Taruna in Frame

As pilot cadets who enroll in Sekolah Tinggi Penerbangan Indonesia, we rarely get long weekends due to our tight schedule in the institution. Last Thursday was Chinese New Year, and we were lucky enough to be able to have a day off from the day before. We thought campus would immediately start on Friday, but then we received a news about how our headmistress was kind enough to extend our days off until Sunday. I was overwhelmed by the fact that we actually get a five days off from the institution. A chance like this is as rare as finding Waldo in Katy Perry's Candyfornia! 

To make a good use of our long weekend, the gang and I decided to do a rendezvous at Pantai Indah Kapuk to have culinary adventure. Ambar, my dorm mate at Sekolah Tinggi Penerbangan Indonesia, slept over at my house on Thursday night. We ganged up with Gavin and Aryo in the morning and headed to PIK approximately at 10. Gita, who is also my dorm mate, caught up with us just before shalat Jumat with her boyfriend/myclassmate, Ramdhan. 

Our first stop was Hakata Ikkousha.

It was an hour before mid noon when we arrived at the ramen house. The restaurant was still unoccupied by hungry citizen, getting us a table was as easy as going in an amusement at Disneyland with a fast track ticket.

#handsinframe

Condiments

Gavin's cold ocha

Aryo's milk drink with tapioca bubbles

Crepe tester from Fold Crepe Annie - love the Oreo Crepe so much!

Happy Hour was at 11AM - 2PM. For every purchase of ramen, we get a discount for chicken karage, fried gyoza, or grilled gyoza by only paying Rp9.800,00 for each portion. Being a sane person, that I am, I quickly ordered myself a bowl of Ramen Babi Spesial and a plate of grilled pork gyoza. If it wasn't for the Happy Hour, I would get charge more or less Rp30.000,00 for a plate of gyoza. Crazy, right? 

Loving the lovely and appealing presentation of my noodke. My Special Pork Ramen was served with a dash of sesame seed, soft boiled egg, chopped leek, and sliced pork. Two thumbs up for the runny egg yolk! 

Compared to Ramen 38 - Sanpachi, my ramen broth was rich in flavor, yet slightly salty to my taste, and less thick. The noodle was cooked well done, making it tender and less chewy. If only the waitresses were concern enough to ask how we wanted our noodle, like they do at Ramen 38, I would definitely have my noodle curled up in a medium well goodness. I'm not satisfied with the super thin pork slices. Even though it tasted deliciously fatty and savory, they could definitely thicken the cut. It's a good thing the dish was big in size and they soft boiled their egg, or else I would rate the ramen house a 6 out of 10 instead of a 7.4. 

Ramen Babi Spesial - 55K

Grilled Pork Gyoza

I ordered a plate of Grilled Pork Gyoza as a side dish, while Aryo had the deep-fried ones and Gavin had Chicken Karage. We shared our side dishes and even tasted each other's ramen broth - in which I conclude that Gavin's Chicken Curry Ramen's broth was very typical with Indomie's Mie Kari Ayam, while Ambar's ramen broth is the spicier and chicken version of my Special Pork Ramen, and Aryo's Pork Shoyu Ramen was savory with a hint of sourness here and there. 

The gyoza shared the same size with my thumb and the filling was not that generous. My grilled gyoza tasted excellently savory, even when it was rather oily for a dumpling skin with very few minced-pork filling, and the edges were deliciously chewy and crunchy. Aryo's gyoza was crispier than mine and shared the same taste. I'm not fond of Gavin's Chicken Karage because they were super oily and they were over coated with batter. The chicken itself was spicy and sweet at the same time, which tasted a bit off for me.

Aryo's Pork Shoyu Ramen - 58K

Aryo prefers to have Fried Pork Gyoza to accompany his ramen with

Ambar's Ramen Ayam Tamtam - 58K

Gavin's Chicken Curry Ramen - 58K

A plate of Chicken Karage that belonged to Gavin

Boy, were we stuffed! The portion of the dishes at Hakata Ikkousha was big enough to make cadets like us feel full. We had to wait for around an hour to let the food go down to our digestion system before we could make it to our next stop, Shirokuma.


Yup, Shirokuma. I clearly stated on my previous post about Shirokuma that the dessert place was simply overrated. So, what made me go back to the soft cream palace and decided to give it another chance? Simply, the adorable limited edition dessert: Delicutesh Cream!

My Delicutesh Cream, woohoo!

Delicutesh Cream consists of panda-shaped mixed soft cream on a cone. The dessert is only available during the month of love and it has a limited serving per day. I fell in love with the adorable looking panda ice cream, so I decided to give it a go. 

As I told you before, despite the creamy texture of the soft cream, I am not satisfied with the matcha soft cream. The green tea flavor was not strong enough to be called "green tea" and it was dominated by the bitterness instead of the sweetness. I had a hard time devouring the awful bitterness of the green tea, but I made it eventually. In the end, I can still conclude that Shirokuma is simply overrated, and that the Delicutesh Cream would definitely gain love from its' lovely appearance but not from its' sweet deliciousness. 

The adorable Female Panda Cone

Gavin ordered a glass of Green Tea Latte that tasted none like latte but more like water with green tea powder. It was clearly a BIG NO for me. On the other hand, Aryo seemed to enjoyed his Twist Soft Cream. The soft cream melted very quickly, making him had to lick the vanilla and green tea soft cream that dripped all over his hand. 

Green Tea Latte - 25K

Twist Soft Cream - 15K

Sharing your ice cream is good, people!

Not satisfied with my ice cream, we decided to visit another ice cream cafe, the Northpole Cafe. I've been curious with this particular dessert house, simply because of its' various choices of ice cream flavor. I surfed the web about its' whereabout and explored Instagram just to find beautiful pictures of its' ice cream that made me go fidgety. Luckily, Northpole is only three restaurants away from Shirokuma, so we only had to walk a bit instead of driving ourselves. 

The new dessert join specializes in ice cream. They have four choices of ice cream cone, with 16 different flavors of ice cream that costed you Rp25.000,00 each. Three of the flavors are exclusive flavors that will costed you another Rp10.000,00, which are Baileys, Diablo Beer, and Choco Ferrero. 

Same like Baskin Robbins, they have this policy that allows the consumer to taste the ice cream before they can decided which flavor to get. Curious about the beer flavored ice cream, I asked the ice cream lady for a tiny spoon of it. The moment the ice cream made contact with my taste buds, it became clear to me why they sell it for Rp35.000,00. The beer flavor is strong in this one, very bitter like how a beer should taste, yet there was a hint of vanilla sweetness here and there. I'm not a big fan of beer, so tasting is enough for me. But for those who fancy the bubbly and fizzy sensation of Diablo beer, you should definitely get the ice cream!

I went for the Salted Caramel ice cream with Oreo cone. Even when the cone was super small, on the edge of it was a generous amount of melted marshmallow and Oreo crumbs that tasted superb! I didn't know Oreo and marshmallow worked well with each other, especially with a scoop of the salty and sweet Salted Caramel ice cream. 

Salted Caramel Ice Cream with Oreo cone - 40K

Gavin's share of ice cream with plain cone - 25K

We tasted each other's ice cream and they all tasted sooooo good! Ambar's Choco Lemon Ice Cream was very chocolaty with a strong lemon flavor, yet Gita's Choco Ferrero was way more chocolaty than Ambar's - even when it was hard for me to distinguish the Ferrero chocolate inside. Aryo decided to get creative with his dessert combination, so he went for the Hazelnut Ice Cream with Fruity Loops cone. 

I know, the dessert at this cafe can be pretty pricey, but I don't see why you can't enjoy good quality ice cream once in a while.

Ambar's Choco Lemon Ice Cream - 25K

Again, sharing is good!

Aryo's Hazelnut Ice Cream with Fruity Loops cone - 40K

Gita's Choco Ferrero with Milo cone - 50K

After we screamed for ice cream, we move on to our last pit stop, which was LOCALE24 Diner & Bar. We only had drinks at this restaurant/bar, while we wait for a couple of friends to join in the fun. I had a glass of Pina Colada that was overflowing with coconut. It was rather challenging for me to finish my drink because I didn't enjoy it at all. Same thing with Gavin and his Mojito that definitely used green food coloring and syrup in the making. Unfortunately, the battery in my Mom's Leica died just as I was about to take picture of the drinks, so, no pictures in this one. 

It was fun having culinary adventure with my fellow heavy eaters. True, we only visited four restaurants that day, but we also shopped for street snacks on our way to Pantai Indah Kapuk - such as the sensational Hot Jeletot, boiled quail eggs, and cheap cheese sticks. Not to mention, I bought a portion of Nasi Bungkus with grilled fish, tempe, and salted duck egg on my way home. Can you imagine how much weight I can gain in just one day? 

"The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."

Hakata Ikkousha

Ruko Garden House, Blok B

Bukit Gold Mediterania

Jalan Raya Pantai Indah Kapuk

Pantai Indah Kapuk, Jakarta

Opening Hours:

Monday - Sunday: 11AM - 10PM

Contact:

+62 21 2903 3271

SHIROKUMA

Ruko Crown Golf, Blok A No. 23

Bukit Golf Mediterania, Jalan Pantai Indah Kapuk

Pantai Indah Kapuk, Jakarta

Opening Hours

Monday - Sunday: 12PM - 10PM

Contact

+62 21 2923 7523

Northpole Cafe

Ruko Crown Golf, Blok A No. 57

Bukit Gold Mediterania

Jalan Marina Indah Raya

Pantai Indah Kapuk, Jakarta

Opening Hours: 

Monday - Sunday: 12PM - 10PM

Contact:

+61 21 2921 0357

LOCALE24 Diner & Bar

Ruko Gardon House, Blok B10-11 

Bukit Golf Mediterania

Jalan Raya Pantai Indah Kapuk

Pantai Indah Kapuk, Jakarta

Opening Hours: 24 Hours

Contact:

+62 21 2903 3162

Culinary Adventure at Gading

Tous les Jours

So many choices of good quality buns and breads available in this bakery. From sweet to savory, chocolaty to salty, icy to steamy, they have it all in Tous les Jours. I found this bakery by accident, as I was on my quest to search for an ATM. The sight of the golden brown buns decorating the trays caught my attention. "Man, can this bakery bake," I thought to myself. There were so many bakery goods to choose, not to mention most of them will probably cost you not more than Rp 10.000,00. 

It took me a while to decided on what bread I should have for lunch, until I spot this rather appealing toast. Topped with melted cheese and some smoked beef, I took the toast, put it on a tray that was provided at the bakery, and handed it to the cashier. "I would like to dine in," I said. "Would you like us to warm your toast," asked one of the male staff politely. I nod enthusiastically. 

The toast was beyond savory. The crust was crispy and crunchy, and it blended well with the melted cheese. I felt very fancy and a bit classy, it was as if I were from the capitol. Indulging on a rather fancy looking bread neatly, with a help of a fork and a knife, while I usually would just eat it with my bare hand, made me feel like as if I were Effie Trinket.

Cold Stone

Cold Stone are a bit pricey, if I might say. Rp 28.000,00 for a cup of ice cream, with one complimentary choice of topping, is rather expensive, yes? Add Rp 6.000,00 if you would like to have another topping of your choice. Since I was waiting for some of my friends to come to Mall Kelapa Gading, I decided to wait for them at this particular ice cream parlor. I bought myself a cup of Hazelnut-flavored ice cream, with a piece of Oreo and a chunk of brownies for toppings. Can you imagine how heavenly this ice cream was? It costed me Rp 34.000,00, but it was worth it. 

Cold Stone is famous for its ice cream mixing. The staff would just scoop the ice cream and put it on a glass base. Then, he will add the toppings, just on top of the ice cream, and mix them with a shovel-like tool. Later on, he will put the ice cream into the cup, or the waffle cup, and let you enjoy the masterpiece. 

In my opinion, Oreo tastes best if you eat it with Vanilla ice cream. But, since I was in the mood for some nutty flavored ice cream, it will just have to do. It turned out, indulging on hazelnut ice cream, with small chunks of brownies and Oreo, was not bad. Not bad at all. I enjoyed it very much actually. If only it didn't cost you half of your allowance, then I would probably stuff myself with the same ice cream everyday.

Standing Sushi Bar

Don't get fooled by the name "Standing Sushi Bar" because they have tables and chairs there. It will cost you Rp 25.000,00 for a couple of Ikura Sushi, a boat shaped sushi wrapped with dried seaweed and topped with salmon eggs. For those who are not fond of sushi or fish eggs, then this particular cuisine is no match for you. But, since I'm a sushi lover, Standing Sushi Bar's Ikura Sushi deserves a two thumbs up from the Almighty Fregeek.

For those who haven't got the chance to try Ikura, or salmon eggs, it tasted like as if you are drinking a glass of fish juice. A bit eeky and yucky, I have to say, but it has this unique deliciousness that makes me like them. If you bite one of those eggs, it will immediately pops and fills your mouth with its fishy liquid. Very amusing and delicious. A must try to those who love sushi.  

A friend of mine, Ano, dare me to eat this sushi he hated so much named Nato Sushi. Nato itself are fermented soy beans, one of the common dish that you can find in Japan. Some Japanese loves this food, some are disgusted by it. I'm not a big fan of Nato, but he said that if I could eat a whole plate, then he would pay for what I have eat at the restaurant. I immediately accepted the challenge and finished the whole plate in less than ten minutes.

The thing about Nato is that it taste bitter and a bit unpleasant. Well, what can you expect from a fermented soy beans? If you have drank a glass of expired milk, unintentionally of course, I believe that you find it far from tasty and unpleasant. The same goes for this unique dish. I am amazed by the fact that most Japanese people eat this for breakfast and can survive through the day. True, Nato tastes better than Wasabi, Japanese green chilly paste, but still it tastes unpleasant.

Ippeke Komachi

A rolling sushi bar is an excellent place to have lunch or dinner for Japanese-enthusiasts. Make sure that you got yourself a seat near the rolling bar, so that you can leisurely chose what sushi you would like to have. Each plate contains of two sushi of the same type. The price range depends on what color of plate you chose.  

For a starter, I grabbed myself a yellow plate, which contains Tamago Sushi. This plate is the cheapest plate on the bar. Tamago Sushi itself only contains rice, a small slice of dried seaweed and some sweet fried egg. Now you know why this particular plate costs the least. 

Tamago Sushi is my second favorite sushi after Unagi Sushi, which is fresh-water eel sushi. Other than the fact that this sushi only costed me Rp 15.000,00 per plate, it's its sweet fried-egg I love the most. I told you before that I'm a walking sweet tooth, didn't I?

Second serving was a plate of sushi, which contained rice, eels, fried eggs, cucumber, and some dried seaweed. By looking at the color of the plate, you can easily tell that this sushi is no cheaper than Tamago Sushi. Green and dark blue with golden stripes for its color, this plate will cost you Rp25.000,00. Pricey? Indeed. Delicious? Hell yeah!

Ocha, or Japanese green tea, is free in this restaurant. You can even get yourself continues refill without having to worry that it might cost you an arm and a leg. The waitress will ask you wether you want to have cold Ocha or hot Ocha, then latter on she will bring it to you. Don't be shy to ask for refills. Free stuff are not meant to be wasted.

For dessert, I ordered myself a glass of pudding, which costed me Rp 9.000,00 per plate. Notice the drawing on the plate? Yes, it is Hello Kitty. This adorable pudding came with a lovely plate that would make you go "Moe moe kyun~" the moment the waitress served this dessert on your table. The pudding is Vanilla-flavored, poured with some caramel sauce on top, decorated with whipped cream, some chocolate chips, a bit of cherry, and some cornflakes. 

Do not mix the pudding all at once. I repeat, do not mix the pudding. It is better for you to eat it slowly, spoonful by spoonful, bite by bite. Savor the taste of the pudding, the combination of the caramel sauce and the vanilla-flavored jelly, the sweet whipped cream that goes well with the cornflakes, and the crunchiness of the chocolate chips. I gotta tell you, this pudding is a masterpiece. A must try if you got the chance to have lunch or dinner at this particular restaurant. 

Mall Kelapa Gading

Jl. Kelapa Gading Boulevard

Blok M Lt. 2, Jakarta Selatan 14240

Phone: (021) 4585 3858

Saturday Night Out

What is Saturday without hanging out with your friends at a fancy cafe?

KKKID is reunited once again and TIS Square made an awesome meeting point. 

Just KKKID being awesome, with each different charms

TIS Square is your exceptionally efficient hang out place for teenagers and adults, where you can find various choice of restaurants and cafes, along with its numerous cuisine to dig in. Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks are two of the most commonly visited cafe that you would find at TIS Square, along with Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Food, such as Indonesian food, Japanese food, and western-style food, are available incase if you want to have a quick culinary adventure. It has been a while since me, Icha, and Dila meet up, so we decided to dine in at TIS Square, at Sushi-Ya to be exact. 

At Sushi-Ya, both cold and hot ocha only cost Rp5000,00 each serving

Unagi roll-ups at its best, served with
sweet and salty soy sauce and sesame seeds

Mochi Matcha Ice Cream is a perfect dessert for those of you
who wouldn't say no to an invitation to a food adventure

We spent hours at Sushi-Ya, sharing stories and catching up with each others. The food was delicious and they didn't cost much like those fancy Japanese restaurants that you can find in fancy malls. The soon as we finished our food, and had great time fancying some ridiculously good-looking waiters, we head out to Starbucks to grab some drinks and cakes. 

It was pretty late, and I would probably stay up if I had some coffee, so I bought a nice glass of ice chocolate and a medium-sized chocolate chip cookie instead. Dila, one of my best friend, told me to ask the Starbucks' worker for some extra milk. "What for," I asked. "To dip the cookie in it," she replied. I have to say, that is one brilliant idea, not to mention they don't charge us for extra quarters for the milk. So, I did what Dila told me to do and that was one splendid food adventure she got me in to. 

A glass of ice chocolate and a small cup of milk
for the non-nocturnal beings

There is an inner cookie-monster side
inside of everybody

TIS Square
Tebet Indraya Square (TIS)
Jl. Letnan Jendral MT. Haryono No. 9
Jakarta Selatan, DKI Jakarta 12810