"Indoor Winter" @ MTA

MTA = Mall Taman Anggrek, Jakarta

This mall is always has "spectacular" decorations during some events, such as this Chistmas, they made a huge winter diorama in their centercourt.

Imagine if they wear some winter gears, who would expect that they are standing in the middle of centercourt in the tropical country?

Nasi Uduk "Mpok Rohaye"

One of our fave places for breakfast is “Nasi Uduk Mpok Rohaye”; it is located in Jalan panjang Jakarta Barat, between Kebun Jeruk Tol Gate to Joglo – Simprug.

If you coming from Kebon Jeruk Tol Gate, head to Jalan Panjang in lef side, right after you pass the underpass turn right and go straight ahead, after you pass the traffic-light about 2km ahead, the place is on your left side. Becarefull, it is a small foodstore and have small signboard only. It is right the opposite of “Nasi Uduk Kebon Kacang” on the other hand.

It starts from a small food store or called “warung” but then they manage to occupy the concrete building behind to put their extension meal tables. It is a complete set of popular “betawi style cuisine” such as “nasi uduk”, “Soto mie”, “Soto Betawi” and “Sate Kambing” (I’m not recommend the last one).

The “Nasi Uduk” it self has broad range of “topping” such as standard “semur kentang, tahu, telor” and off-course “jengkol”, “bihun goreng”, “telur dadar”, and more advanced such as “Opor ayam”, “pindang bandeng” and so on as you may free to chose”

In the dine table, they also serve broad range of snacks such as “gemblong”, “pastel kentang” (those two are marvelous), also “Dadar gulung” and many more.

The place is quiet crowded in lunch-time, since it is a well known place in the area.

NOC Year End @ Izzi

Dec 27th, 2007 I managed to gather part of the team in this place for several purpose, but as usual, not all of member may attend to this occasional gathering, since one of them should stay to watch the net, Kalpin is on his leave and Faizal somehow not able to attend. Sugi says that his wive is waiting at home with her sexy lingerie, so he rush back to his home....... :-D

It is a rare occasion for him since he has to leave his lovely wive back in Majalengka. So it is forgiven by the team! :-D

first reason is because this is the last team routine gathering for the year 2007, secondly, Is to celebrate my new NOC Manager – Gede, you are the most tough guy in team, congratulation!

Second, I would like to thank to all my team for their support while I was became their NOC Manager.

Third, it is a routine occassion that I'm trying hard to facilitate this informal gathering to get in touch with the team, and to have some 'more' casual moment to share each others among the team member about anything especialy work related, but in a more relax moment.

As usual, our lucky guy - Roesgani always appear in such occasion on purpose. I may use his talent to become our photographer anyway.

So here we are, 2008 NOC team having dinner at izzy@oakwood, mega kuningan.

Novotel Coralia Bogor (Again!)

It is a nice sanctuary place, to have little escape from routine thing in Jakarta. Just an hour drive from Jakarta you will reach this hotel deep inside on of luxurious real estate outside Bogor.

Novotel Coralia Bogor has been there since at least 8 years ago, and this is not the first time we steal our holiday in this place. Standing with lots of big trees, the low-rise 180 room hotel and large landscaped gardens are most beautiful, and have tropical environment design resorts next before Bogor Lake side golf course.

This time we may stay in Deluxe plus room, that have own private open-air bathtub in its terrace. Oh my ….. It’s very exotic, imagine that if you’ve been there with your soul mates, or you are a new couples on the honeymoon, but this time we may been there with our kidz ……..

There are several favorite place in this hotel, one is off-course the swimming pool, even though is not big enough for that size hotel, but still very tempting for our kidz to go in there, meanwhile we are sitting in the club next to the pool to have a cup of coffee and a plate of hotel style banana fritters.

Second is what we called “rumah pohon” is actually a “Watch tower” in the edge of hotel, that has a set of sofa, but then since it’s rainy day so we have no chance to go there.

Third, is the “circle track” around the hotel that may give you felt about nature walk, and again it’s raining and no chance to go there.

The last one is their Veranda restourant, the place when we took our breakfast. It is a restourant in open space facing the main hotel backyard. Very nice.

So, we just spend much time between our “private pool” in our room terrace and swimming pool, back and forth. But then, our purpose to come down into this place is to seek a "little escape" from daily routine activity in Jakarta, and we made it.

Note: click on this URL to go to Novotel Bogor website.

Candi Gedong Songo

note:picture taken from id.wikipedia.org about Candi Gedong Songo

It’s been a long time since I left my semarang in 1987, now I came back to this place, in overall still the same like I left, except now they has a ticket-booth before you enter to this area.

It is a stone-temple complex in a wide region, the unique thing in this place is about 9 temple scatter around the place, not concentrate in a single area like the others. You have to walk from one temple to another, and the last temple is on top of the hill, and you may see it from the first temple down below.

You will have amazing view from here, very beautiful scenery, dominated with pinus forest and you may see the legendary “rawa pening” from here.

Another interesting part is In the middle of the journey to 9th temple, you’ll find an active-crates and hot spring water, but unfortunately they made that place become a public hot water public bathroom that makes that place a bit messy (from my point of view).

In overall, this is a nice place to visit, and you may have to try “sate kelinci” there and also “Jagung bakar” in lot of local food-stalls there.

Dinosaurus Meat Everyone?

 

Got this funny Ad Sign on the way to Jakarta from Puncak several weeks ago.

I wonder what it's look like? Sop Iga dino? Oh man .........

It's smart enough to attract people ...........

Layar Resto @ Surabaya

Just came back from Surabaya few days ago from Official duty that make me stay for several days there. Frankly speak I do not really like to be here, probably because of the climate and the environment, for me it is similar like Kelapa Gading in North Jakarta to me but much-much larger.

But then, once it comes to the food discussion, Surabaya has lot of mouthwatering dish that makes me forget everything about undesirable from the city. I’ve been invited by one of my business associate to have dinner and he brings us to “Layar Seafood Restaurant” Somewhere near Golden City mall and Carrefour in west Surabaya.

It’s a typical Chinese seafood restaurant like Sarang Kepiting, Rasane or Saung Green Ville, we arrived there around 7.30 and very-very crowded during this prime dine hour. We have to wait for at least 30 minutes to sit on one of the table. Then, we start order, “Kepiting Telor asin”, “Kerapu Tim ala Hongkong”, “Baronang Bakar”, “Udang Windu Bakar”, “Kerang kampak cah Tausi”, “Kailan Cah Bawang Putih”, “Cah Daun Ginseng” we made fun with one of the colleague that currently become a “temporer bachelor” since his wife is studying in Japan for years and make him stay away from this “Ginseng leaves”, quiet funny …………

In Overall these are a good food, “Telor asin” was made such a way that made it melted on top of the prime-crabs, very delicious, The Steam Fish is perfect …….. As expected, BBQs is good and the big Axe Clam is very tasty, a bit slimy but delicious. It is a mixed between “Oyster and Pau Hie” and very big.

This is a good meal after all, and I will recommend to everybody who wants to go to Surabaya to have a nice dine in there.

I heard that they open their branch in Jakarta, somewhere in Jl. Juanda, need to find it someday.

My God! Its start to make me hungry again while I write down this report.

Resto Profile:
Layar Seafood
Jl. Raya Bukit Mas 109 Surabaya
Phone: 031 5683716

Pan & Cook @ Neighborhood

Last Saturday is unusual, since we do not many activities. Nathan has to attend “his boy scout “Pesta Siaga” that gonna took at least half day from morning till afternoon and Tasha has to attend her regular ballet course that she do not want to miss. So, here we are, just fooling around between Puri Indah and Kemanggisan, back and forth dropping one and picking the others, till both of them finish their activities.

Then by the lunch time comes, we decided to have a try-out on this new pancake restaurant. It’s most similar with the “Pancious”, the one which in “Permata Hijau” area, but this one named them self as Pan&Cook.

It located in the main boulevard of Puri Indah, at the opposite of “Pasar Puri Indah”. It use to be a large residential house, but now the use it as a nice eating house. The atmosphere is very welcome, you’ll find a nice fishpond before you enter the main building which has nice minimalist decorating. Their waitress will greets you and bring you to available table, and we choose to sit in the corner, just next to large glass window facing the fish pond.

A bit surprise that the items they offer is not ‘to expensive’ for such typical of menus, and finally I choose Crepes de Suzette – a nice very soft French crepes with Fruit Cocktail and unique orange juice for its topping. Nathan choose Traditional Pancake with Maple Syrup, Tasha has smart pick on Chocolate Fondue with Fruits – it’s a mix fruit self dipped in melted chocolate and her favorite beef lasagna, I also select a Lemon Ricky – it’s a mix lemon juice, a bit soda and mixed with minced mint leaves that remind me to Kudeta Café in Bali.

Overall, the dish and drink are nice, environment is cozy, price is reasonable. It’s a nice place to have some light meal, especially on the weekend.

Sate Kambing Bumi Aki @ Puncak

It’s located in ‘puncak’ jawa-barat, and it’s one of our ‘fave’ sate-kambing restaurants. We have chance to re-visit this place after several years back. Now it becomes cozier since they have renovated the place, and its look quiet nice and very clean.

If you drive from Jakarta to Cipanas after passing puncak tea plantation and Puncak Pass, the road will start declining and further down after passing “botol kecap” and Police station not far away you’ll find the place in right side of the road.

There are two main building with ‘wooden rancho’ style and connecting each other by a flyover cross bridge. You may choose “lesehan” or sitting in the main building in restourant that has smaller space rather than the open space “lesehan” outside. This restaurant is specialist in “Kambing” stuff, even though they have some others.

This time we order the famous “Satay & Sop kambing”, “Ayam bakar” for Nathan and also “pencok kacang” that made by fresh veggies with peanut sauce, a bit similar with karedok – very nice, but very spicy.

You may also have ‘skoteng’ from the local street stall that sitting outside the restaurant, and it is very nice too.

Not much to say, this is the best place to have “Satay Kambing” in PUNCAK area.