Lazy Sundays at Kota...

If you have a free Sunday, head down to my favourite part of the city, Kota Tua, to be amazed by the remains of old Dutch colonial buildings and entertained by street performers. You might find a warung to take a rest in and have a nice cool drink and just watch the world pass by...

Marugame Udon at Gandaria City

Every time I've been to Gandaria City and walked past this food stall, there have always been queues of people lining up to buy the food. So today, whilst ambling past and noticing a lull in the queue I decided to join on the end and give this food stall a try. The server recommended their speciality which is niku udon - a soup dish served with udon noodles,  beef, spring onions and tempura bits. Once you get served your soup you pop it on your tray and move along the assembly line to the tempura, where there is a selection of tempura available including vegetable, prawn, chilli chicken and broccoli. I tried the prawn and vegetable tempura. A quick pay at the end with a mug of iced green tea added on and I was ready to see what all the hysteria was about...hmmmm, I didn't. I mean sure it tasted decent enough, but certainly nothing mind-blowing. I found the soup quite salty and about an hour later felt incredibly thirsty. The beef was minimal and I felt should have been a bigger portion and perhaps a bit more flavoured. Then the udon, well I have to admit that I am a more of a soba kinda gal as I find udon noodles incredible filling due to the thickness. The tempura was pretty regular, again nothing that would make me want to go back for seconds although the sauce was quite tasty. The meal was reasonably priced at Rp. 70,000 but to be honest all I can say to this meal is...don't follow the hysteria!

In and around Yogyakarta...

Kraton

Kraton

Batik making

Taman Sari

Taman Sari

Quiet alleyways

Nasi Gudeg

Borobudur

Borobudur

Salak Pondoh

Mount Merapi

Prambanan

Sendang Sriningsih

Monggo Chocolate factory

Becak ride

Kotagede

If you haven't been yet, you really should go. So many wonderful sights to see...

Milas Restaurant, Yogyakarta

If you are visiting Yogyakarta make sure you have at least one meal at this restaurant. Firstly, the setting is both calming and relaxing with the gazebos placed in a nice garden with a fountain and pond. Then the menu has a good selection of healthy organic vegetarian food. There are also juices and herbal teas. I tried the guacamole, which was delicious and full of flavour, the singkong goreng, crispy and cut up like chips and served with spicy sambas chilli. Then there were some deep fried vegetables, lightly fried and crispy and finally the Milas salad which came with cheese, apple, cashew nuts and lots of other vegetables. I chose the vinegarette dressing which was really good. The whole meal was very satisfying and healthy. 

I wish there was a restaurant like this here in Jakarta because if there was I would make it my second home. Sitting in that garden and hearing the trickling water and feeling the wind on my face was really something I could get used to...

Fave Hotel, Kusumanegara, Yogyakarta

Found myself with a few days off for Chinese New Year and decided to head back to Yogyakarta, a favourite haunt of mine. Booked a couple of nights at Fave Hotel situated at Jalan Kusumanegara. Fave hotels are generally known for their value for money and this one was priced at Rp. 415,000 without breakfast for a standard room. It did seem a bit steep but it is a public holiday weekend and generally everywhere will be more expensive.

High points : Clean bright room, small but nicely furnished. Clean sheets and towels. Flat screen tv with 60 channels. Swimming pool. Friendly staff.

Low points : Distance to the centre means public transport must be used to get everywhere. Breakfast charged at Rp. 50,000 per person. Food and drinks charges relatively high in comparison to other food outlets in the city.

Generally I was quite content with my two day stay and would definitely recommend the hotel if you don't mind taking taxis (about Rp. 20,000 a trip) to get into the centre of things.

Fausta Cream Puffs at Mal Ambassador

Have you ever had a cream puff that is big, light, stuffed with filling and absolutely delicious? If you haven't then you really need to drop into Ambassador mall in Kuningan and instead of buying your array of electronics, go all the way down to the basement. Don't stop! For there you will find a little stall with a green sign saying Fausta. Stop there! Gaze in awe at the selection of empty puffs - either plain or topped with chocolate and decorations. Choose the one or two or three that you want from the display case then look at the list of fillings. Yes life is really all about the choices you make. I like the simple thins in life so I always go for the plain puff with vanilla filling. And boy do they fill your puff to the brim! Carrying them home becomes a minor mission impossible as I aim not to let anyone touch, bump or bang into my bag of puffs otherwise a smidgen of filling might squeeze out and escape. At Rp. 8,000 each there a steal. However, the joy of eating them...priceless! Each bite like a mouthful of vanilla heaven and because they are rather big you get a whole lot of heaven!

Ketjil Kitchen at Gandaria

Ketjil Kitchen has a real charm to it. It's an unexpected little eatery situated on Jalan Gandaria 1 and is conveniently a short stroll away from Cozy, my favourite massage spot. So needless to say after a relaxing bout in the spa, a stop in here to fill any hunger pangs can become quite a regular habit.

The interior is delightful with its mix of eclectic furnishings and trinkets on shelves. I live the light firings which are made from kettles, pots and pans. Genius! 

The menu consists of pastas, salads, burgers and other western dishes. I went for the bolognese fries and the spaghetti aglio olio with tuna. I also ordered an iced chocolate.

The fries were delicious. Loved the sauce on top and there was just enough so that the fries weren't smothered and lost underneath. The pasta was tasty without being overpowering with any particular flavour. The addition of the tuna made me wonder whether I, personally, like the combination but I know others do, so maybe it's just me! My ice chocolate came in a huge jar/mug...you know, the ones that look like a jar with a place to screw on the lid but also have a handle? Yeah that! It was delicious! I just wanted to fall right into it and drown in it's delicious chocolatey-ness!

The quaint and cosy feeling in this restaurant makes it a definite hit and worthy of a return visit.