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

Jittlada at Lotte Shopping Avenue

I like Thai cuisine. It just seems to have this wonderful array of flavours that you don't get in other cuisines. So, it was only fitting to have some dinner at Jittlada in Lotte Shopping Avenue. The decor is simple and they have seating inside and outside (but still in the mall) so we sat outside as it was quieter and gives the perfect opportunity for some people watching. The menu is vast and there is a great selection of your typical favourites. We decided on the mango salad to start with followed by eggplant and tofu, green beef curry and chicken satay.

The mango salad was delicious, spicy, tangy and a nice big serving. It kicked off the meal with a big zing. Then came the eggplant, which was soft and full of flavour with small bits of tofu, the satay was very generous. There were huge chunks of chicken and a delicious peanut dipping sauce to accompany it. Finally, we got the green curry, this was perhaps the smallest serving, with only a few pieces of beef. I would have liked a little more because once we divided it between the two of us we only really had a couple of spoonfuls each.

Overall though I was very satisfied with the meal and the delicious flavours that each offering held. If Thai food floats your boat, then drop in here for a meal!

Mango salad 

Eggplant with tofu

Beef green curry

Chicken satay

Trafique Coffee at Kebayoran Baru

Just next door to Next Stop steakhouse is a newly opened cafe called Trafique. It's a beautiful building with an eye catching yellow door. However, it doesn't give away the lovely setting inside that awaits you when you cross the threshold. The cafe is a beautiful large space. There are two floors. The lower one is for the public where you can order coffee and cake and enjoy the green space at the back. If you prefer non smoking then stay inside and get an eyeful of the interesting trinkets and ornaments placed around the space. I particularly like the traffic jam wall art piece and the display of cups and saucers. There is no real food menu at the moment but rather just a selection of cakes on offer and of course the coffee. Trafique have their own brand of coffee that is roasted on site. You might be lucky to arrive when this is in process and have your olfactory senses tantalised by the aroma wafting out the window. The cafe is themed with the name and you will see splashes of red, yellow and green throughout the cafe. They also run courses about coffee in the cafe and have meeting spaces upstairs for rent. 

When I was there it was fairly quiet, only two other tables taken, and that was just after lunch. I ordered a cappuccino and the taste was rich, bitter and strong. The serving was quite small and the coffee was perhaps not as hot as I would have liked it. However, the setting certainly adds to the enjoyment of your cup of joe and provides a relaxing space to catch up on some blogging...

Next Stop Steakhouse, Kebayoran Baru

Just near where I work in Kebayoran Baru, there is the cutest little steakhouse. It's called Next Stop and it's just by the side of the road on Jalan Hang Tuah Raya. It's got this funky industrial feel to it and almost like you are in one of those modified containers. The indoor seating is long and there are some hard hats hanging on the wall. I particularly like the spoon and fork clock and would have quite happily taken it home to hang it in my kitchen. They offer a decent choice of food, steak (obviously), chicken steak, salmon steak and then some pasta and eggs benedict. Well, you should all know by now my obsession with breakfast, which I believe is the most important meal of the day. It's so important that you might as well have it for lunch too. So I had to order the eggs ben and a big mug of ice tea. I was pleasantly surprised when the food came. The eggs ben was good and really satisfying. Not the best eggs ben I have ever eaten but certainly by no means the worst. The eggs were still oozing, the hollandaise sauce was warm and had a decent flavour to it. It was all stacked on two soft pieces of bread and accompanied by a small salad in the middle. It made a very welcome lunch and certainly one I would come back for again. The price was reasonable at 50k for the eggs and the service was good but then again we were the only ones there! I have since seen a sign up in the window saying that the restaurant will be moving to Senopati. I hope they find a spot where they get more business as their current location on Hang Tuah Raya doesn't attract many customers as there are no office blocks around and it is mostly a residential area. 

Hopefully you can catch them in their new location for a reasonably priced and tasty meal...

Back to the Big Durian...

And so the sun sets on another holiday. There's always the next one to start planning though...

A town with a view...

There are so many hills in Labuan Bajo, you can just stop and scramble up one and check out the view...it's really breathtaking!

The Lounge Restaurant & Accommodation, Labuan Bajo, Flores

Once we reached Labuan Bajo, we had two nights there before our flight back to Jakarta. This time we opted for The Lounge for our accommodation. As well as being a restaurant and bar, they also offer four unique rooms for guests. The room was very nicely decorated and came with a hanging bed...yes, that's right. The bed was suspended from the ceiling by four metal cables and moved. Interesting! We were in the blue room and everything was themed accordingly including four blue spotlights. The bathroom had a rain shower as well as a rock and coral feature wall. There was a bit of a funny smell emanating from the sink though so we had to keep the door shut. There was a bottle of water in the room and we were brought our welcome drink shortly after arrival. It was a delightful pink drink that had ginger and grenadine in it and was very refreshing. For breakfast there were some limited options (once again, let down by the breakfast...sigh) which included eggs, fried rice and fruit salad. Generally we were very happy with our stay. As the rooms are close to the restaurant and bar there is a certain amount of noise but it generally quietens down by about 10.30pm. Unfortunately we were staying during the World Cup and so I was woken up on both nights by shouts and cheers from the restaurant where they were showing the matches. Obviously that's not a frequent occurrence but I would have appreciated knowing in advance as I am a light sleeper and it might have affected my decision to stay. The Lounge is situated in the middle of the town so you are close to everywhere and can easily walk to restaurants and shops. The price was Rp. 385,000 per night. Not cheap but at least it was comfortable, clean and the staff were courteous and efficient.

The restaurant is a great spot for hanging out in the evening. There is a local band who perform from 8 to 9pm and they even play some local songs. The food is decent and there is a range of cuisine from burgers to pizza and local dishes too. The drinks are cheap and offer choices with the local alcohol called sope or imported alcohol. I would say it is the most popular spot for chilling out at night and is always busy. The Lounge should definitely be one of your stops while in Labuan Bajo.

Room

Toilet

Outdoor seating

View

Restaurant

Westward bound...

And then we were on the road again, heading back west towards Labuan bajo and eventually our flight back to Jakarta. Still happy to be able to feel like I have my head in the clouds as we begin the journey back to reality...

Tengku Lese Waterfall, Manggarai, Flores

Our last side trip of our holiday was quite an adventure. I decided I really wanted to see at least one of the many waterfalls in Flores. Tengku Lese seemed to be the obvious choice due to its proximity to Ruteng. We set off by motorbike and after more winding roads we finally arrived in Nanu village just over an hour later. Then the real adventure began...you see as we got off the motorbike we could see the waterfall in the distance...distance being the operative word here. It looked really far away. When we asked how to get there a friendly face pointed a finger towards a dirt track heading off into the trees! There were no signs, no nice pathway, nothing. It was really rustic and definitely off the beaten track. We set off and admittedly the scenery was spectacular. However suddenly the track became a thin cement edge of a large waterway with drop offs on one side and the waterway below on the other. I don't have the most amazing balance due to numerous bad ear infections as a child so I found it a bit stressful. Little did I know this was nothing compared to what was to come. We turned a bend and lo and behold there was a bridge. Mind you, no one in any place that I have ever lived would actually call this contraption a bridge! It was four large plastic pipes laid on a criss-crossing metal frame with no handrail! Oh and did I mention the rather large drop beneath it into a creek below? I honestly think my heart stopped beating as I realised that we had walked for an hour already and were almost there and so turning back due to my overwhelming fear would mean a wasted trip. Therefore there really was no other solution except to bite the bullet and cross the ridiculously unstable looking bridge. I won't go into the gory details and describe in detail the spectacle I made of myself as I crossed. Let's leave it at the fact that there were plenty of screams and clutching onto my husbands hands. No one of my finest moments and certainly not helped by the group of young boys who had decided to tag along with us for the hike. They really thought I was quite entertaining! Eventually we made it across and after a bit more of a walk and a scramble up a rickety bamboo ladder we arrived at the waterfall. Tengku Lese waterfall is a two tiered waterfall and the hike leads to the bottom tier. The thunderous roar of the water and the spray of the cascading water is amazing. Swimming in the pool where the water falls is not recommended as the current is quite strong. There are pools down below where you can dip in. Make the most of the setting because there is still that same trip back and don't forget to bring some water and food to keep you going along the way as there are no shops or warungs. I would definitely recommend the trip to visit this waterfall. The hike, although not for the faint hearted is a wonderful, scenic walk through mostly untouched landscape. We didn't meet any other tourists on our journey so you are definitely on your own most of the time. Locals will help you with directions or you might bump into the same set of cheeky little boys who accompanied us.

Tengku Lese waterfall from a distance

Up close

Pool

The 'bridge' that stopped my heart beating

Todo traditional village

About an hour and a half drive from Ruteng, you will come across the village of Todo. It is located up in the mountains and the road there is twisty. The scenery along the way is beautiful with valleys on one side and villages perched on the sides of mountains. 

Todo used to have all its' homes built in the traditional manggaraian style with a circular structure where the roof reached right to the ground. There is a low entrance way where you have to bend down to enter the building. The roof is made from thatch. Eventually over time though, the villagers began to use other types of materials and resorted to building houses more similar to modern houses.

There was a villager at the entrance office  who gave us some beautiful traditional cloth to wear and he took us on a tour through the village. The traditional house was very impressive, very big with a diameter of 25 metres. The roof stretches up much higher than I was expecting and the carvings inside the doorway and house were charming. You might be lucky to get some blue skies when you visit Todo but generally with it's position up in the mountains chances are it will be misty and that just seems to add to the mystical feel of the village. Don't forget to buy one of the traditional weavings hand made in the village. Todo cloth is known for it's linear patterns and they an array of scarves for sale.

Todo traditional village

Weaver at work

A rainbow of scarves

Carvings in the doorway

Inside the traditional house

Todo traditional house

Low entrance ways

Nirvana Bungalows, Riung, Flores

There are not a huge number of places to stay in Riung as at the moment it is still relatively quiet. So I think there are about 4 or 5 places and when I read reviews generally they were not very good. Finally I decided on Nirvana Bungalows. We arrived in the evening and the staff welcomed us and showed us to the bungalow where we would be staying. I was pleasantly surprised at the standard of the room. It had been freshly painted and was nice and clean. There was a bed, mosquito net, sink, mirror and bedside table. The bathroom had also been freshly painted and was large and had a great shower. I was more than happy. At 220k per night the room provided good value for money including our breakfast. Once we were settled they brought us a coffee and we were able to straight away organise our boat trip for the following day through a member of staff. Breakfast the following morning was a nice small loaf of bread with butter and jam, a plate of fruit and a cup of coffee. We were even given breakfast on the morning we left which was at the very early time of 5.30am. The owner of the bungalows called Om Rustam, is friendly and welcoming and happy to sit and have a chat. There are seven bungalows in total and the newer ones are at the back (which is where we stayed). There are rooms with aircon which are a little more expensive, ours had a fan. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and would recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

A trip to Riung...

After a few days back in Ruteng, I was itching to be on the road again and mostly itching to be back by the beach. I had seen pictures of beaches in Riung, in the north with white sand and turquoise water and figured this was where I wanted to be. Firstly we had to make our way there though. We organised transport in a private car which if shared should be between 70k to 100k per person. There are also small buses organised by Gunung Mas that make the first leg of our trip which meant heading to Bajawa. On the way to Bajawa you leave behind Manggarai province and enter the province of Ngada. The people of Ngada have their own dialect and traditions and are particularly well known for their traditional villages which differ in design from villages in Manggarai. Again roads are twisty and winding, so pop a few motion sickness pills if you are that way inclined. When you see locals in the car feeling ropey you know the journey is tough! The trip to Bajawa takes about 4 hours and the road is pretty good with just some spots being redone. Once we reached Bajawa and the main terminal there we were lucky enough to be instantly able to transfer to another private car heading to directly to Riung. We jumped in for another long trip of about 3.5 hours over very bad roads before we finally found our accommodation for the night. We were able to organise our boat trip for the next day. Don't get to Riung expecting to find lots of bungalows on the beach. There are no real beaches in Riung itself, instead the attraction here are the Seventeen Islands that lie just off Riung and can only be reached by boat. The area is a national marine park so there are charges to enter the area but at the moment they are still relatively low at around 20k per person. We set out the next morning bright and early under a blazing sun and beautiful blue sky. For the amount of 500k we had a boat and driver to ourselves with lunch included and the plan to visit three of the islands. We set off first for an island inhabited with thousands of fruit bats called Pulau Ontoloe. It was amazing to see them all hanging from the trees and from a distance they looked like dried leaves. Our guide let out some shrieks and the bats took flight. Some of them had massive wing spans and the sounds they emitted as they flew were a cacophony of shrieks and squeals. We stayed a little while and watched them before we moved off to the next island. Our next stop was Pulau Tiga, a beautiful island with a long stretch of white sandy beach that was mostly deserted except for a couple of other boats. We did some snorkelling here by jumping off the boat while it was still some way out and made our way to the beach. I was a little disappointed in that the snorkelling was not as amazing as at Kanawa Island. Well after you have swim with sharks, turtles and stingray, anywhere else has a lot to live up to... We also had our lunch here which was fish that our guide barbecued for us on the beach and vegetables, noodles and rice. Honestly, I think whatever he had given us would have tastes delicious sitting on that beautiful white sand and looking at the turquoise water and mountains looming out of the Flores coastline. Breathtaking! We spent a while here, relaxing, taking tons of photos and snorkelling. Reluctantly we boarded the boat for our last stop which was Pulau Rutong. There is a lovely crescent shaped beach here and crystal clear water. I just wanted to be in the water for ever. We did some more snorkelling and just gazing at the sheer beauty of it all. I really didn't want to leave and lingered as long as I could in the water. Eventually though I climbed back up the ladder and we headed back. What a day! The effect of being out on the boat all day amidst these amazing islands left me feeling great and ready to offer my services to any business that would accept it just so I could stay. Believe me, when you are on the way here driving over roads that shouldn't even be called roads you might wonder why you are bothering. Once you get on the boat and start your day trip...you won't even give it another thought. This one is worth every bump in the road!

Traditional fishing village homes 

Our boat for the day

Passing islands

Pulau Ontoloe and the bats in the distance 

Fruit bats

Pulau Tiga

Fresh fish for lunch

Pulau Rutong

Back to the pier

The road back...