The Hungry Bunny

그래서 크리스마스는 어땠어요? 내 크리스마스는 너무 대박했어요!! 나는 많이 자고 많이 먹고 많이 마셨어서... 너무 대박!! (하지만 잠을 많이자는 이유는 술을 너무 많이 마셔서 😅) 코로나 때문에 이상한 크리스마스 였지만 아직도 감사 할 게 많아요. 나는 건강하고 사랑하는 사람들은 건강한데 나는 직업이 있고 사랑하는 사람은 직업이있는데 나는 사랑할 사람과 나를 사랑하는 사람이있어요.  무엇보다도 필요한 모든 것이 있어서 매우 감사해.  그리고 이번에는 여러분 모두에게 사랑과 행복을 기원해요. 메리 크리스마스!   ===========================   Tempe is a food I discovered (and consequently fell in love with) fortuitously while on a jaunt to Jakarta to attend a dear girlfriend's wedding. Vin had had two weddings, one on our sunny shores where the couple's based and the other in Jakarta, where they're from, and while I was already due to attend the Singapore one, I really really reallyyyy wanted to witness for myself the OTT grandeur of Jakarta society weddings. It's been said that some Indonesian weddings are such a sight to behold, it makes for a worthwhile bucket list to-do. I'd never have gone to Jakarta otherwise (seriously, does anybody even holiday there!???). So while ...

C'était notre neuvième anniversaire de mariage...neuf ans, comme le temps passe vite!! C'est vrai, le temps passe (plus) vite quand on s'amuse. Je pensais que mon mariage serait le plus beau jour de ma vie, mais je me trompais, chaque jour après ça a été plus heureux que la veille. Je suis très très reconnaissant pour l'homme merveilleux qui est mon mari, mon bou, car il me rend heureux tous les jours. À ce jour, je ne sais pas comment j'ai eu tellement de chance. ❤ Pour être parfaitement honnête, je crois que la personne qu'on épouse détermine son avenir, à la fois personnellement et professionnellement: le degré de bonheur ou le succès d'on dépend en grande partie de la personne que l'on épouse. Pour moi, c'est particulièrement vrai. Grâce à mon mariage heureux, ma vie personnelle est aussi heureuse. Et parce que je suis heureuse, tout le temps, je n'ai pas de soucis quand je travaille, et en plus, grâce à l'incroyable soutien que je reçois...

진실은: 남편과 미용실 약속에 동행했기 때문에 (그는 바디 왁싱를 받고 있었어요😜) 이 인도네시아 레스토랑을 발견했어요 (남편은 한국 남자의 모든 스테레오🙊: 남편이 나보다 준비하는데 시간이 더 걸리고 거울 앞에서 더 많은 시간을 있어😂).   ================================================   I would never have discovered Dancing Fish if I hadn't fortuitously been on the top floor of Tangs Plaza. Tucked away in a hidden corner of the cavernous department store, Dancing Fish occupies the space previously tenanted by Island Cafe . The inconvenient locale was probably well and good for the latter, (i believe) because of its affiliation to the heritage department store, but Dancing Fish is unaffiliated to Tangs, so I can only hope their rent reflects how little foot traffic they likely attract. I mean, it's such an obscure cranny of Tangs , I'd never have known it was there if I hadn't been standing right in front of its indistinct entrance.  It's a shame really, as the lack of foot traffic can't possibly divine longevity in the current recession, because the food...

We chanced upon Tok Tok when we were in the bowels of 313 Somerset. A casual eatery serving Indonesian soups and stews, its warung in Orchard is the offshoot of its wildly successful mothership at Ann Siang Hill. Efficiently low-frills, it's entirely self-serviced, and you order, pay, and collect your dishes at the counter. A sure sign of authenticity, Tok Tok has 3 different sambals, to cater to every whim and taste. A must-try, the Soto Madura ($8.80) was the best rendition of the Javanese staple I've ever had outside of the Indonesian archipelago. The tumeric-seasoned broth was bold and heady, and rich in depth of flavour steeped from the beef bones. Copious lashings of fried shallots, a hard-boiled egg and fork-tender brisket lent heft. The Soto Ayam ($7.80), which accompanying rice was switched out for glass vermicelli, was delicate yet robust. A nourishing homey bowl of soup that hit squarely on the comfort button. The Sop Buntut ($9.50), sumptuous with lus...

Lucky Plaza is a veritable trove of cheap eats in Orchard Road, and while it's a hub for many of our foreign labourers, you do spot the occasional blinged-out Indonesian tai tai. Distinguished by their towering coifs, these ladies of leisure are possibly patients at the adjoining medical centre, or very likely, patrons of Sari Ratu . A new-ish nasi padang chain originating from Indonesia, the unassuming eatery has garnered quite the following, and amongst the majority working class, can count the well-heeled expat Indonesians part of their posse. Yes, in spite of the spartan and low-frilled setup, the punchy, authentic, delicious fare is evidently a big draw.  As with most nasi padang stalls, go early for the complete gamut of offerings. Once past the peak lunch hours, you'll be relegated to the breast meat sections of everything. They've another branch at Arab Street enclave, but this is much more convenient to get to. Besides, you can always shop off the heavy meal th...

On my virgin trip to Jakarta, I got to witness a Tumpengan, a traditional Indonesian ceremony whereby the top of a tumpeng is cut and given to a guest of honour. Tumpeng is considered the national dish of Indonesia, a conical mountain of nasi kuning (yellow rice flavoured with coconut and tumeric) surrounded by an assortment of Indonesian meats and vegetables and perched on a circular woven tray. As far as I could tell, this Tumpeng was encircled by poached long beans, abon (floss), blanched beansprouts, spinach, perkedel kentang (mashed potato fritters), stuffed chillis, shredded omelette, sambal udang (chilli prawns), tempe orek (sweet and dry fried tempeh), teri kacang (anchovy with peanuts), empal gepuk (sweet and spicy fried beef), urap (coconut), and udang goreng (fried prawn). I particularly liked the tempeh, all nutty and soft and totally addictive. Another discovery on the Jakarta trip, was the gross-looking but very succulent Salak, otherwise known as snake fruit....

We'd caught a late flight into Jakarta, and didn't want to venture beyond the hotel's annexed mall that late at night. So it was serendipitous that we ended up at The Playground for dinner. It was just about the only place that was still open that wasn't a smoking area-only bar. The Playground , a restaurant cum sports bar, opens till 2am on weekends, and serves up Indonesian-western fusion fare. We loved the whimsical playground concept, guaranteed to bring out the child in every adult. There were swings for seats, harnessed by ropes from the ceiling. And there were spinning teacup-like tables, which were awesome fun to spin around in. The fusion fare was fair but forgettable. The Playground really shone in the traditional Indonesian dishes. I'd definitely recommend it as a must-try if you're staying at the Grand Hyatt and the midnight munchies hit.   The Ayam Bakar Krengsengan (Rg85,000), grilled chicken blanketed in a thick kickass sambal, was fantas...

Kafe Betawi is one of the most popular casual eateries in Jakarta. And like the ubiquitous Crystal Jade Kitchen in Singapore, you're likely to find them in just about every major mall in the Indonesian capital. The food is rooted in classic Indonesian flavours, but given a modern twist by dousing the spice levels to cater to the spice-averse. While the food was mostly decent, the fact that they were served tepid tipped Kafe Betawi into the middling grade. Piping hot dishes, especially the soup-based ones, are key to a more outstanding, and memorable meal. A must-try is the Ayam Goreng Kuning (Rg30,000 for each pc), tumeric-flavoured fried chicken. The chicken was a little on the skinny side, but the flavours were bang-on. It was incredibly aromatic, delightfully crispy and marinated so thoroughly that it was delicious to the bone. The Soto Mie (Rg42,000), beef noodle soup seasoned with tumeric, tomatoes, belinjau and fried shallots, was lovely in a delicate way, but need...