Kiko's Birthday @ Java Bleu

Among international cuisine patronage in Jakarta, Java Bleu is no stranger. Owned and manned by French Chef Antoine Audran, he and his restaurant specialize on French Cuisine. Kiko has been here before, when they were still at their old place, few blocks from the current one. She was enthusiastic when telling the story about this place, so I welcome her invitation to celebrate her birthday.

The air is warm inside. An Asian couple sat in the table close to the door, and few westerners occupy a table across the room, which left us to choose among 3 empty tables. "That one is quite hot, it is close to the kitchen", the waiters said when we point to a white table for 2. The table at the center is too big for us, so we choose another table close to the door instead. Once we're seated, the waiters move a blackboard to face us. That's the menu.


We were quite undecided for some time, but thankfully the waitress was very helpful and good at describing the menu, except for one. We made our order, few starters, main course and drinks. A little disappointment came when ordering a cup of coffee. They only have espresso and latte, but hey, it is French restaurant, not Italian.

Still my disappointment with the coffee when it came flat. But not for long, as our appetizer was served: Mushroom soup with bread, and Quiche Lorraine. The soup is great; the blended mushroom adds taste and the chopped mushroom complete the texture. The quiche is perfect, with generous amount of ham.

The same waitress offered to serve our main course once the soup finished. Pork Sausage and Ox Tongue both served with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The Ox Tongue was cooked with Red Wine, which unfortunately dominate the food. The mashed potatoes worth a note, though.

Finish with the meals, the waiters turns the blackboard to us again, offering desserts. We ordered Chocolate Melt, which looks like a muffin. It is topped with a scoop of ice cream and icing sugar. Overall, it wasn't too sweet, just nice to end the dinner.


But the night is not over yet. The Asian couple and westerner are still there, apparently enjoying the night as we did. I ordered another drinks, we have a lot of chat about her recent trip, until they are closing.

We parted at her office, after saying: Happy Birthday My Dear..... *Hugs

Java Bleu
Kompleks Golden Plaza Blok E 24
Jalan Fatmawati No.15, Jakarta Selatan
Ph: (021) 750 79 02
Fax: (021) 765 02 12

Bandung Getaway

Most of us, the Jakartans, might be bored when people mention and telling stories about Bandung, the cozy and hype city near 130 km away. But for me who seldom make the visit, going for a trip to this city mostly lift up a content feeling, quoting my friend: “Returning to Jakarta after staying in Bandung is like returning to your spouse after a romantic affair. Me and Jakarta have a somewhat abusive but comfortable relationship, while Bandung serves as a calm and serene part time lover who’s always there whenever I need calming down.”

If i had to choose, terms of being calm and serene are enjoying shady afternoon in open air space with greeny vistas and forget everything but now. A cup of warm drinks and any sweet or savory desserts will be perfect for mood booster. (No noisy crowds and annoying waiters are important, too). Curling with books or magz, just doing nothing but enjoying fresh air, or draw some sketches, everything will be priceless then.

“What I like doing best is nothing. It means just going along,
listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering." – AA Milne

However, those thing won’t be complete if you can't have proper foods, all comfortable foods that may turn your straight upper lips into broad smiles. And to locate each of the seller always become our problem since there are too many places to visit but ours only have tiny and tight times: so little time, so much to do. Two days in a row are very ambitious but at least we could make decent visit to (almost) we’ve been planning for. Here we go:

1. Lapo Siagian, Location: Next to Telkom Bld, Jl. H. Hasan 19 A, Ph. (022) 253 4478
Bataknese version of roast pork. Thin slice of crunchy and crusty pork belly with smoky hint. Rough but tender, stiff but juicy it gives you full sensation from the beginning you taste it until you realize you’re chewing the last bite. Served with crushed green chili and lemon juice, the sour and spicy taste enriched the whole serving. Heavenly!

2. Kopi Selasar, Location: Jl. Bukit Pakar Timur No. 100, Bandung (www.selasarsunaryo.com)
All this time, i've been told by my friends whose keep talking how comfy this place are. Years and years waiting, now my turn has come: I'd visited this place finally! A perfect place for afternoon tea: under lush tree with greeny hill view, slightly windy, and raining for one moment. Smells of grass and dirt accompanied perfect dessert: banana with cinnamon sauce and vanilla ice cream served with ginger tea and hot choco. Strong buttery taste from cinnamon sauce combined with chewy bananas, gave the complete mouthful taste. Playing cards is prohibited here since the owner thinks it is not a productive activity.

3. Ceu' Mar, Location: End of Jl.Cikapundung
Local honest and popular street food used to sell to newspaper boys in midnight. Now Ceu Mar rent (or owned?) a kiosk while she is still sitting and counting every plate and dishes everyone had taken. Our recommendation: tempe goreng tepung (fried tempe), cincang kambing (diced lamb stewed with curry spice), empal (shredded boiled beef and fried), tumis buncis (stir fry string bean), and most of all her home made hot chili sauce which make you crave for more.

4. Martabak Nikmat Andir, Location: Jl. Jend Sudirman 415, opposite Andir market.
This place become our "must visit" place everytime we are here. Their sweet martabak with corn and cheese filling is the best you can have. Since we offered our friend to bring any while visiting her, banana and cheese filling is on the next favorite list. Fluffy and sweet, the one you cannot resist.

5. GOR Pajajaran, Jl. Pajajaran – Bandung
A siesta place with many street vendors displaying mouth watering dishes from dimsum, roast pork, ambo kueh (local Bandung traditional snacks with pork meat and brown sauce), noodles, traditional cake, congee, and the list may go on. Choices of our breakfast: fish congee with roast pork and char siu, famous fluffy fried cakwe from Lie Tjay Tat, continued with misoa soup suggested by Tante Liana. Next, hop on her kiosk to take away all time favourite dishes : pepes bandeng (steam milk fish with local spice wrapped in banana leaf, pepes telor asin (steam duck egg wrapped in banana leaf), and sambal ulek (raw belacan chili and tomato). New dishes has arrived: abon cakalang (spicy tuna floss) and gadon daging (steam minced beef wrapped in banana leaf).



6. RM. Linggarjati, Location: Jl. Balong Gede No. 1, Alun Alun – Bandung
The best avocado juice in town. Served with mocca syrup and crushed ice, you still can find bite few avocado meat in luscious silky texture. Famous for their mie babat (noodles and beef tripe), but my favourite only their avocado juice.

7. PT Rasa, Location: Jl. Tamblong
Recommendation: avocado and banana ice cream, poffertjes, and some cakes (forgot the name)

8. Bakmi Rica, Location Jl. Kejaksaan No. 7, Bandung
Delicious spicy pork noodle, perfect for dessert and snacks. Free roaming either take away or dine in, the flavor goes well in any temperature you're still every bite you chew. Suggestion: better served with no soup when reheat.

9. Batagor Kingsley, Location Jl. Veteran
Famous long time batagor seller in town and the taste consistent until now. Those street food stall in front of this place gives more temptation from durian ice cream to es sekoteng, from mie kocok to keripik.

10. Toko kue Sweetheart, Jl. Bawean No. 4, Bandung
Their cakes always sweet and delicious. All time favorite: nougat cake roll (mocca cake with peanuts and rhum flavor), swiss cake roll (chocolate cake with custard cream and rhum), picnic roll (similar to sausage brood), kaas roll (cheese cake with shredded cheddar filling). The rhum flavor gives extra sensation to the whole cake serving.

What a lovely and happy belly trip, which he said: "too much of good things might kill you."

Chilidog.org

I thought I'm one of the few who obsessed with Chili Dog. Have eaten a Chili Dog sandwich few weeks ago, I'm intrigued to make one at home. Then upon searching for recipe, I found this website dedicated for Chili Dog: http://www.chilidog.org/. Having a dedicated website for Chili Dog... what a obsession.

The small number of recipe didn't make it easire to choose. After a short discussion, we finally pick Conney Island Chili Dog. On the next morning we have all the ingredients ready to cook. It is a little bit too late when we realize a problem: What we have is not beef sausage, but a pork German Bratwurst. Well, the show must go on, so we cross our finger and serve it anyway.

Simmering the Chili Dog didn't took much time, since it is quite dry. In fact, we must turn in several time to prevent from burning. But on several turn, we can smell a strong flavor of beef. The Chili Dog is ready.

The Bratwurst was still grilled in the oven - the electric oven took more time than expected. So, while waiting, we prepare the bun, which was grilled before. Once the Bratwurst ready, it goes on the halved bun. Next the Chili Dog, then a streak of Mustard and Jalapeno Sauce.


It wasn't look so bad. I have a little problem with presentation, but it will be another lesson on another session. But then it turns out that the Bratwurst wasn't really match the beef taste of the Chili Dog. But then it would be a good reason to make another one next time, right? :D

A Promise Fulfilled

"Promise me that we will go to Lapo Siagian in Bandung". That conversation ended up in me promising her to go to Bandung, visiting the famous Batak traditional restaurant. More than one year later, I pay my debt, in an eventful trip.

The place is not hard to find once you are int he area, despite of its non-obvious location. Just follow where the smoke came from, with the smell of pork roasting. You will find the restaurant, down in an alley, under lighted with few neon light.

To our delight, they still have roasted pork to order, despite it was almost 2 pm. We just start a small talk about the plan when the food is served. Then suddenly it became silent. Only the crunch of crispy pork heard.


Instantaneously, all the exhaustion gone. The flat tire I have this morning, the 4 hour road trip, which is normally took 1 hour, and the low fuel on the highway that left us without Air Con for the last 30 minutes, all replaced with a happy smile, a familiar smile I saw almost one year ago, during our first trip.

We still kept silent, enjoying our meals, with crushed green chili, soured with squeeze of citrus. We ate, until nothing is left in the plate. Temptation to order another portion surge into our mind, but we decide to end the meals while it still taste good.

We pay the bill, and leave.... happy that a promise finally fulfilled....

Comfort Lasagna

I used to cook bolognaise sphagetti in my school years. The recipe taken from my cousin, adopted Indonesian version of bolognaise sauce : tangy, slightly sweet and cheesy. Seeing lasagna sheet on supermarket rack always encourage me to think if someday i will have the time and passion to cook this dish. One day i hook on San Remo Instant Lasagna and read recipe behind the pack. The ingredients quite similar to bolognaise sauce but the most important thing is you can use lasagna sheet without boiling first like usual. I said to myself the recipe worth trying as it sound quite impressive. Few times trying this at home, the recipe never fails. So here’s San Remo version of lasagna with little modification :

Instant Lasagna with Meat Sauce
Serves 5

•250g San Remo Instant Lasagna

Meat Sauce
•3 tablespoon olive/vegetable oil
•1 medium onion, finely chopped
•1 clove garlic, crushed
•500g beef mince
•400 gr canned tomato
•100 ml tomato sauce/ketchup
•4 fresh medium tomato, chopped
•2 cups chicken stock
•2 pack (150 gr) champignon mushroom
•100 gr cheddar cheese, shredded
•Oregano, dried bay leaf, salt, pepper and pinch of nutmeg

Cheese Sauce
•2 tablespoons butter
•2 tablespoons plain flour
•2 cups milk
•Salt, pepper
•125g mozzarella cheese (cubed or grated)

Meat Sauce
Heat oil in a medium saucepan, add garlic and onion until soft cook. Add mince and cook stirring, until brown. Add mushroom and stir in chopped tomato, tomato sauce and tomato paste follow with chicken stock. Put few bay leaf and season with crushed oregano. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and shredded cheese. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cheese Sauce
Melt butter in medium saucepan, stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes over gentle heat. Remove from heat and gradually stir in milk. Return to heat and stir until thick and smooth. Season with salt and pepper, add mozzarella and stir over low heat until cheese melts.

Lasagna
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Pour 125ml meat sauce into base of lightly greased baking dish. Alternate layers of lasagna, meat and cheese sauces, ending with cheese sauce layer. Sprinkle top with grated parmesan cheese if desired. Bake in oven for 35 - 40 minutes. (Test by pricking with fork) Let stand 5 - 10 minutes before serving.

Happy baking! I wonder if Garfield is around the town...

*San Remo website : http://www.sanremo.com.au