Berthillon Paris : Legendary Ice Cream With A View

Imagine sunny Paris.
Imagine blue sky.
Imagine walking on the bank of Seine river sipping the warmth.
Imagine breathing in the chilly air.
Imagine doing all that with your significant other ... with Paris' legendary ice cream in hand.

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Berthillon. Started in 1950 and made famous after being founded in the 60s by none other than Messieurs Gault & Millau, it has become a must visit place if you pass by Notre Dame and walk to île St-Louis, one of the two natural island on Seine river.

Lonely Planet ranked it #23 of 1566 things to do in Paris. As for me it was an obvious thing to do as an ice cream lover and a sweet tongue. Its been in my trix even before I landed in the city of lights. Plus the heat was right that afternoon, so we headed there with no hesitation and a heartful of expectations.

The queue is always long no matter what time of the day. A green signboard is hanged on the front facade with hand written flavors on it in gold paint. It has so many interesting flavors that deciding can be quite a tedious task. Hmm.. How about wild strawberry sorbet? Wait! There's ginger caramel. Oh, here's something fancy. What's agenaise? It sounds exotic. The drama continues and the next thing you know you're on the front of the line and still paralyzed by the amount of choices. I finally went with wisdom of the crowd, pear sorbet and the butter caramel gelato.

Both was fantastically rich in flavor. It was as if munching on real pear. Refreshing. Same goes to the butter caramel. The creamy base made it somewhat heavier and bolder, yet still light enough to enjoy one full scoop altogether with the cone without feeling bloated afterwards.

I took the scoops to the banks of the river. Enjoyed it slowly, feasting both my tastebuds and my eyes with the view. I then took the stairs down the road and sit on the concrete chair, relaxed with no thoughts of work, looking at life and the people passing by. It is probably one of the simplest joy of Paris.

Or maybe life is really that simple? We humans, made it complicated. With what, you ask? Ehm, our selfish wants and desire? Now, that something to ponder until my next post.

Stay chilly,

Fellexandro Ruby 
Glacier addict

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Berthillon Ice Cream 
31, rue St-Louis-en-îlle (4th)
Closest Metro: Pont Marie
Closed: Monday, Tuesday, Second half of July and all August.

Shake Shack : NYC's Must-Eat Burger

I have a newfound love for this patty-in-between-bread dish and I'm glad I had my eureka moment in the capital nation of burger, United States. What started as a quick way of tricking lunch so I can fit in my tight schedule of wondering around the depths of San Francisco, eventually turned into a fascination. The variety of buns, patty, sauce, filling, fries. The flavor. The character of each burger. I mean, man, what we have in Jakarta is nothing compared to those in the States.

I ended up trying 7 different burger joint on my last trip. Shake Shack here is worthy of mentioning first simply because of its superstardom. Almost everyone I know who've been to US recommends it.

Having visited their location in Madison Square Park and tried their signature Smoke Shack burger, I must say it lived up to its reputation. I finally understand what separate the good and the mediocre. That is, they are serious about all things that make up the burger. Now, let's break it down to its part:

1. The Bun
Shack Burger is sandwiched with two buttered grilled potato bun. Word on the street it's an East Coast favorite bun sourced from Martin's Potato Rolls. I personally prefer a much crunchier bun, this one is on the very soft end of the scale.

2. The Bacon
Niman Ranch all natural applewood smoked bacon. Crisp. Flavorful. Enough said.

3. The Cheese
In the spirit of burger as comfort food, Shack Burger is topped with a typical American Cheese. It does well to add saltiness, creamy texture and of course the melt-effect.

4. The Patty & The Sauce
If you notice, a good burger joint will insist of having the meat cooked medium rare to keep the beef juice in good portion. For me, that's the only way to go, and Shake Shack does exactly that. The result is an intense flavor combo between beef and the sauce. Shack signature sauce is mayonnaise based with their 'secret sauce' that has been refined a few times. The goal was to give a little bit of each flavor to the tongue: sweet, salty, bitter, smoke and spice.

The result is a burger so good that it is greater than the sum of its parts. With so much attention on detail, it's only natural that this $8.80 burger made such a hit in US. It even has branched out to London where they opened their first stall in Covent Garden. Location is part of their success recipe, I must say. It is a very relaxing experience having good food in between tall tries, sunny weather and chilly breeze of spring air. I totally recommend this.

Speaking of Covent Garden, I shall leave you Biters with this post, and off I go for two weeks journey in the land of Shakespeare, Puddings and Shepherd Pie. Wish me luck as I travel to scour for the best food & experiences around.

LONDON BABY!
Tune in to my twitter @Wanderbites. Who knows I might live tweet from Heston Blumenthal's Dinner. ;)

See you in a bit, lads.

Fellexandro Ruby 
Food Photographer & Conversationalist

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SHAKE SHACK
Southeast corner of Madison Square Park
Near Madison Av. and E23rd St
Subway: N/R or 6
T: @shakeshack

Thorough Bread at The Castro : Almond Croissant FTW!

If we take a step back and take time to observe the stories of many successful food place, we will start to see connecting dots and overlapping pattern. One of them is signature dish and I don't think I will ever get bored in promoting how significant it is. It's the sugar that attracts the ants. It's a woman's specific appeal that gets a man hooked.

Have you ever been to a restaurant just for a plate of dessert that you really love?
Have you ever traveled so far just for that talk-of-the-town burger?
Have you ever waited in a queue just because you can't not have your favorite meal?

If you answered yes to one of them, then you probably know how I feels to this humble bakery in the Castro area, San Francisco. This 'rainbow' area is fascinating for me because it has so much colors, vibrant, and decorated with stylish shops and bars, not to mention the old Victorian houses.

Thorough Bakery is one of them that pulls me to this area. As you might have notice, I'm such a sucker for patisserie. I searched on Yelp on what could accomodate my craving. Discovered Thorough Bakery and man I made the right choice.

I would definitely come back here just for the Almond Croissant. It was beyond any croissant that I ever tasted before. If you drop by here, you'll see that among other pastries, it is the fastest item to run out. Almost every table here will take an almond croissant with them.

Flaky crunchy exterior as it should be, it has a hidden layer inside that gives the sweet tasting caramel-like flavor. If you take a closer look, you'll notice it is also topped with some sort of sugar icing. Have that with the burnt-smelling almond. One bite, and I bet your current threshold for good croissant will be raised to a few bar higher. Have it warmed, and another bar is yet again, raised.

It is one of the things I miss the most from the whole #WanderUS trip. And I blame Leia (that's how I name my NX300) for taking such pretty shot that drools. I myself can't help it. If you know any good almond croissant in Jakarta, do let me know!

Coming back to where we started, that's how powerful a signature dish can be. If you allow me to take it to the extreme, learn from Rotiboy. One product. One price. Look at how many branches they have. And there's no sign of stopping. That's something for you, foodplace owners to ponder while thinking of your next strategy.

In the mean time, let me know which menu from which foodplace that gets you coming back for more. Tweet me at @Wanderbites.

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby 
Food / Travel Storyteller & Photographer

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Thorough Bread & Pastry
248 Church Street,
San Francisco
(Between 15th Street & Market Street)

Get Lost While You Travel! (The One In Twin Peaks)

Seriously, get yourself off-tracked in the middle of nowhere again and again and again until getting lost is something common, then it is no longer a factor for you. In most cases it will even do you more good than harm.

Try this. During my days in San Francisco, I purposefully did not buy any local phone number or any data plan whatsoever. Bye bye mobile internet! This led me to lots of drama and lessons I wouldn't have otherwise. 

Let's Get Lost

I was on my way to Twin Peaks. With elevation of 281m it is the highest point in the city of San Francisco after Mount Davidson. Equipped with the free unofficial map of the city given by my Airbnb host and a few Google Maps photo captured from the desktop PC in our common room, I took off feeling I've loaded myself with all the information needed.

Getting Lost Helps You Find Yourself

Reality bites. After the first bus dropped me off, I couldn't find the next bus I supposed to ride on. Being the Mars man that I am, I refrained from asking and continually consult my map. Seventeen minutes passed and I still have no clue where I am and no appearance of any bus whatsoever. The map is useless as it only show the main roads.

I realized how self-dependent I am, sometimes to the extreme that I can't trust others even for the minor things in life, just because I want to do it myself. Just because I thought I can do it better. Things as easy as asking direction, is something I rather not delegate even though it might just be a 'hello' a way. Oh how I hate to depend on others.

Getting Lost Show Who You Really Are

Lost. I could turn abruptly panicky. I could call the journey off and went home. I could find the easy way out. I could disdain my oath, bought a sim card with data plan and off I go with the help of internet. But I realized I didn't do all that.

Left with no choice, I started asking random people. Turns out a big part of me is actually social.

After the third attempt, guess what? The bus stop was just two blocks away from where I stood. The drama didn't stop there though. Turns out the bus that Google told me to ride on does not go to Twin Peaks. WHAT?!

Now long story short, six different people after, the bus driver, a bus passenger, a random guy in a parked car, a 6o year old granny, and two guys on a jog, I finally reached the peak and welcomed by this beautiful view. 

Total human connections made: 9. 

My faith in humanity is restored. I have no problem since in starting new conversation with new people. I might have just found the antidote to my extreme self-dependency sindrome.

Getting Lost Will Take You To New Place You Wouldn't Found Otherwise

Like this lovely little stairs. Which actually leads to nowhere, but hides some beautiful flowers and plants.

Or, this hipster like colorful house on the hill.

Getting Lost Opens Your Senses

Being there in the city unknown to you for the first time. Having no internet to compass your way with Google Maps, puts you in a different state of awareness. In this case my senses are heightened. I take a look at each road, street names, bus stops, and houses in details, stored the picture well so that I can remember it for the way home. 

In the end, it helps you to sip the experience in a whole, and not letting the moment pass through just like that. I can still remember everything vividly. Right to the chill air that hit my spine. 

Getting Lost Makes The Journey Twice More Worthwile

No kidding. It finally took me at least two and a half hour to get to the top. When others can reach it in 20 minutes with a tour car using a different access, I took the long walk. And when I got there, this view is just breathtaking awesome. The whole city is at the tip of my feet and at the range of my two eyes.

But the joy doesn't stop there. Why?

Now You Have An Interesting Story To Tell

I just did. And no one will have the exact same one as I did. It makes mine original.

Oh, and on my way back, I got lost again and ended up in Castro, a 'rainbow' area dominated with gay and lesbian. But that's another story to tell. ;)

So the next time you travel, get loose, and decide to sip in every dead end as a part of the journey. Forget the internet, and choose to have human connections. Get lost, and discover yourself instead.

Geting lost is fun!

Fellexandro Ruby
The Wanderlust

(For those of you who wonder, all photos taken by Leia, my new Samsung NX300. Gotta love the result!)

Wonderment & Being Human

I tweeted this few days ago while packing for the flight home from New York City.

"Nearing the end of the trip. Head filled with thoughts, heart with excitement, and feet with stories. I'll share them soon." 

And here I am, 10.000 miles after, in Jakarta with 40 gigs of photos and videos. I don't know where to start with the stories. Overwhelmed.

Should I begin with the incident in JFK airport?
Should I begin with Thomas Keller's delicacy that left me in awe?
Or, should I begin with the 11 new friends I made along the way?

When you travel all your senses seem to be more receptive to stimulus. Your eyes see new, your tongue taste new, your heart speak new, your ears hear new, your hands and feet find new strength too. They all adds up to a series of wonderment. You can't wait to share, but you're exhausted, and you're also afraid of minimizing the experience into a few lousy paragraph.

I'm gonna have to take a few moment to digest all this in.

When I'm done with that, from this post forward, I wish I could capture the essentials. I wish I could project emotions in the stories. I wish I could take you to the place as it happened. I wish these stories could be as human as they suppose to be.

I wish you'll read it line by line and journey it with me.

With that in mind, let the curtain roll.

Fellexandro Ruby 
The Wanderlust

Scrumptious Swiss Roll at Rich & Good Bake Shop (Singapore)

(Singapore, strolling along Arab street) 

Friend: Hey, we've got a fulfilling breakfast and a delightful lunch, so what do you want to do next? 

Me: Ehmm, pre-dinner? 

Friend: I know exactly where to get that!

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Rich & Good Bake Shop with its signature light blue and white exterior stood out among the long line of shop houses on Kandahar Street. Just a turn from the popular Sultan Mosque, it radiates with a light simmer. One that you could easily overlook without noticing. I was fortunate to have a local friend that brought me here. She's a fashion designer by trade and a foodie by influence (from me of course). 

They have one specialty here: the swiss roll. It comes in different flavors. Chocolate, green tea, to name a few. I would usually go for the cocoa treat, but somehow my eyes were infatuated by Kaya Swiss Roll.  It sort of jumps out of the menu and scream for my affection. I went with my instinct and this time I was right. It was nothing less than scrumptious. 

The soft and airy green cake comes with a strong pandan upbringing. While the kaya jam that glues the roll together added in a touch of sweetness and a major influence of egg and coconut-ty flavor. All this wrapped in cold temperature that seals it in dessert snacking category. 

My only warning to you guys is that it is addictive. Not just because of the taste, but also the fact that it is only SGD 7.5. You'll be easily tempted to stock on it. If you brought a pack home, you could easily finish the whole foot long over the first half an hour of a movie. My suggestion, share it with a friend. That way, when you get to the end of it, you will feel less guilty. Plus, while doing that you can test whether the quote "happiness is best shared" is true. 

Man, I miss Kaya Swiss Roll already. 

Fellexandro Ruby 

Food Photographer & Storyteller

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Rich & Good Bake Shop 

No. 24 Kandahar Street, Singapore

Ph: (+65) 62963334

Ng Ah Sio: Vigorous Ba Kut Teh (Singapore)

What's the best thing to do in Singapore if you have the whole weekend?

You probably see this coming. Yes, for me it would be exploring all sort of culinary delights from different parts of the little red dot. I went from the famous Hong Lim food centre, to the suburbs of Hougang, to the fancy strip of Dempsey. Here's a story of so many stories that happen in that weekend in March.

Longan Lou Han Tea (SGD 1.87)

After a morning incident and a breakfast at Outram Park Kway Teow, I called out my Singaporean friends to venture on the local recommendation. Something that stranded a bit of the tourist map, yet still a winner. My taipan friend decided its about time for some pork affair. I dare him that if he could make me happy with our next lunch, then the treat will be on me. 

A few minutes on the taxi, the happy uncle stopped on the left side of Rangoon Road, just a turn from Balestier Road. Ng Ah Sio Pork Ribs Soup it says. A quick glance on the amount of patrons inside has partially convince me, but I left no room for assumptions. Let's get the best dishes out of the long list of menu. 

Mr. Taipan quickly scanned through and ordered a few of his personal favorites. 

Spare Pork Rib Combo (SGD 6.54)

Spare and Pork Ribs Combo Soup

Its 180 degrees different from the usual ba kut teh I have in Jakarta. Here we usually pour in a big portion of medicinal herbs as the main flavoring, resulting in an aroma that resembles more of a meds potion. While here, there's a dominating flavor of spices, particularly peppers, star anise, cinnamon and heaps of garlic. I fell in love with it on the first sip. Probably because I always hated our Indonesian version of ba kut teh that makes me feels more like in a clinic than in a restaurant. 

Mushroom (SGD 4.67)

Braised Winter Mushroom

Juicy thick meaty mushroom. Well seasoned with soy, but have the tendency toward neutral flavor that let the natural shrooms taste to overrule. 

Pig Tail Soup (SGD 5.14)

Pig Tail 

My first encounter with this part of a pig and I must say it is quite of a feast on its own. If only it could be cooked a while longer to let it smooth and soften a bit then it would be perfect. It is served with the similar soup to the pork ribs. The only difference here is the tail texture compared to the softer pork meat. 

Preserved Veggie (SGD 1.87)

Preserved Veggie 

The dish that complete the whole palate. We've had sweet, salty, and spicy. This particular veggie comes in to awake our sour tastebuds. A treat to eat in between other dishes. Think about 'sayur asin' and this will be its next of kin. 

At the end of my meal, I looked at my taipan friend and fashion designer buddy with a huge grin in my face. The signal couldn't lie, I was really satisfied with what I had, and that means I'll have to stick to my gentleman agreement. All on me. Total damage: SGD 33. Not bad. Not bad at all. 

In fact, I really enjoyed it that I bought home a box of its instant ba kut the spices. One of these days, when I miss Ng Ah Sio, I could easily pull it out from my cupboard, chopped in some pork, and cook myself a bowlful of vigorous ba kut teh. 

Fellow Indonesian, I would recommend this to any of you coming to Singapore. Don't forget to mention this blog upon paying, they will give you a discount*. 

Cheers, 

Fellexandro Ruby 

Food Photographer & Storyteller

*Nah, I'm joking. ;p

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Ng Ah Sio

Pork Ribs Soup (Ba Kut Teh) 

208 Rangoon Road 

Ph: +65 6291 4537

http://ngahsiobkt.com

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee : Oh The Length I Had Gone For You.

The little red dot.
The fine city.
The lion city.
The shopping city.

Despite of all the nicknames given, Singapore has grown more and more as a foodie city for me. So much that I dedicated the whole three days solely to hunt for culinary gems. I would blame this rising frenzy to I Eat I Shoot I Post, a Singaporean food blog that in a way has become my unofficial guide for this trip of complete gluttony.

It's funny how I get that extra surge of battery power prior to traveling that I manage to sleep at 12.30am and then wake up at 4am to catch the earliest flight available. I guess it's the endorphin called excitement. I was all smileful during the drive to the airport. Even more cheery upon boarding the gate with some of the hottest flight attendants alive. Yes, the ones in red. ;)

Arrived just in time for breakfast, I spared no time and rush to Chinatown right away to grab what said to be one of Singapore's most acclaimed char kway teow. With a starved belly and a I-could-eat-a-guy appetite, I must face reality when my dollar notes is rejected. Lesson's learned. Only carry small notes. Apparently people prefer to lose one customer rather than having to bear the tedious task of finding change.

Total breakfast delay time: one excruciating hour.

What happened in that precious hour? I ran to find money changer, that Indian guy say no even before I finished my sentence. I ran to 7-11, that old Chinese lady spoke something in words I don't understand followed with a go-away hand gesture. Alright, I get it ma'am. I've never feel so rejected in my life. *dramaking* Fortunately, an aha-moment came when I saw a shophouse on the side of New Bridge Road, wrapped in glass wall, a yellow banner that says Maybank, and a security guard that opens the door for me. Finally!

Off I go to Hong Lim Food Centre, jumped to the second floor and with the little snapshot of Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee taken from the web, I browsed the site for it. You should see the sparkle in my eyes upon seeing this store sign. I think there was a bit of happy tears flashing out in between too. *dramakingcontinues* 

It appears that this place has gained popularity having featured on the page of Strait Times. I was told a long queue happens almost everyday, but I was lucky coming in as an earlybird. No queue at all, and I get to take a few close shots of the uncle cooking. I noticed that he has his own way of frying the kway teow. He would splat out a few eggs to start with, let it cooked, pour in all the other ingredients, and then he'll stop in the middle, splat out a few more eggs. However, this time, he let the eggs half cooked and quickly mash the stuff all over again. The latter gave the kway teow a rather creamy wet end results.

I love this $3 goodness. I love that it uses cockles. I've been craving for a good alternative since Chopstix took it out of their menu. I love that it's more on the sweet end. I love that its hot as it needs to be. If only it could be a bit spicier, then it would be perfect. Overall, as a dish, it has all the quality that pulls you in. It made you couldn't stop until you savored the last bite.

And until the last bite I did. Enjoyed it so much, that I sat another 15 minutes just mesmerized. In that short period of time, I kept on seeing people taking the familiar kway teow on red plates and wood chopsticks to their table. If this were an MTV award, this stall would've won the people's choice trophy.

I'm happy that I started my journey with the dish that is not a tourist trap. I must say you are worth all the length that I've gone just to meet you.

Drama King over and out,

Fellexandro Ruby 
Food / Travel Photographer & Storyteller

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Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee
Hong Lim Food Centre
Blk 531A, Stall 02-17
Monday - Saturday : 06.00am - 04.30pm
Closed Sunday & Public Holiday

Blissful Bali Day #2 : Surfin' Divin' and Grillin'

It ain't a normal day in Bali if you haven't get wet. Whatever that means, but I'm talking about spending the rest of the afternoon at the beach. It is time for some water fun!

We had our mates from Rip Curl School of Surf who speaks fluent Indonesian introducing us to these water sports. And a few minutes after the groups separated to try each different sport in turns. I was glad to finally have my time on a surf board and know how it feels to wear a wet suit and pack a four kilo oxygen tank on my back.

I have to say, it is a lot easier doing the instruction off water than actually paddling the water with your body on the board. Even trying to stand requires a silent 1-2-3 in my head to collect the courage. But after a while, you'll get used to it. Rodeo! The hard part now is now moving the board to the direction that I desire. That's gonna take a lot more than half an hour to master. Better luck next time.

Personally I'm really attracted to diving after giving it a 15 minutes shot. There's so many things to consider, the strings to pull you up and down the water, the breathing, the paddling with your fin, and this is only in the pool. However, once you're down there, it is sooo soothing. Weird, but I enjoyed the clean breathe of oxygen right into my lungs. I felt so light. If I imagine myself in the deep see looking at all the beautiful creatures and corals down under, I think I'm beginning to understand my friends who are so into this and make diving a regular trip.

With all the exercises, it is only natural to starve right after. Who would've thought that our instructors is actually pretty good behind the grill. Look at him BBQ-ing like its his own backyard down under. Oh, and his hot dog sandwich is not to be missed. It reminds me of the good ol' days in Bronte, Maroubra, & Bondi beach. All we need is a few tank of beer and we're good. However, to our own surprise, we got a lot more than that for dinner. Plecing kangkung, nasi putih, sambal matah, and grilled fish has never been this awesome. Eating right next to the beach listening to the waves and watching the sky turns yellowish purple does made a difference.

That beautifully wraps up our second day in Blissful Bali.

I miss travelling already.

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food & travel photographer / storyteller.

Munch on my livetweets and whatnots at @Wanderbites ;)

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Rip Curl School of Surf
Sanur, Legian, & Jimbaran Beach
http://www.ripcurlschoolofsurf.com
Ph: +62 (361) 735858