Warung Kopi Klotok Jogjakarta: A Traditional Sip of Java

Jogjakarta always knows how to relax and making it such an irresistible escape. Sip your coffee, bite your fried banana while sitting in front of a rice field, and have a great day at Kopi Klotok.

Hello, this is Ruth from her holiday in Jogjakarta.

It’s called Warung Kopi Klotok. Located halfway to the famous Ullen Sentalu Museum and Merapi tours, visitors can easily find the kiosk at the end of a narrow alleyway. If you’re renting a car, the driver should know where to turn, otherwise, there are large yellow signs glued to electricity poles along the way to help you out. Don’t get discourages by the lack of parking space or the rather traditional Joglo house of the so-called café. The place is so popular that there are lines and waiting list for the food and drinks.

For the first timers, this restaurant is rather confusing because first you have to find a table and memorize the number. Then you went to order food on different corners, mentioning the table number each time. The waiter will deliver the food to you. You order drinks on a paper and picked it up yourself. Then you pay everything when you’re done.

I have to do an “indent order” for my second row of fried banana because my son finished over half of the first order in no time. Each party/table can only order up to 6 fried bananas (that’s 3 portions) and if they want to order more, they have to return to the frying corner for the second time. This place doesn’t do take out. They argued that fried banana is best served hot but the talk among townspeople offers a rather mythical version of how those yummy bananas shouldn’t reach the main road to preserve the taste.

Whatever it is, we’re having another round. So we wait.

Street Food Delight by Chef Marinka at Aryaduta Hotel Jakarta

Living in Jakarta means a never ending array of delicious culinary. It’s not always the luxurious romantic kind of food, but may be your comfort food, served with an international upgrade. Skipping lunch at the office, Ruth attended an event held by Aryaduta Hotel Tugu Tani, Jakarta.

The hotel, which I passed on my way to and from work everyday, is special. It’s been a frequent reunion place with old friends and coworkers, mainly due to its location. So, walking across the lobby then up to Ambiente where the event was held gives a special memory.

Aryaduta is revamping. This month, Celebrity Chef Rinrin Marinka joined on board the kitchen team to develop new menu for the restaurant. Taking Batavian street food and twist them with Marinka style. The star of the day is Nasi Goreng Kambing (Lamb Fried Rice). “Back in college, when I crave for Indonesian food, I always cook this dish. The challenge is how to make the dish interesting and pretty without losing its authenticity.” She then proceeds to do a live cooking show with Rob Cunningham, Group Director Food & Beverage from Aryaduta Hotels Indonesia. 

Indonesian Fusion at Gioi Plantery and Cookery

There is one spot in GIOI that makes us thought about eating at home with family. It’s like those perfect family dinner pictures you see abroad. The wooden homey interior with pictures and wall decorations, for a minute, created an illusion that it is actually our dining room at home.

This restaurant was perfect for special occasion, no doubt. So Fiona visited the place when Christmas vibe was still around. 

The holiday decoration is more helpful in creating “I’m home for Christmas” feeling. Red ribbons on chairs paired the leaves-and-pine Christmas décor, as well as the candles and Mason-jar-turned snowglobe table centerpieces. However, it’s a restaurant, and while at home Mom’s cooking of inherited recipes always won everyone’s heart, here you have to order dishes that suit your holiday mood. Here’s what I ordered after asking for recommendations:

Two Makes Tasty, Sababay Meets TeSaTe

Was a little confused when a wine-tasting invitation arrived from TeSaTe, but who can say no to wine? Fiona decided to give it a try and arrived at TeSaTe Sam Ratulangi, Menteng. There's always the first time for everything.

So here's Fiona's first encounter with wine and TeSaTe Menteng. 

I have always love TeSaTe and its sister company, Sate Khas Senayan, because they're best known for its fine Indonesian dishes. But they always go beyond food when it comes to authenticity, like this particular branch of TeSaTe which features familiar ambiance in all three floors. The first floor is the lobby, dominated by the large windows and bright natural lights, plus an outdoor seating area. Right next to the open kitchen there's a large wine cellar. The third floor is a function room, complete with necessary equipments like projector. Then there are Gamelan and other Indonesian music near the stairs. Down the steps is private rooms, separated by partitions. Our area has open garden and waterfall which makes the underground floor isn't so packed. It's cool and simple, a perfect combination of contemporary and traditional corner. 

 

So, what's the story with the local wine? The name Sababay is taken from Saba Bay in Gianyar region, Bali. It's 100% Indonesian wine harvested by local Balinese farmers. Andy Fatima, Regional Sales Manager of Sababay explained the process, which is using the stainless steel equipments instead of wooden barrel. Sababay's 6 wine selections have been introduced in 2012 and are the winners of different awards like WSA Wine Challenge Singapore, China Wine & Spirits Awards , Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit Competition and Korea Wine Challenge. As a wine enthusiast, this local bottles really spark my interest.

It matches the vision of TeSaTe, holding the wine pairing to introduce local dishes to international customers as well as opening a way for Indonesian food to go international. I think it's a great idea because Indonesian food tend to be this inherited recipe with complicated spices which aren't exactly popular flavors when it comes to world's general preference. Sababay helps the idea that Indonesian dishes are famous for their rich and complicated taste, so what's better than Indonesian wine to pair with them? 

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.

Ramadhan at Arts Cafe Raffles Hotel

Ramadhan is here and we already feel the festivity. Can't decide what to have? Arts Café at Raffles Hotel Jakarta offers delicacy from all over the archipelago. It's Fiona's second visit to the place and this time was an invitation from my bestfriend, YennyW.

It wasn't only the ambiance, but how they décor the space (with Oscar Lawalata's design on the ornamentals) is really homey and elegance for a hotel buffet. I arrived to the week of Balinese food. Yes, they change the menu every week. In the first week of Ramadhan, the journey begins with dishes from Bali and Lombok, then moves north to Sulawesi and Kalimantan in the following week. After that, is the tantalizing tastes of Sumatra and finally we hit home at Java in the end. 

Bali offers dishes from all over the region, from the delicate texture of Daging Katernak, to the flavorful Bebek Betutu and Udang Panggang Jimbaran. But before that, a cucumber cooler arrives on the table, perfect for breakfasting. It was even more special because we got to dine with the mastermind behind the dishes, Chef William Wongso, who recreates the Indonesian flavors with Chef Daniel Patterson, Arts Café executive chef. The buffet itself was this elegantly presented dishes of baby lobster, kecicang salad, lawar, sate udang and Bali fish with spices. Served with 6 different sambal on the side. If you're a fan of Balinese food, then tasting this is a must. 

Food isn't just on the table, but at the show kitchen. It was quite open, so we can see how veggies, satay lilit, large prawn served with sambal matah, nasi campur are prepared right before they're served at the guests' table. I was drooling over Yenny's prawn after I finished mine. I pronounced it my favorite dish of the night because it's so tasty and didn't smell fishy. The flavors were real because they're using real spices. Dining with Chef William Wongso, exchanging spices stories with other foodies, as Gamelan music playing on the back is really a memorable experience. 

Bali is only the beginning, as the date rolls on, Sulawesi and Kalimantan (13-19 June) and Sumatra (20-26 June) will take turn and visit the Arts Café. Javanese food will be served from June 27th to the end of Ramadhan month. The buffet price is IDR 398,000++ with the first seating from 5.45 PM to 8.30 PM. The buffet price of IDR 298,000++ is available during the second seating from 8.30 PM to 10.30 PM

Where is This?
Raffles Jakarta, Ciputra World 1, Jl Prof. Dr. Satrio, Jakarta 12940 – Indonesia
Tel: +62 21 2988 0888 

www.raffles.com/jakarta

Indonesian Fusion of Temoe Bistro

There’s a new hotel in town and it means there’s a new eatery to try. Temoe Bistro at GranDhika Hotel at South Jakarta area is a perfect spot for friends, co-workers and a dine-in with your loved ones.

Entering GranDhika Hotel, you’ll find Temone on the left side with a line of friendly servers. It seems a little dim at first, but when you stepped it, this place is homey. Our attention goes to the graphic rug under the table and the complementing decoration on the ceiling. There’s also a large, comfortable sofa that makes you stay for hours. There’s a semi-outdoor section here, wrapped in large glass windows which would be awesome during the day (too bad it’s dinner time when we’re there). The semi-outdoor space is for smoking and Acoustic jazz live band on weekdays.

Let’s talk about food.

Pan Seared Foie Gras is seriously delicious. Crunchy toast brioche bread meets the melt-in-your-mouth seared duck liver with onion marmalade. It’s not easy to create this kind of foie gras because it’s 80% fat. This one is pan-seared and a must-try for foie gras fans because the onion marmalade adds on to the superb combination.

Pan Seared Foie Gras

Wagyu Soto

Wagyu Soto is still your traditional beef soup, but with a few upgrade like wagyu 5+ quality beef. Cooked medium (surprise!) and served separately from the broth so you can easily mix it accordingly. We prefer having it dipped in the soto broth. Chef Hariyadi wanted to create a new twist of Indonesian food, while keeping the rich herb soto broth. Let’s say he exceeded expectation. The dish is served with steamed jasmine rice, emping cracker, sambal and pickles.

The classic Quattro Formaggi Pizza is to die for. We can safely say that the chef is an expert in Italian dishes because the 4-cheese topping pizza is something we would like to order, take home and enjoy it in front of the TV with a bottle of soda and a bunch of good friends.

Quattro Formaggi Pizza

Dessert already? No way. But the Cherry Clafoutis Crumble did make a sweet ending to our first date at Temoe Bistro. The baked cherry cake crumble served with mascarpone cheese is a must-order for dessert lovers. It’s real cherry made as compote and combined with crunchy crumble. Then comes mascarphone cheese to complete the trio. This dessert makes you want to order another plate.

This Bistro is rather impressive, especially for a new place inside a new city hotel. They have a wide variety of quality menu and the place is super comfortable for those who just want to stop by after hours. It’s also a good stop for those who enjoy jazz and wine. Even for those creative worker who simply need a place to sit and well, be creative, this one place is recommended too. We got a glimpse of Salmon and Scallop in Gulai Sauce on the menu, another interesting concept for Indonesian fusion fans. Our advice, go through the whole menu and find the one that jump at you. The bistro is good at composing Indonesian fusion food, so don’t skip the chance to taste them.

Where is this?
Hotel GranDhika Iskandarsyah – Jakarta
Jl. Iskandarsyah Raya No. 65 Jakarta
021-2912 7788
Opening Hours:9:00 AM – midnight (Sunday-Thursday) and 09:00 AM – 01:00 AM (Friday and Saturday)