Fab Feb Celebrations

DaNiece: Anong kakainin natin (What will we eat)?

That was her first question when we picked her up. Uhm, we forgot to mention that it was 1 a.m. and we were on our way to the airport to catch our flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!

That more or less set the tone of our trip, searching for food!

It was our birthday month - Senyorito Lakwatsero, Yaya and I (Mayordoma).

Day 1

After having her share of McDo for midnight snack, DaNiece had set her heart on having Seattle's Best Coffee at the airport.  Unfortunately, the international departure area at NAIA 4 does not have any food concessionaire other than that of AirAsia and as if taunting us, SB was just on the other side of the glass separating international and domestic departures!

After our 3 1/2 hours flight, we have finally landed at KLIA LCCT.  First thing we thought of was, where will we eat? We needed to try something different but still familiar.  So we opted for Jollibee's Malaysian counterpart - Marrybrown. DaNiece, Baby Bunso and Yaya had the Nasi Lemak with Fried Chicken. It was Fish Fillet for Driver and Chicken Burger with Fries for Mayordoma. Of course we needed to order something for Senyorito Lakwatsero, so we got him the kids' meal of Chicken and Fries. Instead of a toy, his order came with a lunch box which proved to be very handy during our trip.  And because steamed rice in Malaysia is usually cooked with coconut milk, we made our first major decision - we will prepare our own rice! Thankfully, instead of booking hotels, we got serviced apartments so they came with their very own rice cookers!  Here's a tip from us.  If you are traveling with a large group and not tied up with tour packages, it is best to book serviced apartments.  Why? Overall they're cheaper because you can bring in and even cook your own food!  And somehow, they give a homey feel because they are designed and equipped like an apartment (condo).

After lunch, we took our connecting flight to Johor Bahru or JB. We were booked at the KSL Serviced Apartments. It was a three-bedroom fully furnished condo unit. Quite a steal because it cost less than USD100! Oh, and it has connecting doors to the mall that is also connected to the hotel that has its own dinosaur-themed water park! 

After checking-in, DaNiece, Driver and I went to Tesco do some grocery shopping. Yaya and Senyorito Lakwatsero went to the water park because the little tyke wouldn't stop yapping about it.  Baby Bunso decided to sleep (something he did almost all through out the trip).

After we were done shopping for our supplies, Driver went to the concierge to arrange our trip to Legoland the following day. DaNiece and I went back to the apartment.

We woke up Baby Bunso (who by the way is a talented chef-in-the-making) to cook our Mi Goreng which is the version of our Instant Pancit Canton. While Baby Bunso was preparing the Mi Goreng, DaNiece fell asleep.  So, Baby Bunso and I had the instant noodles with sliced bread all to ourselves. It was a bit spicy but it was tastier than our Lucky Me here.  We were almost finished with it when Driver arrived. She also liked it so Baby Bunso made another batch. Then a funny thing happened, DaNiece woke up and asked if the Mi Goreng was ready. She was referring to the first batch! She didn't realize that she fell asleep. Guess, that comes with traveling without much sleep!

Because our apartment building is connected to the mall, finding a place to have dinner was easy. For our first night, we settled for Japanese food at Sushi King. We should have had something local, right? Well, the place have a conveyor of sushi and sashimi, who could resist that? So we settled for a bento of either chicken or salmon. It was a sign that pork would not be part of our menu in the days to come!

We had a lost in translation moment. We were not given drinks, so we asked the waiter for "a pitcher of water". He obliged and gave us a pitcher of water but did not give us glasses were we could drink! Anyway, that was settled by another staff. I got curious with their MYR1 Iced Green Tea. It was one pitcher and I was the only who had a taste for something that really does not have a taste.  I finished dinner with a MYR1 Green Tea Ice Cream. Again, ice cream is love!

Before heading back to the apartment, we explored the food stalls at the ground floor. We had two discoveries - the Cendol and a fruit dip similar to our bagoong but sweeter and with a hint of chinese flavor. The Cendol is a cold dessert with strips of pandan, coconut, something similar to the sangkaka and red beans. I was asked whether I wanted to top it with Durian Ice Cream. I am an ice cream addict but Durian is among my limits. 

The dip on the other hand comes with order of various fruits like watermelon, pineapple, macopa, etc. DaNiece and Drivers were instant fans of the dip. 

It was a very loooong day!

Day 2

Two things we are thankful for during our trip, Baby Bunso's cooking skills and Senyorito Lakwatsero's stash of canned goods!  So for breakfast, the always sleeping Baby Bunso prepared a feast of fried rice, scrambled eggs, smoked chicken hotdog, spam, chicken sisig and bread. Here's the thing about Baby Bunso he's very maarte when cooking, while most will just heat the canned chicken sisig, he had to cook it will all this and that! So even if we had canned and processed food, everything tasted great!

With full stomachs, off we went to Legoland! Oh might we add that we felt like Mommy Dionisia during our trip because the vehicle assigned to us was the same model Manny gave to her as a gift, an Alphard!

While all of us were still full from our late breakfast, Baby Bunso, being the almost six feet baby that he is, he was already hungry.  And being the eldest in the group, I had to take care of the "eldest baby". Need to feed the boy or else he won't cook for us. Being in a theme park, food choices were limited. Even if they have differently themed food courts, food choices are almost the same. So while, Yaya, Driver and DaNiece took extreme rides, Baby Bunso and I were ordering his lunch of Nasi Lemak with Fried Chicken. Senyorito Lakwatsero? He was having tantrums at our side because he still was not allowed to take the ride.

Nasi Lemak is fragrant rice with coconut milk. Even if Baby Bunso did not like the coconut component, he had no choice! Hahaha! Oh, the fried chicken? It was a bit spicy. Well, what's considered as original/ regular in Malaysia is already hot and spicy for us!

After some rides and attractions, the group was ready for a late lunch/merienda. Nasi Lemak is definitely out of the choices. Good thing we chanced upon Pizza Mania, for MYR75, we were served with a humungous pizza, four soups, four chicken wings, four fruit cups and four soft drinks! We didn't finish the fruits so we took it home with us. (When we went back to the apartment, DaNiece bought a small order of fruits so we can just have the dip!)

We needed to get back early to the apartment because there was an ongoing celebration that was expected to fill up the streets. So we had to hurry so we won't get caught up in traffic. To add to that, our driver was also joining the event and he did not want to be late.

It was the night before my birthday so I decided to treat them for dinner. We went to One Asea at the mall. Why? Meals come with free flowing drinks and ICE CREAM!  It was my birthday so there had to be ice cream! Once again we had to settle for either fish or chicken - fried, with teriyaki or creamy sauce. I think it was during this time when DaNiece announced that when she goes back to the Philippines, she won't be eating chicken for a week.

We had to settle in early because we had to cross to Singapore the following day.

Day 3

Breakfast was the same affair as the other day.

It was the first time for us to go to another county on land. It was interesting. We took two taxis and immigration was done, toll way style. Again, somebody was sleeping. Your guess is as good as mine!

We went straight to Universal Studios Singapore. Since it was my birthday, I got some freebies and discounts. But I still had to pay my ticket full!

After walking around the theme park and taking some rides, our stomachs started to signal lunch. As part of my birthday treat from USS, we are entitled to a 15% discount at either KT's Grill or Hollywood China Bistro. And because Yaya and DaNiece were very vocal that they were already hungry, we went to these joints to check the offerings. When we were ready to order, the two couldn't be found. Eventually, we found them watching the Streetboys perform. Not sure if it was the Filipino pride in them or they just wanted the show as an appetizer. For people saying that they were famished, they were still able to watch the show for about 30 minutes before they decided to have lunch!

We ended up having lunch at Hollywood China Bistro. They have pork! We had Pork Belly in Homecook Style, Beef in Teriyaki Sauce and Cantonese Roasted Duck. Each entree was served with appetizer, soup, steamed rice and almond jelly. They also gave me a longevity bun. I guess, that's their equivalent of cake!

The rest of the day, was spent going around the theme park with Baby Bunso not wanting to take some of the rides. Probably the next time we visit, even if i bribe him, he won't ride the "The Mummy" again!

After an adventure in the MRT, we went to Bugis to meet with some of DaNiece's friends. While they were catching up, we had dinner at McDonalds. 

Going back to Johor Bahru was another adventure. We were only able to get one taxi and it was already past 10 in the evening. So, Yaya and I had to take bus. The last time we took a bus together was like four years ago and it was a familiar route. This time, we would be crossing countries. It was an amazing race of sorts. We took the bus, went down the bus, up to Singapore immigration, fight our way through the crowd, were practically hanging on the next bus, went down the bus, up to the Malaysian immigration then down to JB Sentral to catch a taxi back to our apartment. Here's the interesting part, we got back earlier than those who took the taxi.

Since it was our last night in JB and we were flying to Kuala Lumpur the following day, we had to finish off what was left in our pantry and refrigerator! 

Day 4

We took a very early flight to KL. Once again, we checked into a serviced apartment connected to a mall, Fahrenheit. After settling down, we went out to look for food while Baby Bunso went to sleep (again)!  Basically, we just bought some pork noodle soup and chicken rice, and ate them at the apartment. It was dinner we were looking forward to because of the night market. The very reason we decided to stay at the Bukit Bintang area.

Except for Yaya and Baby Bunso, all of us have already visited KL in the past. So Driver, DaNiece and Senyorito Lakwatsero gave Yaya a tour of the City. I on the other hand, met up with friends. Do I need to tell you what Baby Bunso was doing? Of course by now, you already know - sleeping!

Our meeting was almost four years overdue. We were supposed to meet when I first when to KL in 2010 but since I was attending a convention, we didn't get to meet. Kuya Jelo, Ate Ali and kids met me at Tous Les Jours (TLJ) which was almost across our serviced apartment. I was mightily impressed with this branch of TLJ, it was like stepping into a french patisserie even if it's a Korean brand with lots of Filipino staff! It was a fun afternoon of catching up. Seeing the kids all grown up made me feel old! Ha! Ha! Ha!  Here's a trivia: We all have "Reyes" in our names but we are not related. But we're like family! And I thank this family for completing my birthday celebration, I had the cutest mini-cake!

Then finally, it was dinner time. Yaya, DaNiece, Driver and Senyorito Lakwatsero set out to the night market with one mission, make sure to have the very flavorful chicken wings! I was stuck with Baby Bunso. And because he has been sleeping the whole day, I made him walk to the Petronas Towers (hey, he wanted to see it)! Afterwards, we walked backed to Bukit Bintang intending to join the rest of the gang at the night market. But Baby Bunso said he was already tired. So we instead settled for Lot 10 Hutong (or as Baby Bunso remembers it,Hu10). The place was beside our serviced apartment. Thanks to Kuya Jelo at Ate Ali's tip!

Lot 10 Hutong is at the basement of Lot 10 and is a heritage village of sorts. It was a basement-full of Malaysian heritage eateries that have survived decades and generations.  And I am not exaggerating when I tell that there are tons of dishes to choose from. But since we felt "pork-deprived" during the trip, we settled for roasted pork cooked two ways, one was like asado and the other one was like lechon macau. And of course, we had the pork noodle soup. Very, very tasty!

One day and one night at KL is not enough. Bukit Bintang alone has loads to offer especially for foodies like us. But we needed to go home. There are these concepts known as work and school! Ha! Ha! Ha!

We are putting KL as one of the places to go back to and we will dedicate our next trip to food adventure alone!

Day 5

Home sweet home! What was the preferred meal when we landed on Philippine soil? No other than the bubuyog na malaki, Jollibee!

 

Mayordoma Chronicles: Ano Pho?

To say that this post is late would be the understatement of the century. 

Last December 2013, I was sent to Hanoi to do some official business. Since it was holiday season, getting a flight was not easy. Most staff traveling to the city take the flight via Thailand. But there was an ongoing unrest in Bangkok. Scratch that. We tried Hong Kong but several lay overs would be required. Erase that. So, I was back into the arms of my old buddy, Singapore!

The best part of traveling via SG is Changi Airport! I had a mission, make sure to have a bowl of Hill Street Tai Hwa's Bak Chor Mee.  Oh, I forgot to mention that this was the first time in my entire life to fly solo. So, Changi and the pork noodle gave me the comfort I needed.

It was already dark when we landed in Hanoi. After going through immigration, picking up my luggage (yup, didn't lose it) and changing USD to local currency, I went out to meet our driver.  And as I stepped out of the airport, Hanoi's winter welcomed me with open arms. Brrrrr!  In case I haven't mentioned it in our previous blogs, I usually travel wearing flip-flops.  Thank goodness, I had the sense to wear long pants! The cold weather calls for hot, hot dinner.

I traveled Sunday but given our conflicting schedules, we (me, our country rep and his counterpart) had our meeting upon my arrival. So, dinner was a business affair. But a relaxed one.  We talked business over a pot of hotpot. I am not sure how it was called but I know how it tastes, hot and sour. It was actually like the laksa in Malaysia and Singapore. I loved how it was served, the hotpot was over a lighted candle. The soup also came with rice noodles, beef, seafood and lots of veggies. For a meal that can feed 3-4 people, it was a steal at USD10! It was also served with Chè which is like the Vietnamese version of our Halo-Halo. Instead of plain milk it comes with coconut milk and a variety of beans and fruits.  But I got most excited with the drink, sugar cane juice. It was so refreshing. We used to have this when I was younger, tubo!

After, finalizing what needs to be done during the mission, we said our goodbyes and I checked in to my hotel.

Breakfast

I don't usually eat breakfast. But since there's an hour difference between Hanoi and the Philippines, breakfast time is my brunch time.  And I couldn't thank enough my colleague Ate Ann for recommending that I stay at Sky Lark Hotel. Aside from being close to most places I needed to go to, the place is new, clean, comes with great service and offers a fabulous breakfast buffet! Did I say that you can have all that at USD50 per room and that it can accommodate two people (yes two beds)!  

So for three days, I had an awesome breakfast of hot soup, cold cuts, breads, pastries, jams, eggs and the sweetest fruits! My breakfast gave me the energy to go through several meetings all over Hanoi during my stay.

Lunch

Huyen, my colleague from Hanoi, gave me a taste of Hanoi when I had my first lunch. She did not take me to a fancy restaurant. We took the side streets near our office and ate at a place which is the equivalent of our Karinderya. Don't raise your brows. No matter how simple the place was, it was full of well-dressed young professionals.  Since I already had hotpot the other night, I opted to order something dry, Pho Xao Thit Bo. This was wok fried flat noodles served with greens and stir-fried thinly sliced beef. Quite close to our pancit canton in presentation and taste.  

My second lunch was quite the challenge. I was in between meetings so my hotel was my home base and I didn't want to have lunch there. Why was it a challenge? If in the Philippines the jeepney is the king of the road, in Vietnam, the scooter is its counterpart and the streets are full of them.  Well, not only the street, but also the sidewalks. If here, vehicles stop at stop lights, there they just go on and on. Crossing the streets in Vietnam is an art. You need to get the rhythm to cross gracefully and safely. Crossing streets is not among my talents even in the Philippines. 

So I had to settle for whatever restaurant I see on my hotel's side of the street.  There were ladies selling hotpot on the street but I couldn't be adventurous when I am on official mission. I couldn't get sick. I just had rice, veggies and barbecued ribs at a nearby restaurant. I still found joy in the restaurant because it has the most creative name I've seen, "ABC Restaurant". It made me look for "123 Cafe"!

For my last lunch, I had a meeting with my counterparts at another center. Among their benefits is free lunch. They have a cook who prepares their meals at the office's pantry at the top floor and I was invited to this affair. It was like having lunch at the kitchen with friends and family. We shared hot soup, noodles, veggies, beef, seafood and dessert. Oh, and our nationalities are as varied as our meal!

Dinner

I decided to have dinner at the hotel because it was cold outside and I don't want to venture out in the dark on my own. Ok, I tried to cross the street but the bell boy accompanied me and it took me minutes before I was able to get the chance to go back to the hotel's side of the street! No more crossing for me!

A trip to Vietnam will not be complete without having a Pho Bo or beef noodle soup. It's simply rice noodles, thinly sliced beef and greens in a broth rich in taste.  The trouble with hotel food is they are usually for sharing. I could actually swim in the bowl! I also ordered fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls. It was the real deal with shrimp, pork, eggs, greens and the nutty vinegar dressing. To complete the trifecta, I ended the meal with a cold and strong Vietnamese Coffee.

My next dinner coincided with El Capitan Taggy's birthday and the gang was celebrating it at The Farm. Senyorito Lakwatsero was waiting for me to come over. Over Facetime, he told me that if I had already missed the plane, I should take the bus. To make myself part of the celebration, I bought a small cake/tart and ordered Pho Xao Thit Bo from the hotel's restaurant.  Noodles for long life!

For last my last dinner, I decided to be more adventurous. Nope, still no street crossing for me. But I ventured a little farther and stumbled upon this pizza place Pepperoni's. Being the oddball that I am, I was in a pizza place but did not order pizza  because - 1) I won't be able to finish a whole one and 2) we always have pizza here. But then, I've already had enough noodles and hotpot.  So, I ordered Singapore Rice which wasn't just rice. It was rice topped with beef and seafoods. Think single serving Singaporean Paella. I also wanted something familiar so I got potato wedges.  I washed them down with cold Vietnamese Coffee. And because I was able to accomplish everything on my to-do list, I gave myself a treat, Banana Split. Ice cream is love!!!

Hanoi is a foodie heaven. I brought my usual canned goods but I did 't even bother to eat them. I gave them to my driver before I left. I promised myself that I'll go back on my own personal time and I'll do it around winter time. Sipping hot pho is best done in cold weather. I'll have my pho from the lady on the street and sit on those small chairs.  For the meantime, I'll just satisfy myself with trips to Phuong's Vietnamese Restaurant at FO Santos in LB, a small eatery managed by a friendly, old Vietnamese lady. 

Ang sarap pho! 

Charqoal: Will you spell that again, please?!

Saw this in the restroom

If you have noted, it has been a while since we have updated our blog.  No, we did not stop our food adventure.  We've been trying out dining areas in San Pablo City but did not find any place worth blogging about.  That was until we stepped into Charqoal Bistro & Bar.

Admittedly, it was the spelling of "charqoal" that got our attention.  We see the place whenever we are north bound. Last Friday night, we wanted to try something new so we decided to go to Charqoal.  We were hesitant at first.  It's a bistro/bar and we were not dressed to dine out and we had Senyorito Lakwatsero with us so we were not sure if they would let the little tyke inside. But all doubts vanished soon as we entered the place.  

We were warmly welcomed by their wait staff and our eyes popped out when we were handed the menu.  We were like, "is this for real?"  Knowing the prices in other bistro/bars in the city, we were surprised that their prices are almost half of those being offered by the said other places.  We can best describe their menu as a cross between the offerings of the restos near the cathedral. Clue - both starts with "Si"!

Basket of Hand Cut Potatoes - Php75

First thing we ordered was the Basket of Hand Cut Potatoes.  Knowing that Senyorito Lakwatsero easily gets hungry and makes his own order follow up, we requested the wait staff to have it done in advance while we were still deciding on what else to eat.  Not sure if we were just enjoying the acoustic jam that night but the potatoes came quick! The large potato cuts ( think fries but thicker, think wedges but thinner) sprinkled with grated parmesan was served in a stainless basket.  For its price of Php75 and past experiences we've had, we really did not expect much from it. But boy, we were wrong!  It was crispy outside with a soft texture inside.  In other words, just right.  Driver even ordered an extra garlic mayo.  Uhm, how much did we like it? We ordered it for Senyorito Lakwatsero but we were the ones munching it.  Senyorito Lakwatsero had to tap our hands!

Smoked Salmon and Shrimp in Garlic Cream Sauce Pasta - Php185

                                           

For our main course, Driver and I (Mayordoma) shared the big platter of Smoked Salmon and Shrimp in Garlic Cream Sauce Pasta.  It was literally served in a large platter.  When we digged-in, the plating and the taste reminded us of a similar dish served at Chelsea Market and Cafe, Serendra.  Driver can't help but comparing it to the Seafood Pasta from another resto which costs almost twice and is just good for one person.  This pasta from Charqoal is just your toss in the ingredients type of pasta and yet it edged the competition.  Just how big is the serving?  Yaya also got her share of the pasta.

Pork Belly with Steamed Rice and Vegetables - Php120

                                          
Speaking of Yaya, because she is a "growing child", she opted for a rice meal - Pork Belly with Steamed Rice and Vegetables.  Again, we were just expecting pork chop with buttered frozen veggies but what landed on our table was a perfectly marinated and basted char-grilled pork belly served with sliced sweet corn - the real deal!

The 6-Pack - Php130

          
Our Boss, Senyorito Lakwatsero, wanted to have a burger.  So, we ordered the interestingly named dish "The 6 Pack".  Hands down to the chef, it really was just 6 small buns with char-grilled patties and cheddar sauce.  Plain as it is, but it tasted so good!  This was also the runaway winner for the best in plating.  The burgers (or sliders, as I call them) were served in skewers like kebabs.  Nice twist!

Roasted Pepper and Cream Cheese Cigars - Php85

                                   

Since Driver and I were sharing the pasta, we decided to order another dish, the Roasted Pepper and Cream Cheese Cigars.  We were really clueless on what it was.  We thought it was just peppers stuffed with cream cheese.  As it turns out, the dish was made up of two rolls of flatbread stuffed with cream cheese served with roasted pepper dip.  Why cigars?  They were rolled as thick as (or even thicker than) Cuban cigars.  Three words to describe it - love! love! love!

Chocolate Bar Nuggets with Praline Bacon - Php90

Even if we still had Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (made by yours truly) at home to have as our dessert, after some discussions, we proceeded to try their dessert offerings.  We first ordered their Chocolate Bar Nuggets with Praline Bacon served with a scoop of ice cream.  You guessed it right, it was the praline bacon that tickled our curiosity.  In addition, we've always wanted to try the Candied Bacon Ice Cream of Merry Moo but it was always already sold out whenever we went to the food truck. And candied bacon it was, "glazingly" sitting on top of a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  The plating was in a deconstructed style.  As we continue to look at the dessert, we stopped and asked ourselves, "where are the chocolate bar nuggets and what is that corn dog looking thingy doing on the plate?"  Then, again, to our surprise, when we cut the corn dog looking thingy, instead of a hotdog, it had the chocolate bar nuggets inside!  Think Cloud Nine Choco Bar-filled corn dog.  One word - innovative!

Salted Caramel and Brownie Milkshake - Php95

                                      

Of course, Driver loves anything with salted caramel so she did not let the night pass without ordering the Salted Caramel Brownie Milkshake.  It was not so sweet, it was just right.  I guess the downside was because we can distinctly identify whats goes into what we eat, we also tasted the straw - like it was from stock. Yes, that's how "hardcore" our taste buds are.  Try to sit near us when we're in a new resto and you will hear us dissecting the contents of our orders down to the spices used! Going back to the straw, the overall effect of the milkshake overshadowed this flaw.

While we three adults were savoring the food, the little boy was having a grand time watching the acoustic band.  And he need not be told to clap because he was clapping as if he understood what was being sung (he's only five).  Actually, he was already sleepy but he wanted to stay and wait for the next set!  We're really starting to get convinced that he is a forty-year old trapped in a five-year old's body.

All these for Php840!

      

Before our night ended, we had another eye-popping moment.  When our bill arrived, it was only Php840 to think that we were full and still had burgers left to bring home to Donya.

This is how we will describe Charqoal Bistro & Bar's menu, simple with a twist and wonderfully executed.  As we always say, ideas are good but it is the execution that matters.

With the kind of food and prices that Charqoal has, we might become regulars of the place.  There are still so many thing we would like to try - Tomato in Cream Soup with Cheddar Fingers, their flatbread pizzas, Bailey's and  Dark Rum Tiramisu, and the Butcher's Special.  Driver and Yaya have already pledged that they will each "sponsor" dinner at Charqoal in the very near future.

Yep, he had his hair cut short!

                          

Till our next adventure!  Hint on the next adventure - I, Mayordoma, am not a coffee person but it might just change!

Charqoal Bistro & Bar

14 Brgy. San Nicolas

San Pablo City

(Near Alaminos boundary)

09234446972

Mayordoma Chronicles: Ang Pandan, bow!

(Note: This is a late post.)

One Wednesday afternoon . . .

BOS:  Prepare your passport.  I have already started the booking process.  Please finalize it. We are leaving for Indonesia early Sunday morning.  And off we went.

The cheapskate in me wanted to fly via PAL since it was a few dollars cheaper.  Good thing, I came to my senses and realized that Singapore Airlines was the better choice - corporate rate and convenience-wise! Or else, I wouldn't have discovered Tai Wah Pork Noodle at Changi Terminal 2.  Well, I didn't actually discover it. One of our colleagues recommended it. 

It was interesting that I have always transited at Changi to the point that I have learned where to take a quick nap without having to go to the Transit Hotel or be in the view of the public - the movie theater at the third level - but I didn't know about this great noodle place.  Probably, it was because of my penchant for the familiar (McDo and BK!).  BOS and I shared the big bowl which was around SGD7.50. The serving was good for  2-3 people.  It may look simple but once you have tasted it, there will be an explosion of flavors in your mouth.  The soup alone was tasty.  It has the flavor of all the ingredients - minced pork, meatballs, pork liver and dried fish. Even the noodles were tasty.  Just how much did we love it?  We had the same meal when we passed through Changi on our way back to Manila!

Though we landed in Jakarta, our ultimate destination was the cool city of Bogor (think, Tagaytay).  We arrived at Jakarta around 6pm and had to travel for a little under two hours.  One of the interesting sights on the road were the food stalls selling stuff from nasi lemak to japanese cuisine.  You read it right, jap food in stalls and not restaurants and on the road side.  These offerings were announced by streamers that were covering the stalls.  Much as we wanted to stop at these stalls, we were running late.  Probably from the exhaustion of traveling the whole day (MNL-SIM-CGK), I didn't even had the energy to take photos.

The venue of the event (where we also stayed for 2 days) was in the middle of a rain forest but of course with modern and world-class facilities.  Thankfully, we arrived before the guest house's dining area closed.  After taking our bags to our respective rooms, BOS and I headed to the dining room for a late dinner.  To say that we were famished would be an understatement - last meal was 12nn at Changi and it was almost 9pm.  At the guest house, there was no menu selection.  One gets served with what is available.  That night, we had rice, ayam (fried chicken) and sambal goreng kering (crispy fried potatoes with chili). The fried chicken was the crispy type we are used to but it was quite flavorful.  Think, chicken adobo simmered in marinade then fried. I was actually hesitant to taste the potatoes.  If you've been reading this blog, you'll know that spicy food and I do not go well together.  But the dish was a surprise. It was spicy since pounded real chillies (sambal) were used but it did not burn my mouth.  The chillies just gave a kick, so to say.  I'll probably try cooking some here.

What's for breakfast, teh?!

It was nice to wake up in the middle of a rainforest. The weather was cool and the greeneries were so relaxing.  I don't usually eat breakfast, but the set up of the buffet table was so nice I was not able to resist it.  They had the usual bread, butter and jam, cereals but I opted to have nasi goreng (fried rice), fried chicken, chocolate muffins, soto ayam (chicken noodle soup), fresh fruits and coffee.  For this meal alone, I broke 3 personal practices - don't eat breakfast, don't eat papaya and don't drink coffee especially when about to go some place after.  It was an epic meal in terms of proportion. Well, actually, I only took a little bit of everything so I could try all of them.  Good thing I gave into temptation.  The soto ayam was like the chicken version of our la paz batchoy.  The papaya was very sweet and refreshing.  Their coffee was very rich.  From what I've heard, it is being served for free at their cafeteria.  Lucky people! One of our hosts even sent us some packages of freshly ground coffee when we went home.

The following morning, there were still the bread, butter, jam, cereals, fresh fruits (they also had a juicer on the table) and coffee.  In addition were the pandan flavored pound cake and egg coated potato.  This is all what I have to say, they have a way of making something simple taste so special.

Unfortunately, we had to leave very early the next day to catch our flight.  It was airport food, Starbucks.  And I was back to my old habit - light  breakfast and no coffee (yep, at Starbucks but no coffee).  Had some danish and bottled water.

What's for midday snack, teh?!

Well,  I didn't really remember much but I am quite sure they were mostly pandan-flavored.  One dish That made an impression was the dadar gulong or coconut pancakes.  They were very thin pandan-flavored pancakes with sweet grated coconut filling and rolled like our fresh lumpia.  This is how I would best describe it -  flavor the crepe batter with pandan then fill it with a crunchy version of the biak na bato filling!  Note to self:  why don't you try recreating it?

What's for lunch, teh?!

Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country so pork was definitely out of our menu.  Lunch was the usual rice, chicken and beef curry.  There were also vegetarian dishes.  Among these was the tempeh (tofu) which came highly recommended by my friend Billy Boy who used to frequent the place.  It was the tofu version of the sambal goreng kering mentioned earlier. It was addicting but when I thought of the effect of beans to the joints, I had to stop.  Two discoveries that stood out were the asinan and the sweet basil coconut drink.  The asinan is a pickled fruit/vegetable dish.  The version that we had was composed of mango, water apple (macopa), singkamas, papaya, pineapple and raw sweet potato served in sweet, hout and sour vinegar and chili sauce, and sprinkled with roasted peanuts. Yes, it was a mouthful.  BOS, loved it!  I, on the other hand, fell in love with the coconut juice served with sweet basil seeds.  Trivia:  I don't like basil in my food but I do love them in my drinks.  Case in point, my other favorite drink locally is the lemon-basil shake!  Going back to my sweet basil seeds drink, there's a similar version available at SM but it's in water unlike the coconut juice version that I had. Ice cream was also passed around, Magnum in particular.  And I rejoiced with my discovery.  Not a new flavor but I learned that my counterparts in Indonesia share my opinion that Magnum is an overpriced, overrated ice cream! Ha! Ha!

What's for dinner, teh?!

For dinner, two of our hosts who used to work with BOS while they were still at our center took us to De'luit Restaurant.  This is the Indonesian version of our palaisdaan or barrio fiesta like restaurants.  It was an open restaurant.  One can opt to dine at the usual tables but we chose their kubo-like dining area.  Inside the kubo was a low table so we had to remove our footwear and do an an indian seat. We had a ginormous crispy fried gourami, calamares, spicy beans and of course, sate ayam or chicken barbecue.  Prior to this meal, I thought a gourami is just for display. And I also use the term interchangeably with jutanders.  Guramis = gurangis, get it?!  Even if it was just fried, it had a sweet taste.  Again, I loved the chicken barbecue.  It was basted with peanut sauce.  Aside from the interesting tables, their restrooms were also notable.  Why? Aside from the usual female and male rooms, they have a rest room specially designed for kids!

We headed to Botani Square for some "pasalubong" shopping.  We capped the night with doughnuts and coffee. Where else?  At J.Co!  Here's the thing.  I've had J.Co a few times before this trip but I have never dined in any of the branches in the Philippines since the place was always full.  And based on what I have tried, it was not worth queuing for so long.  I was like, there was probably something wrong with my taste.  Other people seemed to like it.  But there was no beeline at J.Co Botani considering that the place was in a busy mall!   J.Co originated from Indonesia. Hmmm, I came to the conclusion that it's the hype and not the taste that causes the lines here in the Philippines. Therefore, nothing's wrong with my taste.  I would rather queue for the bicho-bicho of Everlasting or the one in Nagcarlan or even just for the inasukalang donut of Maligaya Bakery.

Here's the catch, BOS and I were back at J.Co the following night.  Not because we loved the donut, but I discovered that an order of a beverage comes with a donut for free!  So I offered to buy BOS a drink for 36,000!  Truth be told, we were actually waiting for our host and J.Co was a good location to be be visible. And yeah, there was wifi!

For our last dinner we went to Yoshinoya, the Japanese restaurant.  Same as the one we have here.  I've noted that if we here at the Philippines are more inclined to American and Italian food, in Indonesia it was Japanese food. Remember the roadside stalls?

Interesting finds, a play with words

I had so much fun finding unique sounding pasalubongs.  Just check out the photos.  Words do not have meanings.  We're the ones who put meanings to them.

I've always been hesitant to try the unfamiliar but Indonesia taught me to take the risks. And as they say, only those courageous enough to take the risks are rewarded in the end.  It was indeed a reward.

Terima kasih! Maraming Salamat!  Thank you, Indonesia!