Meals on the plane

I went back to Indonesia for a family emergency last month and stayed home most of the time. While I didn't get a chance to eat out during my stay, I enjoyed my meals on the plane. Was pleased to find the Oriental Breeze - Cathay Pacific's non-alcoholic signature drink- was on the menu on the outbound flight. Oriental Breeze (pictured on the left) has become my favorite drink since I tried it for the first time 5 years ago. It's a sour--plum tea and cranberry juice with honey, fresh lemon and a hint of rose water. It's refreshing, delicious and very aromatic. 

On my flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong: appetizer was shrimp and pineapple plus lobster salad. 

For the main course, I chose salmon and ended the meals with cheese platter

After a few good hours of sleep, I got hungry again and was served a bowl of noodle with duck breast and and vegetables when I asked for a midnight snack. I was worried the duck meat would be very fatty but was pleasantly surprised it wasn't. I didn't eat the skin and the meat was tender and tasty.  

For breakfast, I started with fruits, then a bowl of muesli and fried noodles with dumplings as the main course. At the same time, I also managed to eat two muffins - always like Cathay Pacific muffins which were delicious!

I was still full when breakfast served on board from Hong Kong to Jakarta. So I opted out for most meals offered except for muffin (of course) and dim sum. The muffin as usual was good, but the dim sum was so so.

On my flight home, I was not very enthusiastic taking pictures of the meals. I just lost my father and I was having a real hard time grasping the reality that he is no longer with us.....

Jakarta, November 2009

Beautiful pictures of Bunderan HI (HI roundabout) Jakarta at dawn viewed from hotel room.

and on a normal day...

I was in the city for 10 days last month and as always, had a great visit. In addition to spending time with family and doing some work, I attended a half-day workshop about making batik (mostly tracing over the design on a cotton cloth with hot wax using canting) held in Museum Bank Mandiri. It was a fun activity in a beautiful setting. I would do that again for sure.

A Family Trip to West Sumatra

Afternoon fog in Puncak Lawang

2 days after I arrived in Jakarta, eleven of us -including my parents, all sisters, one brother in-law, three nephews and one niece- headed to West Sumatra. The plan was to visit Padang, Bukittinggi and the towns where my parents were born and grew up. The trip went great, my parents really enjoyed being back in their home towns with all their children and some of their grandchildren. But we had a bit of scare. The entire family narrowly missed (by just a few hours) getting caught in the earthquake in Padang.  Hotel Ambacang where we were supposed to stay was collapsed. Sadly, a number of people died there. 

September 30: Jakarta to Padang via Pekanbaru on Asia Air. Arrived in Pekanbaru at 8:00 a.m. only to find our rental cars were nowhere to be seen. While waiting for the cars (and the drivers) to arrive, we had breakfast at the airport restaurant.  90 minutes later left Pekanbaru heading to Bukittinggi to meet our twins cousins Y & Y who would then take us to Padang. Arrived in Bukittinggi around 4:30 p.m., 2 hours behind schedule.  

Our parents - Maninjau Lake at the background

We were just about to leave the city about 45 minutes later, when we felt a strong earthquake. After the earthquake, we continued our drive to Padang, but had to turn back to Bukittinggi an hour later after finding out that all access to Padang were closed by landslides from the earthquake. After unsuccessful attempts to contact Hotel Ambacang in Padang where we had our rooms booked for the night, we gave up and checked onto The Hills in Buittinggi. Later that night we learned that Padang was heavily damaged and Hotel Ambacang was collapsed where many guests were trapped inside. We were speechless and couldn't stop counting our blessings. Had the car rentals arrived on time at the airport to pick us up, we would have been in our rooms in Hotel Ambacang getting together with all our relatives who live in Padang when the earthquake hit. 

Songket making - Rumah Tenun Pusako

October 1:  Had breakfast at the hotel and stayed put until we got a confirmation that all our relatives in Padang were okay. By noon families in Padang decided that there was no way for us to visit Padang. Instead my mom's siblings would meet us all in Bukittinggi as soon as the access is available. We visited Ngarai Sianok (Sianok Gorge) and had lunch at Gulai Itiak Lado Mudo (young duck cooked in green pepper). After lunch we headed to Dad's hometown, Lawang to visit Puncak Lawang and his family house "Rumah Batu".  Puncak Lawang which is located about 1200 meters above sea level is the best spot to view Maninjau Lake. 

Traditional house in Lawang

On the way back to Bukittinggi, stopped by Bika Si Mariana for a sweet treat. Bika is a speciality from West Sumatra made of rice flour, grated coconut and palm sugar then baked in direct flames inside belanga (a type of kettle with a wide mouth but no lid). Dinner was Minangkabau cuisine again at RM Sederhana. 

Our dinner at Simpang Raya

October 2:  Walked around Jam Gadang right after sunrise while the rest of the gang was still in bed. Had breakfast at the hotel then waited for news from our families in Padang. By 2:00 p.m. my uncle In informed us that they just left Padang after waiting for 7 hours to get gas. Since our parents were too tired to go out and all the boys seemed to be interested more in playing with their notebooks, my sisters and I decided to go to Pandai Sikek, a small village not too far from Bukittiggi that is known for its fine quality songket.  Songkets are ceremonial wear from Sumatra. In West Sumatra, they are woven in silk and intricately patterned with gold and/or silver threads. We visited Rumah Tenun Pusako and was thrilled to meet nenek (one of the main players in Pandai Sikek tradionatlonal weavings) and her daughter as well as watch how a songket is made. Their songket collections are just fabulous. Each of us left Rumah Tenun Pusako with at least a piece of Songket. I decided to get one piece that has old Minangkabau pattern and color. 


October 3: Tired of having hotel food for breakfast, around 6:00 a.m., I walked to Los Ambuang that is not too far from the hotel to get Katupek Picak Tek Apuak for a take-out. After breakfast, hang out in the hotel, then went to mom's hometown, Simabur in Batusangkar. Since we arrived in Bukittinggi, our eyes were spoiled by the beauty of the sceneries of the countryside - a common scene that we enjoyed everywhere in West Sumatra would be either abundant rice fields or lush green of spectacular valley and mountains at the background. The ride from Bukittinggi to Simabur was no different.

Rice paddies in Koto Gadang

Lunch was a home-made traditional spread of Minangkabau cuisine at my mom's sister. We all agreed that lunch was the most delicious meal we've had during our trip. After lunch we visited our grandparents' graveyards, then drove to Batusangkar to re-visit Istana Pagaruyung (Pagaruyung Palace) -  my first visit to this palace was in the 70s. Unfortunately, the palace was still being re-built after the fire that totally vanished the building in 2007.  Dinner was Martabak Kubang (savory meat pancake Kubang stye) at Restoran Kubang Hayda. Kubang is a small village, 140 km from Payakumbuh where the maker of this dish is from. 

October 4: After breakfast at the hotel again, we went back to Rumah Tenun Pusako in Pandai Sikek before visiting Kota Gadang that is known for its fine silver crafts. Lunch was again masakan Minang but this time at Rumah Makan & Restoran Family. Hang out in the city, then had a delicious - or not so delicious if you don't like durian - Martabak Durian (a pancake stuffed with durian) for snack. Went out to get some Keripik Balado Sarina (spicy cassava chips) from Padang. I didn't get the famous Kripik Balado Christine Hakim per my aunt's recommendation who lives in Padang. It was a good choice. After having Sate Padang from a restoran that my uncle frequented to, we hang out and chatted in the hotel rooms until midnight when it's time for us to leave for Pekanbaru to catch our flights to Jakarta the next morning. 

Martabak Kubang - Yum yum

October 5: Checked out from the hotel at midnight then left Bukittinggi shortly after.  The drive to Pekanbaru was easy - but not for our cousins Y & Y who had to drive on the road with no sufficient street lights -. The drive was a lot more pleasant than the one we took from Pekanbaru with the rental cars. Arrived in Pekanbaru before dawn, went to our cousin's house to freshen up and had breakfast then on to the airport. By the time we arrived in Jakarta every one was starving so we decided to have lunch at Bakmi GM inside the airport before heading home.

Family Time in Jakarta: Celebrating Ramadan

Menjelang puasa disempatkan pulang sebentar karena ingin menikmati puasa di tanah air. Hehehe.. sejujurnya sih alasan utamanya karena tidak mau bengong sendiri di rumah. Suami tugas ke salah satu negara di Afrika yang sikon nya tidak memungkinkan spouse untuk mendampingi. Mau mengunjungi adek di Perancis, duh ngurus visanya males banget. Sempat mikir juga untuk jalan-jalan ke negara lain yang tidak butuh visa, tapi mengingat bulan puasa mana enak jalan-jalan tanpa makan-makan. Ya udahlah mending pulang ke Indonesia ajah. Supaya bisa ketemu dan supaya anak-anaknya bisa merasakan suasana puasa di Indonesia, adek yang tinggal di Perancis dan sedang berlibur di Jakarta memutuskan untuk memperpajang liburannya. 

Jadilah kita semua sempat berkumpul selama minggu pertama Ramadan. Walaupun selama di Jakarta sakit (sebelum berangkat juga sudah sakit sih), tetap bisa menikmati quality time with my family walaupun tetep tidak lengkap. Tiga dari 4 menantu ortu tidak bisa ikutan; yang satu tugas ke Afrika, yang satu ketinggalan di Perancis dan yang satunya lagi sedang ada urusan di Amerika. Kapan ya semua bisa ngumpul bareng?

Sabtu malam sebelum puasa, disempatkan makan malam di Satay House Senayan. Buat saya makanan di SHS tidak terlalu istimewa sih rasanya, tapi nggak tau kenapa sejak dua tahun terakhir setiap pulang SHS jadi salah satu restoran yang selalu dikunjungi. Yang dipesan selain sate ayam dan sate kambing antara lain nasi bebek (lumayan gurih bebek gorengnya), cumi goreng tepung (biasa aja), gurame bakar (tidak terlalu istimewa) , nasi goreng (nggak sempat nyobain), tumis kagkung terasi, urap, gurame goreng (enak).

Hari Minggunya lunch bareng lagi di Gubug Makan Mang Engking yang berlokasi di area Kampus UI Depok. Tempatnya sih luas dan adem karena masih banyak pohon pohon di sekitarnya jadi tidak terlalu panas. Sesuai pesanan kami memilih duduk lesehan diatas kolam ikan. Anak-anak seneng banget ngasih makan ikan-ikannya. Selain saya yang lain sudah pernah makan disini jadi merekalah yang milih menunya, termasuk udang bakar madu, makanan andalan restoran ini. Selain itu kami pesan udang goreng, gurame goreng polos, gurame bakar kecap, tahu dan tempe goreng (wajib), karedok, tumis kangkung, cumi goreng tepung, sayur asem, plus tiga sambal; sambal terasi dadak, sambal tomat dan sambal cobek. Sambal cobeknya pedes des des. Yang juara buat saya gurame goreng (tetep). Karedoknya boleh lah, cumi gorennya juga lumayan. Udang bakar madunya saya tidak begitu suka karena rasa asli udangnya sudah agak hilang terdominasi oleh rasa madu.
Kembang Goela mendapat giliran sebagai tempat berbuka puasa pada satu hari sebelum adek sekeluarga pulang ke Perancis. Restoran ini juga sudah jadi salah satu restoran yang kudu wajib dikunjungi setiap pulang ke Indonesia. Tempatnya adem dan wangi, makanannya sesuai dengan selera. Klop dah. Selain di Restoran Kembang Goela, buka puasa selebihnya (cuma 10 hari sih berpuasa di rumah) selalu dinikmati di rumah dengan menikmati masakan rumahan yang selalu "ngangeni". Ah... I wish I could spend the whole Ramadan with my family at home.


Karena tidak sempat merekam foto-foto makanan di restoran yang dikunjungi selama mudik, sebagai gantinya puas-puasin memotret makanan yang disajikan di pesawat.

My breakfast in the sky; fluffy hotcake served with fresh mixed berries, cottage cheese and maple syrup, SQ's version of pancake. It was very tasty considering a plane meal.

Japanese meal - my lunch on flight SQ12 en route to LA on September 11, 2008.

Satay House Senayan
Jalan Pakubuwono VI/6
Jakarta, Indonesia


Gubug Makan Mang Engking
Kampus UI Depok, Indonesia
Tel.: 021 9956 9150


Kembang Goela
Plaza Sentral, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 47-48
Jakarta
Tel.: 021-520-5651

Pak Webee

We just got back from a very relaxing and wonderful vacation in Bali. Having Pak Webee to help us get around Bali definitely enhanced our experience very much. Pak Webee was very nice, honest and most importantly he was a good driver. He was a dependable and clearly knows Bali very well. Well, he is from Bali after all. He was quick to learn what we liked or which spots we wanted to avoid and gave recommendations accordingly.

One day he stopped the car on a countryside road so we could view the three highest mountains in Bali- Gunung Batur, Gunung Batukaru and Gunung Abang. It was the perfect spot to see all the three mountains. Another day, he pulled over and walked us to a perfect spot so that we could enjoy a very beautiful valley overlooking two lakes. He was very knowledgeable and patiently showed us around. We never had to worry about whether or not he would show up or he would be on time. He always came early to our hotel in Ubud. It was great to have someone as dependable as Pak Webee. If we return to Bali, we will definitely want Pak Webee to be our driver again. We highly recommend him.

Pak Webee
p: 081 236 40 160
e: webee@dps.centrin.net.id

The Viceroy, Ubud, Bali

We were so pleased with our 5-night stay at this idyllic place. Staying at this hotel really made our vacation in Bali incredibly relaxing. We chose this place for its serene and tranquil atmosphere, in contrast to Kuta, Legian, or other locations that usually come with a lot of tourists and noises. The fact that it was a small property and not a chain hotel was a real plus. Its location couldn't have been more perfect. Nestled at Lembah valley, this small resort is surrounded by rainforest and rice paddies, a truly wonderful romantic gateway for those of us who enjoy absolute privacy and appreciate a quiet spot. 

Although it is located in a very private and serene setting, the hotel was also within easy reach of central Ubud. The Viceroy provides a free shuttle that took us back and forth from the town center per our own schedule. You gotta love that :-) The entire experience was extraordinary. The spa was soothing; the infinity pool was refreshing and peaceful; the views were magnificent. And the staff was tremendously friendly and helpful; they always greeted us by name. We were told that all 11 villas were occupied when we were there, but we hardly saw anyone. They served a great breakfast, which we never missed during our stay. Their lunch was not bad either. This place was truly an idyllic place for vacation! 


Some of delicious meals we really enjoyed ....

Bubur Ayam

The Viceroy Bali

Jln. Lanyahan, Br Nagi, Ubud, Bali 80571
Indonesia

Ngiring Wedang, Traditional Bali Coffee

So after spending our morning in Bedugul enjoying the beautiful Lake Bratan and Ulun Danu Temple, we told Pak Webee that we wanted to have lunch at a spot that wouldn’t be too touristy and if possible a spot with a great view. He drove us up on a narrow road towards a ridge over looking lakes Buyan and Tamblingan. Along the way, we were wowed by the view of these two lakes beautifully framed by so much greenery and wild flowers. We breathed wonderfully fresh air and appreciated the quietness of the surrounding area. So serene. Even a group of monkeys seemed to enjoy it as well. They just sat quietly on the curb watching cars by.

Roasting Process

Pak Webee took us to a place called Ngiring Wedang Restaurant and Villa on the ridge in Munduk Village in North bali. The place was nice and clean, overlooking the wide valley of rice terraces opening to the ocean. According to Pak Webee, on a clear day you can see part of Mt Rinjani in Lombok. The food at the restaurant wasn’t bad, but the coffee was terrific! They serve simple Indonesian food and some limited western food. I don't remember what I ate, but I do remember the view. And my husband remembers the coffee! He usually adds plenty of milk and sugar to his coffee, but the coffee here was so good that he drank it without either. Clearly people come here to enjoy the view and the restaurant's home-made coffee. The restaurant roasts and grinds the coffee beans by hand using traditional equipment. Their coffee is picked from their own coffee plantation across the street from the restaurant. Talk about fresh coffee! It is not a big coffee roasting company so they roast their coffee daily in small batches. I am not a coffee drinker and only tasted a sip here and there. We bought their Arabica fresh bean for our coffee-drinker friends at home. And they liked the coffee very much.

Ngiring Wedang Restaurant & Villa

Munduk Village, North Bali

P: 0812-380-7010

Kembang Goela, Jakarta

Tidak banyak yang berubah di Jakarta sejak saya mudik bulan Februari taun ini, kecuali kemacetan lalu lintasnya yang tambah parah. Kemacetannya menurut saya sudah gila-gilaan. Belum lagi kalau hujan, jarak yang seharusnya bisa ditempuh dalam waktu sepuluh menit, harus ditempuh dalam waktu hampir satu jam! Salut buat warga Jakarta yang kuat dan tabah menjalani kemacetan seperti ini setiap hari.

Untungnya kami tidak perlu terlalu sering berada di jalan, kecuali waktu ketemuan dengan Mbak Ria, Yola, Ratih dan Tia di Warung Pojok di Plaza Senayan dna untuk pergi makan. Bangkrutlah kalau makan di hotel terus. Anak-anakpun tampaknya senang saja tinggal di hotel karena mereka bisa berenang dan main kartu rame-rame. Hehe.. setiap cakep ikut pulang, kegiatan yang dilakukan tidak jauh dari berenang bareng dan main kartu. Kalau tidak main kartu atau berenang, ya leyeh-leyeh di lobby atau di kamar hotel dan coba restoran baru (maksudnya restoran yang belum pernah dicoba, bukan restorannya yang baru). 

Senin tanggal 19 November yang baru lalu kami sekeluarga mencoba makan siang di Kembang Goela, restoran yang menyediakan masakan peranakan Belanda dan Indonesia. Begitu memasuki restoran tercium bau wangi yang terpancar dari rangkaian besar bunga sedap malam segar diatas meja dekat pintu masuk. Mata langsung tertuju ke chandeliers di ruangan restoran berlangit-langit tinggi dan berjendela kaca besar. Kain-kain batik memenuhi bagian atas dinding restoran, meja kursinya berwarna gelap. Makanan yang ditawarkan dikemas dan disajikan secara elegan dengan cita rasa mendekati sempurna dan sederhana tanpa memakai bumbu yang complicated dan tidak terasa berlebihan. Konon seperti itulah masakan peranakan Indonesia-Belanda ini diramu dan disajikan di rumah para bangsawan dan keluarga Belanda pada jaman kolonial.

Kami betul-betul menikmati makan siang di Kembang Goela. Serasa  menikmati masakan di rumah bangsawan bergaya kolonial jaman baheula. Yang unik adalah penamaan makanan yang ditulis dengan menggunakan ejaan lama atau menggunakan figur yang mengingatkan jaman baheula. Dari bon makanan yang kami pesan tercatat antara lain: Es Peyeumpuan, Es Jangan Ditanya, Soda Pelangi, Ayam Mevrouw Lientje, Ongseng-ongseng Kecipir, Hot Plate Kangkoeng, Nasi Goreng Si Pitoeng, Tahu Sedap Malam dll. Yang paling saya suka siang itu adalah Dendeng Balado yang dagingnya diiris sangat sangat tipis hampir transparan dan Ikan Krapu Bakar. Oh Wedang Jahenya juga nikmat.

Kembang Goela

Plaza Sentral Parking Lot, Jl. Jend. Sudirman

Ph.: 021-520-5651

A Great Sunday in Gasol Organic Farming, Cianjur, Indonesia

He who would travel happily must travel light - Antoine de St. Exupery

I love not to check in my luggage when travel domestically - that's how hubby and I travel here. It is really hassle- and stress-free to have only a carry-on when traveling. What I enjoy the most is not to have to arrive at the airport as early and to be able to leave the airport in a jiffy. Not to mention to  have peace of mind knowing my belongings are with me when I arrive at the destination and not to worry loosing them to misrouting or theft. 

I always wanted to try to travel light internationally as well. So far I haven't been very successful especially when I go to Indonesia and wanted to bring stuff for my family. Last month though when I went home for 8 days I decided to give it a try and only had one carry-on and a back pack with me - boy was i glad with my decision. I didn't have to wait at baggage carousels after the immigration, went out to get a taxi within minutes then straight into Jakarta traffic. Very fast process.

Lumbung -  to store rice after harvest

My time in Jakarta unfortunately went as fast as my travel. Between attending Stanvac Family Reunion and participating in Jalan-jalan ke Petak Sembilan (take a stroll to Petak Sembilan, part of Jakarta Old Town in Chinatown area), a fun event arranged by Jalansutra, I managed to convince my family to visit Gasol Organic Farming in Cianjur on Sunday. Cianjur is a small city in West Java, located in the middle of the road between Jakarta and Bandung, and is known as one of the best growing areas for rice in Indonesia. Gasol Organic Farming is owned by Ika Suryanawati, an Engineer in Agriculture by training, who  grows her farm using only organic fertilizer (goat manure and azolla) and traditional tools and methods during harvest. 

Ika, her husband, her two kids and her mom greeted us when we arrived at the farm around mid-morning. Shortly after we arrived, rain started to pour so we went inside one building adjacent to the main house that opens all sides so we could still enjoy the rice fields while listening to Ika's history and stories about her organic farm. I was fascinated by her courage and passion to grow her farm organically in the area where everyone else does the opposite. Ika hoped that other farmers will follow suit someday. I hope so to Ika. We tasted your rice and would want our children and grand children have the chance to also have access to organic rice in the future.

By now the rain had stopped. So off we went to the fields with a great excitement and started walking in the rice fields on foot and breathe the fresh air. Ika and her family walked along and warned us repeatedly to walk carefully and slowly as the soil from the rain was slippery. The soil was indeed slippery and muddy but it felt so good on our feet. Everyone really enjoyed the walk and the beauty of the fields. It was great to see my father, who was not foreign on walking in the rice fields while growing up in West Sumatra, enthusiastically explain what he knew about rice paddies. The smell of the goat manure that Ika used to fertilize her farm didn't seem to bother us at all. If all, it was such a nice reminder that we're getting back to nature for a change. Where can we smell fresh manure in the city? :-)

And the lunch we had after our nice walk - served on banana leaves instead of plates - was simply delicious! Ika's mom prepared Nasi Liwet Sunda, a traditional rice dish from West Java cooked in water, lemongrass, sauteed shallots and local spices in a heavy pan. To accompany the already-delicious nasi liwet were fried fish - the fish were from the pond right outside the place where we're having our lunch (talk about fresh!), fried tempe and tofu, sayur asam (clear vegetable tamarind soup), sauteed kangkung (water spinach), perkedel jagung (corn fritter), home-made sambal oelek, and of course kerupuk, a must-have item in every meal in Sundanese family. We were so happy with the food that we talked about it again during our dinner at Kafe Mangiare and still talked about it the next day. :-)




Gasol Pertanian Organik 
Desa Gasol, Kecamatan Cugenang
Kabupaten Cianjur
e-mail: gasolpertanianorganik@gmail.com

Family and Mangoes

Family.....work....and super yummy mangoes!!!

I was back in Jakarta again in November and had a fabulous time with family.


Enjoying a relaxing afternoon with my parents in a cozy cafe  (the name of this particular cafe has slipped my mind) becomes a routine when I am back in Jakarta.

Or spending time with my nephews and niece at the pools   here and here . I stayed in two different hotels this time. :-)

or eating mangoes. A lot of it!

Lucky for me mango was in season during my entire visit so I could indulge myself with different varieties in season! Golek, Arum Manis, Indramayu, Manalagi, Kwini to name a few. I grew up eating mangos - or mangga Indonesians would call it - when we lived in South Sumatra. So I have a pretty high standard for mango - hence I don't buy mango in the U.S. after trying several mangos imported from different countries.  I found mangos in the U.S. just was not as tasty and fresh as the ones I used to enjoy. Cannot wait to taste such fresh and delicious mangos again when I am back home next year!