Bakmi lovers rejoice! Until January 24, 2016, there is something exciting going on for you: bakmi hunt. In collaboration with Green Sands, Bakmi Club Kelapa Gading offers a treasure hunt-esque experience for foodies and foodgrammers. Simply dine in one of the listed noodle restaurants, and you’ll get a chance to win a trip to the capital of Indo-Chinese food, Medan. There are 10...

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Don’t you people agree with me that one of the greatest God’s gifts to the world is all you can eat restaurant (AYCE)? Especially one that serves high-quality meat that would satisfy even the pickiest carnivores. One that is also somewhat healthier, as it mainly serves shabu-shabu and not barbecued meat. Say hello to Shabu Ghin, Senopati area’s latest shabu shabu joint.  Don’t...

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It is universally believed that a glass of fresh milk a day can make you stronger and healthier. But then you realise… It is so damn hard to find a glass of fresh milk in Jakarta and its neighbouring areas. Yes, you can find milk in supermarkets, but you want something directly from the farm and also budget-friendly—safe for your wallet. Good bye...

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OTW may be the universal abbreviation of “on the way”, but here, it does not mean exactly that. It’s the name of a—sort of—food court. Each stall serves a different type of menu: one offers food, one offers drinks, one offers desserts, and so on. I call it a “sort of” food court because OTW Food Street is most definitely not your typical food...

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Ever since This Love was released 13 years ago, I’ve been a fan of Maroon 5—and yes, admittedly, of Adam Levine. My musical tastes have gone through many periods of changes, yet Maroon 5 remains one of those few that stay in my playlist. Even when their musical direction has changed a lot since Songs About Jane. Even if I hated some of...

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I was lazily browsing through my laptop when I stumbled upon some photos of my time at The Hong Kong Observation Wheel during my trip to Hong Kong at February 2015. While some time have passed since then, I sincerely hope this “throwback” post could give you some ideas on how the ferris wheel ride feels like, as well as entertain your eyes...

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If I had to sum up Hangover in one word, it would be “K-Pop”. It serves Korean cuisine; it is hip, like K-Pop stars; and is undeniably Korean without being traditionally Korean. And while it doesn’t exactly play K-Pop music—it mostly plays electronic dance music and remixes—and has no Korean design in any shape or form, it essentially is a funky bar that...

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Selamat Hari Sumpah Pemuda! Sumpah Pemuda, which literally translates to “Youth Pledge” is one of the most important events in the history of Indonesia. Declared on October 28, 1928, it propels the youth movement towards Indonesia’s independence. The pledge says: We the sons and daughters of Indonesia, acknowledge one motherland, Indonesia / We the sons and daughters of Indonesia, acknowledge one nation, the nation...

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Om nom nom. While no one can really confirm where the term originally comes from—Cookie Monster? Random people expressing the deliciousness of their food?—it is now known as the universally accepted expression of enjoying a good meal. So, when a restaurant is named similarly to that term, you know it has to give you a good dining experience. Meet Nomz Kitchen and Pastry,...

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Dusun Bambu is located in one of the “hippest” city in Indonesia, Bandung. Well, not exactly in Bandung, but a little bit farther: Lembang. Since the Dutch colonial times, Lembang has been widely recognised as a scenic location, perfect for weekend getaways. Dusun Bambu spans across a 15-hectare area surrounded by the Burangrang Mountains; it is equipped with a man-made lake, gardens full...

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Located at the heart of Jakarta's Chinatown is Yi Xiang, one of the few restaurants that truly have original roots from China. The cook’s family came all the way from Shenzhen, China. Even ordering is more efficient when done in Chinese language; they can only speak Bahasa Indonesia minimally. You can order through the waiter, but because of the language boundary, the waiter...

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Six months after my trip to Paris, there are a few things that really stand out amongst all the hundreds of memories I’ve made (including the free Paris Metro story that I told in the previous post), one of them is the French pastry. As a huge fan of eating everything pastry, coming to Paris was such an exhilarating experience. Even the most-likely-made-from-frozen-dough...

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Paris, the city of lights. Dwelling of “The Iron lady”.  Home to one of the most complicated metro systems in the world. There are numerous comprehensive articles on the internet—like this one—that you should definitely read to get a better idea on how to survive on Paris Metro. But not this article. This article focuses on some fun facts about Paris Metro and...

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Social media savvies most likely have seen a picture of cute-looking pandas on a plate of curry, or intriguing churros with chocolate inside a syringe. Those two dishes belong to Itadakimasu, one of the hottest restaurants in Pantai Indah Kapuk area. They look extremely cute that we can’t help but hopping on a car and visiting the restaurant as soon as possible. After...

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Sop Buntut — known to the whole world as Oxtail Soup — is one of the most favourite traditional food in Indonesia. After doing some research on Sop Buntut, I just realised that there are actually different types of them; each has its own identity and characteristics. There is Korean Oxtail Soup, Chinese Oxtail Soup, South American Oxtail Soup, and so on. In...

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The Tim Ho Wan fever has infected Jakarta! Having tasted “the real thing" in Hong Kong just a couple of months ago — and some of you may have also read Maria’s dining experience at Tim Ho Wan in Singapore — I’m really happy to see that the delicious Crispy Pork Bun is just around one-hour of drive away from my house. But...

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Do you know how hard it is to find a decent lemon tart in Jakarta? Despite the number of coffee shops and patisseries and bazaars that have been proliferating and happening all across the city, I can tell you that it is bloody hard to find. And it boggles my mind why it is the way it is. Maybe its acidic flavour is...

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Hello! I’m back with more stories from Karimun Jawa, the clear sea aquarium! This post will talk about staying at Wisma Apung and travelling around the islands. And loads of pictures. Ye’ have been warned! Check out this for more information on how to reach Karimun Jawa.  Hello! I’m back with more stories from Karimun Jawa, the clear sea aquarium! This post will...

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It is always a great day when you are able to find a good café with a nice view, decent coffee, and awesome cakes while chatting with your girlfriends that you haven’t seen for a long time. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Exquise Patisserie, Menteng, Jakarta.  It is always a great day when you are able to find a good café with a nice...

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It is a fact that Indonesia — being an archipelago in the tropics —  is no stranger to beautiful beaches, vast seas, and endless blue skies. This begs the question: among numerous islands in Indonesia that have become tourist magnets, what makes Karimun Jawa islands special? The sea around Karimun Jawa is only 3-5 metres deep, making corals, fishes, and other sea creatures...

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Fewer things can make twenty-something girls go from completely silent to completely ga-ga compared to the word ‘DISNEYLAND’. Unless someone says ‘Benedict Cumberbatch’, then it’s another story. While we realize not every girl fits into this category, we certainly do — and are proud of it! Long story short, this post tells the story of our one-day adventure at the magical world of Hong...

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It’s always fun to try the hippest and newest restaurant in town, but sometimes it’s good to take a step back and rediscover old favourites. While Ocha & Bella is most certainly not old in human years, you have to admit that amidst the rapidly growing culinary business in Jakarta, it can be considered older. Here’s our dining experience at Ocha & Bella...

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Italian cuisine is, more often than not, everyone’s favourite. Considering that, it’s not a big surprise that there are a lot of Italian restaurants across Jakarta, and Porta Venezia at Hotel Aryaduta Semanggi is one of them. One of my friends told me this restaurant served good quality pastas and pizzas, so I decided to pay a visit. Italian cuisine is, more often...

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Most people who may eat pork, love pork and all dishes that are made with it. Bak kut teh is no exception. Bak kut teh is a popular pork soup dish that dates back to hundreds of years ago, with a recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation. There are a couple of ways to cook this dish, and the...

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Oh, Grand Indonesia. Sometimes I can’t keep up with all the new restaurants and cafés that pop out at this giant of a mall in Central Jakarta! While Slice of Heaven is ‘relatively old’ compared to other even newer establishments, I only had a chance to try it recently. Slice of Heaven is a pretty difficult name to live up to, so I...

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If you have been to Semarang and are of Chinese-descent, chances are you already know about Lombok Street. Located along the Kali Semarang - the Semarang River - near Klenteng Tay Kak Sie, Lombok Street is famous for awesome street food and is home to some of the best Chinese-style food stalls in Semarang: Lumpia Semarang, Mie Siang Kie, and also Es Gang...

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Look at any set of postcards of Jiufen, Taiwan and it’s likely that you’ll find at least one - or more - picture of the gorgeous Ah Mei Tea House. Thanks to its beautiful architecture and unmistakable hanging red lanterns, Ah Mei Tea House has become one of Jiufen’s most iconic structures. It is said that this very building is the model for...

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The food scene in Jakarta these days reminds me of something Heidi Klum always says on every episode of the ’Project Runway’: one day you’re in, the next day you’re out. It seems that only a while ago one of my favourite restaurants in Grand Indonesia, Waraku, went out of business. And now, no more than a couple of months later, another Japanese...

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Meat Me - my first thought was: what a cute name! Most of you perhaps have also realized that 'meat me' can also be pronounced as 'meet me'. So, if the person who came up with that name truly meant 'meat me' to be both 'meat me' and 'meet me' (excuse the wordy sentence), Meat Me should be an ideal place for someone...

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Whoop whoop! I finally got the time to write down this post, which has been brewing inside my head for a couple of months. Talking about my journey in the small rainy city Jiufen, Taiwan won’t be complete without dedicating a whole post to Windsor B&B - the super awesome B&B where I stayed. Windsor B&B has a couple of villas that are...

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Strategically located at the heart of Singapore, the Orchard Road, and inside one of the most famous malls for youngsters, Plaza Singapura, Tim Ho Wan is the perfect place to make your hungry stomach satisfied. It’s originally a famous dim sum chain restaurant from Hong Kong. When it first opened in Singapore, people had to queue for two hours to get a seat!...

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アンアンアン とってもだいすきドラえもん If you live in Indonesia sometime during 1990s-2000s, chances are you have watched at least an episode of Doraemon on TV on a Sunday morning. Doraemon is an extremely popular manga/ anime series from Japan about a robotic blue cat who comes from the future to help Nobita Nobi -a clumsy human boy- to get through his childhood. Doraemon is the...

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S.E.A Aquarium is the biggest aquarium in the world. It is located at Singapore’s ‘happy island’ -the Sentosa Island- and occupies 8 ha of land -almost equal to the size of 8 football field! The MRT Station nearest to the island is Harbour Front, it gets you off at VIVO City mall. From there, take a smaller train to the island and stop...

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Jiufen. Something as simple as typing its name instantly flies me back to that beautiful rainy November day I spent in Jiufen, Taiwan. Jiufen -albeit very touristy- definitely has its charm and is hands down my favourite city in Taiwan. It has that extra something that I can’t put my finger on… Is it the narrow red-lantern-lit streets? Is it the misty sea...

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NamNam was established in 2012 and has become one of the most popular restaurants in Singapore. The speciality Pho Noodle -probably the most widely-recognized traditional Vietnamese street food in the world- has captivated my palate and left me asking for more! Another interesting point is the fact that NamNam promises not to add any MSG to their dishes. Healthy food FTW!  ...

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There are a lot of brands in Singapore who specialize in chicken rice, both at high end malls and hawker centers. However, I will say that Boon Tong Kee is my number one choice! Numero uno! ...

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Back in September last year when I was planning my Taiwan trip, I tried to find some insight about what to expect of Chishingtan (or Qixingtan) Beach in Hualien County in the middle of November. Is it possible to see the sunrise? Is it going to rain often? Do I need to bring a swimsuit? I had no luck finding answers to those...

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