My Daily Serving of Veggies and Fruits with Cold Press

The recommended amount of fruits and veggies to be consumed everyday is five servings. At least. The blog readers probably know how Ruth doesn't get along with the two groups, skipping salads and leaving the greens for Fiona. But that doesn't mean she's not aware with the importance of fruits and veggies. So one day when Fiona offered to try Cold Press supplies, she took the challenge.

This is Ruth and her daily juices.

Veggie Rhapsody for healthy month

I'm turning 32 next week and I'm still stuck with the same problem I had when I graduated elementary school: getting enough fruits and veggies in my daily food consumption. Browsing the web, many recommend juices and not just ordinary homemade juice you make at home everyday, but the cold-pressed ones. While your traditional juicer machine creates heat which cuts down the amount of surviving nutrients made it into your glass, cold-pressed juices are different.

The bottles arrived one day and in interesting, vibrant colors. Believe it or not, I started with greens. I opened Veggie Rhapsody and took a sip. Apple, Pineapple and Spinach. Strong pineapple and a hint of spinach in my mouth. It was gone in few gulps. It tastes great! The other green-colored liquid is Tropical Green, the same apple-pineapple base with Kale instead of spinach. 

Ingredients for Veggie Rhapsody

Once I'm done with the veggies, I turned to the fruit and share it with my 9-year-old son. Watermelon Orange Twist (the twist is honey in case you're curious) is super refreshing and can be easily finished in one sitting. My son loves Beet Hunter (surprise), a great boost of vitamin A with the beet, carrot and apple inside. Beet has been dubbed as superfood. So having it in a juice adds more than just bright colors. Carrots are also great for us, who sits in front of laptop most of the time. This one has a strong carrot aftertaste. But the best of the pack is Berry Hunter. Mixing Strawberry, Watermelon and Pineapple seems like a great idea. After the fifth bottle, I realized that there's always a dominant fruit/veggie taste in each bottle. The Berry Hunter, for example has this sour strawberry flavor, which is perfect for me. I'm not a big sweet fan.

The perfect bottle to end your day, or to drink in the late afternoon before driving home is Freshen Up. Orange, Apple and Pineapple provides you with a boost of Vitamin C, a much-needed nutrition to fight the stress from a hectic working day. Looking at the benefits of the fruits and veggies, it's just easy to drink down these bottles as daily maintenance.

What's so great about these juices are you have no worries. No Preservatives, No Additives, No Colorings, No Concentrate, No Added Water, No Added Sugar. Ordering it is no hassle and you just have to wait for the juices to come. It cuts out the shopping, juicing and all the trouble you have to go through just for a glass of juice every morning. All you have to do is open your fridge, pick a Cold Press bottle of 250ml and you're all set.

Now I don’t have to worry about celebrating my birthday anywhere I want because my fruits and veggies servings are covered.

Stay Healthy Through The Rain

Rainy season is finally here. When we’re younger, our moms used to gave us this sterilized milk whenever the rain brought us down and we need an extra boost for our health. So, as the season change, so it’s only fitting that we look deeper to the bottom of the can.

First thing first. BEAR BRAND is actually cow milk, which had gone through sterilization process. What’s the deal with sterilized milk? Sterilization basically destroys all germs, enabling the milk to be stored at room temperature for long periods of time. But if you can’t finish the can in one sitting, store what’s left on the fridge.

Gold Flakes and Magic Dishes at Huize Van Wely

Our returning visit to Huize Van Wely is for Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge.  On our previous visit, we were there for a brunch and it was satisfying, This time around they are still as consistent, giving the best by taking this challenge seriously down to the sparkling gold flakes. 

Huiz van Wely is dominated by white color, showing its luxury throughout the atmosphere. As we arrived, we're escorted to table by the bar.There we met Mr. Cien Mahardi, the restaurant's Project Manager and Mr. Ade, the senior bartender. Huize van Wely is homey, Mr. Cien said, and they're determined to translate the comfort through everything served on the challenge. Let's take a taste of what's on their menu.

Jasmine Tea Apple

Refreshing.That's the first word that popped to our mind after gulping down the drink. The balance of apple and tea is perfect. Starting simple, the drink leave a lasting impression throughout the course.

Mini Hamburg Steak dan Dilmah Brilliant Breakfast

Mini Hamburg Steak dan Dilmah Brilliant Breakfast

As the first dish arrived, we can't wait to grab the burger right away. Too bad we have to take picture first. The juicy patty is paired with quail egg on top. Take the first bite and sip the tea, it's a combination of light and richness. Then we move on to the pretty red fruit (or is it vegetable?) next door. A tomato filled with something familiar. we're curious about what's inside the tomato and finally found out it was chesnut. Huize van Welly put a lot of details on this dish. The last bite is everything on the plate, a little bit of this and that, and washed down with Dilmah Brilliant Breakfast.

The swirling lemon zest teasing the tea enthusiasts

Chocolate Eclair pairing with Ceylon's Finest - Dilmah Peppermint Cinnamon, Martel VSOP and Home-made Coke Syrup
If you ever heard that Cocktail should be shaken otherwise it isn't cocktail, think again. Mr. Cien explained that tea shouldn't be shaken but stirred instead. That's how this cocktail is created. Dilmah Peppermint Cinnamon is brewed cold (we thought cold brew is only for coffee) and is mixed with alcohol. Served on tall pretty glass with teasing lemon zest. To pair this is chocolate eclair with edible gold flakes and "polkadot chocolate". Same rules applied: take the first bite and sip the drink. But we sip the drink first just because we were too curious and, uh oh, we love the drink despite being unshaken. The tea cocktail actually provoked us to crave for the stylish eclairs. Huize van Welly is famous for eclairs, so the taste is unquestionable. Dark chocolate fillings with crispy skin is perfect for Ceylon's Finest. Can we have another set? 

Chocolate Eclair pairing with Ceylon's Finest -
Dilmah Peppermint Cinnamon, Martel VSOP and Home-made Coke Syrup

Tea is art, you just have to know the tricks

Lapsang Apricot Mousse
The most anticipated dish on the menu simply because this one tested the creativity of the chef (or bakers?). We can't imagine what the mousse would look like and were honestly expecting straightforward sweets. But the one that's arrived is far from simple. A beautiful dessert plated on a cute tea time platter. The Oval-shaped Mousse cake with crunchy homemade biscuit underneath, is decorated with edible gold flakes. First spoonful screams extraordinary inside the mouth. You can taste the tea. It's a unique taste, I haven't tried anywhere else. The creamy texture blends well with crunchy biscuit and it's a little bit smokey like the smoked apricot. Simply magical.

Lapsang Apricot Mousse

Tea isn't boring. You just have do it right. Like how Huize van Wely takes on the Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge. 

Where is this?

Huize Van Wely

The Papilion, 

Jl. Kemang Raya No. 45AA, 

Kemang, Jakarta

(021) 7191975

Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge Indonesia

We all have our moment, when a cup of tea means more than a warm drink in a rainy afternoon. Dilmah Indonesia took Real High Tea moments to the next level by bringing the concept to restaurants and cafes in Jakarta and Bandung. 

We're invited to attend the high-tea pairing (and dinner) at Dilmah Office in Panglima Polim last week.

Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge began in 2007 to restore the connection between tea and gastronomy. Quoting Dilhan C. Fernando, "Tea isn't just for your health or friendship, but it can also offer luxury, spoiling you with the beautiful combination with gastronomical art. This is also what Real High Tea Challenge Cafes and Restaurants trying to highlight."

Dilmah originated in Sri Lanka, a country with unique geography that enables them to grow the best tea in the world. The Watte series, consisting of four different black teas from four different regions in Ceylon. The teas are: Ran Watte (6000ft), Uda Watte (4000-5000ft), Meda Watte (2000-3000ft) and Yata Watte (1000ft). The higher the region, the lighter the color of the tea.

Returning the art of High Tea

In Indonesia, Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge Cafes and Restaurants is aimed to appreciate tea, moving the hype of nightlife to afternoon tea. Afternoon is slow business for most food business, but this challenge invited cafes and restaurants in Jakarta and Bandung to create special menu to be served as tea pairings. A great idea for the hospitality industry.

The challenge starts August 31 in Jakarta and September 7 in Bandung. Judges will visit the restaurants and cafe to judge the Hot Tea Pairing Dish, Mocktail or Cocktail Pairing Dish and Tea Inspired Cuisine.

The welcome drink is a tea mocktail

So, we were the first to try several pairings created by the Dilmah team. The savory mini burger paired with Brilliant Breakfast Tea. Cheesecake to go with Green Tea with Jasmine Flower. The last one is Chocolate Cake/Tiramisu with Moroccan Mint Green Tea. 

Mini burger paired with Brilliant Breakfast Tea

Cheesecake to go with Green Tea with Jasmine Flower

Chocolate Cake/Tiramisu with Moroccan Mint Green Tea

How do you make a perfect cup of tea? Boiled water to 100C and pour them right on your tea. Steep for 3-5 minutes and stir once. Add 1-2 minutes if you like them stronger. Make sure you keep the rest of your tea bags/leaves in an airtight container. Different kind of tea has different way of brewing as well as different water temperature.. The awesome thing about Dilmah is that you know how long you should steep your tea. It’s written in the handle. The Blueberry Vanila, for example, should be steeped between 3-5 minutes.

Drinking tea is often seen as something formal and serious (yes, even in Alice in the Wonderland it looks formal), but Eliawati Erly, Vice President David Roy Indonesia, encourages us that drinking tea should be fun! Make some ice tea, pair with your favorite food and get endless possibili-tea. 

So, come visit your favorite restaurant and vote for them by sharing your afternoon meal at social media. Go visit dilmah.co.id/realhighteacafe for details. We can't wait to tour around and try the pairings. We'll see you there soon.

Our Favorite Bazaar Beverages

Looking for something unique and refreshing? Here are some our favorites from the local bazaar.

TLC Choco Bar
Instagram: @TLCChocoBar

Choco drink with Rambut Nenek

A refreshing chocolate drink, a hint of mint and topped off with your childhood Granny’s Hair Cotton Candy. Before choosing that, we’re stunned by the choices offered by this booth: Choco Caramel Popcorn, Nutella, Bailey’s… and that’s not it. If you’ve visited their booth frequent enough (or stalking their Instagram), you’d see things like éclairs and Snickers, sitting comfortably on top of this iced choco beverage. A great twist. Then we’re like, it must be sweet. Our first sip proved it wrong because the ice choco mint was just right. Friends on our table were surprised to find that the drink even has the crunchy think bread to complement the experience.

For those who aren’t familiar with Granny’s Hair Cotton Candy (some called it Grandma’s Hair, in Indonesia it’s called “RambutNenek” or Arbanat), well, this sweet snack is slightly different from the pure cotton candy you’d find on carnivals. This one is made of sugar and flour and is caramelized into soft hair-like shape. This traditional Indonesian snack is often found on street stalls or during festivals.

MORE Margarita

Instagram: @More_Margarita

Which Margarita is your favorite?

You’d be surprised to find this alcoholic beverage booth right on your favorite bazaar. While Margarita is something that’ s often accompany fun beach parties, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your favorite drink on the rocks in a mall, at a bazaar while strolling around for some shopping. Margarita is a classic recipe that every bartender should know about. However, finding a decent one isn’t as easy because it’s always personal. So, if you’re a young and modern urban residence, drinking Margarita can be a part of your lifestyle. MORE Margarita only participates in bazaar with suitable crowds and themes, knowing that it serves alcohol.

MORE, on the name, stands for Margarita On the Rocks. The booth serves hand-shaken, fruity and premium margaritas like Black Widow or Summer Fling. Definitely value for money. While you wouldn’t be caught holding the classic Margarita glass, the MORE glass is as fancy. It’s a crazy idea turned brilliant concept in the end. And you just kept asking for MORE.

YOURGANIC

Instagram: @yourganic

Healthy drink for two

When life is about healthy stuffs, what’s in the bottles can provide you with more taste.100% Raw Almond Milk, as the label says. When we first get a hold of these, there was two flavors: Matcha and Sweet Date. Not a big fan of Matcha, Ruth prefers the Sweet Date anytime. Drinking this is honestly providing a different experience to your taste buds, especially when you’ve never tasted the healthy and organic side of beverages. But it’s an acquired taste, plus knowing it’s good for your body, loving it won’t take that long.

When you get them at bazaars, drink them right away when they’re stil cold. Otherwise, refrigerate immediately to prevent them from spoiling. Just like many other organic drinks out there, they don’t use preservatives, so if you’re stocking them up, make sure you note the expiration date carefully. Don’t waste a bottle of good stuffs.

Typology's Font and Food

Passing through the Wijaya area, we always noticed the glass building that looks like so much fun from the outside. It sparks our curiosity. So when the place, Typology, sent us an invitation to stop by, we didn't want to miss the chance.

Turned out Typology is a working space/eatery in one roof. When we arrived, we saw mothers with their children in one corner and people with laptop on the other end. The interior is fun and homey, with word plays on the wall as well as alphabets peeking out from the decorations. Its books and large shelves, plus the large table by the glass window remind Ruth of her college library.

Typology opened in June 2014 and soon become popular spot on weekdays as well as weekends. A little different from other cafe-like spots, this place doesn’t put coffee as its main attraction. Instead, full-course meals and sweet blended drinks are what they suggested on the menu. Well, lunchtime is here and we have that two hour time-limit from the office, so let’s get started on the food.

Look! The food has font as their names!

The first dish arrived on our table is Marlett Creamy Macaroni (Rp38k). In the typeface world, Marlett is the foundation of the maximize/minimize icon, you can see on the top right side of your windows. In Typology world, Marlett is a baked macaroni dish served with smoked beef, sausages, mushroom, creamy sauces and melted cheese. It's the kind that you can't stop eating once you gave it a try. 

Then the second dish arrived. Hobo Oxtan Rice (Rp68k), an ox-tongue cooked in Teriyaki sauce and served with steamed rice. This dish is as unique as its font name, which is best known for its singularity of having no straight lines and descender. Deliciously soft ox-tongue with teriyaki sauce that isn't too dominant comes in the right portion for lunch. This dish is a must-try.

For dessert (they called it Sweet Course), Medio Fried Oreo (Rp32k) is selected. Fried Oreo served with powdered chocolate powder. It's a surprise in every bite, although we wished there's an optional ice cream to add on. We also spotted Bario Fried Beng Beng (Rp32k) on the list and determined to give that a try next time around. Or maybe it's Helvetica "O" Pannacotta (Rp28k) just because this blog uses Helvetica font.

Both of us aren't sweet tooth, so we're more than happy to find the drinks (although they're blended) don't get overload with sugary aftertaste. Perfect for kids too! Choco Cocoa Smoothie (Rp38k) comes with Oreo on top and soon becomes Fiona's favorite. Peach Berry Smoothies (Rp38k) looks sweet and perfect for those who prefer fruity ending.

Parking is relatively easy during lunch hour, plus they have extra space in the basement if needed. Typology is also open for gatherings, small meetings (they have separated meeting room) and presentation (they have projectors and screen on the main area). It has word games too, so coming here with your children is a possibility.

While the concept of working space is quickly becoming the trend these days, we have to say that Typology does have a concept and they are sticking to it. Selecting the dishes is like choosing what typefaces should be used for a document. All done in a homey environment (especially comfortable when it rains). Whether you prefer Serif or Sans Serif, Arial or Times New Roman, once you've been here, you’re gonna spread the word.

Where is this?
Jl Wijaya I No. 5C, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan
(021) 29126149

Noodle, Cakwe and Ice Kedondong at Pasar Baru

Let's call this "Fast and Furious". We made it to Pasar Baru and back in record time, even though that means we have to use taxi to cut short parking time. We were a little nervous while going there, not sure we can be back before our bosses started to look for their missing employees.

The noddle making process at Bakmi Aboen

Pasar Baru (or Passer Baroe) has been a shopping destination, especially known for its shoes and textiles. Built in 1820, this place is the oldest shopping centers in Jakarta. But for some Jakartans like us, Pasar Baru also means food as our parents often took us through labyrinths to find a good eatery. So, as we navigate through the modern Pasar Baru, half of us was reminiscing our childhood memories... the other half was, well, hungry.

Bakmi A Boen is located in the end of an alleyway

1. Bakmi Aboen
Jl. Pintu Air 5 No. 55G, Pasar Baru, Jakarta Pusat
Bakmi Aboen is our main destination. If you walk on the famous Gang Kelinci (it's really a small alleyway for pedestrian only), you'll end up finding a noodle kiosk with a historical look. We both been here with out families since way back in time so it wasn't that hard to find the shop.

We ordered right on the cashier.
Ruth: Pork Noodle (22k) and Beef Meatballs (10k)
Fiona: Pork Locupan (22k)
We're sharing: Pork Shumai (half portion - 2pcs, 13k), Pork Sui Kiaw (23k) and Fried meatballs (half portion - 2pcs, 11k).

Despite its owners missing from the noodle station and the cashier, Bakmi Aboen stays the same. Serving the exact taste as we remembered from our childhood. The gooey-textured noodle comes with savory pork meat and crunchy pork fat. it's a crunch in every bite. The slimy Locupan is perfect as it is but the mushroom and pork topping are irresistable.

Fried meatballls (a.k.a. Bakso Goreng) is made with plenty of meat and it barely land on our table. The first one to go right after photoshoot. Eat them plain or with the spicy & sour sauce. Pork shumai came in gigantic portion, a great thing we only order half. But nothing beats the Sui Kiaw, served with generous fillings and perfect skin. The extra crunch encouraged us to eat more. We're full, but we have other mission to go, so we need to get going.


2. Cakwe Ko Atek
This old man is special. He was making the Cakwe and Kue Bantal (let's call it pillow cake?) with all smiles. Wearing a T-shirt that said "Thailand", his small stall is decorated with his travelling picture. If you're going to Aboen, you definitely will see Ko Atek's stall and smell the freshly fried snack. He's been there since 1971 (Google said).

Fiona: I think it's the same old man.
Ruth: Are you sure? It's probably his son.
Fiona: He doesn't age. I think he's immortal.

Immortal or not, his Cakwe is unforgettable. He let us peeked into the process, how Cakwe started with small blob of flour to an arm-length when fried. We bought 4 Kue Bantal (that's what's left) and 6 Cakwe. All comes to Rp30k\ (the snack is Rp6k each).

We got an extra Cakwe from Ko Atek. He sent us off with smiles.

3. Fresh Drink
Turning right twice from the alleyway, returning to the main Pasar Baru road, you'll see the fresh drinks stall. A great thirst-quencher for the day. Different kind of cold drinks are placed in transparent plastic containers, each we have to explain if you're not familiar with Indonesian drinks:

Es Liang Teh Medan: Chinese Herbal Tea, some made it from chrysanthemum, others with sunflower, rosebuds and adding a touch of licorice. The Medan version is said to be made of chrysanthemum and palm/rock sugar/honey.
Es Kedondong: the English term for this fruit including Ambarella or Great Hog Plum
Es Cincau: Grass Jelly
Es Cendol: Wiki said it's "green starched jelly noodles with pandan flavouring, served with palm sugar and coconut milk."
Es Kacang Hijau: Mung bean
Es Kelapa: Young coconut. 

We ordered for the sour sweet Es Kedondong (Rp8k) which was a great choice to neutralize the taste. We were hoping to see Ice Soursop though.

This is Ice Kedodong -- green, sour but sweet and refreshing

4. Kulit Tahu Goreng
After giving up for not finding the fried tofu skin, one of the things Ruth aimed for when we departed, we spotted the seller right when we're about to go out for taxi. We bought the big pack, salted one (Rp25k).

Well, that's out journey. Believe it or not, we managed to finish the mission in 1,5 hours, returning right on time with happy tummy.

Mission Accomplished!