Mummynista!

Looking for great western food with a bit of an interesting twist? And also a less horrifying bill and a nice ambience?  Check out Koi Kemang or Koi Mahakam, and you won't regret. It's been a month since I arrived in Jakarta, and I would say Koi Kemang is one of the best restaurants in Jakarta and also my personal favourite. I like here way better than Union . Pretty art pieces filled up the textured walls. A great selection of wine. I like the classy yet laidback ambience of the restaurant; the couple times I went it was also full but not overly noisy so it's a great place to relax, have a good conversation over great food. My personal favourite is the Melted Brie on Beef Bacon and Potato Crisps Salad(below), the combination is simply amazing. It is great as a starter for sharing. I don't have the pictures here but the Escargot on Pastry starter is great as well, if you like snails like I do. You have to try this. Melted Brie on Beef Bacon and P...

We went there the first time last week and I was back again today. Not sure if you realised but groceries are considerably pricey in Jakarta; as compared to the overall living standard.  I find that meat in Ranch Market and even Carrefour/Lottemart to be more expensive than Singapore. And less fresh. And thank goodness we found Indoguna through Ana's blog   and can attest that it was a great recommendation as the prices were almost half of Ranch Market and twice as fresh. It is not a big shop but you can find most of the cuts you want (beef), some lamb, salmon, mackerel and sometimes even lobster! So this is definitely the place to go to if you want some great and cheap meat in Jakarta! Apparently Indoguna supplies to all the major supermarkets here, hence the lower price; and I've checked out that they do also have a presence in Singapore. Entrance of the meat shop. Some of the purchases today. I've got 6x ribeyes, 2x tenderloins, 0.5kg ground beef, salmon...

The last that I checked, I am not a hermit, at least I don't look like one so...I kept myself surprisingly busy by trying to find myself some new friends in this new city. I think meeting like-minded people is one of the most important thing for someone new in town especially if you are a stay-home-mom or temporarily not working. As much as I love Alex, it is a one way conversation; at least at this point of time. And talking too much to Alex's nanny or the apartment's concierge is also not the best thing either. I realised I needed friends (of the same frequency)..if you know what I mean..so that I can sustain my sanity in this lovely yet crazy place. And I also know that I don't possess some super magnetic powers that I could just sit at home and people will come knocking on my front door, "Hi C, I am your new friend." So I decided to take a proactive approach to this and here's couple of channels that I've used or reached out to: 1. Fri...

I was meeting someone there and he suggested Djournal. I went there for the first time and I fell in love with it. So I brought G there after Church yesterday. I love the rustic blend of contemporary and vintage. Mint Mojito Coffee. Very interesting flavour and the blend of coffee is fragrant.  I just love, love, love all the little details they put into the decor. G had a chicken wrap. I had the Aglio Olio. G is an avid Starbucks fan and he agreed that this cafe is indeed very nice in many ways. Coffee is quite fabulous and I like the Lychee Tea (I'm not a coffee drinker). What I like about the place is that it is kind of hidden; not too busy and have a wide selection of drinks as well as some cafe food.  It is a great place to have some alone me-time and also a lovely hang out place with friends. It is a self service place so you don't get interrupted by rude waitresses or feel any pressure to not linger too long. Overall 9/1...

G needed a haircut and I was curious about the vintage barbershop that was featured in Honeycomber s ...so we decided to check it out right after brunch today.  So full of nostalgia! It's as if we've time-travelled. Before the haircut. Remember these chairs? The haircut, including the barber's very conscientious effort and a finishing shoulder massage, costs only 50,000 IDR ($5usd~) . We gave the barber quite a huge tip as we kinda felt bad that it costed so little for almost 40mins of his effort.  We wouldn't say that it was a fabulous haircut(no it didn't make G look any closer to Ryan Gosling) but it will be good enough for a male who just wants a basic and neat haircut. And of course it is worth a visit for just the fun and nostalgia factor.  There's also lots to eat around there, with a Japanese Grocery Store- Cosmo nearby where you can get fresh Sashimi and other Japanese stuff.  BLOK M Branch  Gedung Resto Ayam Bulungan,...

After almost an hour of traffic, we arrived at Super Steak. To our dismay, it was closed... Due to my sudden dyslexia, I didn't spot that it was listed on the website that the restaurant is closed on Monday. *Angst* Needed a quick plan change since we were on a cab; we headed to Union at Plaza Senayan which was nearby. Union is highly raved in Tripadvisor and some online portals, hence I was looking forward to some good food. Tucked away in Departmental Store Sogo. 1st Floor. Nice interior and ambience. Melon & Mint Smoothie. Looks unassuming but taste like everything. Amazing. Crispy Pork Belly with Mustard Vinaigrette. Beef Burger. Tiramisu. A mbience Lovely. We noticed that there's more females than males in the restaurant. Perhaps the assortment of sweets and cocktails are more appealing to us, the sweeter gender *snicker*. The decor is tastefully done in classy oakwood and the lights are dimmed nicely. The place was bustling; great if yo...

A friend invited us to this place; we would otherwise never have found it. I was initially seduced by the 'barbecue buffet' however was disappointed when the food ran out within an hour( all I got was some fries)! The place was pleasant in a way because it was so unexpected. When I stepped foot into the area, it felt as though I've been let into a little secret. There was a live band playing which added to the ambience. I don't mean to be critical but you can't expect fantastic singing skills though. The owner was really friendly; making his rounds, introducing himself and occasionally cracking jokes. There was a mini pool right in the middle where I think only kids would find appealing to take a dip or unless one is really drunk. I mean it is a nice touch to have a cute lit pool but I think it is really just for aesthetics purposes? Little bustling place. Children playing in the pool while their parents enjoy some beer. Feeling adventurous, we tri...

To 'celebrate' our successful week in Jakarta, I suggested to G that we should do a nice dinner at the Ritz just across the street. It was actually just an excuse to have a variety of food that I would like- satisfying both my Sashimi and Bakso (Indonesian meatballs) cravings at the same time. So we arrived at the Ritz, just 2 minutes drive or 5 minutes walk from our apartment and was greeted once again, by an entourage of friendly and eager staff (seems like every slightly higher end place in Jakarta practise this). I was pretty looking forward to the dinner as I'd thought that the Ritz will probably have one of the best buffets in town (I am a huge buffet lover). Fresh Seafood Section Mexican/Grill Section Desert Section Back to 90s: Seating Arrangement Ambience To be frank, I wasn't very impressed by the interior layout of the restaurant (you can judge for yourself from the above picture). I almost wanted to turn around and walk out of the r...