september ceria

you know you miss your home when you start browsing Indonesian food on tumblr almost non stop every day when you get the chance. finally, the feeling after 14 months. just across my bedroom door at home

Taking a break from watching all those horror movies for my presentation this Thursday. But then I'm torturing myself by watching Osen ( 2009) - a Japanese drama centred around the life in Isshoan, a traditional Japanese restaurant in a suburb near Tokyo (or perhaps suburb of Tokyo). It follows Handa Sen (a.k.a Osen) - the okami  or proprietor of the restaurant: a young, at times seems naive and innocent (but in actuality that is not the case) and talented woman who LOVES drinking and Ezaki Yoshio - a know-it-all annoying young apprentice (who grows throughout the series). Isshoan here is contrasted with all other meals that ordinary Japanese find more convenient nowadays like the bento box you can get hold in konbini , fast food, and easy cooking (with the help of Mr. Microwave that is shown in the first or second episode). Not only does Isshoan prepare their meals traditionally without the help of the made-to-help-human-life-to-be-easier machines, but they also gro...

I truly believe that the director and script writer of this drama totally want to promote Japanese food. I respect that, but what does that make me? watching last episode of Konkatsu! (a.k.a Marriage Hunting!) now - it's only the first five minute or so, like in the opening scene before the title unravels. but there are already around 10 scenes of eating! ramen, then zaru udon (or so I thought), tonkatsu, burger, (cheese) cake, cocktail, zaru soba, bento, ice cream parfait, odeng, and last, sweet bread.  what's wrong with you people? now you're showing me Italian food? and more tonkatsu, bento, and mango parfait. well, I'm full now actually. just had kimchi fried rice for my dinner,  yet I'm craving for Japanese food NOW - authentic ones preferably.  ps: Konkatsu! is a Japanese drama which revolves around the story of Amamiya Kuniyuki, a thirty-something unemployed guy who found a job in a district government office. It tells the story about...

it's best to post photos of food when it's ramadhan

went out today, after some time not using my camera to take lovely pictures of food, I finally managed to do so. and London was so busy today because of PrideLondon march which remind me of New Year's eve. well, not entirely similar, only the way we walked towards Marble Arch and met a swarm of people coming from the opposite direction - I suppose from Trafalgar Square [and, we couldn't move unless turning the other way around - haha]. anyway, this East Street is a restaurant around Soho area, London. In its website, it says it serves "exciting and varied cuisines of East Asia" which include (to my surprise) Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan and Korea. I wonder what "East Asia" exactly means though, since to my comprehension, if looking at the menu, only those menus from Japan and Korea can be considered as East Asia of origin; while the others are Southeast Asian. but, well, it's all Asian anyway. :D and I did...

aha! I just found out - the time I post more blog posts is the time I am supposed to sit quietly in front of my laptop and do some work! but, here I am! typing my blog post! ** feeling guilty already. but, tonite is only about food. I would like to ask myself if my cooking skill has already improved or not during my staying outside home - outside the convenience of my mother's cooking. well, to be honest, I do cook when I am at home. but I am never the main cook. so I just help here and there. when I do the main cook role, usually it's only me who finish eating (or sometimes my mom - but I suspect it's because she also finds it convenient to eat what is available, or she feels a pity XD ). just want to post some shots of my 'masterpieces'. honestly, I only cook whatever cross to mind - no basic recipe. Just do: chop this and that, stir fry most of the time. and when my landlord or flatmate ask what the hell I am cooking, just simply respond with " ngaw...

some clothing brands have already started to display their spring collections - since two weeks ago. however, London hadn't become warmer since then as it suddenly got colder again these past two weeks - just after (almost) everyone I know said spring had knocked our door. but today, I went out to a flower market in Columbia Road - near Shoreditch Town Hall (20 minutes from where I live - by bus) , and voila ! the sun shines so brightly and it's only 15degree Celsius.  I love today's weather!  I've already started to feel hot with my current coat. Yea! ah well, whether it's spring already or not, I don't mind. as long as my assignments get done before due date. :) so, here's some of the picture's of today's walk in a nice weather. my favourite corner near Columbia road (brick wall not like other side of the road), filled with nice little cafe offering breakfast menu and there were two street musicians performing ...

pertama kali bikin mie goreng yang bukan mie instan..  add hot pepper paste and minyak wijen on top of onion+garlic+cucumber+turkey breast cutlets, jadinya enaaaaaaaaaaak!! :D

after not eating well this past two week, today I visited a Mediterranean restaurant with my two Indonesian friends... hm, of course, there was a discount offer, 7.90 GBP for three courses lunch. so I went there, ordered chicken skewers for starter, fillet sea bream with smoked salmon served with mash potatoes and saffron sauce, and stuffed apricot for dessert. not forgetting my temptation, I ordered a cup of Turkish coffee - came in a tiny cup. haha. and then, we went to China town to buy some Indonesian and Asian spices. passing a steamed-bun (aliyas bakpao) stall, I couldn't help to buy one -- a red bean one, which unfortunately I didn't take a picture of. a friend's calamari and me with my starter a strawberry cheesecake (my friend's), turkish coffee, and stuffed apricot do you think that was all? getting home, I suddenly remembered that I need to buy my sanitary napkin. tet tot, passing a lemon cheesecake in the minimarket, I took it and thoug...

kemarin waktu jalan pulang dri kampus, ada mbak2 nyamperin tanya gini tiba2: "hi, do you live in zone 1 or 2?" *zone ini mengacu ke pembagian wilayahnya London, ya plg ngefek sama transportasi publik lah, lebih jauh, lebih mahal* saya agak bingung, dan takut, apalagi si mbak2 bawa kardus gede. wah bakal jadi korban kuesioner di tepi jalan nih, pikir saya. "nope, sorry." padune pengen mlipir "oh, i'm looking for someone who is familiar with this place. do you know if there is a Korean restaurant around here?" aha, mbaknya org Korea mau nraktir aku... "well i'm not too familiar with this place, but i know there is one around here, it's just opposite the British Museum" dan singkat cerita si mbak2 bukan nyari responden kuesioner, dia mahsiswa baru di London School of Economic yg baru pengen makan makanan Korea krn dia bosan sm makanan di dorm (padahal br 10 hari tinggal di situ). akhirnya dg berbaik hati saya mengantar si mbak2 ...