Love and Prosperity at Gran Mahakam

Happy Lunar New Year!

A prosperous New Year should begin with delicious foods. So we put our trust to Gran Mahakam for the special day. Needless to say, the buffet is beyond satisfying.

Here’s what we have for our New Year’s meal:

Appetizer & Soup.
Prawn Mango Pomelo Salad served with Crispy Wonton Skin. A delicious hint of sour appeared in the center of this mix. Fresh prawn (it’s a standard) and fun texture from the crispy wonton. Second appetizer is needed so we called in for Scallop Green Dumpling. A delicious skin is wrapping generous filling. You can forget those tasteless dumpling skins as this one is created with the same thought and love. This is our favorite and will get you back for more.Next is Asparagus Crab Meat Soup. Finding greens in the mug is a pleasant surprise. Crab meat is great too.

Jia: An Epicurean Journey to Contemporary China

The classic New-Year-New-You phrase resonates to Jia, Shangri-La Jakarta’s latest signature Chinese restaurant, which was opened in place of Shang Palace. This is Fiona’s adventure to discover the delicacy of contemporary China.

Ni Hao. This is Fiona.

I've been to Shang Palace couple of time. When Jia takes over the premise, I feel the difference, but in a good way. It’s still a Chinese restaurant, with a young, vibrant and modern feeling. I personally love the interior, which I think has taken the right path to present China. Tokyo-based firm Bond was in charge of the interior, creating an update from its former dining place with shades of cobalt and a range of earth colors. The dining area can sit up to 122 guests and the private dining rooms can host 20 guests each. 

It’s hard to stop taking pictures because the place is so photogenic. The big tables are everywhere and sofas for 4 people or less. There’s a small transparent glass room for those who want to see the Peking Duck roasting. Yummy, I can imagine the smell of Peking Duck being opened by the chef.

Guan Yin Tea Cold Brew is waiting for me at the end of my journey around the restaurant. Served in a transparent bottle, it gives another hint of modernity. It’s really refreshing and I always love Chinese tea. I’m glad to find a cold brew that I can enjoy in a hot mid-day. The menu book is a magazine. You’d be surprise.

A Night At Sudirman Street Bandung

Sudirman Street popped out out of nowhere when I stopped by to approach my favorite Martabak stall on Jl. Jendral Sudirman. It was back in December when the place was only opened for a few weeks. I revisited the place again a few months later, dining in inside this time.

This is Ruth’s family weekend-getaway in Bandung.

It was like a deja vu because we’re staying in the same airbnb house and went on technically the same itinerary. This time, we determined to try Sudirman Street for dinner. Parking a few minutes away from the Jl. Jendral Sudirman entrance, this food court was packed by sundown. Last time, we figured this place is only open for dinner, but Google search showed that some stalls opened for lunch as well. Bandung’s mountainous breeze makes outdoor dining possible at lunch, even without sitting inside an air-conditioned restaurant.

We finally found a table near the entrance. In between a fried meatball and noodle stalls. Settled down, I got up first and took a look around. The first thing I noticed about Sudirman Street is pork. Almost every stall serves pork, including the Pinky Porky Martabak stall on the side which use pork meat instead the usual beef. Across the street from the Martabak is a pork satay stall that gathered a lot of crowds and smoke. Looking at the satay shape, I decided to order that first.

The pork martabak has quite a line. When my brother ordered one, he was given a queue number, just like when you’re ordering bubble tea. The cooking took a while so when it’s done, we’ve tried almost half the food in Sudirman Street. We decided to have it at home, just in case somebody get a midnight craving. The martabak is delicious, a little salty and well, it has pork. Some people believes that pork in a dish changes the taste, and it really does on this particular martabak. Needless to say, the box was emptied a few minutes after we reached home.

The satay arguably was the best one I’ve ever tasted. It’s sweet to the inside, the meat is thick and grilled to the right tenderness. So this one is highly recommended for those dining at Sudirman Street. There is also a bloody drink stall next door, which sold everything from Baymax blood to Smurf blood. Those are sugary drinks with different flavors. Wasn’t my preferred thirst quenchers but these interesting drinks are well-loved by the young children.

Walk to the other end, near the Cibadak entrance and you’ll find a nicely decorated wall, perfect for photos if the place wasn’t that packed. I would recommend strolling through the alley first before placing an order. Choose wisely because you’ll be full and realize that you haven’t tried this and that. But of course, tomorrow is a new day and you can always return to try on different stalls. If you’re a pork-fan, this place is pretty much heaven.

A few tips: (1) Came early to beat the night crowd. Especially if you’re here on weekend. We arrived around 6 PM and it was packed. (2) Watch your belongings. Sudirman Street is an open food court and it’s always wise to be cautious. (3) Prepare cash. If you haven’t got any, the mini market nearby has an ATM machine. (4) Order right away after you decide. Some stalls are popular and would run out of food even before the end of the night. (5) Watch your kids if you’re dining with them. Several stalls like the satay cooked in the open, so you might want to pay more attention to your curious toddlers.

But our visit isn’t complete without a stop at the Martabak stall which started the culinary journey. My family had always ordered sweet martabak and thin crispy ones whenever we’re in Bandung. It dated back to our childhood days. The thin-crispy martabak, called Tipis Kering or Tipker, is arguably the best I’ve ever tasted and stayed true for around 20 years. So that’s why we kept on returning to this simple stall over the years. This time, the stall introduced us to a whole new dining experience called Sudirman Street.

Ruci's Joint & Art Space: Double Delight

Arriving early at Ruci, I got to witness the last minutes of opening preparation of the premise. So, here’s your chance to snap a picture with the well-known 3D Sting instalation by a local artists, Maradita Sutianto. And that corner is only on of countless photogenic points inside Ruci, which is actually a mix of collaborative art space and collaborative cafe. 

Let’s explore more of Ruci with Fiona today.

 

Entering through the door the first thing that catches the eyes are a big typography spelling “Ruci’s Joint” on it. It’s not hard to find a favorite corner in this place, well, I have soft spot for mural and pretty interior. When I saw the collaborative art space part, a spacious place with perfect working ambiance, I was thinking about doing my blogging here. The overall interior, which is dominated by minimalist and homey feel to it, has an artsy feels with a piece of terrarium from @ateliergleuri. There are also creative workshops, make-up classes and art exhibitions held here. This place can also be booked for private function.

Sounds perfect. The collaborative cafe part offers selective F&B tenants, with variety that may amaze you. Is that your stomach growling? Well, let’s get going then.

Two Shamelesssalad menu that arrived on my table are Signature Salad (80k) with Sweet Potato Perkedel (30k/2 pieces) and Chicken Caesar Salad (90k). To be honest, I’ve been eyeing on their salad, dips and crudites from Instagram. I was thinking about ordering it for catering because for a salad freak like me, I love to see my plate filled with different kinds of fruits and veggies, including arugula, mushroom, avocado, tuna and feta cheese with balsamic and mustard vinaigrette dressing. (Ruth probably skips this part right away haha). The salads are my favorite, especially when combined with perkedel (potato fritters) because it gives the crunchy and tasty side effect. My boyfriend, whom I forced to try these salads, apparently liked the greens and almost finished the plate. Oh, the Paleo Caesar Dressing is also something to die for.

Signature Salad

Chicken Caesar Salad

On my list next time is the dips and cruedits, which hummus got me contemplating whether I shouldn’t wait for next time. Their sandwiches are also worth the try for those watching out what they eat as it uses homemade low-GI bread. And if the regular salad isn’t challenging enough for you, maybe Coucous side Salad would. This is like a heaven for healthy eater, serving the real kick-ass salads.

But let’s move on to something that’s more of an indulgence and delicacy, Rendang Ondemonday. An iconic to Indonesia, this Minangkabau traditional dish is created by shimmering meat in rich spices for hours. Expect fragrance and soft, melt-in-your-mouth beef served with rice if you order this. Ruci’s Rendang Ricebowl (68k) has everything you ask for your lunch (or dinner). Rice, Rendang, Acar (preserved cucumber), Rambak (cow skin crackers) and the yummy caramelized curry sauce. 

Ruci's Rendang Bowl

On my list next time is Nasi Itik lado Hijau (63k). Had been tempted to order but the Rendang turned out to be a satisfying lunch.

Osu! Skewers & Bar iserves a grilled shabu shabu sirloin marinated with Osu special sauce, fried garlic chips and mixed vegetables. When I picked the generous portion meat off their Garlic Yakiniku Don (65K), they are surprisingly soft and tasty. With Japanese rice and garlic chips, I think this is my kind of beef bowl. So, where’s my truffle oil to make this perfect?

Garlic Yakiniku Don

Moving on to Ya Dong Dim Sum, a Chinese idea of canapes. The food comes in bite-size and served alongside Chinese Tea. Pick your favorite from the Dim Sum menu. I picked Lo Bak Go (Fried Turnip Cake), Cheong Fan (Steamed Prawn and Beancurd), Guo Tie (Steamed Pot Stickers), and Liu Sha Bao (Molten Salted Egg Custard Fried Bun). Big portion beware!

This is my Dim Sum (35k each) recap: Guo Tie should be highlighted because it has generous fillings wrapped in thin skin. Salted egg lovers should try Liu Sha Bao while its hot, it melts and ... I can’t really describe how it taste. My boyfriend loves the Lo Bak Go, it was less than five minutes before the rest of them are all gone. The texture is nice and there’s a sunny side up egg on top. Delicious turnip. Cheong Fan is silky smooth rolls with crunchy fillings and huge prawn. That’s enough said.

Cheong Fan

Guo Tie

Lo Bak Go

Where else can you try the different dish under one roof? But these foods change every 3 months, make sure you don’t miss any of them. I have to plan my next visit real soon.

Oh, the Ruci Art Space is open now. Lucky for us, we got to catch the last days of Anton Ismail’s "Rumah". The art space is closed on Mondays and they hav live music on Saturdays, so plan your weekends well. Ruci means source of light in Sanskrit and the place really live up to the name, enlightened me with food and art. The place will give you visual and taste orgasm. Haha. 

Where is This?
Ruci's Joint
jalan Suryo no 49
10 am to 10 pm (sunday-thursday)
10 am to 12 midnight (friday saturday)

Ruci's Art Space
jalan Suryo no 49
11 am to 7 pm (tuesday-sunday)

instagram @rucisjoint

In Style Hong Kong Jakarta Celebrate with Walter Kei

You can always reach people's heart through food. That's why the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) invited celebrity chef Walter Kei to cook and introduce us his three signature dishes. The best one being Banana Brulee with Chinese Sticky Ball.

Chef Walter Kei's introduction

Held at Hong Kong Cafe as a part of In Style Hong Kong city wide promotion, the cooking demo (and competition) brought food bloggers together. Chef Walter Kei described Hong Kong cuisine as a mix of East and West. "Even though you know HongKong is mainly Chinese, but the food served are more of the contemporary Chinese cuisine because Hong Kong is a place that keeps moving and changing. Back in the early 90s, we're still a fishing village but in 1940s, we're already a melting pot."

The vibrant and friendly chef cooked three simple dishes: Beef Roll with Vegetables, Steamed Chicken with Chinese Mushroom and Banana Brulee with Chinese Sticky Ball. 

Beef Roll with Vegetables

"The Beef roll is inspired by Korean food and the idea of California roll. It's actually healthy because you're eating a lot of vegetables," he explained as he started making the rolls. The rolls are surprisingly easy to make with just shredded Cucumber, Carrot and Enoki Mushrooms bind together with Angus Beef Slices. The key of making this dishes is the mix of Korean chili paste, truffle oil and black pepper sauce which create an interesting and familiar Chinese flavor.

Then comes the main dish, Steamed Chicken with Chinese Mushroom, which Chef Walter described as "a simple concept with a twist." While the main ingredients are only chicken and mushroom, the list of seasonings used are far from few. Sesame Oil, Shaoxing (Chinese) wine, oyster sauce and light soy sauce are among them. "I realize Indonesian people takes food with strong flavors, but in Hong Kong, people just add a little bit of flavor. We also love steamed things."

Steamed Chicken with Chinese Mushroom

He does seem to have tons of energy and we're glad he decided to put them into cooking delicious dishes.

We figured with two healthy dishes, we can go all out for the dessert. A competition was held for the food bloggers, putting them into four different teams to create our own version of Banana brûlée. Seems easy, but there are a couple tricks to go with making the sticky ball and covering them with ground peanuts. The mochi-like peanut-butter-filled sticky balls are fun to make and is something you can easily do with your child. Just be careful with the torching. One tip from Chef Walter, if you want to have perfect caramelizing, the banana needs to be frozen for at least 24 hours. Then you can get that banana ice cream taste.

We even have to do our own plating and here's what we came up with.

Banana brûlée

Just like how celebrations are, we end the gathering with a party. Tables are filled with familiar Chinese foods like Steamed Prawn Dumplings (Ha Kau), Steamed Chicken & Prawn Dumpling (Siew Mai), BBQ Chicken Bun (Char Siew Pao), HK Crispy Fried Carrot Cake, and Fried Chicken Orange Sauce. 

Fried Chicken Orange Sauce

Steamed Prawn Dumplings (Ha Kau)
and HK Crispy Fried Carrot Cake

We love the funny Chef Walter who described himself as a "lifestyle person" instead of just chef. The accidental chef recalled he started out with fashion before joining the culinary world. He joked how eating out is expensive so that's why he started cooking. Now, beside running a small gourmet, he went into writing, interior designing and also entrepreneurship.

Celebrating the In Style Hong Kong, which would be held on September 17 to 19 at Jakarta Convention Center, Hong Kong Cafe will serve the signature dishes of Chef Walter Kei along with other delicious food on their menu all month long in September. Check out what's happening in town at In Style Hong Kong Facebook and Twitter. Make sure you stop by and be a part of the style.