Ikkudo Ichi

Ikkudo Ichi is one of the top list of Jakarta's ramen stalls.. and how good words spread fast.. I have heard about this ramen stall for quite a while and was really curious and eager to try it.. so when my brother mentioned that he wanted to try this as well, I was more than excited.. and so we traveled quite far, far away to PIK area and easily found a huge Ikkudo Ichi sign welcomed us.. we were there..

the place was quite packed that afternoon that we only managed to get a table in the outdoor dining area.. due to the hungry tummy, I didn't take any pic of the atmosphere.. but in general, it was typical Japanese ramen stall with wooden chairs and nicely decorated with Japanese lanterns in the ceiling.. the outdoor area was quite comfortable since it was windy and the service was very good and prompt.. a plus point was when the waiter gave us an extra chairs to put our bags..

the menu was mainly consisted of ramen with choices of pork broth or chicken broth.. along with it are Japanese appetizers and side dishes.. our choice of appetizer went to buta chasu aburi (Rp48,000) since they run out of gyu chasu aburi which was recommended by wanderbites.. buta chasu aburi is five slices of pork which was usually put on top of the signature pork ramen then served with crushed garlic and scallions.. personally, I prefer more slices if you really have to put such thin ones on my plate.. taste wise, the pork was very tender and smooth, the main reason why I love pork.. it was perfectly balanced with the crushed garlic to make it less porky.. still smelled and tasted too porky for my mom but I love it.. 

buta chasu aburi

now, what the use of going to a ramen stall without ordering a bowl of it? of course, we had our ramen bowls here.. my brother had the ikkudo buta kara (Rp41,900) while I shared ikkudo tori kara (Rp41,900) with my mom.. buta kara is ramen with pork-based soup served with special red sauce, pork slices, boiled eggs, wakame and sesame seeds.. while tori kara is ramen basically the same only with chicken-based soup and chicken slices.. you are allowed to choose the thickness of the broth, the oil level and the texture of the ramen, so choose wisely.. we basically chose the normal broth thickness and normal noodle texture with less oil..

I noticed that the broth (both pork and chicken) was much lighter and clearer than Ikkousha's.. and I love it! it tasted delightful.. really smooth broth as a result of the slow-long cooking process was combined with chewy ramen then added with the tender boneless chicken.. you will get a bowl of satisfaction.. the special red sauce brought almost no value added to the dish as I still added more chili powder for spiciness.. after the first sip, I also add a little bit of crushed garlic to make the dish even more enjoyable.. my brother was also enjoying his ramen and kept saying that it was good..

ikkudo buta kara

so overall, all of us had a delicate lunch and happy tummy always means happy me.. here's a look of the happy ending of ikkudo tori kara..

Ikkudo Ichi
Rukan Crown Golf Blok D No. 2-3
Bukit Golf Mediterania, PIK
North Jakarta
Ph.: 6221 9662 8677

Hakata Ikkousha

hellow there.. it's been a while since my last post.. been very busy in the office and working on some other stuffs.. and actually, haven't really visited any restaurant worth reviewing haha.. 

anyway, my brother is in town for 2 weeks and when he's here means 'welcome fat and good bye diet' haha.. he asked me for a good place to eat and this  Hakata Ikkousha just popped in my mind.. I supposed it's the most mentioned ramen-selling restaurant in Indonesian food blogs lately haha.. 

so yesterday, I went there with my brother and mom for lunch and arrived around 12.30 in the afternoon.. we didn't know the exact location but it was not too hard to find especially after I knew their Indonesian name Rumah Bahagia Pertama.. I wondered whether it was the Indonesian translation.. we waited for 10 minutes before we finally got our table.. the restaurant was very crowded despite it was a lunch during weekday.. I, somehow, enjoyed the hustle of the chatting customers and busy-serving waiters haha.. 

the restaurant itself was not too big and spacious.. it was dominated in wooden furniture with a touch of Japanese stuff here and there.. makes me feel like I'm in Tokyo (oh dear God, please hear my prayers).. I supposed this resembles the parent restaurant in Japan? I don't know, but I will know once I visited Japan myself (that's faith haha).. the distance between tables was very near, making us can hear our neighbor's conversation.. over the hustle, we sometimes heard Japanese talking fluently in bahasa, welcoming the customers.. perhaps the restaurant is actually run by Japanese.. on our table, there was a basket of all kinds of sauces, chopsticks, tissue and a bowl full of garlic.. well, I'm not a fan of garlic, but I've read reviews saying that putting garlic into your ramen is a good idea.. so we're all set to have our lunch.. 

I heard that their signature dish was the Special Chicken Ramen and Special Pork Ramen (Rp38,000 each).. since I have to pick one menu only (remembering the size of my tummy), it's obvious that I picked Special Pork Ramen to share with my mom.. I'm such a pork fans hahaha.. it came in a not-so big but full bowl.. filled with ramen, soft-boiled egg and a pork slice.. the broth was very thick.. it is said that the thick broth was obtained from boiling chicken bones, vegetables and fish meat for hours.. it was very tasty and delicious, though my brother said it was too thick.. I loved it, especially once I add a little garlic (just a little) and sliced chili.. my best way was to eat the ramen with the broth and sliced chili :)

my brother picked Tamtam Pork Ramen (Rp46,000) which looked very spicy and appetizing in the menu.. when it came, it looked just like my pork ramen only with chili oil on top of it.. the broth tasted just like mine, and I don't taste any spiciness in it.. maybe I set my expectation too high for this one, and it just didn't surprise me.. I even liked my ramen better than this.. 

oh, here's a peek of their ramen.. it's thin and smooth.. 

we also ordered their Pork and Shrimp Gyoza (Rp35,000) to share.. it consisted of five pieces and freshly made upon orders.. it tasted delicious but too oily for me.. the skin was crunchy and the fillings was juicy.. for drinks we had Cold Ocha (Rp8,800) and it was refillable.. the price stated above excludes tax (10%) and service charge (2.5%)..

overall, the three of us had different opinion regarding this restaurant.. I think it was delicious and worth another visit.. my brother said he had tasted better ramen in Singapore.. my mother said it was pricey though she didn't pay the bill.. well, I think I will make another visit, just to confirm who made the best opinion haha.. 

Hakata Ikkousha (Rumah Bahagia Pertama)

Jl. Muara Karang Raya 85

North Jakarta

Ph.: 6221 - 666 00 255

Ice Cream Gentong

last Monday, bf and I took leave from the hectic office together.. we planned to visit Mall Kelapa Gading, since it's been a while and it took a long journey to reach that area.. we managed to take the Trans Jakarta and reached Mall Kelapa Gading after an hour journey.. we then started going up and down throughout the mall and have some shopping.. on our way to La Piazza, we spotted a little stall called Ice Cream Gentong which literally means ice cream in barrels/drums.. I've heard of this ice cream in other blogger's review and decided to try.. they designed their stall just like their name with those big barrels put in front of the stall.. their tagline was 'a taste of nostalgia'.. 

Ice Cream Gentong offers variety of flavors, including vanilla, coffee, durian, avocado, green tea, oreo, chocolate, jackfruit, strawberry and brownies.. you can choose between cone or cup which cost Rp15,000 each.. we picked a cup to share.. a plus point for choosing a cup is that you'll get more ice cream than you'll get in a cone and you can mix two flavors in one cup.. Ice Cream Gentong also serve ice cream in tint for Rp45,000 each.. a very nice waiter served us while we were confused picking what to order..he then helped us by telling that:

• for guys: favorite ice cream would be durian and avocado
• for girls: favorite ice cream would be green tea and coffee 

apparently, I was thinking of mixing green tea and coffee while bf was thinking of trying durian.. so his survey was quite right haha.. anyway, bf started to offer me what to order and by judging at my reaction, he picked a combination of green tea and coffee, though I didn't actually say what I wanted.. he said, it was written in my face haha..

for me.. it was GREAT.. with upper case.. it was not too sweet.. it was creamy, milky.. it really indulge your tongue and taste buds.. I love it.. well, if you like a strong taste of ice cream, you probably would not prefer this.. both flavors tasted mild.. just the way I like it.. while eating, I kept saying 'ooww.. it's delicious' over and over again that bf, nicely, stop eating and let me finish the ice cream haha.. I guess this proves that Indonesian-made is just as good as those imported from Western countries.. instead of offering the same, typical taste of ice cream, Ice Cream Gentong has managed to differ itself from other brand of ice cream.. it stands out of the crowd of imported ice cream.. I just wish they open more stalls instead just in Kelapa Gading, it was too far from me.. :)

Ice Cream Gentong

La Piazza Kelapa Gading (in front of Kopitiam Bengawan Solo)

Mall Kelapa Gading (in front of Farmer's Market)

also available in Bandung and Sukabumi

Ph.: 6221-3388 5550/7120 0630

www.icecreamgentong.com

Family Time: Bali Jimbaran2

a few weeks ago, my beloved brother -who is currently making money abroad- came back to Jakarta for vacation.. so, when my little brother -who is wayyyy larger than me physically and people started to think that i'm the youngest child in the family.. well, I don't mind actually :P um, we usually eat here at Bali Jimbaran 2 in Muara Karang.. it's a seafood restaurant and tasted delicious with a very reasonable price.. well, if it's a combination of these three components, then I can not resist hehehe..

Kerang Ijo Saus Padang - Kangkung Terasi - Cumi Goreng Mentega

Ikan Bakar Bumbu Bali - Kepiting Soka Goreng Tepung - Tauge Ikan Asin

well, I don't remember each item's price.. but I think overall it costs us about 250 thousand rupiah for 5 persons.. not bad, rite? um, my favourite would be the Ikan Bakar Bumbu Bali.. I dunno what ingredients they put into it but it tasted really delicious.. it's spicy and refreshing.. okay, i'm drooling here haha.. I also love the Kerang Ijo Saus Padang..

in this restaurant, you get to choose your own raw seafood and the way to cook it.. they served us quite fast and the food are great :)

I'm in love with this place :P