Eating my way through Rural Indonesia

I'm very lucky my work is taking me places again, and this time around, we visited rural areas in West Java near Bandung called Garut and Tasikmalaya.

In addition to the different store formats we visited I also got to try a lot of the local cuisine.

On the way to Garut, we stopped at Pak Asep's Stroberi famous for his Nasi Liwet (Coconut Rice). It was said that he used to come from humble beginnings, and he was able to put himself through school by selling his very delicious Nasi Liwet. Since then, he has come a long way, with several restaurants which are also strawberry picking farms. I think we were served typical Sundanese Cuisine but I'm not a hundred percent sure.

This is the famous Nasi Liwet or Coconut Rice.
It was so yummy, I was really happy when we also ate here the next day.
(different branch though)

Sets for sharing were ordered for the group, with a lot of other
dishes on the side.

The fresh Strawberry Shake is really good.
They have a tendency to over-sweeten it so just ask for
the sugar on the side.

 

The restaurant is really nice, located in the middle of a man-made lake.

You can walk on the bamboo bridge, it's just a bit
creepy when it creaks with every step.

Strawberry House on the other side. I think the picking field was behind this.

The restaurant.

I think this may be Pak Asep

Look at that! I would have bought if I were closer to home.

We had lunch at another branch the next day, and I was so happy to see the
iconic strawberry buildings.

One of the other meals we had was the popular Noodles with Meatballs, local to Tasikmalaya, from Mie Baso Laksana.

At this place, the common drink partnered with this meal is Guyabano Shake.
Again, don't forget to tell them to take it easy on the sugar.

The noodles are served dry, with some meat toppings, with the soup and
meat balls served separately.
Best eaten with sambal (chili) sauce and bango (thick sweetened soy sauce)

The same restaurant also serves Martabak (which is similar in a way to Indian Cuisine's Murtabak).

The Savoury Martabak was so yummy.
It tastes like some omelet with filling inside thin crisply fried dough.

While the Sweet Martabak was equally good, which can be compared to a
stuffed pancake or waffle with no squares.

Yummy chocolate and cheese and corn flavors.

One of my other memorable meals is the Indomie and BalaBala (which literally means mess - as the veggies are messily fried into vegetable fritters) from a roadside stall on the foot of Kamojang Mountain.

The secret to really yummy Indomie is to eat it with Fried Egg and the
Sambal Sauce! Yummy!!!

While on the food note, I couldn't resist taking a photo of the local sweets from
the breakfast buffet from Hotel Santika, Tasikmalaya.

Then on our way back, we stopped at Rest Km 97 for some Padang Food which originates from West Sumatra.

Eating Padang Food is quite an experience because as
soon as you sit down, they just start serving you.
Imagine our long table filled with dishes like this.

I think at the end, they just bill you for what you touch. Now, don't ask me about what they do with the dishes you don't touch! So you can just imagine how many tables the less popular dishes like Brain Curry (third from bottom on the right side) have been to! Hahaha.

My favorite dish was the green sambal paste! It went so well with the beef
rendang and the hard boiled egg curry!

Teh Talua (Egg Tea) is the National Beveredge of
West Sumatra.

Well, it wasn't all eating for me! I had 2 telecons I attended
this time while in a cab in Jakarta traffic when I got back.

No wonder my stomach just gave up on me when I got back to Manila. Hahaha. Sorry for sharing TMI. just saying.


Pak Asep Stroberi
Jl. Raya Kadungora No. 245, 
Garut, Jawa Barat
Indonesia


Mie Baso Laksana
Indonesian Meatball Place and Noodle House
Jl. Pemuda No. 5, 
Tasikmalaya, West Java 
46113, Indonesia


Rest Area KM 97
Rest Area, Building, and Parking
Jalan Tol Purbaleunyi (Darangdan)
Purwakarta, West Java, Indonesia

Foie Gras Sushi - Nice to Meet You

I love Foie Gras, I love it any any shape, size or form. So, it comes as no surprise, that when I was on my way to my favorite Roast Duck Place for dinner, I still had to stop when I saw this.

Oh Em. Foie Gras Sushi!!! Is this for real???
And not only that! I was on sale too at 50% off!

I saw the sign in front of Nippon Kai. One of the open restaurants in
Siam Paragon's posh looking Food Court Area.

The reality is not quite like the picture, but I think it's even better.
For 150 Baht I got 2 slice of Foie Gras in one sushi!
Half the price! Half the carb! I love it.
It was served with a side of wasabi, pickles and orange segment.

They didn't serve it with soy sauce, but the bottom of the
rice was lightly seasoned. It was perfect.

It could only be better if I could eat more, but I restrained myself. Just imagine, Foie Gras with Japanese Rice! So yummy. It was so good, I am willing to go back and order it at full price. Hahaha, that's saying a lot.

So, Foie Gras Sushi - Nice to meet you! and I hope to see you again!  just saying.

Nippon Kai

Ground Flour, Siam Paragon Shopping Mall

Bangkok

Brunch in Bangkok at Roast

A few years back, my Aunt, who used to live in Bangkok went back to visit and catch up with her friends, and one of the things she brought us, were really good brownies. Soft, chewy and moist, that came in different flavors too, because I remember a Green Tea flavored one. Her friend gave it to her from her son's new place in Bangkok, which was called Roast.

Then when we were in Bangkok a few weekends back, I just asked my friend Anson, places he could recommend for us to eat in Bangkok and one of the places he mentioned was Roast, in the new posh mall, emQuartier in Bangkok (across Emporium), which he said was famous for brunch and dessert. Hooray for my two favorite meals, if dessert is even counted as such.

Fortunately, we were able to squeeze it in for our last day, but our day got so hectic, we ended up getting there around 3:30PM... for brunch! Seriously! It was our first meal of the day and we were starving! The place is very busy too, even at that time, so you'll need to line up and wait.

I was looking through their menu while we were waiting and I had 2 thoughts.
1. I wanted to order EVERYTHING.
2. They had a wide dessert selection, but there were no brownies in the menu!
Booooooo.

Brunch is only served until 4:00pm, and they will not let you order until you have a table available, so I was checking every 5 minutes if we were getting a table soon. But lesson really is not to come too late, especially on a weekend if you want brunch.

Jem and I ordered 2 dishes to share. I honestly thought we could finish 3 dishes between us, good thing she convinced me, we needed to leave space for dessert.

We had Huevos Rancheros from the brunch menu.
Yummy baked eggs in tomato sauce with chorizo
and some potatoes. 350 Baht.

Then we also had the Truffle Alfredo. This was so good,
 but the portion was small. Homemade tagliatelle that was finely made, with
rich cream bacon and mushroom sauce.
So I guess, a small serving is fine since it's so rich. 280 Baht.

Anson didn't mention their drinks, but I think they also take this to the next level.

I had the Iced Espresso Latte, with frozen espresso cubes,
similar to UCC's Kori Kohi, but it just looks much nicer
when served with a topping of foamed milk. 120 Baht.

Mix to taste as you drink it.
So yummy, note to self, I want to make this at home. 

Jem ordered the Strawberry Honey Iced Team,
which was equally social media worthy.
Topped with strawberries and Iced Tea cubes. 140 Baht.

Perfect Brunch after a day at the Spa.
In fact, we were sadly too full to order dessert.

But I couldn't resist taking a picture of someone else's
dessert. Well, I did it before it was served.
Chocolate Nutella Tart. 280 Baht.
With Dark Chocolate and Grapefruit,
topped with Grapefruit Ice Cream. I wanna try this next time.

I really wanted to eat at Roast again on my last trip, but unfortunately, I took so long finishing up something, I only had time to grab a steak from the food court. It was also the first day of Buddhist Lent (local holiday), so I was afraid the lines would be long again. I am sure I will definitely be back next time. Maybe I'll try and ask my aunt, in advance of course, if she can order me some of those yummy elusive brownies. Hahaha. just saying.

Roast

1st floor, The Helix Quartier, EmQuartier

BTS Phrom Phong Station

Back in Bangkok So Soon

I didn't realize I'd be back in Bangkok so soon. Well, to be fair, the last (planned) trip was personal, because we planned a Bridal Shower for my best friend Jem, which you can read about here, while my recent trip was a bit unplanned for work. 

This time around I stayed at Four Points Hotel in Sukhumvit Road (Soi 14) and at first I thought it was on the dodgy side because the lobby was under renovation, but I was glad to be proven wrong.

The room was nice and roomy.

The bathroom was also big with a tub and shower stall,
and a surprise access to the bedroom.

The post it on the mirror from the general manager offering drink specials
was a nice touch - if only it didn't have watermarks from cleaning -
which means it doesn't get changed! Hahaha.

I think this means you can get movies on demand and order popcorn too.

From the other side of the room.

View from the window of my room.

Best enjoyed with French Press Coffee

Breakfast was included in the room rate and the spread was quite good.

I saw some Green Curry, but I wasn't in the mood to eat
curry for breakfast.

I was also rushing to get to the office so I just had my usual egg white
omelet, bacon and cheese with muesli and fresh fruit.

The second day was better because it was a local holiday,
the start of Buddhist Lent, so I could enjoy my breakfast
because I was just working from my room and this time
I had Red Beef Curry with Fried Egg.

I had my muesli with fruit and greek yogurt this time, also accompanied by
a croissant with butter and honey. Yummy!

On the other meals front, we had a lunch at a local restaurant, Mix Restaurant and Bar. Fortunately, our office is located right beside Central Plaza and another new place called The Shoppes Rama so you won't lack for any food options. I let my colleague do the ordering and I think he was surprised I was familiar with all the dishes since we're in Bangkok so often.

Kayang and SomTam - which are normally eaten in roadside stalls

Kayang is Grilled Chicken

Som Tam is Papaya Salad

Ironically, of all the dishes, this is the one I didn't recognize.
Any idea what it is?

If you guessed Pad Thai, you're right!

When I checked the dessert menu, I told my office mate that my favorite Thai Desserts are normally Tako and Khanom Krok, the coconut pudding type desserts you find sold on the street, if you're lucky. My office mate was so nice, he offered to bring me to the food market beside the building to see if we could get some. Hahaha, of course I took him up on his offer!

Market Visit. Literally.
This is where a lot of the locals buy lunch. It's much more affordable than
eating at restaurants.

Yay! I finally got to try this... and a lot of other local sweets.
 Let me just say it doesn't make my top favorites.

Another good thing I forgot to mention about the hotel, is that it had a side entrance you can take that will bring you closer to Terminal 21, a shopping mall that totally deserves it's own post.

A location that's so convenient, if you want to squeeze in some shopping after
work. I also love that it's connected to the BTS (Asok), because it gives me easy
access to Siam Paragon where my favorite restaurant is.

My normal routine when travelling for work is to shop until the shops close, pushing back dinner to around 9pm, which works out quite well because by then it means that I've already burned the calories with all the cardio (walking) and weights (shopping bags).

Since I was only in Bangkok for 1 night, I decided I wanted more of my favorite Boneless Roast Duck from Four Seasons Restaurant, but on my way there, I saw this Foie Gras Sushi, and at 50% off no less, so I really had to try one.

Foie Gras Sushi from Nippon Kai (Siam Paragon Food Court) 300150 Baht
Super worth it! I had to stop myself from ordering more.

At Four Seasons, I ordered my favorite duck! Remember to say sauce on the
side. The skin stays crisper. It comes with some veggies under.

I also wanted some Salted Egg Prawns that we had last time, but I think there's
no way I'd be able to eat all that, so I was happy to find a
Beancurd with Minced Pork and Salted Egg Sauce dish.

Yummy! Perfect blend of healthy ingredients and unhealthy taste.

I was very lucky too, because it didn't start raining
until I was around 2 minutes away from the hotel.

Though I must admit, it gets harder and harder to buy something if you've
just from from a place, but groceries always rule.

The next day, I had the whole morning and then some to work from the hotel.
They were very flexible and allowed me to check-out at 2:30pm.

I just worked straight until I was starving, so I just grabbed a quick lunch from the teppanyaki place at the food court of Terminal 21.

I opted to eat at Tokyo Teppanyaki because I was starving, and I could smell
the food they were cooking.

Not too bad for a food court...

Some Steak Set Meal. It was just a bit over peppered for my taste,
but it was good enough.

I just couldn't resist adding the last picture. I am really enjoying my new role a lot, though it's not as glamorous as it seems with all the jet-setting, hotel hopping, not to mention my quest for good food and shopping too.

When duty calls (literally), duty calls.
I had to take a telecon partly in a taxi, while paying,
while dragging my luggage, and once I got to the airport
that was so fully, while sitting on an empty luggage cart!
hahaha. True! I took minutes too!

So that was Bangkok, officially just one day, but I am sure I will be back. just saying.

Four Points Sukhumvit

4 Sukhumvit Soi 15  

Bangkok, Thailand

http://www.fourpointsbangkoksukhumvit.com/

Terminal 21

2.88 Sukhumvit Soi 19 Sukhumvit Rd, 

North Klongtoei Wattana 

Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Mix Restaurant and Bar

Ground Floor, The Shoppes Rama 9

Nippon Kai

Ground Floor, Siam Paragon Food Court

Four Seasons Restaurant

Ground Floor, Siam Paragon