.:: do you hear me? ::.

i believe there isn’t a single human being that understands you completely.

even the closest ones know you only to a certain degree.

.:: julie & julia ::.

you know what i love about cooking?

i love when after a day that nothing is sure, and when i say nothing, i mean nothing
you can come home and absolutely know that when you add egg yolks to chocolate and sugar and milk
it will get thick

it’s such a comfort

~ julie powell

.:: MBD Red Wine Mask ::.

feeling a little bit fatigued, i turned to sheet mask for instant comfort. my skin was a bit oily at the time, so i opted for Red Wine mask suitable for that particular skin type.

what i noticed first and foremost was the the wonderful red wine scent. although i enjoyed the scent a lot, i also realized that it must contain alcohol. i was a bit worried, especially because it also left me with a bit of tingling sensation when i first put it on. but after a while, the tingling sensation was gone, and there were no unwanted negative reaction *pheww*

as the other MBD masks, this one also contains a generous amount of essence. and though i put it on for more than an hour ( i was watching the time traveler’s wife and completely forgot the time ), there were still a good amount of essence left that i could dab onto my face, neck and even hands. the result was quite satisfactory. although it was targeted for oily skin, it wasn’t drying at all. instead it provided just the right amount of  hydration. it also  left my skin plumped and firm. i think it is just perfect for ladies with normal-to-oily and sensitive skin.

so far, i’m loving My Beauty Diary masks. it’s not only affordable, it also results in instant hydration ( among other things ) and it never breaks me out.

.:: number 26 ::.

this was how i spent my 26th birthday.

woke up, a bit later than usual, to a gloomy rainy day. half-heartedly dragged myself to work, but in the end didn’t do anything particularly productive. it was unintentional, but things kept popping out of nowhere, like the repairman came to replace my motherboard, new builds to be installed, and lots of facebook messages to reply (oops!) out of 8 hours of work, i probably do the actual work for 2 hours, at the most oh well..

5 pm sharp off we went to pick up a nephew of mine who came up from surabaya for a meeting. traffic was horrible, but we finally made it to taman anggrek mall. we went straight to canton bay for dinner, this time opting for set menu rather than single-portion menu.

the following were included in the menu..

sweet & sour gurame fish

bbq chasiu & roast duck

kung pao chicken

salt & pepper tofu

pocai with garlic

we also ordered additional black pepper beef and steamed scallop with garlic.

black pepper beef

steamed scallop with garlic

overall, i thought the food was just okay. it was good, but it wasn’t great. probably i expected too much, considering how i’ve always loved their ifumie and their other single-portion menu. so next time, i would most probably opt back for ifumie

after dinner, we had dessert at honeymoon dessert. i ordered mixed fruit sago with mango juice (29.5k). it wasn’t cold enough for my liking, and it tasted just blah. i should’ve ordered mango sago, since it was the only one i liked out of the whole lot. but, it still wouldn’t be able to compete with mango sago cream i had in shang palace, shangrila, two days earlier.

mixed fruit sago

cheers to a(nother) blessed and wonderful year ahead!

.:: all those things we never said ::.

Title : All Those Things We Never Said ~ Marc Levy
Publisher : Klub Sastra Bentang
Price : Rp 42.000,-
===================================

my latest discount hunting in grandi came to fruitition. i found some really good books, and this was, hands down, one of them. i was at first intrigued by the fact that the book was written for Marc Levy, who also wrote If Only It Were True, or better known as Just Like Heaven for those who prefer movie to books. i had enjoyed both the book and the movie, and seeing that only a few of his books could be found here, i snatched this one without thinking. and boy, was i right.

in the scale 1 to 5, i’m giving this book a 10. nope, i didn’t mistype that and i’m not exaggerating. i love it that much. it is not any regular book. it is one of those that actually makes you think, enable you to learn something out of it. it makes you cry, it makes you smile, it makes you laugh. if anything, it makes you see things in different light. and you couldn’t help but think that you should spend more quality time with the ones you love most.

As far back as Julia Walsh could remember, she always had a difficult relationship with her father. They hardly ever saw each other. Hardly ever spoke, and on the rare occasions they did, they never seemed to agree on anything.

Three days before her wedding, Julia receives a phone call from her father’s personal secretary. Just as Julia had predicted, Anthony Walsh will not be able to attend his daughter’s wedding.

However, for once, Julia has to admit that her father’s excuse is irreproachable.

He’s dead.

Julia cannot help seeing the tragic-comical side of the situation. From one second to the next, her nuptial dreams transform into funeral plans. Even beyond the grave, it seems, Anthony Walsh has his own particularly effective way of disrupting his daughter’s life.

But the day after his funeral, Julia discovers that her father has one last surprise in store for her. Without a doubt, the journey of a life-time, and an opportunity to say, at last, all those things they had never said.

*source : www.marclevy.info

at times, i had wished that it was all just a joke, and her father hadn’t really die, that he only pretended to be dead just to reunite daughter. sigh… it left me teary-eyed and touched.

now, i wonder where i could get his other books

.:: the magician ::.

Title : The Magician ~ Michael Scott
Publisher : Penerbit Matahati
Price : Rp 74.000,-
============================

first book finished in 2010. yaay!

the second book of the secrets of the immortal nicholas flamel series, the magician brought yet another easy-to-read, easy-to-enjoy fantasy that i could hardly put down. the story flowed smoothly that i could easily finish it off within four days, at the most.

“After fleeing Ojai, Nicholas, Sophie, Josh, and Scatty emerge in Paris, the City of Lights. Home for Nicholas Flamel. Only this homecoming is anything but sweet. Perenell is still locked up back in Alcatraz and Paris is teeming with enemies. Nicollo Machiavelli, immortal author and celebrated art collector, is working for Dee. He’s after them, and time is running out for Nicholas and Perenell. For every day spent without the Book of Abraham the Mage, they age one year—their magic becoming weaker and their bodies more frail. For Flamel, the Prophesy is becoming more and more clear. It’s time for Sophie to learn the second elemental magic: Fire Magic. And there’s only one man who can teach it to her: Flamel’s old student, the Comte de Saint-Germain—alchemist, magician, and rock star. Josh and Sophie Newman are the world’s only hope—if they don’t turn on each other first.”

—Random House , The Magician, Hardcover 2008

i’m giving it a 4 out of 5

.:: orangeberry ::.

following our lunch, we went to orangeberry to have some froyo. the bright and cheerful orange-and-green interior greeted us hello but we decided to sit outside, on the couch near the railings where we could have more privacy. afterall, one of us didn’t like froyo and she had an ice cream from the neighboring ice cream place, the cream and fudge factory.

there was a buy-two-get-one-free promo where you could get a small-sized froyo for two medium-sized one, or a medium-sized froyo for two large-sized one. flavor selection was quite extensive. they have original, strawberry, double berry, blueberry, orange. plus of course mixed flavors like original-double berry, or blueberry-orange. the selection of topping was also huge. for dry topping, they had mochi, jelly, chocolate chips, etc. while for the fresh topping, they had strawberries, kiwi, longan, mango and so on.

i ordered a medium sized original-double berry twist topped with, as usual, mochi and longan. it cost me 38k, which i thought a bit pricey. and since my friend also ordered a medium-sized froyo, we got a free small-sized original froyo topped with strawberries.

the froyo was creamy but not too creamy. it was neither sour enough for my liking. i’d say it was a bit bland. of all the froyo i’ve tried, this was probably the one i like least. it was just not worth the price. and, if i’m not mistaken, it was also low-fat, not non-fat like most of the other brands. however, the orange one was probably worth a try. it was the sourest of all, plus i don’t really see many orange froyo on the market.

.:: waraku ::.

watching how people swarmed in the recently-opened restaurant, waraku i couldn’t help but curious. one fine sunday, i went in with some friends to give it a try. i had my expectations, but in the end, i was a bit disappointed.

i’m going to start with the positive things first the place was not as huge as i thought it would be, judging from the outside. however, the glass windows allowed the sun to shine through. light-colored wood was used practically everywhere, to give a japanese feel probably? the place was cozy, but it didn’t give enough privacy as tables were too close to each other. customers next to your table could easily pick up conversations and take a peek of what you’re having. it was not really a pleasant dining experience when you find neighboring customers were constantly looking at you, or your food.

service was a bit slow. but it was understandable, considering the place was very busy. the waiters and waitresses were very polite and apologized over and over when people complained about the service.

the food was so-so. the portion was very generous (they served mini and regular portion, and mini was more than enough. regular was truly enormous). but i would say, i’ve had better chicken katsu curry don in other places. yes, i had chicken katsu curry don, again!

chicken katsu curry don (45.8k ~ mini). as i mentioned previously, the portion was generous. a mini-sized dish equaled a regular-sized one served in other restaurants. so if you’re really hungry, you could opt for the regular (read : gigantic) portion. the rice was too dry, the sauce tasted okay but had a glue-like consistency. the portion was fulfilling, but the overall taste was just average.

ebi tempura. this one was a lot better than the chicken katsu curry. flour-coating very crunchy.

tempura ramen.

and lastly, the wiskul-ers..

.:: almond pudding ::.

There is comfort in almond pudding, as the smooth and delicate pudding melts in my mouth. The sweet scent of milk and almond essence are the two things I just can’t get enough. Moreover, fruit cocktail brings life and festivity to the overall appearance, making this pudding an all-time favorite dessert, loved by children and adult alike.

~Almond Pudding~

Ingredients
1 pack agar-agar powder
1350 ml low-fat milk
100 gr sugar
1/4 tsp almond essence
canned fruit cocktail

Methods
1. Mix together agar-agar powder, low-fat milk and sugar in a pan. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.
2. Let it cool for about 5 minutes and stir almond essence into the mixture.
3. Pour into glasses or mould. Refrigerate.
4. Serve with fruit cocktail.

Tips
Experiment! You don’t have to use exact measurement as in the recipe. Add in more milk to achieve more delicate texture, or lessen the sugar if you’re not into sweet food.

*adapted from Puding Agar-Agar Favorit Keluarga – Yasa Boga
**modified by TheButteflyWings

.:: self-challenge ::.

i have decided that this year, i am going to challenge myself. not exactly pushing myself to the limit, but i’m taking baby steps, one at a time. i’ve thought about some things i want to achieve, the things i want to do and how much time i would probably need to achieve each one.

now i’m not going to reveal the challenge just yet, just in case i won’t be able to achieve it

.:: haagen dazs ::.

still on new year’s eve. after dinner, we browsed the mall for a little while. but they closed down an hour earlier than usual, and at 9  pm we had to get out of there. we joined the crowd and headed for la piazza. it was still early so we decided to go to haagen dazs for ice cream, especially since it was the last day of the buy one get one promo (couldn’t bear to miss that out). the place was jam-packed with people. we had to wait for quite a while until we got a table, and while doing so, studied the menu.

i decided to have brownie explosion (62k), two scoops of ice cream served with brownies and chocolate sauce. and since the selection of ice cream were quite limited at the time (apparently we weren’t the only people exploiting the promo) i chose Macadamia Brittle and Chocolate Chip. it was haagen dazs, so there was no question to how it tasted like. it was great. period. the brownies was soft and chewy and chocolatey rich. my only complain would be the size of one scoop of ice cream, which was pretty small.

bf ordered cookie crunch (62k), two scoops of Cookies & Cream with chocolate chip cookies, chocolate sauce and whipped cream served in a tall glass. and since they were running out of Cookies & Cream, we opted for Rum & Raisin and Green Tea instead.

all in all, the ice cream was unquestionably great. but i probably wouldn’t go there if there were no discounts. bf even claimed he liked lind’s better. ah, i miss that place…

Haagen Dazs Cafe
La Piazza, Kelapa Gading

.:: warung tekko ::.

after watching sherlock holmes (so-so), we met up with my parents who had decided to take us out for dinner on the new year’s eve. i couldn’t think of anything else because i was literally craving for ayam penyet. plus, warung tekko had recently opened a branch in kelapa gading area. their specialization is actually iga penyet, but since i don’t eat ribs, i chose chicken instead.

paket 2 (ayam, tahu, tempe, empal) 31k

cah kangkung

cah toge

i think it was okay, slightly bordering on the average side. not the best i’ve ever had, but i would still probably go back here when i feel like having ayam penyet.

Warung Tekko
Gading Food City Lt. Dasar Blok B #101-103
(ph) 021-45842926

.:: waroeng cisangkuy ::.

after browsing the factory outlets in bogor (blah!), our next stop was waroeng cisangkuy. although i’ve been here so many times before, it wasn’t until that day that i had a sip of cisangkuy yogurt. we ordered a cup of lychee yogurt (9k) at first, asking the waiter to place it in a to-go plastic cup, because we didn’t intend to stay for long. although i’ve grown fond of yogurt, i apparently have not yet tolerate thick yogurt like the one served in waroeng cisangkuy. the taste was okay, but it is too thick for my liking.

so i placed another order, strawberry yogurt shake (9k) coz in the menu it was said that yogurt shake is not as sour or as thick as the original yogurt. this time we forgot to tell the waitress to put the yogurt inside a plastic cup. if i’d thought that the original yogurt is too thick, well, the yogurt shake only a bit less thicker. plus, it was a bit too sweet for a yogurt. oh well..

the place itself was a comfort. it was a residential turned into a humble yet cozy “waroeng” and all the seatings were outside in the garden. i remember going here on a rainy day once. it was a bliss, enjoying the sound of the rain, the smell of the wet earth and a glass of milkshake. however, it was sunny this time, and still, the place didn’t lose its quiet coziness.

Waroeng Cisangkuy
Jl. Renawijaya No 7
Villa Duta, Bogor
(ph) 0251-8321021

.:: the year 2009 ::.

2009. my, how time flies. a lot had happened in the past year, but it still feels that it had all happened in a blink of an eye. good things and bad things, smiles and tears. lots of times i feel lost, like i don’t know where to go or which path i should take. lots of time i sit back and just enjoy the  ride. there are still things that i have neglected to do during the past year, and i sometimes regret not to fully utilize my time (effectively). i feel like i haven’t push myself to the limit. i feel like i haven’t achieved anything. nevertheless i won’t say it’s not a good year, coz it is a great year, but i think i need to be a better person next year. yosh!

while 2008 has taught me to live in the now, enjoy every second of my life and everything i have at present, 2009 has taught me to live passionately, to do what i really love to do.

i am never the kind of person who (seriously) writes new year resolution. even if i do write one, i would probably forget it in a month or two. but i really feel like doing it this year. i’m looking forward to start anew, to be a better person and, to live a better and (more) ever-vibrant life. let’s just say, i’m feeling optimistic.

save more, spend less, donate more (need i say more?)

take baking/cooking classes (have intended to do so for years now!)

read at least 12 books (from the don’t-know-how-many books i haven’t read)

the others, i’ll keep for myself.

happy new year folks! have a great one, and enjoy the ride.

.:: pantasteiik ::.

i went on a trip to bogor with the family last wednesday, and finally had the chance to visit this place (previous unsuccessful attempts were growing big in numbers).

pantasteiik stands for pancake, pasta and steiik. tucked quite far away from the hustle and bustle of the main street, pantasteiik offers tranquility and good food.

once i stepped inside the restaurant, i fell in love with the ambience. different areas of the restaurant offers different seatings, each tailored to provide comfort to customers. the floor-length window allows sunlight to enter and brighten up the place. bright colors clashes creating a smart and fun ambience, orange, purple, red and a hint of black.

service was good. what i love about the service was the fact that the waiters weren’t nosy and moved out of the scene when they were not needed, offering privacy. orders took only a little while, as we were the only customers at the time, the only other customer had just left the place once we placed our orders. the only two reasons i could come up with : a) it was weekday b) it was in the middle of nowhere.

now let’s get down to the food. i had cappuccino pancake (31k). two giant pancakes with  a scoop of vanilla ice cream and coffee sauce. my first impression was the HUGE size of the pancakes. i think it was twice the size those served in other restaurants i’ve tried. on the bright side, it was so delicate and fluffy. it was a real deal. on the gloomy side, the ice cream was very little compared to the size of the pancake. the sauce however, made it up by providing a strong coffee flavor. me likey! oh, one more thing, i really appreciate that they handmade the ice cream, instead of using those supermarket-finds.

sis had smoked beef aglio olio (30k). the portion was quite small. and the pasta was not quite dry. and it wasn’t spicy at all. it tasted okay, but so unlike any other normal aglio olio i could hardly call it aglio olio.

dad had pantasteiik fried rice (25k). very festive, i must say. they put in sausage, smoked beef, and a sunny-side-up, among other things. i didn’t expect it to taste good (coz it wasn’t mentioned as one of their specialties), but it was good. unique, but good.

mom had bbq fried noodle (25k). at this point, i had reached an assumption that their signature was “not quite dry” or as i call it in indonesian, jemek. the fried noodle had a very unique taste thanks to the bbq sauce. and just like the fried rice, it contained lots of “goodies” like shredded chicken, sausage and smoked beef. and of course, the sunny-side-up.

we (obviously) also ordered drinks. and while the others stayed on common grounds (iced lemon tea, iced tea, etc) i ordered strawberry caipiroschka (15k), yet another unique combination of strawberries, lime and soda. a definite must-try.

to summarize it all : great place, great food. but next time i’d rather go to their branch in botani square, as it was much closer.

Pantasteiik
Perum Bogor Baru Blok F5 no 9, Bogor
(ph) 0251-381280

Pantasteiik
Botani Square Lt II no 31-3A, Bogor
(ph) 0251-8400843

.:: patisserie francois ::.

dear froyo maniac,

lo and behold! for i have found a new favorite! before this day, i only have two absolute favorites, namely sour sally and maru. today, i found a new favorite that i would undoubtedly put on the second place. it is SO good that i am considering to even put it on the first place.

i intently went to plaza indonesia last tuesday afternoon to try patisserie francois. they had an open-restaurant concept, where i could’ve felt annoyed by the passers-by, but luckily there weren’t that many people passing by.

at first, i intended to have dessert, as i heard this place specializes in dessert. unfortunately, i didn’t find anything that really interested me that time, except for the chocolate melleux, but i was already stuffed with brunch that i didn’t want to have something that chocolatey rich. so instead, i opted for froyo.

they only had three variation of flavor (or should i say two?) : original/plain, mango and twist, but abundant selection of topping. mochi, fruits, syrup or even mini cakes. you name it, they have it.

i chose small twist topped with (what else?) mochi. i thought it should cost us 27k, but later on, when i’ve paid the bill and left the place, i realized they only charged 22k. i’m not too sure about the pricing, probably they input the wrong numbers? if yes, then i’m really sorry coz i realized the mistake too late, so i didn’t go back to correct the err

anyway, more about the froyo. as i said, i love the froyo. in my (careless) opinion, there are generally two types of froyo : 1) the creamy one and 2) the freshly sour one. i love both, but i love the second type a little bit better as i think it tastes lighter. and thankfully, francois’ froyo falls into the latter category. it is sour, it is fresh, it is light. just what i needed after the fulfilling brunch. i think it is a bit more sour than the others i’ve tried so far, so for  those who like their froyo sweet, they may want to reconsider. as for the mochi, it had just the perfect texture and chewiness. i highly recommend the froyo.

other than the froyo, patisserie francois also offered petit fours, traditional snacks, like risoles and even small meals, like lasagna, spaghetti bolognaise, etc. i ordered ice blended irish cream latte, which was okay. i mean, it was good, but i’ve had better ones.

they were having 25% discount for BCA and BNI card holders, and our bill was only 48k, so i ordered this puff pastry with vanilla custard filling and strawberry topping (10k) – i don’t know what they call it. it was good, and at 10k, the price was very fair.

Patisserie Francois
Plaza Indonesia Level 2 #i001
(ph) 021 3983 8271

.:: groovin’ with miss o ::.

met up with miss o tuesday morning, and guess what we chose for brunch : sushi groove (as always) but since it was her birthday brunch, so i should bear with it, right? not that i complain though, coz i had a great one.

chicken katsu curry japaghetti

i ordered chicken katsu curry japaghetti (japanese spaghetti) ~ 45k, coz i’m still feeling sick with chicken katsu curry rice after my last experience. it turned out better than the rice one, coz it felt lighter. the pasta was cooked aglio-olio style but it wasn’t spicy at all. it wasn’t too dry, it slipped from my chopstick all the time but it was tasty. i never imagined that spaghetti goes with curry sauce, but it was! and the chicken katsu curry was even better than my last visit to sushi groove. what’s not to love?

what miss o had, no idea what it was

fish wafer

for dessert, we ordered fish wafer ~ 20k. i never noticed any dessert ever, so i guess they had just put it in their menu. i have to say, nice addition! fish wafer was vanilla ice  cream and ogura inside a fish-shaped wafer. it was great *thumbs up*

after brunch, we strolled around a bit, but too bad i couldn’t stay for too long

in the evening, i went out with my sis, and we went to sushi tei. two sushi place a day! but i was too full that i didn’t have anything. i was tempted to order dessert, but after two dessert i’ve had today (fish wafer in sushi groove, and froyo in pattiserie francois ~ will post about it later) i think i’ve had enough.

what my sis had at sushi tei :

.:: cafe au lait ::.

jakarta. what first comes to your mind when you are asked to describe jakarta? i would say : hectic. just imagine the hustle and bustle of the city on rush hours. you’d forget all that as you enter the small and cozy place. from the outside, it just looks like a small old building situated in an old part of the city. an old grey door next to the tall glass window leads to a dimly-lit room with old wooden chairs and tables. sephia pictures decorate the wall. an old piano sits on the corner. the place wasn’t too spacious, but it is the kind of place that instantly makes you want to ensconce youself on one of the old chairs, or if you prefer, the sofa. it is the kind of place to have a nice chit-chat time with friends or beloved. it is quiet (i went there on a lazy saturday afternoon, that probably explains the quietness) so you could enjoy your time without worrying about how other people sitting on the table next to you might overhear your conversation. it brings the nostalgic feeling, like you suddenly step into a 1950’s movie set. it is the kind of place that makes you set aside all your worries, kick back and relax, and have a good time.

service was good, the employees wore black polo shirt with cafe au lait logo on the back. food selection was quite large, they have pasta, sandwich, and even pancakes and fried rice ~ if i’m not mistaken. coffee selection was also large, as it IS a coffee shop (d’uh!) so whether you’re an hot cappuccino person like my sister, or a cold coffee person like myself, a nice cup (or glass) of coffee awaits. food and drink was moderately priced. the ones stated on the menu however don’t include 15% tax.

we shared a portion of fettucine aglio olio (32k). it was good actually. but aglio olio in pasta de waraku is (still) unbeatable. however, it was still worth trying.

sis had hot cappuccino (23k), as always. i didn’t try it though, for i was too engrossed with my own coffee, and the magazines.

i opted for ice blended lait vanilla (25k). it was light, not too creamy, and sweet. and i so love the vanilla flavor. it was a bit different from the vanilla in starbucks. i think the one in cafe au lait was a bit sweeter and it somehow reminded me of the vanilla pasta i use for my cookies

cafe au lait uses illy coffee, and my sis complains a lot about this brand as it is not strong enough for her liking. and i must say that she is right. some brands keeps me awake for hours til the next morning, but it just doesn’t work on me. maybe it’s just us.

as i’m writing this, i feel eager to go back there and have another cup of coffee. it is worth a visit, and it is worth going back.

Cafe Au Lait
Jl. Cikini Raya No. 17 Menteng

.:: kimi’s bday + xmas gift ::.

last tuesday was kimi’s bday and a package arrived and it was clairmont brownies, a fudgy chocolate brownies with a thin layer of cheese (brownies? cake?) sits atop of it. senangnya.. udah lama bener ga makan clairmont huhuhu.. if you like really fudgy brownies, then this one might be for you not too sweet, but fudgy and melts in your mouth. nice? unquestionably. guilt-free? definitely not lolz..

then, i went gift-hunting with bf. we were actually looking for my xmas gift, since he still couldn’t decide what he wanted for christmas. on the other hand, he suggested to get me a mini tripod for my pocket camera. then i told him to get me a gorillapod instead. lucky we found an original gorillapod, cause the first few stores we went in only had the replica or more well-known as guritapod *swt* and that’s how i got my new toy!

.:: monday madness ::.

senin. official cuti hari pertama. life is good rencana awalnya sih ketemuan sama miss o sebelum nonton avatar, tapi miss o berhalangan hadir, dan kebetulan gue juga sibuk bantuin kerjaan bokap sampe akhirnya baru bisa sampe di GI jam setengah 5 tentu saja waktu yang ga banyak itu harus gue manfaatkan dengan baik, yaitu dengan berburu buku! walaupun suasana gramed cukup rame, tapi jauh lebih leluasa memilih-milih dengan santai dibanding hari sabtu kemarin. dan akibatnya, jumlah buku yang masuk ke kantong belanjaan juga jauh lebih banyak. awalnya sih gue udah ambil sekitar tujuh novel (dan masih ngiler buku-buku lainnya juga) tapi karena gue juga ambil beberapa buku resep dan komik, terpaksa gue pilah-pilah lagi yang mau gue beli. belum lagi merasa bersalah setiap liat buku yang udah gue punya tapi belum sempet gue baca (hasil berburu pas diskon juga). kalo ditotal ada berapa tuh ya buku yang belum gue baca. don’t ask! gue rasa udah ada lebih dari 30, semoga aja belum mencapai angka 40 atau lebih parah lagi, 50 *swt* beneran sampe ga berani ngitung. gue harus memberanikan diri nih buat mendaftar buku-buku di rumah yang belum gue baca. supaya ga kalap-kalap amat di diskon berikutnya (semoga masih akan ada diskon-diskon berikutnya). dan jujur aja gue bingung mau taruh buku-buku baru gue dimane! masih ada space sih di lemari buku, kalo ditata ulang dan dipadetin lolz. haruskah gue melego beberapa buku lama gue lagi? impian gue sih dari dulu pengen punya perpustakaan pribadi di rumah gue, yang cozy dilengkapi sofa empuk. tapi kalo dipikir lagi, buku yang gue beli dan belum gue baca aja ajubile banyaknya. ga mungkin gue baca ulang tuh yang lama. hehe..

hasil kekalapan gue hari senin :

- the witch of portobello ~ paulo coelho. sebenernya udah ngambil 2 buku coelho lainnya tapi gue sortir ulang dan buku-buku itu pun kembali ke rak.

- the high lord ~ trudy canavan. nah ini buku pertamanya aja belum kelar gue baca. tapi bf dah baca sampe buku kedua, jadi sekalian aja deh dibeli. enak banget dia tinggal minjem.

- cecilia & malaikat ariel ~ jostein gaardner. simply tertarik setelah  baca sinopsis di cover belakang bukunya. beginilah kalo kompor cepet panas.

- all those word we never said ~ marc levy. marc levy! if only it were true! a.k.a just like heaven! brilliant novel! jadi penasaran sama yang ini

- c’est la vie ~ fanny hartanti. i love her first book, so why not read the second one?

- love affair 4 ~ miyasaka kaho (level comics) beginilah kalo udah terjebak sama komik berseri. terpaksa beli lanjutannya walau gue udah ga terlalu minat sama komik cerita cinta anak sma.

- first kiss (level comics) yah buat iseng-iseng aja sih. abis ga berseri juga sih.

- crescent cookies ~ koko hidayat. bf loves melting moments! and i do have to admit that i also love it!

- terampil membuat kue kering ~ yasa boga. buku lama sih sebenernya, cuma sempet cetak ulang (udah lama juga). gue suka sih buku resep. ga lekang dimakan waktu. dibolak-balik ribuan kali, gue tetep ga bosen

- sedap sekejap kumpulan resep belajar membuat kue kering 2. lagi-lagi buat nambah-nambah koleksi hahaha..

selesai belanja buku (lagi-lagi ga pake antri di kasir. yippie!) gue pun janjian dulu sama nita buat ketemuan di blitz. nonton gratis.. huahaha.. gue si ga nolak barang gratisan. awalnya pas dulu liat trailer nya sih gue bener-bener ga tertarik. gue pikir film apa si nih. fantasinya berlebihan. tapi semua orang bilang bagus banget jadi penasaran juga what the fuss is all about. nonton awalnya juga masih sangsi. lama-kelamaan bagus juga! huahaha.. efeknya bagus banget. 3D nya ga terlalu berasa sih, mungkin juga pengaruh karena gue nonton di seat paling atas. alur cerita, walau fantasi abis, juga bagus. sedikit-banyak menggambarkan keserakahan manusia seperti keadaan sebenarnya. seperti misalnya, manusia yang mau menyerang kaum native di planet pandora demi dapetin sumber daya alamnya yang bisa dijual mahal banget.

.:: samudera seafood + christmas gift exchange ::.

minggu kemaren ketemuan sama para emak-emak binusian buat makan-makan dan tuker kado, “ritual” yang dimulai sejak tahun lalu. sebenernya sih ga tepat juga disebut tuker kado natal, karena ga semua dari kita ngerayain natal. tapi ya gpp lah ya kalo gue sebut begitu. karena alasan yang sama juga, jadi syarat dari kado yang dikasih juga beragam. harus berguna, ga boleh pajangan atau sejenisnya yang dirasa kurang berguna dan ga bertema natal. jadi lumayan juga nyari kado nya butuh perjuangan! hehe..

sebelum ketemuan, gue sengaja dateng sedikit lebih pagi supaya sempet liat-liat sebentar. ke toko cd, karena bokap nitip cd natal. selain itu pertahanan gue luluh lantak juga. selama ini udah menahan diri supaya ga beli cd lagi, akhirnya gue beli juga tuh album natal andrea bocelli, my christmas. sebenernya ada tiga yang mau gue beli, the other two being enya and sarah brightman. tapi masih kuat nahan diri

with miss o

liat siapa yang paling napsu buka kado duluan

gifts opened

everyone’s happy..

my gift

kali ini yang ikutan cuma lima, ga sebanyak tahun lalu ya. tapi tahun ini ada tambahan hendy dan mpek plus temennya hendy (sapa tuh namanya?) yang meramaikan suasana. setelah ketemuan dan muter-muter sebentar akhirnya jam 2 kita ke samudera buat makan sepuasnya a.k.a all you can eat. sebelum pesen makanan, kita saling undi hadiah dulu, dan seperti tahun lalu gue dapet kado dari santi. dan hadiah nya… kalung phoebe & chloe. yippie! pas banget, gue udah ngiler berat liat kalung-kalung disitu yang lucu-lucu abis. yang lain juga keliatan cukup puas sama kado nya masing-masing (dengan pengecualian miss o yang kualat ngatain kadonya cinde tipis dan harus direject huahahah.. tapi tetep oke kan dalemnya? hehe..) rasanya ga sia-sia udah bersusah payah nyari kado kalo liat yang nerima seneng (seneng kan cin? seneng ga lo? awas lo ga seneng!)

setelah dipikir-pikir lagi banyak juga ya menu yang kita pesen kenyang dan puas abis euy. sampe gue cabut sekitar jam setengah 5, kayanya udah ada sekitar 15 menu yang kita pesen, jadi kalo dipikir ga rugi sih. apalagi makanannya juga enak-enak. babi panggang saus madu 3 porsi, ayam goreng serai, ikan goreng cabe garam,  udang arak, baby kailan saus tiram, plus yang ga gue makan sama sekali : kepiting-entah-apa, cumi goreng istimewa 2 porsi, iga-babi-entah-apa, buntut-sapi-entah-apa, udang mayones dan babi-entah-apa yang nyasar ke meja kita walau sebenernya ga kita pesen. belum lagi es campur (enak!) dan sup jagung. kira-kira berapa kalori ya yang kita makan?

saking lamanya makan, akhirnya ga sempet foto-foto di dekorasi christmas nya. padahal jauh lebih lucu dibanding taun lalu

babi panggang saus madu

baby kailan saus tiram

sup jagung

iga babi

ikang goreng kering cabe garam

ayam goreng serai

babi nyasar

udang arak

udang goreng mayones

es campur

.:: berburu kado di hari sabtu ::.

sabtu. selesai baking oatmeal cookies (will probably post about this later on), ke grandi sama nita dengan tujuan liat diskon gramedia 30% sambil nyari kado buat tukeran kado sama para binusian esok harinya. akhirnya bukan kado yang didapet, malah (lagi-lagi) buku. harus diakui, kali ini gue cukup bisa menahan diri. cuma beli tiga novel! rekor banget. alasannya sih sebenernya cukup simpel, because i’m going back there on monday selain itu suasana nya cukup rame (walau ga serame pas pertama kali opening) jadi membuat rada males hunting buku pelan-pelan. mending tunggu senin aja yang moga-moga ga serame itu. hehe.. walaupun suasana toko cukup rame dengan pengunjung yang pilah-pilih buku, untungnya kasir adem ayem. ga pake acara antri langsung udah bisa bayar.

novel-novel yang gue beli :

- heaven’s net is wide ~ lian hearn (udah lama nungguin, akhirnya terbit juga swt)

- physik ~ angie sage (buku kedua sebenernya belum gue sentuh juga, tapi ya beli aja dulu deh)

- perahu kertas ~ dee (penasaran sama kata-kata semua orang yang bilang buku ini bagus banget)

*sorry for the low-quality picture

keluar gramed langsung keruyukan banget sampe rasanya i could eat a mountain. ternyata hunting buku menguras banyak energi bingung antara nyobain resto baru, pasta de waraku atau food court. akhirnya pilihan jatuh ke food court. beberapa minggu belakangan emang udah ngiler banget sama nasi hainam dan kebetulan minggu lalu gue liat nasi ayam hainam di golden century keliatannya enak. akhirnya gue beli seporsi, plus telur totalnya 35k. dan ternyata beneran enak banget! gue jarang ketemu nasi ayam hainam yang enak di jakarta. i have to say this is one of the good ones. gurih nasi dan kuahnya pas banget, ayamnya lunak dan terasa bumbunya. porsinya juga ga pelit. totally worth it. telurnya juga enak

selesai makan, kita pun cabut ke gading buat potong rambut. beuh lama juga ternyata potong rambut, padahal ga pake acara antri. pas kelar udah jam 6 aja, sementara nita masi harus pergi kondangan. untung si di kepala udah kebayang mau beli kado apa. jadi selesai nyalon, langsung ke starbucks buat beli kado, dan langsung buru-buru pulang.

kaki mau copot rasanya setelah dua hari full berdiri dan jalan.. ah jadi pengen banget massage

.:: baking, red shark, MKG late night shopping ::.

jumat. libur day one. i sense so little time, so much to bake. jadi gue mulai dengan the fool-proof kaastengels. belakangan sering banget ya gue buat kaastengels. i start to think that i probably should announce it my signature cookie kali ini ga mau buat yang panjang-panjang seperti biasanya. kebetulan gue punya cetakan bentuk pohon natal yang gue beli di arlisa amari di surabaya (oh i so love that store!) dan belum pernah gue pake toh mumpung occasion nya juga pas.

siang sampe sore leyeh-leyeh aja di rumah sampe bosen. mengistirahatkan punggung yang pegel juga sih, tapi lama-lama bosen juga euy. masalahnya pengen baking lagi, tapi jam nya nanggung sih. jadi cuma bisa bobo-bobo siang, nonton dvd, dsb. akhirnya jam 5 baru siap-siap buat ketemuan sama two of my cousins. diajak makan di MOI. amazingly rame banget tuh mall, baru sekali gue liat MOI serame itu hehe.. mungkin juga karena udah musim liburan juga ye. jadi banyak pengunjung dari luar kota juga bawa anak-anaknya main di.. hmm apa tuh tempat main disitu? anyway, setelah ketemuan akhirnya diputuskan buat nyobain red shark, resto yang belum lama buka dan lagi ada promosi spend 200k on ala carte menu, get peking duck for IDR 1000. oh well, gue juga sebenernya ga makan bebek, tapi nurut aja sama yang ngajak deh.

red shark, modern hongkong seafood. sulit buat ga ngeliat resto yang sangat bernuansa oriental ini, karena selain sangat merah ( red carpet, red decor ) juga resto nya puanjang banget. jadi restonya besar dan bentuknya memanjang gitu. as its name suggest, menu yang ditawarkan ga jauh dari seafood, dimsum dan makanan hongkong lainnya. kalo liat-liat menu nya sih, it’s not exactly my cup of tea. ga banyak menu yang menarik perhatian gue, selain steamed dimsum nya. yang pilih menu juga bukan gue ( kecuali siomay ). dan dari menu yang dipilih, juga ga banyak yang gue suka *swt* jadi yang gue makan pun itu-itu aja ( ayam rebus jahe ). ayam rebus nya enak sih. tapi ga terlalu berasa jahe. not complaining here, as i don’t really like those with strong ginger flavor ~ too oriental! nasi hainam juga pas gurih nya. dimsum, worth it. udang di dalemnya gede-gede! sup wonton, just okay.  yang lain, ga gue sentuh yang sangat disayangkan, kadang ada lalat lewat. i mean, restonya kan di dalem mall ya.. tapi cuma mengganggu di awal aja sih, selebihnya lalatnya kabur tanpa jejak. mungkin udah dengan kejam dibunuh pelayan yang siap sedia dengan raket nyamuk? overall, dim sum boleh lah dicoba. menu yang lain, kurang sesuai selera gue. sebenernya dari semua yang gue makan, rasanya lumayan. tapi pilihan menu nya gue rasa kurang pas (this is just me). dan dari segi harga juga, gue pikir ada resto-resto lain yang lebih gue suka.

selesai dinner, sekitar jam 7 kita pun meluncur ke gading. mumpung ada late night shopping nih. dan bener-bener bukan saat yang tepat banget jam segitu baru nongol. nyari parkir nya aja bikin ga semangat belanja lagi. sangking aja ada keponakan gue yang ngikut di mobil gue, dan sepupu gue pisah mobil. jadi terpaksa dibela-belain satu jam lebih kelilingin parkiran sampe akhirnya dapet di mall 5. setengah 9 lewat tuh baru nginjekin kaki di dalem mall. fiuh.. ke sogo ketemuan sama sepupu-sepupu gue, dan mulai liat-liat. yah diskon nya sih ga sampe luar biasa gimana gitu. but i guess every cent counts, and that’s what makes everyone came. yang biasa diskon 20%, setelah jam 10 dikasi tambahan diskon 10%. lumayan lah ya kalo emang mau beli gue sih rada ga semangat shopping liat orang yang terlalu banyak gitu. emang sih ga sampe bejubel dan sempit-sempitan. tapi tetep aja lebih rame dari biasa.

and since everyone kept insisting that i should get a new pair of jeans ( and they have been doing so for months now! ) akhirnya mampir ke lee cooper. rame, tapi ga overcrowded. secara diskon yang ditawarkan juga es-te-de 20%. lucu juga ya toko jeans, tapi pilihan jeans nya ga banyak tapi akhirnya setelah dicobain dapet juga satu jeans low-rise boot cut. keluar dari lee cooper, nengok toko sebelah bossini. lho kok celananya lucu juga. ini sih nyokap yang semangat liatnya. gue sih ga terlalu demen jeans, jadi satu juga udah lebih dari cukup. akhirnya dipaksa liat ke dalem juga. dicobain. eh ternyata bagus juga. hahaha.. tulisannya sih diskon 30%. ya udah.. eh ternyata, diskonnya 44% *pingsan (kesenengan). lumayan… malah jadi lebih murah dari toko sebelah, walau harga awalnya jauh lebih mahal bossini *lolz* abis itu keliling-keliling lagi ke star, yang jauh beda kondisinya sama sogo. disini sih pengunjungnya adem ayem aja. seperti layaknya weekend sore. ternyata emang diskonnya ga semua ditambahin ( atau malah ga ditambahin semuanya? ) ga kerasa udah jam 12 aja. akhirnya pelan tapi pasti meluncur balik ke mall 5, pegel juga ye untung aja pas keluar juga ga terlalu ngantri. mungkin masih pada antri di kasir ya? hehe..

.:: last day ::.

yessss last working day in 2009. yesterday i was really emo and had decided to plunge into the sadness and live forever in sorrow ( hyperbolicly speaking ). however, it’s a new day and i’m feeling a lot better. and i really think i should just enjoy life. woohoo!

still have no plans for the holidays. i wish i have planned something, but whatever, i would still enjoy lazy days where the least i need to think about is work. woohoo!

happy holidays!

.:: emerald sparkle ::.

if you remember one of my twitter post a couple of days ago

here’s what i got

recently china glaze launched the “loves you snow much” collection, and i couldn’t help but drool over two of the four colors. these has also been included in some of their previous collections, i think, but apparently they thought these are perfect for the 2009 holiday collection. and i have to agree with them. these are just gorgeous and very christmasy indeed!

here’s how emerald sparkle looks like up close. this is three coats. two-coater is actually wonderful, but i accidentally bumped one of my fingers and it kinda ruined, so i had to add another layer i love how the color gets darker with each coat. you know how i love dark nails! it’s not that dark though so i’m still on the lookout for dark, vampy green

and just to share that christmas feeling, here’s some pictures of the christmas tree in MKG which i took a couple of weeks ago.

.:: blabs ::.

so many things on my mind need to be let out. but i can’t say anything to anyone. that sucks.

.:: 2 hari lagi ::.

2 hari lagi.. and to be honest, holiday is the least thing on my mind right now. not only am i dealing with work *a huge amount of it* i also have to deal with something else. something that takes my beauty sleep and drains all the energy inside me. it feels like by being pulled by two opposing gravities. i wonder how many calories i could burn just by using my brain this hard

but that doesn’t mean i’m not looking forward for some lazy days off! *teteup*

.:: planet 51 + yuraku ::.

hari minggu seharian di gading sebenernya udah pengen ke tempat lain, tapi karena ada banyak urusan di deket rumah, plus bf pengen makan yuraku, akhirnya lagi-lagi ke gading. tujuan pertama, yaitu bioskop. kebetulan belakangan lagi banyak film animasi, jadi kudu nonton deh   apalagi masih lumayan pagi jadi ga pake acara ngantri. sayangnya, film yang mau kita tonton itu, planet 51, ga menggunakan teknologi 3D. tapi gpp deh. tetep menarik buat diliat

secara keseluruhan, dari segi cerita dan animasi, planet 51 ini menurut gue cukup bagus. apalagi film ini bukan keluaran jagoan film animasi  seperti pixar or dreamworks. jadi gue cukup terkesan sama hasilnya. lucu juga, seperti gabungan antara wall-e dan E.T, with a twist! kalo selama ini kebanyakan film selalu bercerita bumi kedatangan alien, human vs alien, dsb, di film ini justru manusia yang berkunjung ke planet alien, dimana manusia justru dianggap “alien” oleh penduduk planet itu. storyline sih cukup simple, tapi ya judulnya juga film animasi, eventhough it’s a PG-rated one.

selesai nonton, kita menuju breadtalk karena gue liat lagi ada cupcake natal. eh pas diliat aslinya, jauh ya bentuknya sama yang di gambar. jadi ga napsu beli. abis itu kita pun ke yuraku dan the party began! rebus-rebusan a.k.a shabu-shabu nya enak! tapi justru gue kurang suka bakar-bakarannya. puas dan kenyang banget, terutama shabu nya.

.:: wiskul-ing all day long ::.

hari sabtu. udah diniatin mau bersenang-senang dari pagi sama my sis. tapi apa daya mobil lagi masuk bengkel dan keluar sekitar tengah hari. jadi pagi-pagi buat baked macaroni dulu, dan setelah perut lumayan terisi, jam 12 baru jalan ke grand indo. tujuannya tak lain dan tak bukan : berburu fro-yo. kebetulan semalem sebelumnya pulang bareng dan di mobil juga udah bahas aneka macam fro-yo yang belum pernah kita cobain. setelah menimbang-nimbang akhirnya kita cobain red mango yang ada di basement gi. alasannya sih sederhana aja. lagi ada free upsize dari medium ke large pake kartu bca! siapa sih yang mampu nolak diskon hehe.. kita pesen original-blackberry mix twist ukuran medium seharga 38k. upsize ke ukuran large dengan tiga topping. buat topping nya kita pilih mochi (wajib!), brownies dan longan – karena pengalaman pake lychee kemaren kurang sedap. tempatnya.. sempit banget! cuma ada beberapa meja dan kursi dan nyaris semuanya terisi. dan berhubung ukurannya large, males juga kan makan sambil jalan-jalan. untung dapet juga tempat duduk walau bukan yang paling nyaman. dari segi porsi, topping nya luar biasa banyak. jauh lebih banyak dibanding ukuran fro-yo nya yang biasa-biasa aja. malah perasaan gue ga beda jauh dibanding ukuran medium. hmmm..

soal rasa, fro-yo nya sendiri segar dan asem nya juga pas. menurut gue ini tergolong fro-yo yang lumayan “berat” dan lebih terasa susu nya. tapi overall, not bad. gue lumayan suka. tapiiiii.. topping nya buat gue amat mengecewakan. first off, mochi nya nyaris ga terasa seperti mochi. lembek banget. kalo kemaren gue sempet bilang di heavenly blush too chewy, yang disini lebih lunak lagi. sis aja bilang mochi nya kaya lem dan mochi nya itu lumayan kuat perasanya. ah.. me no likey yang essence nya berasa gitu. menghilangkan rasa yoghurt nya! emang mochi sour sally deh yang juara. ga ada yang ngalahin! brownies nya sih lumayan ya, tapi kayanya kurang cocok buat dimakan sama yoghurt. berat aja gitu rasanya. jadi yang paling gue suka longan nya. yah itu sih std ya rasanya dimana aja juga pasti sama as i said, topping nya banyak banget. sampe yoghurt nya abis juga masih sisa. sis bilang if they can’t sell quality, at least they can sell quantity. all in all, yoghurt nya oke, tapi topping nya jauh dari kata enak. dari segi harga, lumayan mahal juga ya. walaupun dengan harga segitu bisa dapet yang large (karena free upsize) tapi juga ga terlalu berasa worth it.

lagi-lagi setelah meninggalkan mangkuk froyo yang kosong, gue merasa tidak puas dan malah jadi pengen makan froyo yang beneran enak banget. jadi sepertinya gue lebih milih beberapa merk lain yang lebih mantep rasanya, namely sour sally or maru. emang dua toko itu aja yang paling sering gue samperin, dan sampe sekarang belum ada yang ngalahin emang sih belum coba banyak, jadi nampaknya gue tetep akan coba sana-sini mumpung di indo lagi demam fro-yo dan berbagai merk bermunculan disana-sini kaya jamur. tapi, again, sepertinya yang akan gue kunjungi berulang kali masih tetep dua merk itu.

abis froyo-ing, kita lanjut keliling gi. banyak yang lagi sale! tapi tetep aja sih ga nemu apa pun yang layak dibeli dompet gue pun selamat. ga lama, sis kelaparan dan akhirnya kita makan di food court. walaupun udah ngiler liat nasi hainam di golden century, tapi perut gue masih kenyang. jadi akhirnya gue menahan diri. selesai makan dan keliling sebentar lagi, kita pun ke arah blitz, lantai dimana kita parkir mobil. setelah dilema berat, akhirnya kita mampir lagi ke spot wiskul berikutnya, yaitu…. froyo lagi!

yup kita mampir ke smooch di lantai 3, salah satu brand froyo yang lagi lumayan rame dibicarain. plus gue udah penasaran banget sama logo dan resto nya yang lucuuu banget. plus ada rasa baru yang unik banget : mojito! rasa yang ditawarkan sebenernya beragam banget. dari yang classic dan sour classic, rasa buah-buahan standar seperti peach, mango, green apple sampe yang lebih “aneh” a.k.a jarang ditemuin di tempat lain, acai berry dan mojito. karena sebelumnya udah makan froyo, gila rasanya kalo beli ukuran besar lagi. jadi kita pilih gelas ukuran small. di smooch ini sistem self-served dan timbang-timbang. nah, baru pertama kali nya nih gue beli yoghurt di tempat kaya gini. jadi maklum aja, belum berbakat nuang fro-yo nya. sebenernya pengen cobain green apple juga, tapi dah keambil rasa mojito lumayan banyak, jadi kayanya lain kali aja deh pilihan topping, ga kalah banyak sama pilihan rasa fro-yo yang ditawarkan. mau topping buah-buahan segar, atau dry topping seperti mochi dan kawan-kawannya, ada. mochi nya aja ada beragam. dari yang pink, ijo, putih, coklat, ungu. ga tau ada apa lagi ada juga yupi dan banyak lainnya. seperti biasa gue sih milih mochi. dan chocolate mochi nya menggoda sekali! jadi gue pilih itu aja, dan cuma ambil sedikit, lagi-lagi karena sebelumnya baru makan fro-yo dan gue juga takut sama sistem timbang-timbang begini. coz you’ll never know how much it would cost you! hahaha.. bener aja. buat yoghurt kita ini, kita harus bayar 22k. beratnya kalo ga salah sekitar 131 gr. kalo ga salah lagi, 10 gr nya IDR 1600. ga terlalu notice karena kali itu sis yang bayar huehe.. tapi kalo dibandingin sama maru ukuran medium (30k) dengan berat sekitar 215-240gr, jelas di smooch ini lebih mahal. that’s why gue lebih seneng beli yang pasti-pasti aja.

berbeda dengan red mango yang sebelumnya kita cobain, fro-yo yang ditawarkan smooch lebih terkesan “light”. lebih kerasa asem-asem segar dan ringan. rasa mojito nya juga unik banget. not something you could find anywhere else. ga bisa bandingin sama mojito asli sih, karena gue juga ga pernah minum mojito tapi walaupun judulnya mojito, no worries, fro-yo ini alcohol free. untuk chocolate mochi, kesan pertama.. ukurannya gede banget *swt* kalo di tempat lain biasanya imut-imut dan bentuknya ga jelas, disini bentuknya kotak-kotak dan besar banget! soal rasa mochi nya, tetep masih kalah jauh dibanding sour sally. kali ini my sis bandingin mochi nya sama ongol-ongol kalo dipikir-pikir dan dirasa-rasa, bener juga sih. kenyalnya lebih mirip ongol-ongol daripada mochi.

i can see myself going back here to try other flavors. so all in all, worth to try.

wait, wiskul kita hari itu belum berhenti disitu. dari grand indo, sis mau ke clique buat massage. tapi gue ga terlalu doyan beginian, jadi gue minta di drop aja di mall gading. selagi nunggu, gue ngider-ngider cari aneka kado. udah segala macem toko gue samperin. dari toko pernak-pernik lucu, toko buku, toko baju, sampe toko barang elektronik, pencarian gue ga membuahkan hasil. susah banget cari kado! hehe.. pas sis selesai massage, kaki gue rasanya udah mau copot gara-gara mondar-mandir mall 1 – mall 5 – mall 1 – mall 5

setelah itu, sis masih mau belanja ke supermarket. jadi kita pun ke artha gading. kaki pegel dan kelaperan, akhirnya kita ke ta wan buat makan bubur. jadi ceritanya, minggu lalu gue lewatin ta wan yang di moi, dan tiba-tiba kepengen banget makan bubur. sabtu pagi udah nungguin abang bubur yang biasa lewat di depan rumah. tapi hari itu dia ga lewat. emang ga jodoh ya bang. nah pas ada ta wan lagi, akhirnya jadi juga gue makan bubur. gue pesen bubur ayam ukuran large buat dimakan berdua. secara harganya cuma beda 500 sama ukuran medium rasanya, maknyosss.. emang spesialisasi nya bubur sih ya, jadi ga heran kalo buburnya mantep banget. gurih, tapi sama sekali ga bikin eneg. potongan ayam nya juga banyak banget. sayang cakwenya pelit. untung udah pesen sepiring cakwe tambahan. tapi buat harga 12.500 sih amat sangat memuaskan. sampe heran sendiri pas liat bill nya. tambahan-tambahan lainnya, cakwe, ice tea dan chinese tea malah lebih mahal dibanding makanan utama

ah.. kenapa jadi pengen bubur lagi ya?

.:: heavenly blush, guiltlessly satisfied? ::.

i had a craving for fro-yo last weekend, so i went to heavenly blush to have my share of fro-yo for the following reasons :
1) i have never tried heavenly blush and although i love love love sour sally, i wanted to try something new for once
2) they had this new flavour “island fuze” and were giving 10% discount for it.

they were kind enough to give us samples first, and i thought it tasted a bit like maru’s kiwi fro-yo so i gave it a try and ordered a medium-sized island fuze fro-yo with mochi and lychee as toppings. it cost us 35k *i didn’t notice how much it should cost before the discount, but the original-flavor froyo cost the same, while pomegranate and sugar free each cost 37k. most medium-sized fro-yo cost almost the same, but i sometimes think it’s quite a high price to pay for a dessert. especially, if said dessert is nothing beyond ordinary.

same goes with heavenly blush. island fuze is a unique flavor, a combination of kiwi, lime and starfruit. at first it reminds me a little of maru. it tasted refreshingly sour at first, but left a weird aftertaste. i think it was the starfruit flavor kicking in. i’ve never been a huge fan of starfruit

the toppings were also so-so. i usually love lychee, but something was off with this one. it wasn’t sweet enough for my taste. hmm maybe, it was just me and my overactive imagination the mochi was also a bit too chewy. and too “powdery”, as you can see from the picture.

it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t the best fro-yo i’ve ever tried either. i still prefer sour sally or maru. so, contradicting the tagline “guiltlessly satisfied“, i was left guiltily unsatisfied.

maybe i should try their other flavor next time