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

The Cafe at Pistos (Gunawarman) : Sandwich Coffee Breakfast

"Life is like a sandwich. You have to fill in the best ingredients."

Any of you are heavy fans of sandwich? I was, but not any more. It was one of my staple food back in my Sydney years along with sushi rolls and kebabs. They are convenient, good to go meal especially if you're mobile and always catching up buses and trains.

Different city, different treatment. In Jakarta, there's not much going on in the sandwich world. That's what I thought, until few weeks ago, two female Sydneysiders forced me to think of a culinary trip consisting only ... sandwich.

I Googled, blogwalked, tweeted for recommendations. While I was at that, we bump into this small joint on the street of Senopati, not far from the KFC. Two hipster / designer looking guys were in front and heck we might as well check it out. Turns out it is new and 3/4 of the real estate was resorted for jewelry display. The rest is this cafe. It is not more than five tables, a display and a counter.

The menu is dominated with sandwich selections. What a coincidence! And they are not cheap, ranging from IDR 59 - 70k.  With such confidence in pricing, they gotta be good, I said to myself. But you know what? It wasn't really worth the premium price we paid.

The Ruby Sandwich (Ehm, not a very smart way to choose a menu eh? XD ) 

Something with egg and tuna and friends. 

My salmon wasabi sandwich arrived with no smell, taste, or hint of that japanese green spicy thing at all. Other than the fresh veggies and salmon, there was nothing worth mentioning. The bread appears grilled but no warmth and no appealing crunchy texture that I look for. My friends' piece was equally disappointing. One of them took two bites and simply didn't want to pursue it further. She is the hardcore sandwich fans and eats sandwich religiously. I trust her taste. But I guess, we weren't lucky enough to find the one that could live up to the quote above. The search goes on though. I'll keep you updated.

WTF Prices for a handful of sandwich.

We have no idea what Pistos means but one thing for sure, we left Pissedoff alright. I should've known. Who sell jewelry and sandwich at the same time? Pfft.

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Photographer & Conversationalist

Munch on my tweets @Wanderbites ;)

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The Cafe at Pistos
Jl. Gunawarman
(Not far from Turkuaz) 
Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan

Sea Circus Seminyak Bali : Eyecandy!

Bright colors, flowers and striking contrast.

This little shack off Oberoi, Seminyak knows how to make a statement from the seemingly similar eateries in the neighborhood. The first time I lay eyes on her was in my friend's photos. It was love at first sight. I was on the hook. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, chase her up and finally made it here few months ago with a bunch of hardcore foodie, Jenz, Jie, and the quick learner travel blogger, Vira.

Arriving in the afternoon, with a quarter-full belly we ordered a few drinks and light bites to justify coming here. Haha. A Skinny Dip (pineapple & mint) because Jenz actually feeling like doing so, Bloody Shame (virgin bloody mary) because I was feeling a bit brutal, and the cool, calm, composed Jie had a cup of Cappucino as usual. I didn't quite enjoy my drink. I find it weird having a spicy aftertaste on a glass of juice. Tried Jenz' as well but I have to quit halfway. Not a big fan of minty drinks. I'm a big believer that mints only deserve to be in either candies or toothpaste.

Skinny Dip (IDR 25k) 

Bloody Shame (25k)

Cappucino (IDR 26k)

In the sharing plate was a portion of churros with chocolate dip. Marvelous. Close to the one I had back in Sydney's favorite San Churro Chocolateria in Glebe.

And finally on the confused corner was Vira. As a travel blogger, her first encounter with us, three foreign creatures who doesn't seem to ever get full astound her so much that she put it into one of her blogpost here. Its interesting to hear her point of view, and how much our world actually coincide but we naturally pay attention to different part of an experience that matter the most to us individually.

Churros w/ Chocolate Dip (IDR 45k)

For me that one visit was unfinished. I have yet to taste their lunch and dinner courses. I guess, I can wait. Let's keep it interesting. I'll unravel your other layers next time, but I must admit, you're an eyecandy.

Bali, you never cease to amaze me.

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Photographer & Storyteller

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Sea Circus
Jalan Kayu Aya (Oberoi Rd) No. 22
Ph: (0361) 738667
T: @SeacircusBali

Nasi Campur Kenanga Wijaya : Pork In South Jakarta

When I tweeted this particular Nasi Campur some time ago, a fellow foodie, Aris mentioned that he doesn't trust nasi campur that resides in places other than North & West Jakarta. I have to agree with him to a certain extent. The reason is pretty obvious, both area probably has the strongest population of pork-eating Indonesians. As a result, there are more Chinese cuisines available and more authentic too.

However, I beg to differ on this one. Kenanga, located in Grand Wijaya Centre, Kebayoran Baru is an oasis of pork in South Jakarta. I trust the taste of the elderly in the photos below. Man, their tongue must have tasted more delectable food than me, and especially Chinese culinary for that matter. If they come here, there must be something good about this place. 

Here, you can choose either rice, noodle, or bihun as the base. You can also custom order the different variation of pork that suits your taste buds the best. There's pork satay, chasiu, roasted pork, gohiong, siewmay, and pig ear. 

Nasi Campur Kenanga (IDR 35k)

Its a meaty affair in one plate. However, I must say the roasted pork tasted best among others. Thick juicy cut with a crispy fat skin. Phew! I mean, you can find a better chasiu or siewmay some place else, but I'd definitely comeback just for the roasted pork. See? The elderly are right. 

Trivial questions must be running in your head whether it is the same with Nasi Campur Putri / Putra Kenanga that is more commonly available in malls. In a quick glance, the ingredients are quite similar, but from the look of it, they are of different management. Judging from the old building that houses Kenanga, I have a feel that this place is the genesis of the appropriately named daughters and sons of Kenanga. Coincidence? 

In short, if you're around the area and curiously starving for pork delicacy. This is one possible options, aside from Kacamata that's just a block away.

My fellow demographic from the North and the West, let me tell you that there's another world out there other than your current comfort zone. Explore! 

Cheers from the guy who sacrifice getting fat to fulfill your curiosity for good food, 

Fellexandro Ruby

Food Photographer / Storyteller

I tweet more pork and whatnot @Wanderbites. Keep the conversation going! 

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Nasi Campur Kenanga

Grand Wijaya Center 

Blok F No. 19

Twitter: @KedaiKenanga

Taipan WTC Mangga Dua : You Can't Get Anymore Chinese Than This!

Its holiday, as usual, this particular Chinese Jakartans family has nothing planned. Yeas, they are the laid back ones, hiding beneath excuses of "this is the best time of the year to enjoy trafficless Jakarta." Their typical vacation include a major amount of lazying around in bed and extra dose of TV hours. The only time they exercise their brain is to answer this question:

Where to eat? What's for lunch? What's good for dinner? And many other variations of that.

Of course there's heavy amount of exaggeration, but you get the idea. Welcome to my demographic! Indonesian born and raised Chinese. That means 300 out of 365 days in a year we enjoy most Indonesian & Chinese food as our mother flavor. Taipan at WTC Mangga Dua is one such place. Its one of our favorite go-to place to satisfy our insatiable desire for original swine goodness and their friends.

Dining here is not complete without the companion of the elderly who speaks fluent Mandarin. Trust me, bringing one was the best decision I made. I got instant access to their VIP room while out there a line of crowd waiting to get seated. That's right, I even did a Chinese-mob entrance with my old man. Just without the suit, the guns, and the windblown half blondie hair.

As soon as we were seated, we know exactly what to order. If you even have to take a small peek into the menu, then your Chinese-o-meter has just decreased by several points. Here's a recap of what we had and how we had it.

Chinese Tea. This is 101. Never ever order anything else to drink. Its a disgrace to your Chinese-eating experience. Choose their Oolong, its one of my personal favorite. Aromatic to both senses, taste and smell. And forget those blooming-flower-in-your-glass tea. They are tasteless and nothing but cosmetics.

Then go to the appetizers. Should I remind you that this is not for the faint hearted. Literally. Because the way we prepare our belly for the main pork course is by cleaning our palate with some more pork. Meet Taipan's Chasiu. Red as its should be. Juicy as it should be. Sweet & fatty as it should be. The only drawback is that its been sitting quite a while in the open in the dim-sum section. Otherwise, all would be perfect. My second choice of appetizers would always be spicy jellyfish with vegetables and sesame seed. These two can really play the game.

Good good foreplay, marked by the wet watery mouth.

But as it is written, the longer you manage to arouse it, the better the climax would be. And so I listen to the wisdom of the crowd. Here comes Quail Soup in bamboo case. Clear broth yet tasty. A work of few hours slow simmer that brings out the meat's goodness. Salty sweet kind of pleasure.

With three appetizers, I spare no time for nonsense. To keep the momentum alive, I say we go straight to the intercourse. I mean, main course. Meet the glorious Mini Roast Duck. I don't think I need to waste too many words on this. This is grand! We all had one duck each for maximum pleasure because once you bite it, you don't want to share it. The same goes to their Wheat Fried Shrimp. It successfully add texture to our previous menu. And it did it with flair. Coming in hot and crispy.

Exhausted. I simply maxed out.

I leave no meal behind though. There's three more in line to savor. Here are the comforting kisses and hugs. The desserts.

Of all three, I'd say these Small Round Thing with Egg Yolk filling is the must-have closing bit. A sweet closure to a beautiful climax. The secret is the addition of butter aside from the crispy outer skin and savory sesame seeds.

Before leaving, my old man expose his one final trickery. Called out the manager, spoke to her a few lines in Mandarin, and before long we got a 200k discount off of the bill. Let me tell you, this is the only time I feel like going back to those boring classes and actually learn Mandarin. All in all, we paid almost 800k for all this. Worth it? Hell yeah.


Have I sound Chinese enough? I hope I make justice to my demographic. Even if I don't, I hope the food here does it. Give it a visit, and you'll get what I meant.

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food & Travel Photographer / Storyteller


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Taipan 
WTC Mangga Dua, 6th Floor
Ph: 021-3001-8877

In The Mood For Dessert : Otel Lobby

Have you ever had that cravings for sweets? The dire needs to consume a high dose of sugar, it almost like an addiction? This is one of it. It happened on one Sunday afternoon. I don't know whether it was the pastor's preaching that provoke it, or the fact that I was having mood swings. I just needed my sugar-fix. And I needed it fast.

Otel Lobby was the first thing that came to my mind, and I'm glad to met Toblerone Puff. A well crafted choux with chocolate ice cream and vanilla cream fillings. The first dessert that made the touchdown that afternoon. The house-made ice cream with the subtle hint of Toblerone is well worth tasting, especially for those who love chocolate.

Toblerone Puff - Otel Lobby (IDR 35.000)

Toblerone Puff - Otel Lobby (IDR 35.000)

Red Velvet Cake - Otel Lobby (IDR 35.000)

Red Velvet Cake With Vanilla Ice Cream (IDR 35.000)

The second was OTL's Red Velvet Cake. It actually came in pair with Rainbow Cake, but I would rather take it out of the equation, for I subjectively loath all rainbow cake. From what I tasted, this particular RVC is a breed of its own, with a modest amount of cream cheese and a denser piece of cake. I enjoyed the addition of ice cream, but I suppose having two dishes consecutively with ice cream was a redundant choice after all. My bad.

No worries though, I got what I came here for and leaving the place sugar-high was it! If only I could show you the happy grin on my face. =)

Poke me on Twitter @wanderbites and let me know where you get your sugar-fix.

Happy weekend, Sweet-tooths!

Fellexandro Ruby
Food & Travel Storyteller / Photographer

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Otel Lobby
The Annex Building of Bakrie Tower 
Jl. Epicentrum Tengah, Kuningan
Jakarta Selatan
Ph: 021-299-41324
Twitter: @OtelLobby

Casa Kemang : A Home Away From Home

Imagine an intimate space resembling your living room, with the complimentary comfort of lounge sofa and eye-pleasing Herman Miller chairs. A home away from home. A place where I could sit at one of relaxing corner, and simply read, write, and get inspired. Come here in the afternoon nearing sunset and you'll get what I mean.

Casa at the top floor of Aksara Kemang has started to hold a special place in my heart after a few visit. Not only because of the creative wavelength that it conveys for photographers and writers like me, but also the selection of food that it caters. Rarely do I meet a foodplace that serves a range of culinary treat from local nasi goreng to Italian pasta and present it equally well. 

At this particular occasion, I happened to taste a variety of flavor which I find quite satisfactory. For those who love details like I do, let me take you through it. For quickie fetished, I wouldn't mind you simply drooling over the pictures. ;) 

The very first two menu that always came to my mind is their Javanese Oxtail Fried Rice (IDR 65.000) and Baked Nachos with Guacamole & Jalapeno (IDR 45.000). The earlier because of its flavorsome fried rice served at the right warmth. The grilled oxtail easily complement the rice with each bites. While with the latter, it is a perfect snacking devices while having conversation about whatever with your food safari partner. 

Javanese Oxtail Fried Rice (IDR 65.000)

Baked Nachos with Jalapeno & Guacamole (IDR 45.000)

Ice Lychee Tea

On the runner up list are Salmon Teriyaki (IDR 75.000) and Banana Pannenkoek (IDR 45.000). As a dessert, something this sweet rarely fails me, the only set back if there was any probably was the cushy texture of the pancake and the banana that makes it rather one-dimensional on the tongue. However, if you ever only needed one dessert, I would surely recommend you their Chocolate Fondant  (IDR 45000) instead. Dip in the soft choux in the depth of melted chocolate, shatter in the sugar powder. As diabetic as it might sound, it is that good. 

Salmon Teriyaki with Rice (IDR 75.000)

Banana Pannenkoek (IDR 45.000)

Chocolate Fondant (IDR 45.000)

Bitten-proved by W! 

Here goes lazy reader, to sum up: inspiration-inducing ambience, great variety of food, good music and a lot of sunlight. Happiness is that simple. Take a visit, and tweet me what you think @Wanderbites. 

Cheers, 

Fellexandro Ruby 

Food Storyteller & Photographer

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CASA

Jalan Kemang Raya No. 8B 

Ph: 021-7199289

info@casajakarta.com

Twitter: @casa_kemang