Nasi Kucing Gerobak Meong

Jadi, ceritanya, hari Minggu kemarin gue mampir ke toko buah bernama All Fresh yang berlokasi di Tebet. Yang awalnya cuma mau beli pancake duren doang, malah beli makanan-makanan lain gara-gara laper mata. Tiba-tiba keranjang gue udah penuh dengan duren yang sudah dikeluarin dari kulitnya, dua porsi salad buah ganyeman Ibu Negara, dan dua porsi Nasi Kucing Gerobak Meong.

Agak heran sih nemu nasi kucing di toko buah yang berisikan dengan produk-produk lokal dan impor seperi All Fresh. Meskipun nasi kucingnya lebih bersih dibandingin nasi kucing yang biasa kita temukan di pinggir jalan, dan dibungkus dengan kemasan yang menarik dan praktis, tetap saja aneh rasanya nemu makanan kaki lima di tempat seperti ini.

Satu bungkus Nasi Kucing Gerobak Meong bisa kita dapat dengan harga Rp6.500,00, yang menurut gue pemerasan masal karena gue bisa dapet sepiring nasi dan lauk dengan porsi yang jauh lebih banyak di kantin kampus gue dengan harga yang sama. Kalian lihat kan betapa mungilnya nasi kucing ini di foto diatas? Nah, masuk akal nggak tuh porsi yang sebegitu kecilnya dijual dengan harga yang sebegitu dompet-unfriendly-nya? Seandainya gue udah menghasilkan uang sendiri, gue sih mendingan beli Indomie di warung belakang rumah dan minta diseduh ditempat, lengkap dengan keju, kornet, dan telur setengah matang. 

Saat gue buka bungkusan Nasi Kucing Gerobak Meong, yang merupakan kertas warna hijau dengan motif daun pisang, gue disambut dengan secuil nasi yang ditumpuk dengan ikan peda disambelin, sesendok sambal hijau, dan daun jeruk yang basah bermandikan minyak dari sambal tersebut. Sempet speechless gara-gara porsinya yang sedikit banget. Kucing juga nggak kenyang kali makan Nasi Kucing Gerobak Meong! 

Tapi, despite the fact that the portion of this nasi kucing is inhumanly sedikit, rasanya enak, lho! Nasinya empuk dan kenyal, agak manis di lidah, tipikal nasi pulen yang bisa lo temuin di Hokahoka Bento. Ikan pedanya gurih, dan dimasak bareng sambal merah yang pedas banget tapi bikin nagih. Sambal hijaunya lebih pedas dan rasanya nyegrak di tenggorokan dan hidung, agak pahit, tapi tetap bikin nagih. Gue cuma butuh tiga suap untuk melahap habis nasi kucing ini. Enak sih, nagih malah, tapi sayang porsinya kurang banyak. 

Silahkan mampir ke All Fresh Tebet buat kalian yang penasaran ingin nyicipin Nasi Kucing Gerobak Meong. Harganya sih nggak masuk akal, tapi ternyata rasanya enak! 

The King of Fruits

Crates of durians

There are two kinds of people in the world. One that doesn't like durian and one that does. Dad and I are alike, we both love durian. But, not Mom. According to Mom, durian has this repulsive odor that make her feel as if she was in her second trimester pregnancy: endless cycle of sickness and vomiting. True, for some people, durian does stink. But, to me, the strong scent is amusingly pleasant - and a calling that tells me to spend some rupiah on the king of fruits. 

Durian is very popular in Southeast Asia, including Jakarta, Indonesia. During durian season, you can definitely find this gem at every corners of the streets. The price varies from Rp10.000,00 to Rp100.000,00, depends on its' kind and quality of the fruit - in this case, the price does determine the quality. 

This fruit is well known for its' role as the King of fruits. Other than the fact that it has a very strong stench that makes people either love it or hate it, it is big in size and it has thorn all over its' husk. It's a bit tricky to crack open durian if you're not used to it. You can get hurt by the thorns from not holding the fruit properly. 

Despite the fact that I often munch on durian, I still can't crack them properly. So, every time I'm buying durian, I always ask the seller to get rid of the husk. Like today!

A worker at All Fresh cracking the husk open

I stopped by at a fruit store named All Fresh, located in Tebet, after I finished church this morning. I was only going to get me some durian pancakes, but I got caught up in the durian section and ended up buying some of the fruits as well. I bought one durian that weights for almost 2kg. It costed me around Rp70.000,00, but it was worth it as the flesh was very very sweet and custardy. 

The texture of the fruit is very creamy and custardy. It feels like as if you are eating a spoonful of heavy custard that tasted super sweet and rich in flavor. The strong aroma is rather stupefying, but it's nice nonetheless. 

There is a possibility for you to get a headache after you consume too many durian. The ultimate way to get over the headache is to pour some water into the inner part of the husk and drink from it - the husk has this layer inside that works as an antidote that heals you when you fall ill after over consuming durian. You can also get rid of the durian stench that lingers on your fingers and in your mouth by doing the same thing. 

The inside of a durian

Just look at those creamy and custardy flesh

I used to hate durian. I hated the stench, I hated the weird texture of the flesh, and boy did I hated the flavor of the fruit that made me nausea. But then, out of nowhere, I developed a big curiosity towards the thorny fruit and gradually grow fond of it. I don't know why and how, but I just did! I ended up betraying Mom and teamed up with my Dad in devouring durian. 

For those who have never eat durian, you ought to try it. True, the fruits stinks so bad and the taste of the flesh can make you go tipsy-wipsy. But, it's worth to try! You will either love it, or hate it. There's only one way to find out. 

Want some? 

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