Waroeng Solo at Joglo at Kemang

I think I have just found my favourite new place to chill out and forget I am in Jakarta. As you enter the gates at Joglo at Kemang, you instantly feel transported to a step back in time that is old Java. It is a huge compound with a number of old Javanese wooden buildings known as joglo. In one of the buildings you will find Waroeng Solo and as you enter the warung you will be greeted by the sweet melodious sounds of a traditional Javanese singer serenading you with his version of classic favourites as well as traditional Javanese songs. The place is simple and this adds to it's charm. There are wooden benches situated alongside old sewing machine tables and vintage pictures on the walls. The menu offers traditional food from Solo and there is a good variety to choose from. We went with spring rolls, chicken satay, kangkung, iga bakar and selad solo. I was happy with all the food we ordered. Each dish was delicious. My favourites were the chicken satay which were generous chunks of meat on the skewer smothered in a peanut gravy. It was rich and fulfilling and full of flavour. My other favourite was the iga bakar which were rid off the bone barbecued to perfection until the meat was soft and succulent. We finished up with some es campur, a traditional Indonesian drink/dessert with shaved ice, fruit, jelly and condensed milk. It's the perfect cold refreshment on a hot day like today. There are a number of other joglo in the compound which I believe are used for weddings and I also spied a Joglo beer which looked like the most peaceful place for an evening drink. I will definitely be coming back here for another visit to try some more delights from the menu, soak up the laid back atmosphere and perhaps find my way to where I can have a nice cool beer. 

Entrance to Waroeng Solo

View of compound from car park

Inside Waroeng Solo

Outdoor seating

Looking up to Joglo Beer

Selad Solo

Chicken satay

Kangkung

Es campur 

One of the other Joglo in the compound

Club sehat...a real life saver!

If you live in Jakarta and you haven't heard of Club Sehat then please stop reading this and go type in clubsehat.com into your browser right now. For once you do, you will be directed to their website and will be amazed at the selection of great, health products you can find. Let's face it, when you're living with the outdoor environment in a city like Jakarta and are constantly putting the outside of your body through the paces of a hectic city life, you really should pay more attention to what you are putting into your body. Hopefully then you might be able to strive towards some kind of balance (wishful thinking, I know!). This is where Club Sehat comes in as they offer items like Chia seeds, flax seeds, quinoa and all kinds of nuts and seeds - almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds to name a few. The prices of the products are very reasonable especially when I compare them to prices for the same items in supermarkets around Jakarta. There is such a great selection that I have to focus most times when I browse the website not to just order everything! Once you place the order and providing it is over Rp. 300,000, the items will be delivered free to your home. It's a great service and the staff have been easy to deal with through email. I recently ordered a whole load of different nuts and seeds and made my own granola bars. They are free from added sugar and packed full of goodness and provide a welcome energy boost at any time of the day. If you are interested in bringing some healthy goodness into your life to fight what we face outside the front door then get your fingers clicking to clubsehat.com.

Organic spelt flour

Homemade granola bars

Kyo Chon at Gandaria

Ok, so basically I'm trying very hard not to eat a lot of carbs at the moment. Carbs aren't my friends. They don't make me feel good and they certainly don't agree with my waistline. When you eat at home avoiding carbs is easy peasy however when you step into the great outdoors you are faced with most menus offering you the regular veg, protein and carb combination. However, at Kyo Chon, a Korean restaurant at Gandaria City, you can order your meal in separate parts, so it means bring on the protein and veg and forget the carbs. The chicken here is double fried, which means that although I'm probably not getting much carbs I'm getting a truckload of saturated fats. Oh well, life is all about compromises, right? The chicken is very good. We ordered the 'original' and 'red' and both were very tasty. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The red was the spicy option and it certainly had a good kick off it. I ordered the green salad to get my portion of vegetables and it was offered with blueberry or orange dressing. Ok, bit weird, I mean I like my Italian, Caesar or Ranch dressing a lot more. I went with blueberry and was a bit disappointed. It was an odd flavour and didn't quite sit well on the salad for me. Blueberry sauce for pancakes, waffles, french toast - yes, salad - errrr, no, definitely not. However, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the crispy chicken which I think next time I might just order takeaway and bring home and enjoy with own homemade salad. If you like your chicken crispy and spicy, you should definitely stop in here and of you don't mind those carbs, then there is a variety of staples to accompany your drumsticks or wings.

Don't you just love it when...

...you find something so completely unexpected at the supermarket and it starts you off on a mission to create something fabulous with it? Being the crazy baker that I am, that's what gets my creative juices flowing. Not only is this banana flour organic but it is ridiculously good for you in that it is practically everything free...gluten, wheat, etc. I will post back on how it baked up but most websites seem to say that it can be replaced in pretty much most recipes containing regular wheat flour but at a reduced amount. Good news all round! You can pick up the healthy choice range in most supermarkets across Jakarta and they offer a range of organic rice and flours. 

Liberica Coffee at Gandaria City

In a corner of Gandaria City, on the ground floor you can find a lovely little gem of a cafe called Liberica Coffee. It has this great dark, underground feel to it that when you go in you feel like you should be plotting revolutions over your coffee. I ordered a cappuccino and a chocolate hazelnut praline. The coffee was good, strong, rich and perfect temperature. The chocolate hazelnut praline was to die for - a mixture of consistencies from the crunchy biscuit base, to the smith chocolate mousse filling and the soft sponge. One really wasn't enough! They had a lovely private outdoor seating area, free from traffic and pedestrians where you could really enjoy your cup of joe in peace and quiet. I would recommend this delightful cafe to anyone wanting a respite from the busy weekend mall crowds. You might just find yourself wanting more than just one cup of their coffee!