Novotel Bogor

We are at the Novotel Resort in Bogor this weekend for a semi-staycation and it was just the break we needed! The Novotel was packed, we were a little surprised...until we found out that there was a conference this weekend and all of Indonesia's Ministers are here...so that's where the local tax payers money is going towards...the "conference". Tomorrow is the Reunification Golf Tournament so good luck to all those who is participating.

Novotel Bogor
Golf Estate
Bogor Raya

Ritz-Carlton Hotel

Sundays are usually reserved for brunches. We have never been to a proper brunch together (can you believe it?), I mean, the kind of brunch where it's an all you can eat buffet at a hotel. Don't get me wrong, we have both been to brunch before (it's Jakarta after all) it just so happen that we had them before we were together. It took us a while to decide where to go. Marcel had his regular place (Mulia Hotel), I had mine (Meridien Hotel). In the end we decided on the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Kuningan...yes the one that got bombed last year. We chose it because it was somewhere we both hadn't been, reasonably priced, and drinks included.

It was not a good start to say the least. Even though we reserved a table, we still managed to get the worse seat in the house. We were squished in a dark little corner by the stairs with a huge column opposite the corner that we were at. I joked to Marcel that they must have thought that I was the secret girlfriend that noone was supposed to know about.

The food was so-so, I think it was catered more for Indonesians. They didn't have pancakes or waffles (at a brunch??) and you couldn't really put anything to the breads they had, like a selection of cheese or spreads. It was more Indonesian cuisine so martabaks, grilled fish, nasi goreng, quite heavy stuff that you couldn't really eat for brunch

In no time the place was filled. I guess the host wasn't joking when she said it was a full house. Although, it was filled with Indonesians which means lots of guests with kids and pembantus. So in the end we ended up having the best seat in the house because we didn't have a flurry of people running around behind and around us.

All in all, I guess the recent bombing didn't really affect the Ritz-Carlton whatsoever. The senior staff came across like they didn't really need or want anymore customers and were neither impressed or tried to help when we asked to be moved to a better table (I thought that was the whole concept of reserving a table, I mean, you never really call in advance and request for the worse seat in the restaurant, right?). They really snubbed us off and gave us the impression that we should be grateful to have even been in the restaurant at all. Only the staff on the floor who re-filled drinks made sure that we were taken care of, ok, it was only the one guy who really gave us the impression that we were in a 5 star hotel, so we left after about a couple of hours and tipped him.

Brunch
Non alcohol Rp 216,000++
Alcohol Rp 360,000++

Jakarta Asia Restaurant
The Ritz-Carlton, Jakarta
Jl. Lingkar Mega Kuningan Kav E.1.1 No. 1
Mega Kuningan, Jakarta

Oktoberfest 2010

Bavarian colours

The band was great as always

I love these socks!

Long after the band left, these guys took over with their drunken whaling, people were telling them to get off the stage

These guys were escorting people out (yes, they were real guns) but were so excited when Marcel asked if he could take a picture with them

Oktoberfest comes again, only this year I managed to be there from the start! Marcel was looking very handsome in his lederhosen and hopefully if we are still here next year, I will try and make an outfit that matches his.

Rainy days

So Marcel is home with some sort of virus. I'm thinking the flu or something to that effect. The weather hasn't improved greatly. It rains all day and through the night so you can't really do much. Everything is...well...wet...and gloomy.

Get well soon

Over the weekend we found out that our card for Lena hadn't arrived yet (thanks Indonesia Post). Thankfully we sent some postcards while we were in Australia. Meanwhile, here was the card we made.

A golfing weekend

We woke up bright and early today...5am so that Marcel can do 18 holes at the golf course in Cinere. We were a little surprised by the major traffic jam near Poin Square and Marcel was not in the best mood having to deal with this first thing in the morning but that quickly subsided when he T-ed off at 6:30am. The first 9 holes went by swiftly with Marcel scoring 48. I'm not sure about scoring in golf but I'm told that this is good. The last 9 holes was not so good. It just got too unbearably hot, even for me, and I wasn't even playing!


Throughout the course there are several pit stops of people selling foods, snacks, drinks, and of course golf balls. These golf balls are found in the course itself. All those lost balls drowning in the lake or caught in a tree are all collected by the locals, then grouped into bunches of 12, according to brands, then resold again to golfers. So you are literally buying your own golf balls back. It's like Indonesians have found a way to make ripping people off a business. The whole concept is quite funny but then again, this is Indonesia.

Mama needs a brand new car

This week Marcel reminded me, several times, that the annual golf tournament is on again this October. Normally when I hear the words golf, or any other sport related words, I often glaze my eyes over in boredom. This time, he casually mentioned that there is a rather tempting "hole in one" prize, actually, four tempting prizes. An Audi, VW, Mercedes and a BMW. So I quickly changed my tune and accompanied him for some golf time at the Pondok Indah Golf & Country Club for two rounds of driving. We did have a walk over to PIM for lunch, dumplings, yum!


After all the golf training Marcel had, we headed over to Bersih Sehat for some traditional massage. I've never been here before and was a little bit hesitant at seeing metal handle bars on the ceiling above my massage table but overall it was alright.

Kids who can cook really freak me out

So just before we left, there was this huge promotional work on Junior Masterchef Australia. It's a show that takes 50 kids from ages 8 - 12 and get them through cooking competitions, challenges and tests to determine who the best child cook in Australia is.

This show is kind of creepy. Check out some of the things these kids can make! Marcel thinks it's unnatural for kids this young to be able to make things like that. Judge for yourself!

Ricotta Gnocchi with Eggplant Sauce

Rabbit and Mushroom Ragu on Soft Polenta

Falsomagro with Crumbed Eggplant and Tomato Sauce

Lamb spring collection

Since we left Melbourne, Marcel has been craving lamb chops. I'm not sure if this has anything at all to do with the heavy lamb campaigns going on in Melbourne when we were there but I'm also craving a bit of lamb chops. We were eating them just about every night (to Marcel's delight) and when you stop completely, it really gets to your head. I'm dreaming of them as we speak.

Presto pesto

I was feeling like pesto pasta yesterday but didn't really get a chance to find out what the word "basil" was in bahasa til today. After realising that a small jar of pesto would cost me 50k rupiah at foodhall I thought it would be cheaper and healthier for me to make some pesto myself! So off I went to Carrefour for this pasta dish. I went and asked a staff if they sold basil leaves (daun kemanggi) but she looked at me puzzled. I presumed that I hadn't pronounced it properly but after hearing a laugh from a male customer then having him say "basil leaves are food for the poor, you can only get them at the traditional market" then walking off so I decided to try and look for it myself. I finally figured out the basil leaves by smell and happily paid for it - 5k rupiah for a bunch, enough to make a small jar.

I think sometimes Indonesians are so concerned about having expensive taste in food (amongst other things) that they forget to realise that their local produce, as cheap as they are, can make some amazing (and expensive) dishes!


The basil leaves here tastes kind of citrusy so somehow it makes the whole dish taste a bit more tropical. The pesto itself was incredibly easy to make, but I adapted the recipe a little. I used almonds instead of pine nuts because, well I had a bunch of almonds at home and used 5 cloves of garlic instead of 3 which I cooked in a bit of oil. I also don't have a food processor - nor do I know what it is so I used a stab blender that Ulla gave us for our wedding present which worked just as well.

Aussie t-shirts

Here were a few kids t-shirts we picked up while hanging around the Queen Victoria Market the other day.

Back in Jakarta

Grill'd

I have always wanted to bring Marcel to Grill'd as I spent alot of my hard earned money at this place during my uni days. A friend of mine is convinced that they must put something in the marinade or sauce so that they get stuck in your hands long after you've washed them so that you just keep wanting to buy more and more...a marketing strategy. Marcel settled on a "mustard and pickled beef burger", good choice!

Breaking fast

My brother decided to shout us for dinner tonight and his choice of food? German! We made our way to Market Lane in the city to the Hofbrauhaus to break fast together. I think my parents were a little culture shocked from the size of the food and the type of food. I think my dad presumed that Germans also eat rice regularly so his expectations were a little demolished. All in all we had some great food in great big portions, polished off with some apfel strudel.

A day at the mall

So Marcel arrived at close to midnight last night and had his first taste of the cold weather in Melbourne. Today was not such a nice day with the non-stop rain. And what do a couple of Indonesian residents do on their first day in a new country? Going to the mall. This was Marcel's first visit to Chadstone...and mine, after their huge reconstruction. It was like a maze and we kept on getting lost.

Market day

A cross between a cauliflower and broccoli, with spikes!

I don't know what these were but they were moving

They have Dr. Oetker stuff

My mum is a big believer in a wife who cooks. I'm a fan of cooking, but with Indonesian food, forget it. There is alot of preparation in Sumatran cooking that, to me, is sometimes just not worth the effort. My mother is the complete opposite. Saturday mornings are always reserved for market days where I am dragged all over town to get the freshest produce. And with Marcel coming later on tonight, a feast awaits. The only good thing about this part of my day is seeing all the weird stuff that they have on sale.

This is spring? I have been away too long

You know, I thought I would for once get away from the rain. Jakarta has been raining from the afternoon onwards everyday now so we have yet seen the end of the rain season. Melbourne was not better. The first day of spring has been...well, wet..and cold..and grey. I hope it picks up soon.