thursday : 11AM - 1AM

Friday - Saturday: 11AM - 2AM

Contact: 

+62 21 5797 3055

+62 21 5797 3044

Breakfast at Zaatar W Zeit

A day begin with me trying to move my butt to the bathroom in order to get ready for a walk at Souq Waqif. It was 9 in the morning, and Tante Rosi and Tante Tika were in the living room, just arrived to pick my Mom and I up. It took me no longer than 15 minutes to get ready, all clean and dressed up, with my camera bag on my right shoulder. With no further ado, the four of us hopped into the car and drove away from Matar Qadeem. 

After a 10-minute-drive, we finally arrived at the heart of Doha. Souq Waqif, a standing market which reminds you of a scene in Disney's Aladdin, where Princess Jasmine strolls around at the market in Agrabah in which was crowded with sellers and products. The thing with Souq Waqif is just that the environment here is a lot more modern, judging from the fact that the place also has numerous cafe and restaurant, instead of just merchants selling traditional Middle eastern goods. They even have a Haägen-Dazs Cafe here!

Fancy some rugs?

Cute Qatar magnets

Fancy some colorful fabric?

A dress or two, maybe?

Police patrols at Souq Waqif

Don't this reminds you of a scene in Aladdin?

Don't these teapots look nice?

ADORABLE CAMMEL PLUSHIES!

The reason why we came to the Souq is to have breakfast at a restaurant named Zaatar W Zeit. Tante Rosi told me that she has dined at the restaurant before, and that the restaurant serves great food in her opinion. It took us a while to find the restaurant because of all the alleys and small streets. When we finally arrived at the restaurant, it was a bit surprising to see the outdoor tables were occupied even though it was still early in the morning.

Zataar W Zeit

We started the day with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. I was going to order myself some Hot Chocolate before, but I was a bit nauseous that morning, so I had to drink something fresh and juicy to make the uneasy feeling go away. It turned out, my decision was right to pick the orange juice, because it really was fresh and thirst-quenching. It was really really sour, the orange juice, but in a good way.

A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice to start the day

The Orange Juice was very sour in a refreshing way

We decided to order some dishes and share them, instead of having one dish for each person. For appetizer, we had ourselves a bowl of Simply Caesar Salad, a bowl of fresh and crispy Romaine Lettuce, garnished with Parmesan Cheese and Oven-baked Croutons, coated with delicious mayonnaise. The Italian cheese had a nutty flavor for some reason, while the Croutons were toasty and delicious. The greens were crunchy and juicy, and they made me feel good for consuming them! 

Simply Caesar Salad

Very juicy and crispy leafs 

Our breakfast was then continued with a pan of Traditional Pizza and BBQ Steak Wrapz. Both dishes was delicious as heck! The pizza was thin, yet very stomach-fulling. It was decorated with tomato sauce, Mozzarella Cheese, ham, Oregano, and mushroom. I hardly spotted any Oregano in the pizza, but maybe they were contained under the ham, or under the melted Mozzarella cheese. Cheesy, doughy, floury, and delicious describe the pizza perfectly! The only thing that destroyed the pizza was the mushroom. I seriously tried to love mushroom, but I just can't seem to find anything delicious about it. So, I hereby declare that I dislike mushroom and that it doesn't go well with anything!

BBQ Steak Wrapz is the second thing we had as main course. The tortilla was soft and slightly fluffy, yet also crunchy. Inside, you can find a handful of beef with barbeque sauce, along with red and green bell pepper, and also onion. All in all, the beef wrap was delicious, but I love the pizza more even though it had mushroom on it. I actually ate three slices of pizza and a couple of beef wraps. 

Traditional Pizza

Delicious melted Mozzarella and ham!

BBQ Steak Wrapz

Stuffed with sweet and savory barbequed beef

What's a meal without some dessert, right? The four of us decided to order two kinds of dessert to share with. They were a bowl of Chocolate Chip Brownies and a cup of Strawberry Cheese Cake. 

Chocolate Chip Brownies are three bars of chilly brownies, served with chocolate syrup. I thought I would have an encounter with some sweet chocolate chips, but I stand corrected. The chocolate bars were not fudgy, they were a slightly dry and airy. Them brownies tasted sweet and quite delicious.

Chocolate Chip Brownies

A very nice dessert to begin with

Unfortunately, the Strawberry Cheese Cake was not as delicious as the brownies. They were painfully hard to swallow. The strawberry jam on top was beyond sweet and nauseating, it tasted like cherry-flavored cough syrup. Underneath it was a blob of, what it's supposed to be, cream cheese.. which tasted as excruciating as the jam! It didn't taste like cream cheese at all, it was milky and agonizingly sweet. At the bottom of the cup was very very few cake crumbs, which taste savory and nice, yet the cream completely destroyed it. I do not recommend you this particular dessert at all!

A cup of not delicious Strawberry Cheese Cake

After breakfast has ended, we stroll around the market. Tante Rosi and Tante Tika was planning on buying some Abaya, so we made a few pit stops to some Abaya shop to fit and bargain. It took us a while to find the perfect Abaya, along with the perfect size and price. I have to tell you, some of them were really attractive and beautiful, despite the fact that they only come in one color!

After some fitting and bargaining, Tante Rosi and Tante Tika finally got the Abaya that they love. We had breakfast, we shopped, we took some pictures, and we went home with a big joy. It was a nice morning at the Souq! 

So, for those of you who happen to life in Doha, you should definitely go to the Souq and dine at Zaatar W Zeit. Great food, good service, and free WiFi! But, watch out for the chief-in-charge, he likes to make jokes about toilet at the wrong time. Been there, done that! 

Black Abayas to die for!

Introducing, Mom, who rather shoot some flash than fit some Abayas!

Tante Tika and her Abaya

Tante Rosi and her Abaya

470 Qatar Riyal for one Abaya

Zaatar W Zeit

Souq Waqif, between Musherib and Al Rayyan Road

Doha, Qatar

Phone: +974 4431 5224

Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday : 24 Hours