Popolamama for Pasta

One of the reasons we love Popolamama is because of its charming interior, which is perfect for friends, food and laughter.

Passing through the Grand Indonesia skybridge, you’d notice this restaurant right away. It has one of the best spot on the bridge. Grand Indonesia is one of our sanctuaries from regular office food served at our canteen. 

Eating here, we always start with pasta and dough balls with garlic and butter on the side.The dough balls came first (the’re appetizer anyway) and they are great, not too chewy not to hard. The fried garlic and melted butter are also great. 

The yummy appetizer

Ruth: So, yesterday I had Popolamama for lunch. One friend wanted to try.
Fiona: Yes, I remember Popolamama, it’s the restaurant we had dinner once with everyone from the office, right?
Ruth: Yeah, the one at Grand Indonesia. What did you ordered?
Fiona: I think it’s too oily.
Ruth: I ordered the Chicken Aglio Olio and it’s surprisingly spicy and sharp. Thankfully I ordered Ice Lychee Tea for the drink.

Chicken Aglio Olio

The pasta has no obvious sauce and is covered in green. So, when another coworker ordered a different kind of Pasta, it looks similar to the other ones on the table.

The waiter suggested pizza in the beginning, maybe we should have gone with pizza instead. They look great and they now come in personal portion in case there’s no one else to share. If you’re worried about the price – which can be a little high for some pocket, try the set menu which comes with drink, mini salad and ice cream. Guaranteed will make you happy.

Where is this?
Grand Indonesia Mall, Lantai 3A, West Mall
(021) 2358 0415
Twitter: @Popolamama_ID

Offbeat Snack Called Makaroni Ngehe

Let’s say third time the charm. We've been talking about this place since Ruth first passed by the kiosk in Sultan Iskandar Muda, South Jakarta and finally got some to share as an office snack.

The always busy kiosk

Ruth: There’s Makaroni Ngehe in between Gandaria City and Pondok Indah Mall
Fiona: Whatttt???
Ruth: It’s the brand name... I didn't swear on a macaroni dish.
Fiona: Oh...

Well, “ngehe” in Indonesian slank is a pretty bad swearing word. Haha. Browsing on its history, the kiosk we found was the third branch. The brand, started by a college student on a mission to pay for college fee without asking his parents for money, already has two kiosks in West Jakarta. Supposedly closer to our office, but we didn't know where.

It took an extra courage to stop by because we have to park illegally on the sidewalk. The parking is just for motorcycle and it’s usually full. Once we arrived to take a peek, we see a bunch of dried and crunchy macaroni as well as the boiled ones. The system is you ask for which macaroni type you want and the flavor you prefer. You can also choose how spicy you want them to be. The waiter then mix the macaroni and the flavor in a box before stuffing them in a small plastic bag. One bag costs Rp5k. No wonder they’re full with customers. It’s like childhood snack with an upgrade.

Ruth: I’m buying Makaroni Ngehe.
Fiona: Get me some. Bring them to the office, I want to try.
Ruth: Okay, I’m buying one of each type.

Tasted like those MSG-filled snack. Definitely not for those with clean eating hash tag on Instagram. But it makes a good office munch. We can ask for extra chili powder, or separate the powder all together to customized how much MSG we wants on the macaroni. While the dry one can last for days, the soft boiled ones has to be eaten right away. Bringing them to the office, we found a fan who can't stop munching the snack. 

Pick your favorite... but keep it in moderation.

Waha Kitchen Kosenda Hotel

Hi, this is Fiona.

This isn’t my first trip to Kosenda Hotel and each visit is always a great time. I’ve done dinner at Waha Kitchen and hang out at Awan Lounge. Lovely environment, homey ambiance and its interior bring together a perfect experience. Yesterday, I attended a lunch and coffee session with Mikael Jasin, the Head Barista of Operator 25 Café in Melbourne with 9 other food bloggers. 

Before food arrives, we went on a tour of the hotel and got a chance to see different rooms, which combine the modern and homey concept. I love how this place thinks about every details and design. In several rooms there are chairs and tables to relax and have conversations with families. We stopped by Awan Lounge, which is still closed because it’s daytime. But we took pictures at several photogenic corners.

Lunch is with Waha Fish Noodle, a creation of Chef Eddrian Tjhia. Noodle with smooth texture served with fried tofu, fries and tailored chili, soy sauce and lime which arrived with the dish. I’m glad to find nothing that smells fishy on the menu.

I ordered 2 piccolos because they were great. Awesome beans on good hands assure great coffee served on the table. According to Mikael, everyone has preference when it comes to coffee thus the different characteristics. His tales about house smoked cold brew, seasonal blend steep overnight in cold water and smoked in-house with apple wood is definitely enlightening. It was a great honor to taste his brew. Mikael is currently a guest barista at Kosenda Hotel.

Then the lunch ends, so I moved to coffee and chat with other foodies.

Where is this?
Waha Kitchen
Kosenda Hotel
KH Wahid Hasyim No.127, Jakarta Pusat 10240
(021) 31936868

www.wahakitchen.com/