Thursday, September 17, 2015

MICU: Mimi Cucu

Dulu, dibandingin anak-anak lain yang udah berhenti ngedot saat umur mereka beranjak lima tahun, gue baru berhenti ngedot saat gue mau masuk SD. Alhasil, karena frekuensi ngedot gue yang nggak kekontrol saat itu, gigi gue jadi agak maju dan berantakan sampai-sampai gue harus mengorbankan masa-masa SMA gue bulak-balik ke dokter gigi untuk kontrol behel. Tapi, semua itu nggak membuat gue menyesal kenapa gue berhenti ngedotnya terlambat, karena gue seneng ngedot. Seneng. Banget. Sampai sekarang aja gue masih suka kebayang sensasi nyedot dari botol dot yang ujungnya kenyel-kenyel itu. 

On the one hand, setelah dipikir-pikir, sepertinya imajinasi gue agak telat berkembangnya, karena gue nurut-nurut aja saat dikasih botol dot isi susu dari gue pertama mulai ngedot sampai gue berumur empat tahun. Nah, baru deh, saat gue bertambah umur baru kepikiran untuk mengisi botol dot dengan minuman rasa-rasa macem es teh manis, nutrisari, dan bahkan susu putih campur sirup campolay dingin. 

Gue masih ingat senangnya gue seperti apa saat gue bisa ngedot siang-siang, menikmati dingin dan segarnya es teh manis di teras rumah saat matahari lagi terik-teriknya, dan nggak cuma ngedot susu setiap malam sebelum tidur. Untungnya, diumur gue yang segini, gue udah berhenti ngedot. Bisa-bisa, gue ngedot Whiskey tiap akhir pekan.. 

Nah, akhir pekan kemarin, gue nggak sengaja menemukan food booth yang mengobati rasa kangen gue terhadap botol dot. Thank God for MICU!

MICU: Mimi Cucu

MICU, atau Mimi Cucu, adalah satu dari sekian banyak local food brand yang lagi buka lapak di Central Park Mall, Jakarta. Food booth ini menyajikan susu dengan berbagai macam rasa dengan penyajian yang unik, yang bisa melepas rasa kangen kita terhadap masa kecil kita dulu, yaitu di dalam botol dot.

Satu botol susu olahan MICU ini bisa kita dapetin dengan harga Rp30.000,00, yang menurut gue nggak lebih dari pemborosan belaka, karena produk ini udah pasti mahal di botol dotnya. True, setelah susunya habis, kita bisa aja bawa botol dotnya pulang dan dicuci sampai bersih untuk pemakaian selanjutnya, tapi tetap aja menurut gue produk ini mahal.

Terlepas dari penyajiannya yang unik, MICU menyediakan berbagai macam varian rasa yang menarik banget, seperti contohnya Choco Oreo, Oreo Strawberry, Marie Regal, Strawberry Nutela, dan masih banyak lagi. Dari semua varian rasa, gue memutuskan untuk mencoba rasa pisang. Bisa dibilang gue cari aman, karena gue nggak mau Rp30.000,00 gue terbuang percuma untuk sebotol susu yang rasanya nggak cocok di lidah gue.

Banana flavored milk by MICU

Gue pernah mencoba susu rasa pisang sebelumnya dan, sorry to say, Banana milk olahan MICU rasanya biasa aja. Nothing special about it. It tasted simply like banana and milk. Susu yang disajikan saat dingin-dinginnya ini memiliki tekstur yang creamy dan agak kental, tapi cukup ringan dan nggak bikin mual. Enak, tapi biasa aja. Gue yakin gue bisa ngedapetin minuman yang sama di alun-alun kota Magetan dengan harga yang jauh lebih murah.

Gue nggak merekomendasikan kalian untuk membeli produk ini simply karena produknya yang overpriced. Kalau kalian pingin melepas rindu masa kecil kalian dengan minum susu dari dot, gue saranin kalian beli dot berkualitas bagus di apotik terdekat dan isi dengan susu ultra. That way, kalian nggak perlu bulak-balik keluar duit Rp30.000,00 untuk minuman di dalam botol susu yang, sebenernya, kalian bisa bikin sendiri dan bahkan mungkin lebih enak.

Look at that bundle of joy!

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Brownies Ngakak: Browniesnya Anak Gaul

Hari Minggu kemarin, gue akhirnya kesampean untuk nyobain icon baru kuliner Bogor, yaitu Brownies Ngakak. Cemilan dengan ukuran mini ini adalah hasil inovasi dari kakak beradik Sylvarani dan Sylviana. Kebetulan, gue kenal dengan si Kakak Sylva, meskipun belum pernah bertemu langsung. Weekend kemarin, gue ditawarin beberapa produk dari Brownies Ngakak ini dan, tanpa pikir panjang, gue memutuskan untuk ngeborong banyak. 

Dua produk yang gue beli adalah Brownies Ngakak rasa original dan Brownies ngakak rasa almond. Sebenernya, masih ada dua produk lainnya lagi, yaitu Brownies ngakak rasa Nutella dan Brownies Ngakak Oreo, tapi saat itu belum ready stock. Alhasil, gue cuma bisa penasaran dengan perpaduan rasa antara Oreo, yang nagih banget asal kalian tahu aja, dan brownies coklat ala Brownies Ngakak. 

Now, without further ado, here are the brownies from Brownies Ngakak!


Brownies Ngakak: Original

To be honest, gue agak kaget dan kecewa dengan ukuran Brownies Ngakak rasa original. Kecil banget. Nggak bohong. If it were a human, it'd be a hobbit. I'm not even playing. Brownies berbentuk bulat, yang ukurannya nggak beda jauh dengan telapak tangan gue, ini mungkin nggak bakalan bikin gue kenyang kalau gue hanya makan sekotak doang. Beneran, deh. 

Brownies Ngakak rasa original, 15K

See? Segede tangan.

Tapi, meskipun gue kecewa dengan ukurannya yang super mini, gue harus akuin bahwa penyajian brownies-nya deserves a two thumbs up! Pertama-tama, browniesnya dibungkus dengan wax paper warna kuning, bergambarkan icon cowok tertawa ngakak khas Brownies Ngakak, dan ujungnya di segel dengan menggunakan double tape. Kalian nggak usah khawatir brownies kalian akan terkontaminasi oleh  foreign subject, atau bahkan rasanya berubah karena diletakkan terbuka begitu saja, karena produk asal Bogor yang satu ini is perfectly sealed in. 

Setelah dibungkus dengan wax paper, brownies original ini dimasukkan lagi kedalam kotak berwarna kuning yang, by the way, imut dan menarik perhatian banget. All in all, gue suka banget dengan kemasan Brownies Ngakak. Pecinta kuliner mana yang nggak akan tertarik untuk membeli beberapa kotak oleh-oleh khas Bogor ini sebagai buah tangan?

Wrapped nicely in a wax paper

Sayangnya, kalau gue boleh jujur lagi, gue jadi makin kecewa setelah gue mencicipi brownies-nya. I was expecting a fudge-like and moist brownies, but what I got was an airy and dry chocolate cake instead. Memang sih, luarnya garing dan renyah banget, tapi sayang sekali garingnya sampai kedalam-dalam. The brownies literary crumbled when I cut it into half with a knive, meninggalkan remah-remah kue coklat diatas kasur gue yang beterbangan kelantai saat gue kebut-kebut.

In terms of taste, the brownies was overpowered with chocolate, yet I could taste a hint of bitterness in every bite. Rasanya nggak begitu manis, cocok buat kalian yang bukan penggemar berat makanan manis, tapi sayangnya kurang cocok buat gue yang, notabene, adalah sweet tooth (alias, pecinta berat makanan manis). Ada juga momen dimana, saat gue tengah mengunyah dan menikmati kegaringan brownies rasa original ini, gigi gue mendarat pada gumpalan renyah dan manis yang menurut gue adalah gumpalan gula yang nggak merata dalam adonan brownies-nya. I'm not complaining, I just told you I love sweet stuff, but wouldn't it be better if the brownies had an even spread of sugar in it? 

Personally, I'm not a big fan of this particular product of Brownies Ngakak, simply because I'm that kind of person who fancies moist brownies. Tapi, untuk kalian yang kurang gemar dengan brownies yang padat dan gooey, pasti Brownies Ngakak rasa original ini cocok untuk kalian!

The sight of the brownies

Very airy and dry


Brownies Ngakak: Almond 

Nah, brownies yang satu ini agak berbeda dengan Brownies Ngakak rasa original. Brownies berbentuk persegi panjang ini dikemas dengan karton berwarna kuning, tetap dengan gambar cowok tertawa ngakak ala Brownies Ngakak, dan dibungkus plastik. Penyajiannya lebih sederhana, kan, dibandingkan dengan brownies yang rasa original?

Gue harus memberikan nilai plus untuk cara pembungkusan yang sederhana dan efisien ini, karena saat plastiknya dibuka, gue tinggal perlu memegang karton kuningnya tanpa harus repot-repot megang langsung dan mengotor-ngotori tangan, kemudian langsung lahap. Very handy, don't you think? I like it!

Almond and Chocolate Chip Brownies

Gue suka dengan tekstur Brownies Ngakak rasa almond ini! Luarnya garing dan renyah, dan potongan almond dan taburan chocolate chip-nya membuat brownies-nya tambah enak dan bikin nagih, dan bagian dalamnya agak lembek dan padat. Just how I love my brownies to be! 

Dibandingin dengan Brownies Ngakak rasa original, gue lebih suka dengan Brownies Ngakak rasa almond. Untuk cemilan ukuran kecil seharga Rp7.000,00 ini, gue nggak akan mikir dua kali kalau-kalau gue mau pesan selusin suatu saat nanti. 

The bite sized brownie bar came with a handy packaging

Want some?


Nah, kalau kalian penasaran dengan brownies ala Brownies Ngakak ini, kalian bisa buka websitenya langsung dan disana ada informasi tentang siapa yang harus dihubungi kalau kalian mau pesan. 

Pssst. Saran gue sih pesan yang Brownies Ngakak rasa almond. Enak banget, gue aja sampai nagih! Tapi, kalau Brownies Ngakak Oreo-nya udah ready stock, you might want to give the fellow a try. Gue aja penasaran banget sama brownies yang satu itu. Sayangnya, setelah gue kontak Sylva via LINE, Brownies Ngakak Oreo-nya masih dalam tahap produksi, jadi gue harus sabar menunggu. 

Something as good as an Oreo brownies is worth the wait!

Monday, August 31, 2015

Comfort Food at its Best

Dear readers,

August has been a terrible month with an endless cycle of stress and never ending problems. It seems to me that, every week, I keep on getting unfamiliar mishaps I have never encountered before, and I can't say that I'm not worn out. At one point, I had to go out of the house in search of fresh air. It was then when I found the one place that served me a combination of the best comfort food ever: Nanny's Pavilion. 

It was at Nanny's Pavilion when Howie's Banana Fudges Waffle and I became best friend. This particular waffle had all the elements to make one Kinan Luhur Wirastani as happy as a clam. The light golden brown waffle was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Garnished with chocolate syrup and caramel, Howie's Banana Fudges Waffle was rich in flavor. The tender and sweet sliced banana went well with the vanilla ice cream and a handful of almond. All of the food factors combined worked well with one another and each of them had their own uniqueness that can put a smile on my face.

I would definitely recommend this particular dessert for those of you who seek for happiness and comfort in food. True, a bad day can bring you down, but that doesn't mean you have to stay on the ground forever, right? If you happen to need a boost to get up on your feet, you might want to give Nanny's Pavilion's Howie's Banana Fudges Waffle a chance. 

Howie's Banana Fudges Waffle


Regards,
Kinan Luhur W. 

Mie Ayam Abadi

Mie Ayam Abadi restaurant in Serpong

After spending hours playing poker at the Mad Bean, I went to this Chinese restaurant that serves "one of the best pork noodle in Serpong", quoting what he said, named Mie Ayam Abadi. I ordered myself a portion of Hokkian Lo Mie Spesial Babi Panggang and the jumbo sized Mie Babi Asin.

My Hokkian Lo Mie Spesial Babi Panggang consisted of a handful of chewy hokkian noodle bathed in thick savory soup, with cuts of beef, fishballs, dried shrimp, veggies, and eggs, and garnished with a few slices of salty roasted pork. Hokkian noodle is slightly different than your regular noodle in terms of size, shape, and texture. While the average noodle is yellow in color, curly, and tender, hokkian noodle has this irregular and carefree shape - as if the noodle maker was making the noodles half-heartedly - and it has this broken white color. 

When I saw the presentation of the dish that I ordered, I immediately regret my decision. My Hokkian Lo Mie didn't look appealing at all - it looked like a goo of tentacles. I was aware by the fact that Hokkian Lo Mie is a type of noodle cooked in thick and heavy soup, as the waitress explained to me beforehand as I was looking through the menu, but it didn't cross my mind that it would look unappetizing. 

But, then, I said to myself to give it a try. I'm always up for anything new anyway, so I took a spoonful of the Lo Mie and dig in . . 

Hokkian Lo Mie Spesial Babi Panggang

It was delicious! True, it did not look like how I expect it would be, but it was still delicious. I love love love love love the hokkian noodle. I love it so much! I love how the noodle had this chewy texture and dough-like, yet slightly savory, flavor. 

The soup, on the other hand, was very thick and flavorful. It tasted both savory and salty, and it had this hint of fish sauce in which was enhanced by the dried shrimps. I'm not a big fan of the fish balls though, as well as the rubber-like beef cuts. And last, but not least, was the mouth-watering salty roasted pork slices on top. It completed the Hokkian Lo Mie like how a cherry would complete a bowl of Ice Cream Sundae. 

All in all, even if my Hokkian Lo Mie Spesial Babi Panggang didn't look pretty, it actually tasted pretty damn fine! 

Just like the name of the dish, Bern's Mie Babi Asin tasted salty. The already-salty hokkian noodle was topped with slices of salty roasted pork, then bathed in salty broth, so it was just plain salty. It was less flavorful compared to my dish, but it tasted fine as well.

Mie Babi Asin Jumbo

I would definitely pay another visit to Mie Ayam Abadi restaurant when I get the chance and order myself a different dish to try. You should too when you are around the neighborhood! Just, make sure you come to the restaurant when your tummy is super empty, like I did, because the serving of the noodle is pretty generous. Finish the whole thing and your brain will stop working. We, Indonesian, refer to it as kenyang bego: a state where you are over gorged with food your brain malfunctions and isn't synchronized with your body.  


Mie Ayam Abadi
RUKO Mendrisio 3, Blok B No. 28
Jalan Boulevard Illago, Gading Serpong

Opening Hours
Monday - Sunday: 7AM - 9PM

Contact:
(+62) 21 2987 1682
(+62) 812 8607 2819

Sunday, August 30, 2015

The Mad Bean: Coffee & Milkshake

The Mad Bean: Coffee & Milkshake

I was introduced to this compact and cozy coffee shop located in Gading Serpong. It goes by the name the Mad Bean, owned by a particular close friend named Dimas. The coffee shop is very simple, yet very attractive, and it has this kind of comforting ambience. There are board games available in the coffee shop if you want to play games with the gang while gulping on a big glass of sweet and creamy Banana Milkshake. Yet, the coffee shop is also recommended if you want to spend some quality time with your book and a cup of good Cappuccino. 

Cute door sign of the coffee shop

Sunset was only a few minutes away

At the Mad Bean, you can find good quality and budget friendly food and beverages. Free WiFi is also available in the coffee shop and the internet connection was rather fast compared to some coffee shop that I have been to. 

At first, I was going to go for the Cappuccino, but my stomach was pretty empty at that time and I don't want to risk anything that would make my stomach acid piles up, so I went for the Banana Milkshake instead. 

My Banana Milkshake had a very simple look, served in a big glass and topped with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream. As expected, the milkshake was very creamy and heavy, thank God I made the right choice of beverage that would fill the slot in my stomach fine. It had this nice and balanced level of sweetness, and the banana pretty much dominated the whole flavor of the milkshake - which was a good thing, because I don't like milkshake that tasted sugary. I just love the ice cream on top so much! If only Dimas put another generous scoop, then my milkshake would be perfect. 

My glass of Banana Milkshake

Spot any minions?

The coffee shop was not that crowded back then, so Dimas had the luxury of joining our table for a game of cards. We ended up spending hours playing poker. It was my first time playing poker and I got pretty lucky with the whole full houses and straights. 

I would definitely go back to the coffee shop to try its' fine selection of caffeinated beverages. Who knows, Dimas might let me make my own cup of late. It has been a while since the last time I draw on espresso anyway. 

The sight of the Mad Bean coffee shop

Adorable chalkboard to brighten up the walls


The Mad Bean
Ruko Glaze 2, Block C No. 15
Gading Serpong (Near to Summarecon Mall Serpong) 
Tangerang, 15810

Opening Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday: 11.30 AM - 11 PM

Contact:
(+62) 813 8130 5326