Introducing A&W National Day Promotion

We recalled flipping through calendar, couldn't wait for the next month to come so we can redeem that free ice cream. A&W has always been a dear memory to our childhood, serving the one-of-a-kind Root Beer, curly fries invention and the golden aroma fried chicken. That's why, when invitation called, Ruth jumped out the bed early on Saturday morning and join the BFF Rooty Picnic Barrels launching party at A&W Cipete. 

It's their first time doing a promotion in August, so it was a blast of fun. Aside from the sit-down, show-and-tell launch, that morning started with brunch an array of waffle, fried chicken,fries and nuggets. And ended in a traditional independence day game, which I accidentally won. The game is pick your best friend and do the dancing while keeping the balloon between our foreheads. The best friends concept is drawn from the barrels, which contains a lunch (or dinner) for two. 

My brunch for the day. Waffle and chicken are great idea.

It was displayed up front, so I was curious what’s inside the barrels. The limited edition BFF Rooty Barrel consists of a pair of Golden Aroma Chicken, rice, potato fritters (perkedel) and regular Root Beer (starts from Rp. 69,5k). The A&W Rooty Picnic Barrel comes in different packages to choose from. If you’re like me, thinking about skipping rice, try combination 1 of 2 Golden Aroma Chicken, 1 Beef Burger, 4 Chicken Chunks, 1 rice (for your BFF) and 2 regular Root Beer (starts from Rp.79k). Guys would probably eat more than one piece of chicken, so combination 2 is perfect for the buddies and bros searching for a filling meal: 4 Golden Aroma Chicken, 4 Chicken Chunks, 2 rice and 2 regular Root Beer (starts from Rp.98k).

 

The three limited edition picnic barrels are decorated with sporty theme, showing Rooty bear playing soccer, cycling and badminton.

But what’s A&W without its coupons? The good news arrives as we don’t have to wait for the months to change to use the coupons because now they’re available online. I think in the near future, they should start creating an app. I wouldn’t mind having Rooty Bear popping up on my screen with coupons haha. All you have to do is sign up at awrestaurants.co.id/kupondiskon and download the ones you want to use. Once you’re at the counter, show it to the cashier and enjoy the discount, explain Irvan Maulana, Head of Digital A&W Restaurant. He also assured that one coupon can be shared with your friends, so no need to worry about running out of promotion.

Sounds good, smells good and off we go. cos this National Day Promotion is only available through 31 August 2016.

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.

One Afternoon at Old Town White Coffee Pakubuwono

It’s probably not too much to say that OldTown White Coffee is legendary. While our first encounter is at supermarket shelf, these days the Malaysian brand has expanded into full-serviced restaurants. Opening its latest stand-alone outlet in Pakubuwono, South Jakarta, we’re honor to be part of the crowd.

This is Ruth and her late-afternoon coffee adventure.

Lobo’s New Charm

While the invitation is really interesting, the traffic seemed to prevent Fiona from going. But who can resist a charm? So there she was, arriving late like Cinderella at the dance party, to a beautifully decorated table and welcoming bread served alongside cute-looking butter.

This is Fiona’s charming dinner journey by Chef Jan Schwittalla at Lobo Restaurant, The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta. 

The new member of Lobo team, Chef Jan Schwittalla arrived as the restaurant’s Chef de Cuisine. His 14-year of culinary experience results in a modern twist on the traditional French Cuisine. The first to arrive on our table is Amuse Bouche, a dynamic starter that’s created personally by the German chef, different menu for different day. I was lucky because the one I had was a pretty dish served in egg shell, decorated with a nest. Inside are white and black alba mushrooms with Hollandaise sauce. On the side is a spoon with edamame and truffle foam which gave a surprising kick to the mix. 

That was one of the all-new 24 dish signature a la carte menu brought to Lobo. Here comes the rest.

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

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.

Penfolds Bin 9 Launching Shangri-La Jakarta

We were asking ourselves, what’s our lucky number when a tempting red invitation arrived on our inbox, a ticket to savor the launching of Penfolds Bin 9 Cabernet Sauvignon at Satoo Garden, Shangri-La Hotel, Jakarta. It’s Penfolds, and you just can’t turn it down. So, Fiona agreed to go and try her luck with the free flow.

 

It’s always hard to overwrite a wine taste. At the entrance, I was faced with the dilemma of the night, Penfolds Bin 8 Cabernet Shiraz on the right and the star of the party, Penfolds Bin 9 Cabernet Sauvignon, on my left. The two booths were separated with an array of Shangri-La delicacies, ready to be paired with each glass. I was welcomed with a lot of laughter. Casual, as the invitation said, but not leaving classy behind. It’s a wine party afterall!