Ikkudo Ichi Ramen (PIK) : Catching The Wave.

Jakartans, we are spoiled.

While the population is still not over with Hakata Ikkousha ramen hype, not long after came Santouka Hokkaido ramen that cater to less price-oriented foodie. On the other end, many early adopters foodie like me has tasted enough of these thick brothed noodles. It appears though that the long-tail is undefined. As it is with many successful business, new contender will follow up in hope to catch the wave. As such is the case of Ikkudo Ichi and Sengoku who both happen to be placed in Pantai Indah Kapuk.

Let me rephrase then. Fellow PIKsers, we are spoiled.

Funny thing is I don't hear many conversation of Sengoku, while Ikkudo received almost an overnight glory from Twitter to Instagram. I can't help but paying it a visit few days ago, and here's a write up of that first encounter. 

Ambience-speaking, it is an upgraded version of Hakata Ikkousha, complete with the Japanese lanterns, faux trees, air conditioner, more leg room and a lot less noise. However, in the world of foodies, these are all secondary. Taste is king. We come for the food after all. 

Tori Kara Ramen (39k)

I had their signature Tori Kara, chicken ramen with special red sauce, topped with boiled eggs, wakame, and sesame seeds. What fails was that the waiter did not tell me at all that I have the option to personalize my broth & oil level from light to maximum. I had no idea then what level was it, but I suppose its all normal level. 

The broth was splendid. Rich flavor from hours of slow cooking, although I don't see what the red sauce adds other than a notch of spicyness. Personally think it is a little less lovable compared to that of Ikkousha though. But Ikkudo's generous cut of meat is definitely a plus point, especially with the same price tag of 39k Rupiah. I'm having a love-love relationship with both ramen. Haha. 

Gyu Chasu Aburi (48k) aka The Hero!

This might surprise you, the ramen wasn't the hero of the night. It was this Gyu Chasu Aburi (beef chasu torched with fire).  A hefty 48k for five slices of meat is definitely worth it. Well cooked, well seasoned without disarming the beef flavor. Sweet, fragrant, and savory at the same time. 

Man, we are really spoiled. Haha. 

Coming back to the question above. Will Ikkudo will be able to catch the wave as late comers? We can only wait and see. In the mean time, with all the pictures and descriptions, I hope you drool. 

I really hope you drool. Let me know if you do, tweet me @Wanderbites or @Captainruby. Throw some support, that would mean a lot. 

For the love of good food, 

Fellexandro Ruby

Food Conversationalist & Photographer

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Ikkudo Ichi Ramen

Rukan Crown Golf Blok D No. 2-3

Bukit Golf Mediterania, PIK

Jakarta Utara

Phone: 021-96628677

Mie Ayam Abadi - For Those Who Likes It Rough!

I've seen Mie Ayam Abadi Muara Karang reviewed at Jenzcorner long ago. Read all the praises in the comment section and how it has satisfy many bellies out there. As nearby Pluitans, its funny to have missed this well known foodplace, but I guess that's what makes us human. We tend to overlook things that are close to use. In my case, it took my lifetime buddy to introduce me to this Asian delight.

It was a rather quiet Saturday, not a lot of people inside the place. I took the chance to raise my appetite by seeing how their bowl of noodle is made. Was surprised how I got my order in a short minute or so. That includes cooking the noodle in the boiling water, draining it, chopping the chicken and pouring the extra bowl of soup. Now that I think of it, it is not that surprising, considering these guys has been cooking noodle all their life, it is almost an autopilot every time they do it. Fancy for our common eyes but rather boring for them I suppose. Let's be pessimistic and say he serve 100 bowls a day, that's 3000 a month, 36000 a year. There's no magic in it, only practices.

Anyway, back to the food.

Bakmi Ayam Abadi - 23k

On my first bite, it was rather thick and took quite an effort to chew. Having raised in Bagan Siapi-api with slim thin kind of noodle, my teeth refuses. But after adding extra chili sauce, my appetite beat it and I finally swallow the whole thing. The chicken for me is generous! Well cooked, well seasoned and complimentary to the meal. Another plus moment is the fresh veggie in an additional soup.

The place itself is a typical Chinese food place with the owner / cook in a tall bar corner with his calculator handling all the cash. An ambience that comes with the food. Oh, and here, there's an additional side show: pirated DVD's. Haha. The seller will wait until you finished your meal and shove it in front you then. How smart that is? They understand that timing is everything. Although I ended up buying none, he got me checking them out even though I don't need them.

To sum up, Mie Ayam Abadi has not up to par with my favorite noodle. A lot of it is because of the texture of the noodle. Nothing wrong, but rough noodles are just not my kind of thing.

What's yours?

Let me know on Twitter @Wanderbites

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Mie Ayam Abadi 
Jl. Muara Karang Blok O8 No. 63
North Jakarta
(In the same street with Eaton Muara Karang)

Now Cooking - Four Fingers Crispy Chicken

Jakarta is definitely a foodie's city of choice. Every now and then a new establishment pave a way into the already diverse culinary universe, while another roll up their sleeve and gone. Four Fingers is one of those that I hope to stick around. Why? I just like to see how it played out. Food place with chicken wings as their signature dish was once an uncharted water, until Kamikaze Chicken opened their first store last October, and just recently this month, the first Four Fingers franchise is up and running. Before we start, in case you want to see my write up on Kamikaze, here it is, click.

My first impression of this food place was cozy, and youthful. You can see their grafitti boldly covering the walls, and their lovely eames chair added a hint of sophistication. The atmosphere somewhat resembles the parent store in ION Orchard, Singapore. Oh, you have to know that Four Fingers or widely known as Bonchon in Singapore is one of the local hits. You'll find it quite packed on lunch / dinner time and they ran out of their favorite chicken wings early. After missing the opportunity to try their wings a couple time, I wouldn't miss it the soonest I knew they opened in Epicentrum, Kuningan. And so last weekend I rushed there for a quick bite.

I ordered the 6 mix set with garlic soy and spicy wings and drummettes, also the chicken burger as recommended by the waitress.

My impression of the chicken wings? Ordinary. The soy garlic was quite salty and feels a little 'in between'. Its like they were half-hearted in showing the taste of the garlic. The spicy chicken on the other hand also tasted like ordinary hot sauce. I just can't help to compare with Kamikaze. I gotta say I prefer Kamikaze with their pepperish hot sauce really kick my taste bud to a level of enjoyment, while Four Finger is not to par with the hype.

 The deep fried chicken however was real crunchy. On the down side, the seasoning was skin deep. Yep, nothing goes past through the meat other than the oils.

At the time, the Chicken Burger started to look more tempting than the wings and the drummettes. The thick piece of boneless chicken fillet was well seasoned. The bread was airy and soft as well. It was only the added layer of curry-tasting sauce on the inner part of the bread that made it taste weird. It felt improperly squeezed in. Weird. The only defense I can think of is that probably they changed the recipe, test it in Jakarta, see how well its accepted and decide whether to use this recipe for their yet another fresh franchise in India. O well. And so I decided to eat the buns and the chicken separately. It was better that way. Oh, the seasoned french fries doesn't add anything extraordinary to the flavor. Just a little note for you Biters. ; )

Overall, my belly was satisfied, but not wide-grin-ly happy. If you know what I mean. Would I come back? Maybe, for a little variety. Now I'm getting curiouser and curiouser to try Bonchon in Singapore and see if the original is any better than the franchise in Jakarta.

Anyone tried the original in Singapore? Feel free to drop a comment. =)

Smile on, Shine On

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Blogger & Photographer
@Wanderbites