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

The One With Apple, Disappointment and Its Antidote in California

If you're thinking Apple, the multi billion dollar consumer electronics company that's missing Steve Jobs' magical touch, it is not. Apple is one of the many new friends I made on this trip. Obviously that's not her real name. Met her accidentally while I was attending a workshop in Sunnyvale. A fellow Indonesian who's living the life we would all envy from afar.

If it wasn't for her, I would probably end up cashing out unnecessary taxi money or went home with a pair of sore feet. Sunnyvale is not exactly a city equipped with public transport and truthfully, Google Maps can be very misleading. True story. I walked 30 minutes from the Caltrain station to my Airbnb's apartment at 10 PM and I did not meet one single person along the way, let alone a bus.

I don't believe in coincidence, I know that the universe connect us for a reason, and that is ... to let her show the beautiful food around the city.

The Famous Burger Joint

In-N-Out Burger was the obvious choice. Everyone who's ever been to this part of West Coast always raved about it. I went with utter curiosity only to be disappointed afterwards. Not only that the patty lacks beefy flavor, it also not particularly exciting in taste and texture too. Some kind of bland if I might go to the extreme. And let's not mention the juice. There's none. The special sauce? It's just thousand island. The equation was just not right.

Burger = patty + bun + everything else (sauce, other toppings, vegs)

In my simplest formula this is what makes a burger. When the patty is ruined, even a good well toasted soft bun couldn't help much. In-N-Out did well on the latter but not on the former.

And why am I being this critical to a piece of burger? After spending two weeks in the northern hemisphere, you'll see that burger is as close to a signature food as nasi goreng is to us Indonesian. One is free to make their own rendition of nasi goreng, but screwing up is simply unacceptable.

Then again, for that kind of price tag (less than $5), you shouldn't expect much and let's not be too hard on In-N-Out. Because as the name suggested, you go there for a quick fix, you get in, you dig in, and the off you go with your life. It is not meant to be life changing. Frankly speaking, it is at the bottom rank compared to the other 7 burgers I tasted on the trip. I personally think people go there for the nostalgic reason, the comfort of having something you grew up with.

The Not So Famous Gelato

Now this one right here is the underdog. Classico Gelato, hidden in the long walk of shophouses in downtown Mountain View, is one of the most voted gelato for a few years in a row. It hasn't got the cult following like In-N-Out but damn they have the good stuff here.

For $6.50 I have myself a scoop of Spumoni (pistachio, chocolate, vanilla gelato with dried fruits and nuts) and Creme Brulee. My suggestion: always have it with the original cone. It is the best way to enjoy ice cream with added texture.

After a let down with In-N-Out, this gelato eaten in the sunny blue sky of California was the perfect antidote to put me back in good mood.  It is one of the reasons why I love exploring a city with locals, you get to discover the hidden gem. This post is a thank you not for Apple and a few hours of food adventure.

Meet Leia

Oh, to close with, allow me to introduce Leia, my travel companion on this trip that took most of the beautiful pictures. Yes, she's the new member of the family. A mirrorless Samsung NX300. Proven to be quite portable and dependable. All the shot taken here are hers. You'll see more of her super power in the post to come.

So long, I'll see you in the next episode of #WanderUS Stories.

Fellexandro Ruby
The Wanderlust

Detention Room PIK : Being Detained Has Never Been This Good

"There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate."

I practically lived by the quote this afternoon. I called out my college friend who hasn't been in touch for quite a while. The last time we met was in a wedding where I would be busy queueing for kambing guling while he's out there picking up chicks. That being said, we have a lot to catch up. Detention room sounds like a perfect place for two former sophomore badboys. 

Stories upon stories was brought up while sipping on Hot Milk Chocolate. One that particularly interest me was how he's a changed man now. That and also the fact that the cocoa was served at right temperature and wasn't powder based. Meaning, it's melted from pieces of chocolate bar. This resulted in a creamier texture than your instant Cadbury or the popular malaysian Kakao. 

Hot Milk Chocolate - IDR 30k

This friend of mine used to be a verbal hard-headed spoiled punk. I remember I used to be the one preaching him, now the wheel has turned. To hear his life-changing encounters in a much mature tone is good news. As good as this BYOB Burger (yes, you could build your own burger here!).  Mine was a soft bun burger with single beef patty, topped with onions, cheese, and BBQ sauce. The only thing missing for me was the lack of texture play. If only there's an option for crispy pork bacon topping, it would've been heavenly! 

Oh, did I mention the wedges on the sides? Skin on baby! I've always been a fan of potatoes. I even had an extra platter of Fries Nation. It's a mix of shoestrings, curly fries, and wedges. All in one bowl. And for IDR 24k it is definitely worth it. 

BYOB (Build Your Own Burger) - IDR 40k/50k/60k

Fries Nation - IDR 24k

As we munch on, I couldn't get my attention out of my friend's Deep Fried Chocolate Bar. I had it the other day, you could see the picture on my twitter @Wanderbites. I could still recall the sweet sticky Snickers bar half melted on the inside with extra chocolate dressings on the outside. It was sinfully scrumptious, although I believe the world is still divided into two, Team Snickers and Team Mars. I'm on the second team. That means, I'd still vote for deep-fried Mars bar in Australia's Bondi beach anytime of the day. Which side are you on? 

*burp*

Are these too much for lunch? Not at all. It is worth every space in my belly and a two hour well spent. Remember what Dono-Kasino-Indro said at the end of their movies: "Makanlah sebelum makan itu dilarang."

Bye now Biters. Don't forget to let me know here or on twitter @Wanderbites if you're on Snickers team or Mars team. ;)

Fellexandro Ruby

Food & Travel Storyteller / Photographer

Follow my culinary hits and misses live on Twitter @Wanderbites

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Detention Room

Ruko Crown Golf Blok D/28

Bukit Golf Mediterania, PIK

(Arah terusan waterbom, belok kiri, menuju pintu tol lagi)

@BeingDetained

Super Steak : This is it!

What's the first thing they ask you after you decide on your cut of meat? That's right, the sauce. And almost every time, you'll stumble upon the usual three: blackpepper, mushroom, and barbeque. Guess what? You will not find any of them here.

Super Steak begs to differ on their choice of flavor. You'll have these instead: Beerloin, Butter Garlic, Honey Hot, Lemon Herbs, Asian Delight, Cajun Delight & Honey Herbs. 

What are they? Let's rewind to two hours before our first encounter with the 'it' steak.

Me and Jie didn't know what to have for dinner. As a host, I try my best not to screw my friends' experience while he is in Jakarta. After a quick brainstorming session, we were in between. Super Steak or Super Suikiaw. I guess its only natural that super men eat super food. =p Well, both has come with commending praises from people, but failing to choose the right one might end the night in disaster.

Good thing, we sailed our ship to Jalan Dempo I No. 76 where the small secluded house receive a wide variety of patrons. Judging from the wall of fame, you can see expats has come over, celebrities (that includes me & Jie =p) and people from all walks of life. Almost everyone enjoyed their visit here. I can understand why, and the reason is twofold.

Lemon Herbs Part II - Sirloin - 200 Gram (115K)

Beerloin - Sirlon 200 Gram (115k)

1. It all comes down to the food

I had one of my most memorable moment among my many carnivorous adventures. The Lemon Herbs Part II was a treat. As a foodie who likes it hot, it is a rare occasion that I don't request chili sauce when I have my meat. But as it turned out, I didn't have to. The flavor was all there. The 200 grams of meat was well seasoned and marinated. Cooked just at the right 'medium', resulting in one appetizing fleshly pleasure.

Same thing with Jie's Beerloin, beer marinated to add tenderness to the meat with an extra kick of unique flavor. Subtle but it makes the difference.

On a side note, I also find the french fries quite lovely. It's like a cross-pollination between straight cut french fries and wedges. You still have the potato skin and the size is just a notch thinner than usual wedges. With the sprinkles of salt and greens, it was one bowl of fries.

2. And the experience

Tell you what, when you dine here, it won't be just a meal. In my case it transformed into an enticing conversation with Om Mashud, the father of the owner (Windu). Being a photographer and a reporter himself, he welcomed both me and Jie taking photos of the steak. I even stood on the chair to get the birds eye view shot. Such a cool dad. Seventy and still kicking it like seventeen.

Homey Super Steak. 

With all these in mind, part of me can't help to share it and the other part wants to keep it in secrecy. It's one of those less known place that offer good food. I'd like them to stay original. I would hate it if it became a national franchise one day at the risk of becoming generic. But I suppose, that's not for me to decide. You Biters, deserve to know and to taste it.

Let me know when you do. Twitpic me the photo @Wanderbites.

So long, carnivores

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Photographer & Conversationalist


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Super Steak
Jalan Dempo I No. 76
Kebayoran Baru
Jakarta
Ph: 0817 639 6255

Downtown Bistro : A Mashup Of Flavor

Asian, European, American or Italian, from main course to dessert, this new kid on the block made quite a statement on its opening night. Lining up on a timely manner was a series of signature dishes expected to stood out among the long list of equally interesting menus. Some of them really strike a chord in me personally, while some others are possibly variety pleasers. If I were to rerun that night in my own terms, here's how it would be, menu by menu.

Yeas, I'd like to start from dessert please. Hands down, the George Pie and Sticky Toffee Date Pudding was a winner. Possibly on par with my favorite at Cork & Screw. The layers of thinly sliced apple brings out the sweet and sour to the surface, while the crust on the bottom adds a complementary texture.

George Pie (40k)

Sticky Toffee Date Pudding (35k)

My choice of mains will go to either one of these three. Mushroom Soup which was a great warming palette opener, served at the right temperature, although it was a bit on the salty end for me. Otherwise, it was tasty. George Steak cooked at medium rare making it effortlessly edible, despite of the strong seasoning. At some point, it was more Joko dan George. If you know what I mean. And the last of the herd, would be New York Breakfast. This is definitely something I'd like to come back for. One huge plateful of poached eggs, fried bacon, tomato & shrooms. You shall not be disappointed especially with the way they cooked the eggs almost flawlessly.

Wild Mushroom Soup (29k)

New York Breakfast (82k)

The George Steak (175k)

And if I still have a few rooms for more, I would venture their Chinese inspired Orange Chicken and Italian inspired Escargot Linguine Pesto. The former I reckon was appetizing with the saucing. While the latter showed a pleasing pasta. Visually appealing and one flavorful spicy meal.

Escargot Linguine Pesto (57k)

Orange Chicken (45k)

I must say I'm intrigued by Downtown Bistro and what's more to come from this foodplace. Other than the food, I enjoyed the atmosphere it creates with the library tables. I can see myself typing on my Macbook, spending a workday here while listening to the jazzy tunes in the background. Ain't that lovely?

Love and flavors,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Conversationalist & Photographer

Munch on my tweets @Wanderbites =)

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Downtown Bistro
The Landmark Centre
Jl. Jendral Sudirman No. 1
Ph: 52960064

www.downtownjkt.com

The Goods Diner : Dine in, Chill out.

What happened if you gather an interior designer with relentless addiction towards chairs, a movie maker whose favorite movie is Oldboy, and a graphic designer who speaks as soft as a whisper?

A lively discussion that goes from religion to former Indonesian president.

And that's exactly what I love about dining out with a diverse crowd. The meeting of the minds or even the un-meeting of the minds. Conversation for me is an intangible ingredients that makes a meal. I'm glad that afternoon we had it sorted out. But how about the food? In one word, satisfactory. But if you're curious of discovering more, here's a detailed lookout of what we had.

Baileys Milkshake (55k)
Creamy, fulfilling milkshake, with what I think is not an original baileys. It tasted a bit off. However it did what it had to do. Refreshed my thirst in an instant, but ended up wanting some water to wash the sweet away.

Coffee Rubbed Burger (80k)
If you order this looking for a patty heavily infused with coffee then you must have the same expectation as I did. As it turned out, the coffee was there only on a very subtle hint, and mostly undermined by the soft, thick, and juicy beef patty. Those fond of American classics must find this to their liking.

Squid w/ Lemon Caper Sauce (45k)
This is when things get interesting. A plateful of fried squid with salty, buttery caper sauce, drizzled with lemons. The flavors are just right on this menu.

Portobello Mushroom (45k)
My second favorite of all. Thick fried portobello that gives a rather chunky crunch on the mouth. Added with the sour sauce. Good as an appetizer, or even as mains.

And to close with something sweet, we had a Red Velvet (50k), or in the words of their waiter "Red Pelpet". No joke. It's exactly what came out of him when we asked for a special dessert. No pun intended, but it was hilarious. Picture Agnes Monica on Indonesian Idol who's holding her breath and her laugh while watching a contestant singing off beat and dancing weirdly. That's pretty much me when hearing "Red Pelpet". Sad to say, the taste is as laughable as the pronunciation. The cake was dense, with no outstanding flavor other than the cheese. Not too mention it was rather dry as if it has been stored in fridge for days.

A rather anti-climax to an afternoon that could have turned to be well roundedly excellent. Still, complaints take you nowhere, I'd rather be joyful of the beautiful place, satisfactory food, good conversation, and good friends. What's left? A little fun. And here it comes =)

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Conversationalist & Photographer


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The Goods Diner
Fairgrounds (former Bengkel Night Park)
SCBD, Lot 14, South Jakarta
Phone: 021 - 5152969
Twitter: @thegoodsdiner

The Nest Grill : Less is More

Life has its own quirky way of mashing up people from different works of the world at the same place. Such is my meeting with Nest Grill and Arnold Poernomo, the general manager and the man behind the kitchen. A young, determined, and skillful chef with years of experience working his way up from the bottom in many kitchen in Australia before finally settling in Jakarta. While I've also spent a year in Sydney before returning in Jakarta as well.

Source: Nestgrill.com

Hidden inside the Lumina building in Kuningan, the food place is effectively a small dining area within a food hall named Nest. The Grill on the other hand present modern minimalist interior with open kitchen, brick wall, dimmed lighting, and wood populated color palate. Why and why such a delicate establishment is separated a tile away from a seemingly misplaced food hall is out of my mind, but hey, let's just keep an eye on the food instead.

As he spills out his Sydney tales, Arnold prepared some of his cookings. Coming out kitchen smart as opposed to culinary school smart, he surely mastered his craft around the kitchen and watching him cook is a feast on its own. It was as if I'm in a chef's table. Soon after, came the 'must-try' as he called it: Beef Burger and Pork Belly. Both are as delightful as it appears, especially the pork belly. The soft and tender texture resulted from hours of slow cooking has won my tongue. The saucing was complimentary to the pork. If only I could have extra chili (I know, please pardon me =p) to add some hotness just the way I like it, then it would be perfect.

Beef Burger

Pork Belly

Not stopping at the main courses, he continues to awe with his creation of Eight Texture Chocolate Cake. Chocolate praline, mousse, caramel creme, ganache, chocolate disc, chocolate sponge, and chocolate dacquise all in one taking. I couldn't ask for a better dessert. I finished with a wide grin from ear to ear. That is one sweet sinful delicacy.

Eight Texture Chocolate Cake

The Nest Grill is indeed an epitome of the credo less is more. I am looking forward to its new place opening in Kemang, hoping that they would expand its selection of menu with a grandeur ambiance. Expectant!

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Conversationalist & Photographer

Snack on my tweets @Wanderbites

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The Grill At The Nest FoodHall
Lumina Tower
The Kuningan Place
Jl. Kuningan Utama Lot 15
South Jakarta
Tel: +62 21 2555 4614

Now Cooking - Hartwood Bandung

Humongous neon light, crowds of stylish looking yuppies in their prime, breeze of air contained with smoke of cigars, low lights, tight seating, continuous conversations and sudden burst of laughs in the background.

This is Hartwood.

As a brand new establishment in Bandung, Hartwood looks to appeal against the typical Bandung foodplace, probably segmented to the middle upper manhattan people especially looking at its pricing. Does it serve a previously uncharted market? I'd like to believe so.

Take a look at this Braised Short Ribs, claimed as one of the chef's specialty. Too bad, on my visit, it was not up to par with its price tag (110k). I admit the meat was well cooked. Soft, tender, well seasoned and the likes. Somehow reminds me of the dinner I had at Otel Lobby. However, on my third bite, as I began to incorporate my other senses, in this case, my nose, I found a rather distasteful smell which kinda ruin the whole thing. Not to mention the cold pieces of broccoli that serve more as a decor rather than a compliment to the whole meal.

Braised Short Ribs (110k)

Tenderloin Steak (58k)

Determined to find the best menu to represent Hartwood, we decided to have Tenderloin Steak as second main course, but I guess luck is not on our side that night. Although the steak was prepared in good manner, it was not particularly special to my liking.

Being only on their second month of opening, I suppose these things are expected. Tolerance are extended. A little inconsistency within limit is arguable. If fate allows I might like to venture this place once more and hopefully find the one thing that make Hartwood stood out among the rest, other than its fancy-cozy interior.

In comparison with the many clueless new foodplace in PIK with little sense of direction in taste, I hope they could prove themselves soon. At the mean time for me its not more than a place to see and be seen. I'd go anywhere next door to please my appetite.

Cheers,


Fellexandro Ruby
Food Conversationalist & Photographer

Munch on my tweets @Wanderbites, snack on my instagram @Captainruby. ;)


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Hartwood - Gourment  & Grind
Jl. Cimanuk 12, Bandung
Ph: +62224240655
Twitter: @Hartwood_