A Massive Review of The Cafe, Hotel Mulia

Well, I think it'll be massive, because it's a huge buffet with lots and lots of food. Located in one of the most prestigious hotels in Jakarta, eating at The Cafe is an absolute treat. My family had dinner there to celebrate my getting into med school (yay!!). I loooove this place, because they have amazing food and even better desserts. I threw my diet out of the window to just have a feast.
Walking in, I was pretty stunned by the beauty of the interior. It has changed since the last time I was there, which was quite a long time ago. The dining room was divided into three big sections. The left section has a seafood stand and dessert. The middle is the private room. The right section has the rest of the food. We sat in the right. In buffets, I always get terribly excited. Look at all those food! The smell and color was fantastic. I saw Japanese, Indian, and Asian food, even some attempts at modern gastronomy. I wanted 'em all, but to preserve the deliciousness of everything, I decided to not eat too much. I chose to eat sushi and sashimi, some Indian food, the tom yam, and as much dessert as I can stuff into my tummy.

By now I'm sure everybody has noticed that I have an oversized appetite, and it always shows. Look at that full plate. But I'm pretty proud of my plating job haha the plate consisted of some kani salad, tuna and salmon sashimi, a couple of rolls, a tuna nigiri, a tuna handroll, and a shot glass of three kinds of tobiko. The shot glass was very interesting! I was so excited when I saw it because I absolutely love tobiko. I tried to get all three kinds into my spoon and into my mouth, and it was explosive. The saltyness and spiciness from the wasabi tobiko was awesome. I couldn't finish the glass though because it was a lot, but it was awesome. The sashimi was nice and fresh, the rolls were delicious even though I can't quite figure out what's inside. I love love hand rolls so that was great too. The kani salad was amazing! The mayo wasn't too heavy or creamy, it was just right.

That wasn't a good picture, I know. I took a little bit of everything. I am crazy about Indian food. Unfortunately, I'm the only one in my family, so I rarely get the chance to indulge in the beauty that is Indian food. I took some roti canai, lamb shish kebab, a vegetable samosa, a couple of curries and a piece of chicken. Ahhhh it was beautiful. The flavors popped, complementing the silky and buttery roti. The shish kebab was delicious, spicy and herby. The curries were smooth. It was so good.

Surprise! Cheese naan! The waiter just came up to us, bringing a plate of freshly baked cheese naan, asking if we would like to try some. Of course!!!!!!! This was my second encounter with the cheese naan. The first one was in Go! Curry, where it was filled with grated cheddar cheese. It was good but very very cheesy. The Cafe's version was filled with luxurious mozarella cheese, which also happens to be one of my favorite cheeses. The naan was exquisite!!!!!!! It was soft soft soft, and the cheese filling was very subtle, making it awesome.

Time for  plethora of desserts!!!! The desserts at The Cafe were very sophisticated, and their portions were tiny so they were perfect for tasting.

1. creme caramel pudding! The caramel taste was very strong, but thankfully it was balanced with the fresh fruits. Good but wasn't my favorite.

2. Apple crumble!!!! It was amazing. It was small so I don't get too much of it, which was good. The apple filling was smooth, thick, and sweet, an the crust was soft. Cute and delicious.

3. The very pretty dessert is a chocolate mousse. I love the presentation, so sophisticated. A layer of white chocolate, lots of milk chocolate, and a thin layer of dark chocolate makes this dish perfectly balanced and delicious. The mousse was so smooth with beautiful consistency. It wasn't too much of anything, just right. Favorite chocolate dessert ever!

4. Behold the simplicity of the best tiramisu in town. Well, the best according to me. The taste of coffee and the cocoa powder complements the sweet mascarpone in such a way, that when you put a spoonful in your mouth, it turns into a piece of heaven. Ah, so good.

5. Last but not least, my favorite strawberry mousse!! The flavor of this dessert is very close to my heart, it's the flavor of my childhood. I remember going to all sorts of wedding receptions, and there was one favorite cake of mine, a piece of thin sponge with strawberry mousse and jelly on top. I always look for that particular cake when I go to parties, even now. This shot glass of strawberry mousse was just what I've always been looking for. The silky smoothness of it, the subtlety of its flavors, the small lumps of strawberries from the jam in the bottom. Amazing.

So, I think it's clear why I love this restaurant, right? I think it's even more special because of the occasion and because we rarely dine here. And I'd like too keep it that way, to keep The Cafe as a special place in my heart.

Masakan Indonesia: Bale Raos, Jl. Suryo

Bapak gue jawa asli. Makanya kalo kita mau makan kemana-mana, pasti doi pengennya makan makanan tradisional. Jadi, makanlah kita di sebuah resto baru di Jl. Suryo (deket Blok S), yang bernama Bale Raos. Tulisannya sih mengesankan bahwa mereka menyajikan makanan para raja jawa. Pas banget sama bapak gue yang emang raden mas. Dan karena kali ini restonya resto Indonesia banget, jadi gue akan mencoba menulis post ini dengan 100% bahasa Indonesia hahaha
Kita pesen banyak: Salad Ayam Panggang, Sup Timlo, Paru Ragi, Lontong Kikil, Bistik Lidah, Gecok Ganem, dan Lombok Kethok. Namanya aja udah pada jawa banget. Di menunya, di bawah hampir setiap item ada deskripsi yang menyebutkan ini makanan favorit raja jawa yang mana. Sangat menarik, ternyata beneran makanannya keluarga kerajaan. Dan karena hal ini juga ada makanan yang rada kebarat-baratan, ternyata para sultan juga suka makanan yang rada barat.

Salad Ayam Panggangnya........unik. Bukan daun selada yang jadi dasar sayurnya, tapi kol! Ada sih seladanya, tapi yang dominan kol. Lucu aja. Ayamnya enak, tapi dikit banget. Dressingnya juara, kayak lemon vinagrette gitu, seger banget. Salad yang berbeda tapi oke sih lumayaan haha

Sup Timlonya manis. Bukan manis yang bagus. Gue ga suka banget dengan makanan asin yang jadi manis, misalnya bubur ayam yang dikasih kecap manis. Dan timlo ini berasa banget dikasih kecap yang banyak dan nggak diimbangi dengan asin atau pedes. Cuma manis hambar. Ugh.

Paru Ragi! Yummm paru yang enak. Sebenernya cuma paru sapi yang kayaknya diungkep terus ditaburi parutan kelapa yang diapain nggak tau gue yang jelas jadi gurih dan enak. Parunya empuk dan lembut, rasanya nyeresep, dan dipadu dengan kelapa yang lumayan garing, jadi teksturnya pas. Paling enak tentunya dimakan pake sambel dan nasi putih panas!

Pesenan gue, lontong kikil. Disajikannya dengan jeruk nipis dan sambel, jadi langsung aja gue campur semuanya. Dan wiiih kuahnya dahsyat, asem seger pedes gurih semuanya pas! Apalagi dimakan pake kerupuk. Dan lontong adalah salah satu karbohidrat favorit gue, jadi super enak. Walau mungkin lebih asyik kalo pake ketupat kali ya. Kikilnya enak juga, tapi dagingnya keras banget. Kecewa. Jadi gue nggak makan dagingnya dan makan kikilnya aja dan kuahnya habis tanpa sisa.

Bistik lidah ini ditemani oleh kentang tumbuk yang dibumbui dengan mentega dan sayuran. Bistiknya sendiri enak, lidahnya lembut, empuk, dan gurih. Yang jadi masalah adalah hidangan pendamping nya. Kentangnya rasanya kayak mentega pake kentang, bukan kentang pake mentega. Mentega itu enak, tapi kalo berlebihan bikin enek banget. Sayur yang dipotong-potong kecil itu dikasih semacam saos yang tampaknya sangat patut dipertanyakan. Rasanya sih biasa aja, tapi penampilannya lumayan membuat nafsu makan gue sedikit turun hahaha

Gecok ganem sebenernya kayak sayur lodeh tapi lebih putih dan isinya daging cincang. Gue ragu banget nyobainnya, tapi rasa dari makanan ini sangat tak terduga. Ternyata kuahnya sangat enak dan bola-bola daging cincangnya luar biasa. Juicy dan gurih, cocok banget, somehow, dengan kuahnya. Bener jangan menilai dari penampilannya.

Lombok Kethok, yang kalo kata bapak gue artinya cabenya keliatan. Isinya adalah daging dan berbagai cabe. Rasanya? Fantastis. Dagingnya empuk, dan bener-bener indah. Rasa manis kecap dan pedesnya cabe gede yang nggak terlalu mencolok bikin perpaduannya pas banget. Pake nasi pulen yang panas, wuidih! Enak banget.

Jadi, dari petualangan gue yang Indonesiana siang itu, gue menarik kesimpulan bahwa masakan Indonesia adalah masakan yang indah dan unik. Tentu, nggak semua perpaduan rasa dan variasi dari kuliner lokal kita pas di hati dan lidah gue, tapi gue cinta makanan Indonesia. Dan makanan Jawa tentu saja bukan pengecualian. Nikmatnya Lombok Kethok dan element of surprise yang dimiliki oleh Gecok Ganem membuat makan siang gue jadi berkesan. Ada yang nggak enak nggak papa, karena kalo lo nggak berani mencoba, lo nggak akan nemuin yang enak. Ya kan? ;--)

MY FAVORITE FROZEN YOGURT: Miki-Yo, TIS Square

I'm pretty obsessed with frozen yogurt. My ultimate goal is to try every single stall of frozen yogurt in town. One day, I tried Miki-Yo. They're just like other fro-yo places out there, their yogurt doesn't stand out by any means. But it turns out  they serve syrup with their yogurt!! I've tried their strawberry, blueberry, and chocolate syrups, but the blueberry is the clear CHAMP OF ALL SYRUPS IN THE WORLD. It's silky, light, sweet, fresh, and it complements the yogurt amazingly.

I love their presentation too when you eat in. It's cozy too, so this is my favorite fro-yo place in Jakarta.

Our Beloved Cheap Sushi: Sushi-Ya!!!!!

Sushi for Jakarta's teens has become somewhat of a necessity. It's an integrated part of our culture. And it isn't always cheap. Cheap raw fish is very questionable, thus deterring many people from trying cheap sushi establishments. But worry not, Sushi-Ya to the rescue!!

Siapa sih yang nggak tau Sushi-Ya, terutama di kalangan anak 8. Dengan punya uang 5 ribu aja bisa makan sushi, walau cuma Kappa Roll isi timun. Tapi sebagai anak SMA yang ga punya duit, kita seneng2 aja. Menu mereka beragam, dari sushi biasa, fusion sushi, udon, sampai rice bowls. Hari ini, gue dan temen gue Fathia memesan Salmon Skin Roll, Crazy Roll, dan sebuah special: Captain Wasabi Roll. Seperti biasa, gue memesan tambahan condiment spicy mayo.

Salmon Skin Roll!!! First thing first, salmon skin is glorious. Crunchy, savoury, beautiful. Paired with rice, nori, and mayo, heaven. It's so simple nut so heavenly. Bite into it and you'll taste the delicious fattiness of mayo and feel the sweet sweet crunch of the skin. So awesome.

This is the special, Captain Wasabi. Isinya some kind of dried bbq beef, di atasnya pake alpukat, tobiko, dan wasabi cream cheese. First of all, it was good. Second of all, I cannot taste the wasabi at all!!!! Namanya aja Captain Wasabi. Kenapa banget nggak ada rasa wasabinya? Katanya wasabi cream cheese, kenapa rasanya sama aja kayak mayonnaise? Rasanya enak, I know it all comes down to that, tapi sebagai penyuka wasabi dan mengharapkan tajamnya rasa wasabi di roll ini, gue kecewa.

This is the Crazy Roll. It's supposed to be really spicy and stuff. It has tuna and cucumber in it, if I remember correctly. It's spicy, yes, but the tuna is a total let down. It's pretty stringy and gamey, not silky soft and fresh like I expected. But it's pretty awesome when dunked in spicy mayo haha

So the verdict is they have good and cheap sushi. not overly awesome, but great. For the price, definitely  great!!! They also have good curry, great rice bowls and udon. Must find time to try their main courses because I haven't had the chance to try any. Oh they have awesome salad dressings too! I love this place, just like almost everyone around the age of 17.

ONE OF THE BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANTS: Sopra, Pacific Place

I've mentioned Sopra in my y&y pizza post, saying it deserves its own post. And yes it does. I had an early dinner at Sopra with my sister today, because I was craaaaaaving for pizza and Sopra's pizzas are fresh and not junkfoody. It's located right above The Coffee Bean, on the 1st floor. Enter through the Hermes entrance, go left, and take the escalator.
I ordered the Stagioni pizza for both of us, a Minestrone for me, and my sister ordered a spaghetti carbonara.

While waiting for our food, all customers are given a bread basket with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, butter, chili, parmesan, and chili sauce. Also because of Tony Bourdain, I've been dreaming of warm, freshly baked bread that is crunchy outside and soft and buttery inside. And boy, this is it. They have awesome bread. They have this bread with black olives in it which is also awesome. It's just a basket of happy carbs. And in case you haven't noticed, carbs are my favorite food.

The minestrone doesn't look appetizing, does it? But God was it good. It's one of the very few soups that I don't put additional salt in, because it already tastes lovely. It's chock full of vegetables, it's hearty, flavourful, warm, and just great. I love soups, and now I have one more favorite bowl to add to my list. Even my sister that hates veggies loved the soup.

Look at that absolutely beautiful pizza. It's the Stagioni, whose toppings are slices of turkey, mushrooms, and artichokes. I love the fact that it has artichokes, haven't seen them much around here. I usually order the Bismarck, which has chicken, mushroom, and a sunny-side up egg in the center. My verdict is Bismarck is still the champion of all pizza, even though Stagioni is really good. The Stag is fresh, has a very strong tomato flavor, and punchy. The Bismarck is creamier, but spicier. I love both of them. What I love about Sopra's pizza is it's super crunchy and served straight out of the oven. It tastes authentic and rustic. Love em!!!

Other than their divine pizzas, Sopra has absolutely DELIGHTFUL pasta. My sister ordered a carbonara, which I don't usually like because I can't stand creamy pastas. A carbonara is a type of pasta you can find almost in every restaurant that serves pasta, but nobody does it with the sophistication of Sopra. Look at their presentation!! They don't drown their pasta in a bowl of runny white sauce. They put just enough to cover the spaghetti but to not make you nauseous. I love their sauce. I can tell they made it with quality ingredients. And the pasta. OH THE PASTA. The best pasta I've ever had, ever. The texture, the density, the al dente -ness of it, it's just magical. I can eat a huge bowl of just their spaghetti without any sauce or seasoning and I'll be a happy girl. Everybody that loves pasta must try theirs.

Sopra is one amazing Italian establishment. People say they have outstanding wine, too, but I don't drink wine. They have one weakness, however. Their tiramisu is very disappointing. I had it a while back and I can't bring myself to finish it. Granted, I had high expectations, because I once had this heavenly slab of tiramisu at a rustic, family-run Italian restaurant back in Dallas, and it was sooooooo good, I feel like it was a home-made tiramisu made by some lovely grandma in some Italian countryside. But Sopra's........the proportions are just wrong. Too much coffee soaking their ladyfingers, too little mascarpone, waaay too much cocoa powder. It's an insult to tiramisu, I think, especially taking in consideration that Sopra is an expensive Italian restaurant. So, just come for the pasta and pizza. And the soups. The salads are good too. They're quite pricey, but worth every penny. Pastas are around 60-70, the ones with prawns and salmon are above 100, the regular sized pizzas are around 80, and appetizers are around 50.

Right now, Sopra holds the title as the best Italian place in Jakarta, that I know of. 

Lunch: Pho 24, TIS Square

I love Anthony Bourdain. No, not because of his looks, because he is an ooold man. It's because of his awesome culinary adventures around the world, which I read about religiously in his books and watch all the time on TV. And in his book A Cook's Tour, which I'm reading right now, he went to Vietnam and kept on raving about the amazing bowls of pho he had. Reading about it made me craaaaaave pho. So today before BTA I stopped by Pho 24 in TIS Square to have lunch.


I had high expectations. I wanted fresh, spicy, authentic bowl of noodles with tender slices of beef, with all the vibrant colours of coriander leaves, chili, and lime. Just like what Tony had on the streets of Vietnam. I ordered 2 pieces of fresh spring rolls and the pho with all sorts of meat, except the meatballs (so not the pho all), the small size.

So, the spring rolls! They're the unfried type, and they are everything I expected them to be. One word: fresh. They're so frrrresh. It's basically filled with vermicelli, thin slices of veggies ( I think it's leeks, spring onions, and maybe mint leaves) and small pieces of prawn. The dipping sauce is awesome!!!!!! And necessary. The spring rolls are bland at best. But with the dipping sauce, they become crunchy and tasty snacks. But if you don't like vegetables, stay away.

Look at that beautiful bowl of pho. Fresh and vibrant. I seasoned it with a generous helping of salt pepper fish sauce and chili. When I dug in, I was let down. It wasn't as punchy as I expected. But it was gooood. The coriander, God I love coriander. It was fresh, light, clean, crunchy, and the slices of meat were awesome. It could've been more flavorful, though. Out of 10, I give it.......a 7.5. It's not worthy enough for an 8.

Verdict: I wish I could just fly to Ho Chi Minh, grab a bowl of pho, and go home. Pho 24 is just not what I expected. But oh well, satisfied my craving.

Epilogue

The weird thing about phos is somehow, I always get dizzy after having em. And today was no different. I was dizzy for at least an hour after lunch. I don't think I'll be having any more pho anytime soon.

Today's dinner: PENANG BISTRO

I've been hearing a lot of rave reviews about Penang Bistro, so I dragged my folks there to have dinner tonight. Mom was just there last week with her colleagues so she knows what are good. Pas masuk, gue lumayan terkesima dengan ambience nya yang enak banget. Tempatnya cozy, dan kebetulan malam ini lagi ada live music akustikan, cuma petikan gitar dan suara merdu seorang vokalis cewek. Gue pun memesan Roti Canai dengan Chicken Curry, Tom Yum Soup, Imperial Steamed Fish, Jumbo Prawn Baked with Cheese, Mango Chicken, dan Ebi String Beans. 

Roti canainya: wow. Gue suka kari, makanan yg berbau2 india dan teman2nya, dan ini enak banget!! Well, bisa sih karinya lebih pedes lagi. Roti canai nya itu yg juara banget, luarnya crispy, dalemnya lembuut banget, main teksturnya dapet. Karinya kentalnya juga pas. Perfect appetizer, kalo rotinya ga seberminyak ini dan kalo karinya lebih pedes.

Tom Yam: definitely one of the best tom yams, but not THE best, because Ming still holds that title. Porsi kecilnya sangat pas, seger banget, asem, pedes, walau sedikit kurang asin menurut gue. Isinya jamur, tomat, potongan ikan dan udang. Yang gue suka adalah ikan dan udangnya itu dipotong kecil-kecil, jadi nggak repot makannya. Potongan tomat bikin jadi lebih segar. It's an awesome little bowl of soup.

Whoever said that you don't mix seafood with cheese will find themselves proven wrong by this dish. It's THE baked prawn with cheese. The cheese is so good, it's too good to be true. The prawn is tender, sweet, and plentiful. Dude, it's prawns. And cheese. Melted together in the ovens of heaven.

But the true champion tonight is......MANGO CHICKEN!! If you've read  the Te Sate post, you know that I love anything with sambel mangga muda. This one is the best. Better than Te Sate. It's light, fresh, tangy, crispy, spicy, everything you can ask for in an entree.

String Beans with Ebi, nothing special. Pretty good, nothing worth writing about tho.

The steamed fish was beautiful. It really was. Fresh coriander and other herbs were piled atop the fresh fresh steamed fish, with the thin and salty sauce glistening around it in a shallow pool. The meat was tender and perfectly cooked, the skin was soft and wonderful. It was truly a beautiful dish and it tasted marvelous. 

So, the verdict is I LOVE THIS PLACE. Definitely order the baked prawn, tom yam, and the mango chicken. The fish too. Might as well order everything you can stuff into your stomach.

Awesome Kaki Lima: SEAFOOD 68 SANTA

Jakarta is chock full of seafood stands, dotting the roadsides. How to pin point the ones that are good and clean? Pick the crowded ones. Like this amazing place on Jl. Wolter Monginsidi, Seafood 68.
Seperti warung2 seafood pada umumnya, mereka buka pada malam hari dan tutup dini hari. Tempatnya bersih dan ramai, makanannya cepet dateng. Abis pesen, kita disuguhin otak2 buat nyemil (bayar tentunya). Seperti biasa, gue dan keluarga gue pesen Kerang Dara Rebus, Kerang Hijau Saus Padang, Baronang Bakar, dan Cah Kangkung.

I love their kerang dara. Bukannya kerang dara dimana mana sama? oh tentu tidak. Di sini kerangnya tender dan sama sekali nggak amis, fresh banget, dan dipping saucenya juga segeer. Kalo ga dihentikan gue bisa makan 5 piring sendiri kali. Paling asik nyemil kerang rebus.
Kangkungnya lupa difoto hahaha tapi yang jelas kangkung mereka itu just the way I like it. Crunchy dan asinnn.

Baronang bakar mereka juga juara. Bumbunya itu lho, nyeresep banget, dan kecap cabenya mereka itu pedesnya asik! Ikan mereka dipotongnya juga jadi bikin mudah dimakan. Ikan2 lainnya seperti bawal juga enak, tapi rekomendasi gue adalah bakar aja semuanya, karena lebih taaasty.

INI DIA JUARANYA. kerang ijo saus padang. Dayummmmm enaknyaaa ga pernah gue temui di tempat seafood semahal apapun. Gatau gimana caranya, kerang mereka ini luarnya crispy tapi dalemnya lembut banget, jadi kerangnya sendiri udah gurih. Terus saos padangnya itu enak banget, pedesnya, asinnya, pas banget. Paling enak dimakan pake nasi panas. Biasanya keluarga gue pesen 2 sampe 3 piring hahaha the best.
Soal harga, sepiring sekitar 20-30 ribu kalo nggak salah. Dijamin bersih, gue belom pernah sakit perut abis makan disini. Dan dijamin puas! Cumi goreng tepung dan udang goreng menteganya juga enak. kayaknya semuanya enak hahaha intinya jangan malu2 pesennya kalo makan disini ;;--))

FANCY INDONESIAN FOOD: Te Sate

FINALLY, TIME TO WRITE NEW POSTS!
Hello, I'm back with a plethora of pictures from this awesome Indonesian place called Te Sate. Okay so y'all know the restaurant Sate Khas Senayan right? So apparently Sate Khas and Te Sate are owned by the same person. Te Sate serves a more sophisticated take on Indonesian food from all over the nation, and yes it's more expensive, but they're GOOD. Some of their food are great and some of them are just plain good.
It's located in Pacific Place, 5th floor, right in front of the elevator, across Ootoya (an awesome Japanese place that serves Japanese home cooking). The place itself is huge ang goooorgeous.

I love their menu too, it's a kipas sate!!

I went with my mom and dad, so we naturally order a LOT of food. We had Rawon Buntut, Gado-gado, Sate Ayam Madura, Sate Lilit, Kepiting Soka Saus Mangga, Sambel Matah, and some Nasi Uduk.

I know that isn't a good picture but oh well. It's basically just regular rawon but with buntut instead of chunks of meat. I thought oh okay, rawon. It tastes good, flavorful, and the longer you let it simmer the spicier it gets (which is great). The absolute best part of this is the buntut itself. If you ever want to taste the definition of meat falling of the bones, this is it. It's SO TENDER and awesome and there is zero difficulty eating it. So yes it's pretty great, even tho I'm not completely blown away.

Sate Ayam Madura. Nama restorannya aja Te Sate kan, so I expect great sate. Sate Khas has amazing sate. This, not so much. The texture is great, really tender, tapi HAMBAR. Somehow rasa bumbunya ga cocok dengan rasa satenya, dan kayak ga ada rasanya, beda jauuuuhh sama yg di Sate Khas. NOT recommended. Kalo mau pesen sate, pesen yang dibawah ini:

THE BEST SATE LILIT EVEEERRRRR. Sate lilit disini ada dua jenis, bebek sama kepiting. Di piring ini ada keduanya. Semuanya enak, tapi yang kepiting HEAVEN. Gue sangat suka sate lilit. Di Bali hobi gue makan sate lilit. But this is better than anything I've ever had. Bumbunya itu perfect. Segala-galanya enak banget. Enaknya dua kali lipat kalo dimakan pake....

THIS AWESOME SAMBEL MATAH. Gue suka sambel. Gue suka sambel matah. Dan ini adalah sambel matah ter enak. Gurih, pedes, seger, paaaasssss banget sama sate lilitnya. Pokoknya kalo lo pengen sate enak seger, pesen sate lilit kepiting + sambel matah ini!!!!

You might ask wth is that???? It looks like a caesar salad but with sambel kacang and emping. Yup, its the weirdest gado-gado I've ever seen. But I know to not judge food by how it looks. It was decent. Fresh, but different. Tahu dan tempenya seharusnya lebih crispy dan nyeresep, tapi bumbu kacangnya enak. Decent lah, tapi porsinya banyak banget. It's pretty funny to look at tho hahaha

Last but not least, the glorious gloooorious Kepiting Soka. This is an awesome dish. Kepiting soka emang cocok banget sama mangga muda. Bener2 fresh, asem pedes seger kyaaaa suka banget. Kalo lo ga suka sambel mangga, lo akan mengubah pikiran lo dengan makan ini. Yep it's even better than the one in Din Tai Fung. Best I've had.
So, the verdict is, I love Te Sate because their food packs a punch. Flavourful and authentic. But its terrible sate ayam makes me mad, man. It's supposed to be their specialty!! Oh well, Sate Lilit FTW!!!!
Best enjoyed with mom and pops because of their steep prices. Like 90rb a dish steep. Yup, fancy Indonesian food it is.

THE BEST THING IN SENOPATI AFTER HOLYCOW: Zenbu

Jalan Senopati adalah jalan dimana restoran2 berderet. Dari tradisional, sushi, steak, suki, sampai asian food tersedia. Nggak lama setelah lo melewati belokan SCBD, lo akan menemukan Zenbu, sebuah resto jepang yang tampak biasa saja. Tapi saat lo masuk dan melihat menunya, pasti lo overwhelmed dan akan super bingung memesan.


Mereka punya 3 menu. Menu utama, menu sushi, dan menu dessert yang disediakan oleh Gelare. Di menu utama asiknya ada itungan kalorinya!!! Menu utama ini isinya appetizer2, Mozaru, udon, ramen, don, Omurice, furai, tempura, dan minuman. Apa itu Mozaru? Mozaru adalah menu andalannya Zenbu, yaitu nasi berbumbu dengan katsu (bisa milih katsu apa) dan ditutup keju mozarella dan dibake. Yup, sooo good. Tapi malam ini gue nggak pesan itu.
Untuk appetizer, gue pesen menu baru mereka, Wagyu Cheese Roll. Namanya aja kedengeran super enak.

Disajikan di atas hot plate, gulungan2 daging wagyu ini membungkus jamur enoki dan keju mozarella yang meleleh2 keluar. Lumayan sama persis sama Zhuma Beef Roll di Zhuma Sency, bedanya ini wagyu, which makes Zenbu's ten times better. The sauce sizzles and caramelizes with the cheese, making it even tastier. Saat digigit, kerasa banget betapa lembut dan buttery nya daging wagyunya. Best appetizer!
Sushi course: Sushi Balls!!

Aren't they the cutest things??? Bola-bola sushi kecil ini nggak hanya cute, mereka juga enak dan murah. 6 assorted sushi balls ini harganya cuma 25ribu. Rasanya ya sama aja sama sushi biasa, tapi bentuknya yang bola2 ini bikin nasinya lebih padat dan enak dimakan daripada sushi biasa, dan juga lebih praktis karena tinggal hap abis sebiji.
My sister's sushi: Mentaiko Salmon Belly

the picture speaks for itself. my stick-thin sister plowed through 4 pieces of this deelish pieces of goodness.
Soup Course: THE BEST SOUP EVAAAR: SALMON BELLY SOUP
noooo I forgot to take pics of this amazing bowl of soup!!!! So basically, it's a hot and delicious soup of mushrooms, some green vegs and the best slices of salmon belly. Y'all know how good a piece of salmon belly is. It's the wagyu of salmon. If that makes sense. It's buttery, fatty, soft, and melts in your mouth. In this soup, it's boiled soft and heavenly, when you bite the soft pink flesh, your taste buds will thank you. It's amazing, warm, comforting, healthy, and less than 300 calories. Seriously, what more can you ask for?
Main Course: Seafood Katsu Curry

Zenbu has reaaaallly good katsu and furai. Combined with their mild yet silky curry sauce, it's a grrrreat bowl of rice. It's just great. Of course, places like Go! Curry has better curry, but this is great.
Bottom line is, Zenbu, like Bakerzin, doesn't have anything that tastes less than great in their menu. I didn't order their waffles, because I was so full, but their waffles are the best waffles in the country. Maybe in the continent. Or the whole world. IHOP or Waffle House doesn't even compare. They need their own post. They're 50% off on Tuesdays, too. Oh God this place is awesome.

Awesome Kaki Lima: KEYAKI JAPANESE FOOD

Hari sudah malam. Lapar melanda. Ngidam kari jepang, teriyaki, tempura. Buka dompet, sisa 30 ribu doang. Jangan bimbang, ada solusi nendang! Kemarin malam gue makan di Keyaki Japanese Food, yaitu lokasinya di belakang mesjid Al Azhar Pusat, passss di samping Roti Bakar Edi yang super oke dan super terkenal itu. Harga semua di bawah 30 ribu, menu lengkap dari kari, tempura, teriyaki, dll. Dan ENAK! Seperti biasa gue makan bersama Bram. Doi pesen chicken teriyaki, gue pesen chicken katsu yang dimasak pake telor itu lho, lupa namanya.


Dari tampang emang nothing much. Tapi menurut gue sih enak banget dan super terjangkau. Averagenya 20ribu udah pake nasi. Makanan gue lebih enak dari oyakodon nya Kiyadon, which is basically the same thing. Katsunya masih berasa crunchy, hangat, telurnya lembut, rasanya gurih dengan sedikit rasa manis yang passss bgt. Chicken teriyakinya juga enak, ayamnya tenderly cooked, sausnya juga enak. Abis makan dari sini paling mantap emang makan pisang bakar di sebelah, roti bakar edi. ^^
jadi intinya, siapa bilang makanan jepang harus mahal?