Blissful Bali Day #2 : Hotel Hopping & Suka-Suka Lunching

Here we are on my second day in Bali.

After a belly pampering dinner at Bale Udang Mang Engking and a good 8 hours of sleep at Berry Hotel, I'm all smileful waking up to bright shiny sun, clear blue sky, and a crowd of greens. I'm up for an adventure, but before all that, I couldn't get the idea of starting my day without a swim. Look how inviting the pool is! Off I went with Leo from Makan Mana. 

Berry Hotels, Kuta.

Now that the carbs are gone, its time to feast again. A quickie breakfast after, we were on the road to our next destination of hotel hopping. First on the itinerary was Kokonut Suites where we learn how to make Canang Sari (Balinese traditional offering to the Gods) and how to wear the traditional outfit. 

It is remarkable how Bali is able to preserve its culture up to now despite of continuous waves of tourist bringing their own color to this small island. The strong bond between art and religion is the defining difference. Most of religious activity requires an accompanying set of art, whether its music or dance. This gives premier show time to otherwise would be a lost culture.

Canang Sari contains three main items: porosan, kapur sirih, and gambir which represent the trinity of gods in Hindu (Brahma, Wishnu, Shiva). The beautiful flowers that follow symbolize a fragrant prayer for the gods. It is a must-know for the ladies in Balinese Hindu households.

The making of Canang Sari

For the guys, here's how they fashion themselves. A wrap of cloth from the waist down symbolize self-control over all sort of sinful desires. While a head band that pointed upward speak of respect to the gods above all. This few bits might sounds boring but I found it fascinating to know the why behind the what. Don't you think so?

No? Alright, I guess you just can't wait to fast forward to the lunch session at Suka-Suka restaurant. Me too! We had a rather playful courses here, courtesy of Chef Ardy. Starting with the Mango salad which was really fresh, using the fruit that are blossoming at its season. It is not common to start a meal with something sweet, but this one really kicks it off.

Mango Salad at Suka-Suka Restaurant

We had a stream of delicious treat after. The pumpkin soup was my personal favorite as it carried all the flavor I expected. Warming the belly at the right temperature. The grilled chicken with spinach stuffing was a little off for me. I found it a bit dry and rather bland taste-wise. On the closing note, it was perfect though with the appearance of banana fritter with palm sugar. I love palm sugar, and with the fried banana? Sweetness!

Pumpkin Soup at Suka-Suka Restaurant

Banana Fritters w/ Palm Sugar at Suka-Suka Restaurant

Now that we have our belly stuffed, its time to go on the road again. Our next destination of Hotel Hopping is a beautiful villa in the midst of Seminyak area. Having shown the unit with a private pool, gazebo, and an open air bathroom, I can imagine coming back here one day to pamper myself. Just as the name represent itself, no wonder that Le Jardin is one of the most favorited villa voted by Trip Advisor users.

Le Jardin Villas, Seminyak

The Trip Advisor winning villa, Le Jardin, Seminyak

Afternoon tea & snacks at Le Jardin. Complimentary for all who stays in.

And just as I thought it would be the end of it, turned out we still have a afternoon tea session here.

Ah, blissful Bali indeed. Or as the famous book said, all we do here is eat, play, love. There's more to come. Stay tune ;)

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food & travel storyteller / photographer

Snack on my tweets, keep updated with our live bites @Wanderbites

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Berry Hotel
Jalan Dewi Sri 1 No. 16
Kuta, Bali
http://www.theberryhotels.com
Ph: +62 (361) 3007070

Suka Suka Restaurant 
Kokonut Suites
Jalan Petitenget No. 88
Kerobokan, Bali
http://www.kokonutsuites.com
Ph: +62 (361) 4735933

Le Jardin Boutique Villas
Jalan Sarinande No.7
Seminyak, Bali
http://www.lejardinvillas.com
Ph: +62 (361) 730165

Tampopo : Life Lesson From A Bowl of Ramen

Watch.

Student: Sensei, soup first or noodle first?
Master: First, observe the whole bowl. 
Student: Yes, sir.
Master: Appreciate its gestalt. Savor the aromas. Jewels of fat glittering on the surface. Shinachiku roots shining. Seaweed slowly sinking. Spring onions floating. Concentrate on the three pork slices. They play the key role, but stay modestly hidden. First caress the surface with the chopstick tips.
Student: What for? 
Master: To express affection.
Student: I see.
Master: Then poke the pork.
Student: Eat the pork first? 
Master: No. Just touch it. Caress it with the chopstick tips. Gently pick it up and dip it into the soup on the right of the bowl. What's important here is to apologize to the pork by saying "See you soon.". Finally start eating, the noodle first. Oh, at this time, while slurping the noodles, look at the pork. Eye it affectionately.


(Tampopo, 1985, Juzo Itami)

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A short, but probably one of the most memorable scene from my favorite food movie.

It tells something more essential than simply how to savor a bowl of ramen. On one watch, the ramen sensei might appears as a drama king with each step exaggerated into perfection. But I suppose, that's what it takes to remind us that every little thing is beautiful. We just easily overlook it.

I mean, aren't every one of us has a love for food? Or have we forgotten? That is the case when we have a lot of something, we tend to take it for granted.

It happened to me.
As I look at the same view everyday when I was in Sydney, I forgot that it is the same postcard-view that I dreamed of for years before finally arriving there. As we go and hang out with the same people again and again, as we eat everyday, we tend to lose the passion and the love that the ramen master has for ramen even though he has eaten hundreds or probably thousands of ramen bowl before.

It is a call for us to start looking around. Things & people that are close to us. What have we taken for granted? What have we forgotten?

Then, we should start seeing as they are supposed to be seen. Little things that are simply ... beautiful.

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Fellexandro Ruby
Food Photographer & Conversationalist

Brunei Darussalam's Landscapes & Greens (Ep. #2)

Continuing my previous post, I owe it to you guys to share the depths of Brunei.

The first thing I noticed about this country is the little (or almost zero) availability of public transport. You'll be surprised seeing less than a handful taxis wandering around the airport, and I haven't seen even one single bus during my four days stay there. After uncovering more facts from our lovely driver, the answer is that because almost everyone in Brunei owns a car. The exact number is one private car per 2.09 person. That makes Brunei withhold one of the highest car ownership rate in the world. The reason is attributed to the low import taxes and definitely one of the lowest fuel prices in the world, with only 0.35 $ / liter for diesel gas, and 0.53$ / liter for unleaded gas. How convenient does that sound in comparison with the current protest against subsidy cuts in fuel price in Indonesia? I suppose that can only happen in Brunei where there's only 415.000 citizens and the government really manage its resources well.

This phenomenon resulted in more and more curiosity in me. Further discovery leads me to another joy of being a Brunei citizens: rice and housing are all subsidized by the government. Added to that, healthcare is provided by government as well. Healthcare for citizens is charged at 1$B per consultation.

Ain't that lovely?

Indeed. Now what's lovelier are the pictures I'm going to show you. It's funny that when I typed in "places to go in brunei" on Google, there's only 5 places shown even on Lonely Planet website. But we were lucky to have friends who've been to places in Brunei. Some of the highlights are:

Labi with its beautiful landscape, greens, and trees. During our visit there, the water level was on the lowest, which was quite an attraction cause we get to see the living grasses that usually hidden under water. 

Kampung Ayer where you could see the indigenous people who lived practically in houses on water. They make bridges to connect from one island of houses to the other and travel to the land using boats. They even managed to set electricity with poles on the water.

Beach & Woods at Empire Hotel where we were staying. It was probably the most luxurious and complete hotel / villa complex in Brunei. I'm sorry that I couldn't reveal anymore than this as it would spoil the surprise we prepared for the couple I was photographing. In the mean time, this will do to represent.

Jerudong Park where the Sultan keep his breed of horses. I didn't take photos of them though. They fleed as I fired the flash. =p

 
Here is Gadong night market where street hawkers and food vendors are mashed up with the hungry night eaters (read: me!). They practically sell anything here, from clothes, bags, daily groceries, until soft lenses! Credits to Erika for the Gadong photos. It was one of the most fun dinner, we bought a bunch of foods from the traditional 1$ Nasi Katok, Roti Melaya (which is what they call martabak manis), to the finger foods such as Cheese Chili Dog, and a lot more. We brought it back to Empire, our hotel, and bash it together.

I never expect Brunei to be this flavorful. But I guess that's the beauty of travelling. With fresh eyes you see, discover, and experience new things, and hopefully it will trigger fresh thoughts, enlight your soul, and free your mind from clutter. I did. And I hope this post will spark you too.

I've got one more in store. Another food adventure in Brunei. Until then, tune in, smile on.

Will travel for food,

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Conversationalist & Photographer

Munch on my tweets @Wanderbites

Singapore - Every Visit is Different

Greeted by the sun I walked off the aircraft, flight TR2275, safe and sound. With an expectant heart I knew this trip would be short but worthwhile. And indeed it was. Staying at the Marina Bay Sands simply refine this getaway into a whole different perspective.

From the moment I queued in line to check in I've already astounded by the magnificence of this establishment. A glassful of complimentary champagne welcomed me plus a pack of hot towel to wipe off my tired face from waking up early catching the first flight. The height of the ceiling was almost endless creating a majestic look. Having done feasting my eyes with the first-timer excitement, I ran myself to the 16th floor where I was staying. Here, meet the super comfy room. =)

Having traveled to several countries for the past few years, going through sleeping in Eurotrain and airport waiting lounge, plus having spent the past one year sleeping on plywood to heal my backpain, I must say this bunk is a celebration. Clean white sheets, soft pillows, and foamy bed where I can sink all my body weight along with my burdens. Yummy! (I'm sorry I can't escape the foodblogger in me when describing things =p) And so after tasting the bed for a quick while I took off right away to the top, the most wanted place in the hotel complex ... yes, none other than the epicly-awesome 150 meter infinity pool. =D

Went down the elevator. Lower and lower and lower to the basement connecting the mall shops. Yes! Its shopping time!  I didn't plan on buying anything actually. My eyes were rather fixated on one foodplace to another. Browsed through Bean-stro, a developed bistro concept from the original Coffee Bean, then moved to High Society with its plentiful of colorful macaroons and dessert on parade, and finally ... stopped at the one that I can't resist. Eureka! I shouted loudly inside of my head and put a full smile on. =D Here's a little teaser for my upcoming dedicated review of the emerging foodplace, TWG.

Well, I guess one photo is more than enough. =p You just have to wait.

Even when I finished with all that, the night was young. With all the extra dose of excitement left in me and the one hour difference between Jakarta and Singapore, I was more alive than sleepy at 1 a.m past midnight. With nothing to do and nothing to eat, boys night out it will be. And so I went to the famous Marina Bay Sands casino.

It was funny how the securities stopped me at the entrance and asked "Where are you studying in Singapore?". I take that as a compliment, Sir! =P Shocked at first with the amount of cash traded from one table to the other, I held my chips tightly and slowly observed the types of the games. Roulette? Hmm, the stakes are too high. Bacarat? I don't have a single idea what it is. Slots? That would be too boring. Poker? Nah, not in the mood to go gaga. I finally landed my first $25 on a Blackjack table. Learned the easy way that two poke on the table means 'hit me' and a wipe means 'enough'.

First bet. My heart pound. And I won it.
Second. My heart beat faster. And I won it.
Third. I sat on the hot seat.
And as I just began to drown in the game, it was all the way downhill from there.
But anyway, good game. Experience is priceless. Taught me a pretty good lesson. You'd never win in the long run, so cash in as soon as you win enough and leave. =P Greed is the mother of failure here.

Closing on the trip I took a long stroll around the city. Had a nice Chinese dinner by Clarke Quay. Caught some nightlight snapshots. Enjoy the warm breeze. I also realized that with every visit I made to this city, it has always been different. There's always something new to catch.  A new place to go to. An incomparable adventure than before. I guess that's what Singapore is, the constantly developing city. Anywhere you go you'll most like find construction work on progress. This is an ever growing nation and city of its own. One of its kind.

This is Singapore, one thousand and one different ways to enjoy. I love this city already. Don't you? =)

Smile on, Shine On
Fellexandro Ruby

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Extra Tips: 
1. Book from Jakarta or any of your local travel agent for a considerably lower hotel booking
2. The room for two is actually big enough to fit four to five.
3. Don't miss the light show started at 6 pm and 11 pm daily
4. Try the Creme Brulee and Roasted Lamb with mint & peppercorn sauce if you have buffet at Rise
5. Free drinks in the casino! =D

If I Had My Own Food Place

I was sitting on my working chair when a thought came to me. What if I could have my own restaurant? How would i like it to be?

Having spent quite some time in Sydney and having the privilege to visit Max Brenner as a regular, I used to have in mind the similar yet different medium-sized cafe with bricks and stones, indoor space and outdoor space on rooftop, dimmed light, wood interiors, shelves with collections of chocolates from countries around the world, and a huge diorama of chocolate-process from cocoa tree to a bar (basically a mini Wonka Factory). Oh and maybe, just maybe, a sushi-train-like section, but of course instead of sushi, you'll have various selections of chocolate based food.

Also a chocolate tasting section where I'll have myself with my toque and double breasted white jacket, leading a group of people to try the wonderful varieties of chocolate products, from fudges to truffles, candies to cookies. Astound them with the fact that Indonesia is on the top three cocoa-producing countries, interest them with the differing taste of Forastero, Criollo, and Trinitario cocoa beans, and of course brainwash them with all the goodness and health that chocolate can bring. To end the treat, everyone will get the chance to make their own mix of chocolate with their favorite fillings, nuts to liquor, in their favorite size and shapes, have each of them stamped with their personal name.

I'll have it named after this blog. Wanderbites! Chocolate & Beyond. The tag line will be "Let's Get Chocolate High!" And just like Max Brenner, I'll have my face in vector character instead of his bald head. Ha! I'll probably be the first chinese-looking-guy to ever brand his face in a chocolate bar. =P That would be the kind of legacy I totally looking forward to leave this world with.

Besides, its a disturbing fact for me, Indonesia is one of the largest cocoa producing countries but doesn't even make it to the top ten chocolate consumers. I'd like to recall the famous tale where a bunch of explorers come into a remote island and see the natives wear no footwear at all. Would you be the one saying "hey nobody wear shoes here, they don't need it, they don't want it, lets head out" or you'd be the one jumping euphoricly screaming "nobody wear shoes yet! this is a huge market!".

You know which one I'll be.

Before all my chocolate dream happen to reality, have a glimpse of it here, this might just be the perfect fountain to put in the middle of Wanderbites! Chocolate & Beyond:

(a little poll: after seeing this video do you agree that Asians are the best in capturing amateur travel documentary?)

And another one, that totally surpasses my idea at this link.  And interestingly, it came from a guy named Maurits Rubinstein. Hmm, fate has its unique way to connect us, Rubies, and chocolates. =D

Oh, it's a couple weeks to Valentine's day. Get ready. Let's get chocolate high!

Fellexandro Ruby
Food Enthusiast & Photographer

Shanghai Foodgalore (Or The Misadventures of The Chinese Looking Guy That Speaks No Chinese)

Stranded in a city where you don't speak the language but having the face looking like the locals is one hilarious torture. Things like random people on the MRT asking directions to me in Chinese and when I answered them in English, they return it with a confused and demeaning look that almost like saying "Whoa! So you're so effin cool that you only speak English? Where's your nationalism?" Seriously, I laugh at each of my encounters with the local chineses. 

However, let's put that aside for now, and allow me take you to the place where the foodventure began, Chinese Fast Food. Bump into this place halfway back from Shanghai Expo, just above Long Yang Road station to be exact, and found a long queue waiting. A good sign this should be. So I got into the line only to find myself blank for a minute when the waiter ask me "ni yao che she me?" (what do you want to eat?). For the complete sixty seconds only one thought ran across my head and sadly that is the voice of my mom mocking "I told you so many times to go and take that Chinese lesson. See? Now you've found out for yourself how important it is."

But I have no time for that, and so I used my final ammunition, the ever-so-effective-universal-language in traveling : body language! I took out my hands, stare at the waitress eyes, slowly made a one and a nine with my fingers. Good thing the waitress understood! HA! And that has granted me this:

On the left is the slow-cooked pork with what i assume was pig-innards mixed in sweet-salty soy sauce. I found this quite flat, none of the spices stood out and some of the meats were too stiff and unchewable. The other menu in contrary was awesome! A good blend of tofu, chicken broth, and eggs cooked with enough heat that resulted in a semi-moist texture that slowly diffuse once it reaches your tongue. I tasted a reasonable amount of saltiness and the good good aroma of fresh eggs. A delight. I've never met this in any chinese resto in Indonesia, so yeah, I think I'm gonna miss this. 

Off to the second spot was this resto near Holiday Inn Downtown, a medium-sized fast food with the face of an oldman as the logo. Tell you the truth, I decided to eat here because of him. He gave me a sense of security that their food gotta be good and luckily I was right. =)

The chicken rice with traditional mushroom was a feast in the midst of winter. Just swallowing that first freshly cooked rice and chicken leave a warm feeling in my belly. I feel home in instant, but transported back to reality when I look around and I couldn't find any chili sauce nearby. WHAT?! I tried complaining to the old man a.k.a Mr Lee but he just stared back at me with a smile from the corner of my plate. Oh well, on the plus side, at least their chopsticks were super hygiene (look at the chopstick-washer-machine!).  

Fed up with Chinese food, on the next day I went out for a little variety, and nothing was as exciting as seeing the Golden Arch sign just a couple block from the hotel. YAY! Finally, twentieth-century-food! I was so pumped to try for the first time in my life, McDonald's burgers-with-pork which I could never find in Indonesia. But all that hype just fade away when I stood in front of the counter and remember once again that I couldn't read any of those letters in the menu. DAMN! I should've at least learn how to say 'pork' before flying off here. Once again, body language to the rescue! But how am I suppose to explain 'pig' ? Make a groook-ing sound with my mouth? I ran out of choices, so I took a good look at each of the photos, made my wild guess and took away the burger back to hotel. Another surprise when I opened the paperbag and pull out the burger, the wrapping says Chicken Burger. --" There goes my one and only chance.

Noting the taste, it was one juicy-meaty slice of boneless chicken, the grilled soy sauce let out one tasty scent in favor of my Asian tongue. It was gooood for something coming out of McDonald's menu.

The day after, finished with all the business work, I get to visit this beautiful Yi Yuan garden, one of Shanghai's must-visit landmark, complete with it's shopping alleys that reminds me of Singapore's Bugis Junction. Here I finally found one of Shanghai's authentic hawker food, its the famous Xiao Long Pao. But unlike the normal ones, this one you have to sip it from a straw. And OH MY! It was one heavenly sip. Almost feels like sipping a concentrate of all the goodness (read: fat) of pork in one tasty juice. I recommend this! A must try! See how orgasmic I was while sipping it. =p

Right after that, I went for a quick lunch at this huge foodcourt inside the garden. I rather not talk about it though. I can't believe such beautiful looking foods can taste that disappointing. Awful. Scooch over.

It was quite late after the stroll around the garden. My feet and back are tired from walking, and on my way back my nose traced a very buttery smell coming right from a small shop. I didn't jot down the name of the street. But here's what my nose led me to. Freshly baked portuguese-style tartlettes coming right out of the oven. Its the sweet that I've been craving for. A perfect bite size snack for the afternoon. I can still recall the buttery smell arousing my nose, the hot sweet filling splendoring my tongue, and the crunchy feeling when I took the bite. YUM!

A fine dessert closed my walk that day and closed my stroll around Shanghai. And this Chinese-looking guy that can't speak Chinese has finally made his way around the city and survived with a grin on his face. My overall opinion, the food here are rather flat. It doesn't go to the extreme when it comes to flavor. Slight saltyness, slight sweetness, not spicy at all, and good luck finding chili sauce that complement the food. However, I find this as an enjoyable variety filler, a fling from tons of Indonesian food that I tasted daily in Jakarta. Above all, it was fun, and nothing beats a fun adventure.

Until our next foodventure.

Smile on, shine on. (and stay away from pork),

Chinese-looking Guy

Twitter: @captainruby

Email: fellexandro.ruby@gmail.com