Tag Archives: indonesia

indonesia chronicles: surabaya street

Posted by rob on

surabaya street is a well-known flea market in central jakarta.  after hearing mass at the cathedral, i took a cab and told the driver to drop me off at jalan surabaya.  the indonesian driver was a cheerful local who speak english started a small conversation asking where i was from:

me: well, guess where i’m from.

driver: singapore? (maybe a lot of tourists in jakarta are singaporeans?!)

me: nope.  guess once more.

driver: taiwan? (is he serious?!)

me: wrong.  i’m from the philippines.

driver: ohhh…  christian bautista! (lmao! was he that famous in indonesia?!)

we reached surabaya then i handed him idr 15,000 (was idr 11,000 in the taxi meter) for the fare and thanked him.  a few tourists were also looking for bargains as i walked beside the shops where the locals are seated at the curb either polishing brass or fixing items that they are selling.

there were a lot of items being sold like these antique-looking brass items.  my ma actually have a small collection of small brass vases but hers came from india.

i am not sure if the stuff they sell are authentic, anyway i was only there to look and take pictures.  one caucasian woman actually bought one of these supposedly world war II diving helmet made of copper and brass material.

then i passed by these wooden stick puppets which caught my attention.

i was hooked.  though i never had any plan to buy anything, these puppets are too artistically crafted that i wanted to bring one back home.

for idr 300,000 (about $30.00) i got these wooden stick puppets of rama and sita.  i think it was worth it having one for myself.

indonesia chronicles: makanan tempat

Posted by rob on

one of the things that i appreciated when i visited indonesia was their cuisine. i actually liked their dishes that i was able to taste which satisfied my fondness to slightly spicy food. here are some of the “restoran” i visited during my solo travel.

black canyon coffee

i was searching for a place to have dinner after my leisurely walk at kuta beach and noticed this nice looking restaurant in discovery shopping mall in jalan kartika plaza.

black canyon coffee is originally from thailand. this one in bali is the only branch they have that is operating in indonesia.

my first impression about black canyon was that it only serves typical menu that one will find in a coffee shop like sandwiches or other quick-fix food but i was surprised when i checked out in their menu that the place is actually a restaurant that offers extensive choices of food.

they have what they call “indonesia favorites” where local dishes are served in a different zest.

i ordered some sweetened black iced tea.

and nasi pedas, where the spiciness of the dish is just right for my taste. their restaurant have thai dishes but i was more interested with their indonesian specialties. rice dishes, pasta, noodles, curries and soups are also available

nong jma

there is a foodcourt in sarinah mall in jakarta where i ate at nong jma.

the set-up is that there is a buffet spread where you can choose a variety of local dishes.

you pick what you want and how much you want it in your plate and pay for that.

fried fish and tofu, spicy anchovies (loved it!), string beans with mongo sprouts and brown rice cost me only about idr 20,000 – like $2.00!

tomodachi café

this restaurant is at the ground floor of fave hotel where i stayed in jakarta. i had my dinner here before my flight back to manila.

it is a french-oriental fusion restaurant.

the restaurant has a very modern feel.

i ordered “ayam betutu”, half chicken grilled with traditional balinese spice, served with steamed rice, sambal matah, and piecing kacang panjang.  the dish was beautifully presented though the food itself, i can consider as average.

makanan tempat means food places in bahasa.

indonesia chronicles: warung mendez

Posted by rob on

it was past lunch time when i finished frolicking (lol!) with the macaques at the monkey forest sanctuary in ubud, bali.  a local acquaintance recommended me this restaurant located a few minutes from the sanctuary.

warung mendez is an open air cozy restaurant with wooden tables and benches known for their delicious and affordable local dishes in their menu.

i chose to order their bakmi goreng jawa, a dish of stir-fried egg noodles cooked in javanese spice paste with shredded chicken and vegetables topped with fried egg with a side dish of pickled mixed vegetables and two sticks of chicken satay.

the restaurant has an open kitchen were you can see the local women cook your dish infront of you.

spices and condiments used for the bakmi goreng.

skilfully she tossed the ingredients into the wok and a delicious aroma entered my nostrils.

that’s apple cider, red wine and balsamic vinegar.  vinegar usually adds tang to most recipes.

noodles are ready!

uber yummy bakmi goreng. 🙂

three kinds of sambal, which are chili based sauces.

warung mendez is at penestanan kaje, ubud, bali indonesia.