Don't you just love it when...

...someone else is about to have a really bad day!

Uforia Chocolate from Bali

I recently found out about a company making chocolate in Bali called Uforia and just had to try some, especially as they stated that their chocolate gave people a natural high and of course means I can shop local and support Indonesian made products. Yes, I am a chocolate lover, in fact chocolate worshipper. I would cross mountains and valleys in order to seek out delicious chocolate. It might be quite possibly the most incredible food item ever created. Yes, I love it that much. I don't however, love so much what it does to my hips and stomach but we won't dwell too long on that! Even the mere thought of eating chocolate makes me feel giddy and delirious so any chocolate called Uforia and claiming to put me into a state of Euphoria simply must be tasted. It's not available through normal shops here. I had to order it online through one of my organic, health food online suppliers. I ordered four bars because the flavours sounded very enticing. There was Loca Mocha, Sea Salt, 64% Intensity and 75% Intensity. So I ordered one of each. To be honest, even though when I buy chocolate I really just want to stuff the whole lot of it in my mouth at once I try to test my self-restraint by hiding it in a drawer in the fridge and having a couple of squares when I need a pick me up. Sometimes that happens...and lots of times it doesn't. Back to Uforia chocolate, the bars are small, a little bit smaller than I was expecting for 43,000 a bar. However, packaging is very retro which I liked. The bars are well wrapped with foil paper. First up there was the sea salt. The sea salt was crusted along the bottom and there was a lot of it. The taste was very salty, perhaps a tad more than I might have liked. The chocolate itself was bitter, which is to be expected from dark chocolate but there was something else about it that struck me. It tasted dry. Although dark chocolate is less creamy tasting than its milk chocolate counterpart, it still should be moist from the cocoa butter. I tried the rest of the bars, all in the name of culinary  investigations, in the hope that the chocolate would have that moist, melt in your mouth consistency, but alas I didn't get it. I must admit I was a little disappointed and not sure I would fork out the money for more bars. I decided to use some of it up in my brownie recipe and there's still one bar left in the fridge which for a chocolate addict like me, is quite rare...

Tjap Toean at FX Mall

I love Peranakan cuisine and the food served at Tjap Toean, I would say, is mildly influenced by Peranakan-style cooking. The interior is very quaint and traditional with lots of cute touches like old school bicycle horns on the tables to get waiters attention to menus made to look like old newspapers. I do like attention to detail and efforts to create a whole experience in restaurants. When I looked at the menu my eyes immediately fell to the I Fu Mie, which are crispy noodles topped with seafood and vegetables. It was one of my favourite dishes to eat when I lived in Singapore so I was really excited to see it again. Then my eye continued to the wide selection of toast and I couldn't resist the toast with sunny side up egg and chilli sauce. 

Food came out relatively quickly. The I Fu Mie was good. I would have liked the noodles a tad more crispy so I could really get that crunch when I took the first few bites. However, there were generous helpings of seafood and veggies and a good sauce bringing it all together.

The sunny side up egg toast was delicious. Thick, chunky toast engulfing a fried egg and a generous smearing of chilli sauce. So very good.

Nothing like an iced teh tarik to wash everything down and I must admit I came away feeling very satisfied. 

I will definitely head back here again to try out some of the other varieties of toast, have A Fuk (sorry, couldn't resist!) and honk a horn....don't you think you should too?

Old school menus...

'Can I have A Fuk, please?' Must be one that doesn't get ordered too often!

I Fu Mie, crispy seafood noodles

Sunny side up egg toast

Favourite celebration of the year...

...is almost upon us. If you haven't got your costume ready there is still time. I managed to pick up lots of what I needed at Mangga Dua ITC shopping mall this year at very cheap prices including an electric blue wig for 165k. This year I'll be heading back to JJRoyal Bistro for their Halloween party. I went last year and it was an excellent event with a costume competition, drinking contest and even a cronut eating contest. If you like to get dressed up and scare a few people along the way then I'd suggest booking a table at JJRoyal to get in on the action on October 31st.

Eric Kayser at Plaza Senayan

One thing I've noticed about Jakartans is that they are crazy for fads, definitely more so than Dubliners. I mean, here, when a new restaurant, cafe, bistro, bar, club, whatever opens...there is this buzz that goes around about it. Others pick up on the buzz and start going and it becomes the latest 'in' place to go. I suspect that there might be a group of professional 'buzz creators' paid to bring attention to these new places and create good publicity through social media, word of mouth, etc. If the right kind of buzz is created then you might find yourself actually queueing to get into the place. I remember this happening at Colette and Lola. I actually had to queue to get into a cake shop. It was a first for me. The laid back Dubliners would never do such a thing. You'd just walk around the corner and get a piece of cake at the next shop. 

Anyway, lately I have been hearing a lot of buzz about Eric Kayser, an artisan boulanger. In particular, it was mentioned to me during a conversation about brownies as a place to go for a great brownie. As I am always on the look out for great brownies here (so far the best ones are still my own, snobby but true!) I figured I couldn't miss the opportunity to give the brownies at Eric Kayser a taste test.

The restaurant is located in Plaza Senayan on the third floor. The place itself is fairly modest looking. This doesn't apply to the prices though! When given a menu for food, I was surprised to see pasta dishes costing over 100k! Anyway, I was on a purposeful mission and ordered a cappuccino and a brownie. The cappuccino was very strong to the point that after I finished drinking it my head was buzzing from the caffeine hit. Then came the brownie...at first glance it looked like it had the required crunchy outer exterior and that the interior was soft that epitomises the perfect brownie. I could see walnuts chopped up too which always makes for a good addition to any brownie. However, as I held it, I noticed it left an oily residue on my fingers. Oh dear, oily brownie, tsk tsk, not good. I took my first bite, waiting with bated breath for that crunchy, crackly top to give way to the soft gooey inside and fill my mouth with chocolatey heaven. Yes I have high expectations. I make my brownies to a very high standard so when I'm paying 28k for the pleasure of eating someone else's I expect it to be of a very high standard. Yes 28k! Very expensive! 

Unfortunately this brownie did not deliver. When I took my first bite I was extremely disappointed. Where was my crunchy exterior and soft gooey interior? Where was the explosion of chocolatey bliss? Where was the rich buttery undertone? All not there. What did it taste like? Sweet. That's it. Sweet with some nuts. I could hardly taste a chocolate flavour at all and let's face it, when we eat a brownie it's for the total chocolate hit that comes along with it. The chocolate flavour should be rich and smooth. I'm curious as to how they made these brownies because I don't see how it was possible to get the chocolate colour without having the chocolate flavour. Again, extremely disappointing. It's safe to say that I won't be recommending these brownies to anyone. I hope their other pastries and breads are better. However, I'll have to think about it before I go back and try. For those prices, I would want to be sure that I'm getting a little slice of heaven. 

Being a beast at Naughty Nuri's Warung, Batu Belig, Bali

Once in a while we all have to make a beast of ourselves and indulge shamelessly in the boundless joy and satisfaction of ribs. I mean, let's face it, we all know our ancestors were once cavemen and I believe deep within us there is a lurking necessity to return to that basic law of existence - hands, meat, mouth! Why did we let it all become so complicated? Sometimes basics are the best. Admittedly we've managed to create marinades, sauces, dips and chilli to add a little modern day ingenuity to the concept but for me there will always be something so incredibly 'caveman' about ribs. When in Bali, where does just about everyone go for this back to basics experience? Naughty Nuri's, of course! I was quite fortunate in 1998 to be living in Ubud and to make the acquaintance of Nuri herself and teach her daughter at the local school where I was volunteering. Even then when there was just the one warung, still small at that time, it was just a cool place to hang out, especially for expats living in the area and Wednesday as I recall, was Martini Madness and everyone would congregate for a great dinner and catch up. Now Nuri's has grown and has branches in Batu Belig as well as Jakarta.  It's always busy. Especially at night when you will see queues of people waiting outside to get their carnivorous fill of bliss. To be honest, I don't look at the menu. There really is only one thing to order here and I'm never even going to be remotely interested in trying anything else! It's the ribs and then I like my accompaniment of sweet potato fries and porn corn (great name!). It is satisfaction on just about every level. Soft, succulent ribs with a slightly sweet but tangy marinade. Crisp sweet potatoes with a soft centre and corn on the cob already seasoned with a paprika rub. Oh heaven! I don't see the point of cutlery at all. Ribs, sweet potatoes and corn are all meant to be eaten with fingers so you can lick off any escaping goodness. Yes it brings out the beast in me...yes I feel like a stuffed pig after it all...yes I end up with sauce everywhere and a heap of napkins beside me to prove it. Truthfully, I don't care! Anyone casting disapproving glances in my direction as they daintily pick at their ribs with knife and fork are depriving their inner caveman or woman of their divine right to just bring things back to basics and remember where we all came from. Hail to the cavemen, I say and of course to Naughty Nuri's!

These really need no description!

Revolver Espresso, Seminyak, Bali

Ok, so I know my blog is about life in Jakarta. But let's face it, at some point or another most people living in Jakarta make a trip to Bali. So, if you do, this ones for you...you must drop into to Revolver cafe in Seminyak. Situated in an alley off Jalan Kayu Aya, this is a hidden gem amongst the latest array of boutique style coffee houses popping up around Bali. You might walk past the door if you don't know it's there but once you open it you'll be taken in by the instant buzz and happy vibe. Revolver is just a fantastic place to be. There's a great laid back, chilled out vibe, staff are friendly and attentive and the place, although small is tastefully decorated. They open from 7am to 6pm so don't turn up for dinner. Breakfast is a firm favourite here and the menu has a good selection on offer. I went with what was called 'the revolver' breakfast which was two pieces of sourdough bread topped with smashed avocado and poached eggs and served with a tomato jam. It was delicious and extremely satisfying. I ordered my cappuccino to accompany it and it was strong! Phew, what a kick I got from my first cup of joe! To be honest, with the day heating up inside I could have quite happily say in here all day. You can't watch the world go by (no windows) but you can watch some of it come and go as more and more people find their way into this little pocket of warm fuzziness. Before you leave, don't forget to take a photo in the kissing booth, located just outside the entrance. It's actually a table but complete with photos of people of all shapes and sizes locking lips. Don't miss it!

The door that you just might miss...

Cafe interior...

Cappuccino...

The Revolver breakfast

The obligatory photo in Revolver's kissing booth, located just outside the door!

Back to reality...

After a blissful week in Bali with breakfasts at the beach, lazy afternoons and sunsets with a bintang or two...it's back to the grindstone and nose down until the next trip...sigh, why do the holidays always go so quickly...

Too little time, too many places...

Ah, Bali. I still love you as much as I always have. Now, there are quaint, gourmet cafes opening all over the place and you can really just spend your time eating and eating and eating. Here's a round-up of what has been devoured so far...if you are on the island, check them out.

Warung Pak Malen, Sunset Road

Revolver Cafe, Gang 51, Jl. Kayu Aya

Fat Gajah, Jl. Raya Seminyak

Biku, Jl. Raya Petitenget

And so many more...just wish there were more meals in a day and I had the metabolism of a racehorse!

Cool treats at Popbar

You might have passed by this shop in Lotte shopping avenue and been attracted by the colourful display of ice pops. They look like a rainbow of deliciousness just waiting to be devoured shamelessly. I admit I have resisted the temptation on many occasions but today could resist no longer. The flavours available are a fascinating assortment of tastebud tantalisers like pistachio, green tea, gianduia, peanut butter and coffee. The bars themselves are made from either sorbet, gelato or yoghurt. They are low in calories and made with natural ingredients. How had I resisted for so long? I decided on the peanut butter bar and had it dipped in dark chocolate. I could have also had it dipped in nuts but I figured no need to go overboard on the nut factor. The bar was delicious. The chocolate hardened instantly and the bar itself did not melt while I was eating it. The peanut butter taste was perfect, rich and creamy and with the chocolate it reminded me of eating a reese's peanut butter cup. Yum! Looks like I'll be stopping by here more often!

Satin Class at Blitz Megaplex Cinema is not quite satiny enough for me

So basically I've pretty much fallen in love with the premier XXI cinema at Lotte Avenue to the point that it's become a weekly ritual to watch a movie there after work on a Friday. Not to be one to not give somewhere else a try though, this Friday I needed to buy some things at Grand Indonesia and figured it was a good time to check out their equivalent cinema - Satin Class. Prices were the same at 75k a ticket but that's where the similarities ended. We arrived at the entrance to the cinema and wanted to order our food to be delivered to our seats. The menu was basic, and when we ordered our popcorn and two ice teas our popcorn was brought to us while we were waiting and we were told that the drinks would be sent to the seats. Weird. I mean if you are going to deliver the drinks then bring the popcorn then too. I don't want my popcorn while I'm waiting as I'm more likely to eat it. The previous showing was still on so we waited in the 'lounge' (just a load of sofas and tables) until our turn. The showing was timed to start at 6.10pm but we only got to our seats at that time. The actual movie didn't start until almost 30 minutes later. The adverts/trailers/other useless stuff went on far too long. When we got to our seats, they looked big and comfy but the reclining mode was not adjustable. It was a case of either recline or don't. There was a fleece blanket rolled up on the seat. It smelled funky. Not nice and clean means I don't want it actually touching me anywhere. You don't know how long that blanket has been there and how many people have used it. Enough said. It really doesn't bear too much thinking about. My biggest surprise was that the satin class was situated on the top tier of a regular cinema. So down below you have your regular class patrons and you are on a raised tier. That didn't work for me. If I'm paying extra for fancy cinema treatment I want the cinema to be for me and other fancy cinema-goers...not dumped in altogether and separated by mere metres. The size of the large popcorn was not what I would interpret as large so we decided to order nachos (sorry, we don't have any sauce for the nachos) and when that didn't happen, another popcorn (sorry, you need to spend minimum 50,000 to pay by ATM) so we got french fries as well. I wasn't impressed by service or quality. Definitely not worth the money. Definitely not special treatment. I won't be coming back here to watch a movie again. So, yes, Lotte Avenue premier class, you'll be seeing a LOTTE more of me!

So to summarise here's a comparison of Satin Class (Blitzmegaplex) and Premier Class (XXI Cinema) at a quick glance :

Satin class

Limited lounge

Mediocre service

Limited menu and restrictions on payments and delivery of foods to seats

Seating on top tier of regular cinema 

Long wait for start of movie (up to 30 minutes)

One reclining position

Unclean blankets

Premier class

Excellent lounge with tables and chairs and full menu

Prompt and friendly service

Food delivered promptly to the seat with minimum intrusions

Movie starts on time as advertised

Premier class is a separate theatre with only premier seating available

Reclining angle of the seat can be controlled into the most comfortable position 

Freshly laundered blankets with clean smell and wrapped in plastic.

Cheap and cheerful at Fiesta Steak at Grand Indonesia

So sometimes it reaches a certain time of the month when money is running out and you're in that no man's land of being really far away from the last pay day and not yet close enough to the next one. It's those points in the month that I still like to be able to eat out if I feel like it but I like to have a string of options that offer decent food at a budget price. Fiesta Steak would be one of those places for me. Located at the food court on the 4th floor of Grand Indonesia, Fiesta Steak offers a range of steaks with both imported and local red meat as well as other options like chicken and salmon steak. I generally like to go with the Australian ribeye steak which is a steal at 70rb and comes with a good portion of French fries and some vegetables. The steak is a good size and comes with a black pepper sauce. The meat is lean and not fatty. It's tender and juicy which is the way I like my meat. When you consider how much steak costs in most other restaurants here in Jakarta, you can't really go wrong with what Fiesta has to offer. 

Ribeye steak

Meat Me at Kota Kasablanca

Nope that's not a typo and nope I'm not asking you to find your way to KoKas to have a little rendezvous with me. Instead I'm here to tell you about a fine little eatery in Kota Kasablanca called Meat Me. The speciality is, you guessed it, meat. The menu features a good selection of steaks, burgers, meaty pizzas and some dishes for good measure. For some strange reason, hubby and I found ourselves craving sausages. After living in Dublin for a year, where the sausages are deliciously divine and available in every good supermarket you do find in Jakarta that you have to work quite hard to find what I would actually call a sausage. I mean there are plenty of poor attempts available in supermarkets here but I would call them frankfurters rather than actual sausages. I mean when you eat a sausage you can see and taste the texture of the meat used in the sausage whereas frankfurters are basically processed meat. Ultimately you can never be entirely sure where that processed meat came from.

While in Kota Kasablanca, Meat Me caught our attention, as well as being an eatery it is also actually a butchers so you can buy all those delicious meats you might have tasted in the restaurant and bring them home. The meat looks fresh and is well stored and presented.

For our lunch today, our main reason for deciding to eat at Meat Me was because they offered a Sausage Platter. What better way to fulfill all those sausage cravings with a platter that included three large sausages (2 lamb and 1 beef)? For our other choice we went with BBQ Beef Ribs. 

The ribs arrived first and were so soft and tender that the meat just pulled away from the two large bones with the gentlest of tugs. The seasoning was just right, not too sweet as can often be the case, but more tangy. They were accompanied by french fries and a nice side salad. My only complaint, I wanted more!

The sausage platter arrived shortly after and looked fabulous when it was placed on the table. The three large sausages were beautifully grilled and lay on a bed of roasted garlic potatoes and vegetables. There was also a side salad. My favourite were the lamb sausages which just tasted so tender and full of flavour. The roasted garlic potatoes were also very good.

Although the prices are not cheap, Ribs 135rb and Sausage Platter 115rb, they were worth every rupiah. The meal was perfect and extremely satisfying and let's face it when you are eating good quality meat you are going to have to pay more. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone craving a serious portion of meat and I would like to say I will go back and try a burger or a steak but alas, I think that sausage platter has my name permanently all over it! 

Restaurant interior

BBQ Beef Ribs

Sausage platter

La Hoya Restaurant at Gandaria City

I'm a sucker for tex-mex food and yes we should call it tex-mex because what we are served in restaurants that call themselves 'Mexican' is actually not authentic Mexican food at all. "Tex-Mex" is used to describe a localized version of Mexican cuisine. It is common for all of these foods to be referred to as "Mexican food" in Texas, other parts of the United States, and some other countries. In other ways, it is Southern cooking using the commodities from Mexican culture. 

La Hoya a relatively new restaurant opened in Gandaria City is definitely a tex-mex eatery. The menu offers the usual choices that you get in most tex-mex joint plus a few interesting fusion concepts including a tex-mex take on pasta. However, generally I stick to what I like. Nachos to start with because they are just the perfect starter food that you can nibble at and have fun scooping all the devilishly delicious bits up into your mouth. Then for main course it's chicken tacos(crispy) for me and beef tacos(soft) for my husband. The nachos were good. They came with a chilli con carne on top and the meat was full of flavour and a nice addition to regular nachos. On the side of the nachos were some salsa and extra cheese sauce. You can never have too much cheese sauce on those nachos! Then came my chicken tacos. These were quite interesting. Firstly there was shredded pineapple on the top which I ended up scooping off because it wasn't really sweet or soft but a little sour and it didn't enhance any of the taco flavour at all. There were plenty of veggies and a good portion of shredded chicken inside. The flavouring of the chicken was not quite to my liking. It was not spicy or rich but was more bland. I was a little disappointed. I like my tex-mex bursting with flavour and this just didn't compare to what I am used to. There were some small side dishes of salsa, sour cream and guacamole but no other accompaniments like Mexican rice or refried beans.

The restaurant interior is quite posh and if you didn't see the sign you might be mistaken into thinking it was more of a fine dining place. Again, I'm a bit of a sucker for the whole package and when I hit my tex-mex restaurant I want to feel like I've stumbled onto the set of a movie. Corny, I know but hey, to each their own right? I like all the trinkets and decor to tie in with the tex-mex concept of the restaurant. It creates a whole dining experience for me. Otherwise I end up feeling a little deprived. So, I'm on the fence as to whether I'll be back here again. Maybe if they hang up a few sombreros?

Restaurant interior 

Nachos tejanos

Beef soft tacos

Chicken crispy tacos

The best remedy...

...for when you get a dose of Jakarta Belly.

Available in a pharmacy near you!

Brushing up on my Bahasa Indonesia...

A couple of months ago, the kind people at Tuttle Publishing sent me some books to review on learning bahasa indonesia and yes, I'm only getting around to posting about it now. But, you know, holidays happened, before that there was end of school year and well one thing after another meant that I didn't get around to giving the books my full attention until just recently. They sent me three books on learning the language that is spoken throughout the Indonesian archipelago. Of course, remembering that each island then has it's own dialect or dialects. For example, when I was in Flores I spent most of my holiday trying to tune into bahasa manggarai and pick up words as that is the language widely spoken in Manggarai province but then cross over into Bajawa or Maumere and you will find the dialect is completely different. This is what makes Indonesia such a fascinating country. You would be hard pushed to find another like it with it's vast range of dialects, traditions, dances and ethnicities. Thankfully, there is the main language of Bahasa Indonesia taught in schools so that across the archipelago there is a common language. It also means that coming to Indonesia you only have to learn this language in order to make your way from island to island. Phew!

Anyway back to the books...

The first book, Mini Indonesian Dictionary I found to be the most helpful. Small enough to fit into the palm of your hand and of course your handbag means it is easy to bring everywhere with you and use when you are stuck for a word you don't know. There are a whopping 12,000 words in it which pretty much means that when you are out and about you are certainly going to be able to locate words you need. In my opinion, when learning a language it is always handy to have a dictionary but carrying around a big thick one is never going to be fun. This mini dictionary really gives you a great resource at a quarter of the size.

The second book, Making Out in Indonesian, I found to be a tad more controversial. This book basically keys you in to street slang in Indonesia and at times, not necessarily slang that you might want to be using! There is some risqué language in here so if you are a tad on the conventional side this might not be the book for you. However, if you are curious to have a look at how people in this part of the world curse, flirt and basically strip down their language, then this will be the book for you.

Last but not least, there was Indonesian Slang. This was probably my favourite read out of all the books. The title is quite deceiving in that you think it might just be a book on Indonesian slang words. It is but it's also so much more because it takes these slang words or expressions and gives you the background to how these expressions came about into daily use. It places these expressions in historical context too so as well as learning some of the language you are also getting a history and geography lesson about Indonesia too. Perfect! I love covering lots of subjects at once. Language is such a beautiful thing and our ability to communicate and use words is our most powerful tool. I, personally, find it fascinating to see how languages have come about and changed and modernised to keep up with daily life. This book will give you some very pertinent insights into Indonesia and its' language.

A big thank you to Mike at Tuttle Publishers for sending me the books and letting me review them for my blog. So, what are you waiting for? Go learn some Bahasa Indonesia!

Urban Remedy Indonesia

So in an attempt to reboot my system, I decided to embark on a three day juice cleanse. I felt blessed to discover a company here in Jakarta called 'Urban Remedy Indonesia' who basically make doing a juice cleanse incredibly easy and convenient. You let them know whether you want to do the one, three or five day cleanse and which date you want to start. They email you the price and transfer details for payment and once you have made your payment they send you confirmation. Then you sit back and wait for the chosen date. In the meantime, they provide fantastic support in the days leading up to your start date by sending you pre-cleanse guides and tips on how to prepare yourself for the cleanse so it's not too much of a shock to your body. In fact they are incredibly supportive throughout even sending you an email on your first day to wish you luck and provide you with words of encouragement. 

On your chosen date, a delivery guy knocks on your door with your supply of cold pressed juices. For each day you are given 6 different juices to drink:

1. Glowing Green

2. Watermelon Mint

3. Tropical Growing Green

4. Spicy Lemonade

5. Beet-it

6. Spiced Almond Milk

The bottles are conveniently numbered and you drink them in the numbered order at certain periods throughout the day. Then in between you drink water or lemon water. 

Today is my first day doing the cleanse and so far I've felt fine. I did wean myself off caffeine a few days before I started the cleanse because I didn't want to be cleansing and dealing with massive headaches from caffeine withdrawal. That definitely helped. The juices themselves are really good and the bottles are huge. I think I have felt incredibly full most of the day. 

I would definitely recommend if you want to do on the inside of your body what most of us would like to do to the whole city of Jakarta, CLEANSE! I am extremely grateful to the service offered by Urban Remedy Indonesia and for their continuous support during my cleanse. I will definitely avail of the service again.

Gluten free might be catching on in Jakarta...

Ok, so you can't imagine my joy when recently during a visit to Ranch market in Lotte shopping avenue I saw perched on the shelf packets of gluten free flour. Healthy food products can be quite expensive here in Jakarta as most of them are imported. At the moment I am trying to make any baked goods, like my waffles, with alternative flours. So far I've worked with coconut flour, banana flour and almond flour. Banana flour was the cheapest but probably the more challenging to work with as it sucks up all the liquid in a recipe very quickly so you have to make sure you add extra. Coconut flour is similar in that it absorbs the liquids very quickly. Almond flour is more stable but is also very expensive. So once in a while when I feel like making a batch of waffles it's good to know that I can use some gluten free flour. When I bought this flour, I was a little dismayed to see that there were no ingredients listed on the packet. Not to be deterred, I emailed Ranch Market and asked them to let me know what was in it. They replied fairly promptly and informed me that there was :

1. Tapioca Starch

2. Rice Flour

3. Potato Flour

4. Corn Starch

This is quite a normal mixture for a gluten free flour as I have seen various websites listing these same ingredients for people interested in making their own versions of the flour.

Once I knew what I was dealing with I was able to set out on making my gluten free lemon poppy seed waffles. They turned out really well. They were very light and airy and didn't feel heavy in your stomach. There was a good crisp to the waffles and they freeze up very well. So, if you need to take care of that gluten intolerant member of your family, now you can, with a little help from Ranch Market.

Pho 24 at Lotte Shopping Avenue

Vietnamese cuisine is not always easy to find in many cities. I became quite partial to this particular cuisine when I was living in Laos. Not only do these two countries share a border but they also share many similar types of dishes. I loved the food in Laos, from the young papaya salad to the raw spring rolls and big steaming bowls of noodles, it was always a delight to experience local food. So, when I can across Pho 24, I figured I should definitely give it a try and see if it brought back memories of my year in Laos. The restaurant itself is very nicely decorated to create a garden theme and there is a huge tree in the middle and lots of vines hanging down the walls. The tables and chairs are reminiscent of garden cane furniture and set a very relaxed feeling to the place.

The menu at Pho 24 is not huge, the main focus being the noodles which are offered with different types of meats. There are some starters and then a selection of drinks. I wanted to taste the homemade ice tea. It was delicious and refreshing and a pleasant change to the regular stuff you are served here which tastes just like it came out of a packet mix. We opted for the raw spring rolls for starters, much healthier than their fried cousins, and delicious when served with a good dipping sauce. These were stuffed with a lot of noodles and I must admit that I would have liked some more veggies and seafood in there. The dipping sauce, however, was good and had a good tangy taste to it. 

Then came my bowl of noodles, with a small plate of condiments. I chose the noodles with thinly sliced beef. The beef was lovely with a nice pink centre and quite tender and there was a decent helping of noodles in there. I was able to spice it up to my liking using my condiments and the different sauces on the table. Sometimes a big bowl of steaming noodles is the perfect warm, comforting meal and just what you need. Finally, I wanted the Vietnamese drip coffee. I loved the Lao coffee and used to drink a lot of it when I lived there. It is always served with condensed milk which although ridiculously unhealthy gives the coffee this delicious creamy sweetness that is really hard to replicate with regular milk and sugar. The coffee here recaptured that memory perfectly. It was delicious, strong and had the condensed milk on the bottom so that once you stirred it all up it became that beautiful milky brown colour (which always reminds me of the colour of the Mekong River!) If you haven't experienced Vietnamese cuisine it really is time you have it a try!

Interior

Interior

Homemade ice tea

Raw spring rolls

Beef noodles

Condiments

Vietnamese drip coffee