Restoran ini terletak di pojokanBrüsseler Platz, dimana susah banget dapat parkir di area itu. Tapi nggak masalah, bisa parkir di main street dan jalan sedikit. Begitu masuk resto ini, suasana temaram langsung menyergap. Konsep penerangan yang begitu irit, mengingatkan kala makan nasi kucing di pinggiran jalan di Jogja, hanya bermodal lampu ublik (ublik bahasa Indonesianya apa ya?). Secara estetika, indah dan romatis juga sih suasana resto nya. Tapi buat saya, makan di cahaya lilin dan lampu ublik itu nggak nyaman. Gimana kalau nanti ada nyolong ayam saya? Kan gelap, nggak ketahuan.

Dan soal menu ternyata saya salah. Nggak banyak menu babi di sini. Dan pilihan menunya pun tidak sebanyak di Warung Bali dan tidak benar-benar makanan Bali. Kalau boleh saya bilang sih, menu makanan di sini adalah menu makanan Indonesia pada umumnya; nasi goreng, mi goreng, soto, sup daging, karedok, urap. Tapi tidak se-spesifik dan sebanyak di  Haus Java tentunya, dimana kita bisa mendapati kering tempe dan rendang.

Saya tadinya pesan urap untuk appetizer dan ayam bakar untuk main course-nya. Tapi rupanya dua-duanya lagi nggak available. Akhirnya saya pesan karedok dan Ayam bumi hangus. Terus terang ini pertama kalinya makan karedok dan ternyata saya nggak suka. Rasanya ‘anyep’. Sedangkan ayam bumi hangus adalah ayam goreng tepung yang lalu dikecapin sedemikian rupa sehingga masih terasa krispinya. Porsinya setengah ayam besar untuk satu orang, buset deh. Enak sih, tapi kalau makan manis banyak gitu jadinya eneg juga.

Yang paling juara adalah menu yang dipesan Daniel. Dia pesan kambing guling. Kambing guling ini berupa sup santan yang isinya irisan daging kambing, paprika, daun bawang dan kacang polong. Waduh sumpah rasanya enak banget! Gulai kambing paling enak sedunia nomor dua yang pernah saya makan. Nomor satunya belum ketemu.

Harga menu-menu di sini standard harga menu makanan di restoran, appetizer dan dessert around 3-7 euro sedangkan main course around 10 -20 euro.

Pelayanan di resto ini juga ramah dan menyenangkan.  Tamunya juga lumayan banyak yang berdatangan. Kita bilang ke mbak pelayannya kalau kambing gulingnya super. Dan willing to come back untuk makan kambing guling again and again!

Di ulang tahun saya kemarin, hubby nraktir dinner di Indonesia Resto Jaus Java. Kali ini di Köln, nggak jauh-jauh amat dari rumah. Tapi ya memang baru kali ini makan di Haus Java. Secara seminggu sebelumnya makan di Indonesia Resto Garuda di Brussels yang hampir nggak dapat tempat duduk, kali ini kita mengantisipasi dengan reservasi beberapa hari sebelumnya. Kita tiba di tempat tepat waktu dan ternyata resto yang lumayan gede itu lumayan sepi juga. Hanya ada dua meja yang terisi selain kita.

Di resto kali ini berbeda dengan Garuda Brussels, lumayan banyak atribut Indonesianya; batik, angklung, lukisan Kartika Affandi, wayang bahkan sebuah becakpun nongkrong di pojokan. Jadi ingat kalau lagi makan di Warung Sunda Tebet.

Kali ini saya pesan menu paket yang isinya macam-macam. Lagian saya kan lagi having birthday, boleh dong mintanya macam-macam hehe...Daniel pesan nasi rendang saja. Sengaja buat mengantisipasi bila saya nggak habis, maka tenaga dia bisa diperbantukan. Tapi ternyata porsi rendangnya di luar dugaan alias banyak banget. Daniel pun klepek-klepek makannya. Dia bilang sih enak tapi kurang pedas padahal di menu tertulis 'pedas'. Buat saya sendiri rendangnya nggak gitu mantap rasanya. Enakan di warung padang sebelah kontrakan dulu.

Untuk menu paket yang saya pesan, sebelum makanan, pelayanya datang membawa lima wadah pemanas makanan yang didalamnya ada lilinnya. Lalu makanan sayapun datang dalam wadah keramik kecil-kecil ditaruh di atas pemanas tadi. Satu pemanas muat tiga wadah. Jadi ingat dolanan 'pasaran' jaman kecil dulu. Habis porsinya memang dikit-dikit tapi macamnya banyak dan hangat pula.

Saya pesan menu 506 di menucard; Reistafel Haus Java. Satenya tidak menerbitkan selera jadi tidak saya oper ke piringnya Daniel. Rendangnya sama dengan rendangnya Daniel. Srundengnya banyak banget taburan gulanya. Agak bingung juga setahu saya srundeng nggak pake gula, tapi mungkin yang biasa mama saya bikin itu bukan srundeng versi original hehe...Tapi tetep enakan yang nggak pake gula.Daging semurnya luar biasa manis, bukan selera saya juga. Yang paling ajaib adalah tahu kare. Judulnya sih tahu kare tapi banyakan kubisnya dari pada tahunya. Tahunya benar-benar hanya satu biji ukuran kubus 1cm3. Sambal terasinya juga nggak gitu mantap, sepertinya sih sambal instant. Menu yang lainnya nggak ada keluhan, yang paling enak sih ayam rujaknya. Dan meskipun porsinya kelihatan dikit-dikit tapi ternyata sempat hampir nggak kuat juga makannya, meskipun dibantuin Daniel. Perut penuh!

Mungkin karena sebelumnya makan di Garuda merasa enak banget, makan di sini jadi agak kecewa. Coba kalau tadinya belum ke Garuda pasti enak aja nih semua makanan hehe...Sepasang bule di sebelah sih pesan menu paket sama dengan punya saya. Pas ditanya enak apa enggak sama pelayannya, berdua jawabnya enak banget :D

Nggak ada foto lagi karena emang nggak bawa kamera :D
Tapi ada foto-foto makanan di sini http://www.haus-java.de/

Restoran ini sengaja diagendakan waktu kita berkunjung ke Brussels. Entah kenapa selama tinggal di Jerman belum kepikiran buat nyari Indonesian resto. Pas main ke luar justru cari-cari.

Lokasi resto ini asyik banget, agak jauh dari city centre jadinya tidak terlalu hiruk pikuk dan tidak sepi-sepi amat juga karena di sepanjang jalan dan area St. Catherine memang pusatnya rmakan-makan. Begitu pop up dari stasiun metro di St. Catherine, kita menjumpai berbagai resto dari berbagai citarasa dunia. Tapi kebanyakan memang Italian resto.

Selama ini kalau mau makan di restoran kita selalu booking dulu, takut nggak kebagian tempat. Tapi kali ini kita tidak booking. Terus terang kita nggak yakin kalau bakalan nggak kebagian tempat. Ternyata salah. Kita waktu itu hanya sedang beruntung saja karena pas hanya 2 kursi yang kosong (untung di veranda pula). Yang lain sudah penuh dan reserved. Wah bangga juga saya melihat bule-bule makan di Indonesian resto.

Saya pesan menu yang sudah bikin ngiler dari sejak melihat menu cardnya di internet, yaitu pepes ikan layur. Buset, rasanya sejak pindah dari Pacitan 16 tahun yang lalu saya belum pernah makan ikan layur lagi. Buat sayurnya saya pesan tumis buncis. Daniel pesan sambal goreng cumi-cumi.

Waktu itu lumayan agak lama nunggu pesanan karena satu waitress tidak masuk kerja jadi si bapak dari Vietnam kerja pontang-panting sendiri melayani tamu. Sempat ngintip ngintip di dapurnya, kokinya sih lumayan banyak. Sebelum makanan datang, tiga mangkuk kecil berisi sambal hijau, sambal merah dan sambal kecap datang. Ini condiment wajib yang dihidangkan apapun pesanannya. Berhubung pesanannya lama datang, saya coba aja cemil-cemil sambal, ternyata rasanya mantap banget, bener-bener seperti sambal bikinan rumah. Sambal kecapnyapun ada rasa petisnya...miam...miam...

Setelah itu pesanan kita datang disertai permintaan maaf karena lama menunggu. Kali ini bukan si bapak Vietnam yang melayani, tapi cowok Indonesia asli, Budi namanya (eerrr...semoga tak salah. Agak lupa saya). Masih muda, rajin dan karir cemerlang (kita sempet ngegossip segala soalnya hehe...). Pepes layur rasanya tidak seperti yang saya harapkan. Dan ternyata kata si Budi itu sebenarnya bukan ikan layur. Customer kecewa deh. Kata Budi tadinya memang ikan layur tapi banyak yang complain karena ikan layur banyka durinya jadi jenis ikannya diganti. Yaah...Tapi termaafkan kok Bud, karena sambelnya enak, nasinya harum, tumis buncis plus jagungnya juga sedap. Sambel goreng cumi-cuminya pun dasyat! Kesimpulannya kalau kita main ke Brussels lagi pasti mampir lagi deh :)

Maap gak sempet motret, keasyikan makan :D
Websitenya aja ya:http://www.garudabrussels.be/

Etihad had quite good collection of movies. Almost all new released movies even the Oscar winners are there. But unfortunately I watched almost all of them already in cinema; No Country for Old Men, Lions for Lambs, Juno, Golden Compass, I am Legend...So after watched some short TV serials, my choice this time was August Rush. Had no idea about this movie but I really didn't regret my decision.

Its about an orphan boy, Evan, who believes that he still have parents, that his parents are still wanting him. So he ran away from the orphan house, tried to search for his parents till a Bono looks alike, Mr. Wizard (Robin William) found him. The trouble and as well his music experience started here. Surprisingly he's a amazing boy with big talent of music, mix of classic music and rock music.

After some experience at music school or even as a beggar in a city park, before hit his 12 years old birthday, Evan finally made his first concert under name August Rush, a name that Wizard gave him. And there he finally met his parents. Happy ending.

What I really love here is the music. Evan's mom is a concert cellist and his dad is a band's guitarist. And Evan? Oh he simply a boy with superb music!

Superb movie...I'm glad to see it!

Watched No Country for Old Man last night (NCFOLM). Was planning to watch Sweeney Todd (Tim Burton! Yay!) But it was only available in late time, so we choose NCFOLM first.

The story is about a hunter (Josh Brolin) who found a bundle of money and now he has to face the hell: a damn cold, evil, calm, mysterious killer (Javier Bardem) who likes to have the money back. And between them there is a sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) who tried to control the horror condition.

No wonder that Javier Bardem got Oscar for this movie. His acting is awesome, especially with that funny haircut.

At the end, the dandy hunter who found money was not lucky anymore...and the bad guy was the winner.

Went to see ‘We Will Rock You Musical’ in Musical Dom Köln at our 1 year wedding day (13 jan). I know, my hubby is good in surprising me :)

The show started at exactly at 7pm when the whole room poured by lights from two disco lamps in the corners of the stage. Then a big screen monitor slowly down from the top of the stage, showing a text of history of music such as year when The Beatles started to shock the world, Elvis Presley, the fake voice of Milli Vanilli, Janes Jackson’s boobs which was more important then the song, time when ugly people removed from music charts and finally the present time of the musical story which is 300 years in the future.

Story line, taken from Wikipedia (London version):
The story is set 300 years in the future in a vaguely Orwellian world. Earth's name has been changed to Planet Mall. As the name would suggest, mainstream commercial conformity reigns. Everywhere on the planet, people watch the same movies, listen to computer-generated music, wear the same clothes and hold the same thoughts and opinions. Musical instruments and composers are forbidden, and rock music is all but unknown. Representative government has been eliminated. All are controlled by the Worldwide mega-corporation Globalsoft, which is headed by the "Killer Queen" and the commander of her secret police, Khashoggi. Those who stand against Globalsoft's enforced conformity are kidnapped and "brain stormed" into submission.

However, a small group of "Bohemians" struggle to restore the free exchange of thought, fashion, and (most of all) live music. As with the classic quest stories that it spoofs, the musical includes a Messiah figure, the social outcast Galileo Figaro, and together with his love interest, another dissident whom Galileo calls Scaramouche, Galileo joins with the Bohemians to find the guitar, and overthrow Globalsoft. However, when the Bohemians are captured and brain stormed, Galileo and Scaramouche are forced to flee for their lives.
Eventually they meet Pop, an older, hippie-esque Bohemian who yearns for the "old days" when people were free and Rock & Roll was king...or Queen as the case may be. Again fulfilling the classic role of "Guide" for the two, Pop shows them a fragment of the Queen video (which ends after the opening lyrics), "Bohemian Rhapsody," further inspiring them. Impressed by the “heavenly music,” Galileo and Scaramouche eventually decide to search for the guitar at Wembley Stadium, the location of two legendary concerts by Queen. Though the Stadium is a ruin, they find the guitar hidden in a wall. With guitar in hand, and Pop serving as "roadie" for the two saviours, they perform a rousing rendition of the title song, "We Will Rock You," and conclude with an arrangement of "Bohemian Rhapsody" that includes the entire cast and serves as an encore.

And my review is:
Casting : GREAT, Sascha’s voice is amazing
Music arrangement: SUPERB
Stage Effect: nicely done
Computer graphic: its just OK…or even creepy in some scenes
Costume: good
Story: interesting cool!

But one thing I don't understand...why they translate most of the songs in German language? If the dialogs in German lang, thats of course! But the song also? Bitte...


Photos from official website of We Will Rock You: http://www.queen-musical.de/

Read a thread in expat forum Germany and found out that one of the member just launched a book about her experience of living in Germany for about 15 years. As a new comer I have feeling that this book will give enlightenment in funny way. The writer whose British with her own angle doesn’t bother me. The subtitle is "One British family bungles being German"

I bought this book before Christmas which at that time the book was rank number 2 in amazon.co.uk. I guess all expats living in Germany had ordered this book!

Cathy Dobson wrote her story in time-order started in new year, so yes...of course Dinner for One is included. As an Asian and not British, I even have same feeling with Cathy about this comedy sketch, a British comedy which never played in Britain but played annually in this Germany.

From this book also I know that if you like to go to public sauna, you need to be totally naked. Yes, even sauna for men and women are separated but some changing room are mixed! Hui! I thought I got enough horror when I visited a public swimming pool close to my place and when I went inside the shower room, all women are naked without any cover under showers. And this sauna its not only women!

The most interesting one is about German toilet. I never realize before that German have different type of toilet compare to Indonesia till I read this book. A colleague of Cathy came from England to stay for days in the city and he complained that German toilet was built in a wrong way. The hole is in the wrong place! Haha! No wonder that I always need room freshener spray during my duty on toilet cos its always smelly right under my nose! And the logic of German is like this: You can see properly what is under water. That will explain if you are suffering from worms or bowel cancer or any manner of disease if you don't inspect your poo daily!

Help! I don't want to see my poo daily!

This book is quite amusing. One thing that disturb me is that Cathy talk too much about her cat. I don't dislike cat, but story about get in the cat into the box for pages is just too much hehe...

Worth to read for auslander or for people who like to know funny part of being German.

After had dinner in Via-Via Cafe, Claire, Dede and I moved to Ministry Cafe to watch movie and get some coffee. I was really full in fact so I didn't think I'll order something to eat there. But stared at the menu book, something had tempt me. A brown shape with garnish on the top. Its looked dazzling. Austrian cake; truffle torte. So I ordered one and told Claire and Dede to help me finish it later.

When the cake arrived, its a sophisticated experience for my tongue ever! So damn yummi! Its the number two best truffle torte I got after the one In Cologne!
And I said thanks God cos Dede choose to avoid it because of her diet programme. And Claire? After tasted mine, she choose to order one for herself. Yum yum!

Ministry coffee itself is not only serves coffee and cake. You can also order heavy meal there. The range price for beverage is 10k-20k, for food is 20k-50k and for cake is 10k-30k. Not expensive but satisfying taste! The place also quite comfy. In second floor you can watch movie in mini cineplex every weekend or read books in mini library everyday. Even mini but the books are quite complete. They also have books for kids.

www.ministryofcoffee.com

Via Via Cafe , a Livingstone traveler`s bar & guest house.
But I think in Yogyakarta it minus guest house. And beside in Jogja-Indonesia, you can also find it in Zanzibar, Kathmandu, Dakar,Leuven, etc.

The food here 70% international food. Indonesian food available with 3 menus everyday and always different from Sunday to Monday. In Via Via Cafe you can share the joy and experiences with other travelers cos it’s a kinda meeting point for travelers and also a platform for national and international artists (in Yogyakarta mostly photography and painting),

The price are cheap (food range price is 20k-30k) with guaranteed taste. Yummi! Great place to enjoy the food and meet new friends.

Don’t get tricked with the word VVIP Club above cos it’s not a club at all.

Great music (even the DJ have to share with live music band (again)) but no dance floor at all.
If you can’t stand to shake your bum becos of the hot DJ, you only have 2 chance, go to a round ‘dance floor’ which is only 2meter diameter big (50meter high) or climb up to the front bar table (but trust me, the bartender are not there!) where not much people like to dance there. So if you want to dance crazily you have to be careful or you’ll fall down to the floor cos not enough space! Haha!


3 stars for the music -
4 stars for the music without live band -
1 star for the place -

Finally last weekend I visited the soft opened club Republic with Dede, Ben and some other friends. Since it’s opened, I always want to visit Republic because (well I’m ‘appearance’ addicted :p) of the macho Republic logo and nice poster around the street in Jogja. But when I’m inside…hm…it’s not really like what I expected.

It was weekend and the crowd was not so much. It’s not really a club…because there is a live band as well beside DJ. Live band plays for one hour and then the resident DJ will replace it for another one hour and then back to the band again and so on and so on till 3 am.

When we arrived around 11pm, the band had quite attractive performance with hip hop songs. Some people dance. But around 1 or 2 am…gosh…a worst thing to turn us off; they played some mellow songs from local artist like Dewa and Bunga something (the song called Sunny or something like that). It’s a club and not restaurant nor café!! Come oooon…. If I’m the manager of the club, I wont let them play in my club again Doh!

The resident DJ is quite good with spinning but I don’t know why, he only played around 2 new tracks (and its not really new anyway…) like Pump it Up and White Horse. The rest were really old tracks like Flash Dance and friends. Euh…

The good things are, the attendant are nice and the interior is not so disappointed. Its not so big…remind me to Centro Club and the illusion was also ok :)

This is a graphic novel, a comic book, adapted from a 'real' novel by Paul Auster. Paul Karasik and David Mazzucchelli are the two brilliant people who adapt it into graphic novel. The introduction of this graphic novel even written by Art Spiegelman. If you really into comic then you must know his famous 'MAUS'

The story begin with a wrong number that started it. A writer decided to try to be a detective after several calls to his apartment, looking for help a from a detective he was not. This detective wannabe found a subject and object already but somehow he's little bit slow decided what he has to do cos it's his first case, of course. And when finally the family he should protect from murder and a murderer suspect suddenly missing, he got depressed. That's the main line of the story but it goes slow with a bunch of interesting panels from Karasik and Mazzucchelli.

According to Scott Mc Loud's book; 'Understanding Comics - The Invisible Art' there are 6 categories of panel to panel transitions in comics; 1.moment to moment, 2. action to action, 3. subject to subject, 4. scene to scene, 5. aspect to aspect, 6. non sequitur. And mostly comics like Xmen, Betty and Veronica, Asterix, Donald Duck, Tintin, etc have mix category in their panel with action to action (category number 2) always be a dominant. But as Mc Loud get confused with panel of Osamu Tezuka's comics (one of his best is Astro Boy) and most japanese comics (manga), I also get confused with panel in this City of Glass like you can see in this page of City of Glass. Hm...what is this? Obviously it's not action to action. Maybe it mix between aspect to aspect and scene to scene plus subject to subject.

Example of aspect to aspect is: panel one: christmas tree/ panel two: santa claus.
Example of scene to scene is: panel one: someone is wearing sari India with Taj mahal as a background/ panel two: someone's carry a famous wine with Eifel Tower as a background.
Example of subject to subject is: someone just break a finish line on marathon/ panel two someone is starring at stop watch timer.


And thx for Neil to give me this book! :)

I always consider this Bond series as 'nuthing special movies'. I don't know why people has euphoria on this movies. Star Wars or Indiana Jones are more attractive, i guess. But I have to say that for me Daniel Craig is the best Bond ever. I love him at first sight in Layer Cake.
He's yummi! hehehe...

Saturday night I got home from dinner outside and found Million Dollar Hotel on TV. Wow. ANtv rocks!

I always love this movie, always like to watch it again…the poor Tom Tom. The story might be a little bit common, about friendship, love and trust...but trust me, it’s not a kitsch movie! Brian Eno and Paul Hewson (a.ka. Bono) are behind the scene and of course there are Mel Gibson and Milla Jovovich on the scene.

Beside working on the music with Brian Eno (Eno is U2 producer and also a musician. Who gives electronica touch in U2 music? It’s Eno!), Bono also one of the producers and also writer for this movie. Then you can bet that the movie is cool.

And talk abot Bono, I know Bono played Hamlet in theater on stage before, but I’m not sure if he ever be and actor on the screen. Hmm…maybe he should try. He has character! So everything will be perfect, movie and song writer, producer, actor, and singer.

Back to the movie, in The Million Dollar Hotel audiences will be flattered with U2 songs :))

Pictor's Metamorphoses and Other Fantasies

Finally I finished this book since last January when I bought it with Neil hehe… Reading this book is never been easy for me. Need high concentration. Cannot read this on the plane when you are tired (I always bring it when I’m traveling). Cannot read this book while waiting someone or something(I tried it also, in hospital in coffee shop). You really have to spend time just for this book with comfy seat, cookies and a cup of tea.

Pictor’s Metamorphoses and Other Fantasies is a compilation of Hermann Hesse’s short stories. Stories setting was taken in several places like Italy, Gaza, Berlin, China, or maybe even Indonesia cos I found some word in Indonesia with perfect translation.

My favorite story is Three Lindens. It’s about three brothers who really back up and love each other. Among whom there was such hearty friendship and intimacy as is seldom seen. Each of them willing to die to protect two other brothers. Simple and really short story but have a deep meaning of brotherhood and friendship.

Most of Hesse’s stories are fantasies, more to fairy tales. In Indonesia I think we have Danarto Which have similar fantasy misery like Hesse. But if Danarto more to religious part, Hesse more to fairy tale.

A good book to read when you really have to read something, not when you just want to fill your time reading than doing nothing.

This is Tiesto’s album for Olympics Games in Athens last August 2004. He’s asked by Athens Olympics Committee to play at opening ceremony. Not a bad choice at all. Everybody know who’s Tiesto. He’s damn good.
In this album, Breda 8pm is my fave song after Traffic (Oh well everybody love Tiesto’s Traffic!). Ancient History also cool. Seems Tiesto put some traditional string in this track. Well not much I can say bout this album. All Tiesto’s always cool. He’s a humble person as well. It’s worth if everybody love him I guess.
He also loves his fans!! (suddenly getting hysteric) And he’ll be here, in Ancol at April 22!!! Hiya Tiesto I’m coming!!!!

Di sini bukan rasa atau suasana restorannya yang bikin aku tertarik. Oke, untuk rasa makanan memang ada yang yummi, ada yang agak-agak mengagetkan, tergantung pinter-pinternya kita milih saus. Nanti akan dijelaskan lebih jauh tentang 'saus' ini. Suasananya juga cukup comfy meskipun tidak istimewa sekali. Di Jakarta kita bisa menemui restoran yang lebih heboh interiornya dari pada Mongos...namun konsep restorannya ini yang menarik. Mungkin ada juga restauran berkonsep seperti Mongos di Jakarta (Indonesia) but selama ini saya belum pernah menemuinya.

Pertama, restoran ini berkonsep Mongolian. Di brosurnya disebutkan bahwa Raja Mongol pada waktu itu ingin mencicipi masakan yang berbeda-beda sehingga ia menyuruh pelayannya menyiapkan segala jenis daging, seafood dan sayuran untuk dimasak dengan bermacam-macam bumbu yang di Mongos disebut sebagai marinade (saus)

Kedua, cara makan di Mongos adalah buffet namun jangan cemas, pengeluaran kita bisa diatur karena mereka punya tiga pilihan untuk buffet yaitu 1x visit, 2x visit, dan unlimited visit. Masing-masing pasti memiliki harga yang berbeda. Waktu itu Daniel menganjurkan aku untuk mengambil pilihan unlimited visit, karena bila kunjungan pertama atau kedua ke buffet tak memuaskan, aku bisa mencoba lagi di kunjungan-kunjungan berikutnya.

Ketiga, cermati cara makan berikut hehehe...
Setelah duduk, pramusaji menyajikan minuman yang kita pesan (harga diluar paket buffet) dan 'soup of the day' yaitu onion and paprika soup. For gosh shake, the taste was awesome! Thats the best soup I ever eat!
Setelah soup kita habis, pramusaji datang lagi sambil membawa baki kayu dengan mangkuk putih diatasnya. Dia menanyakan saus apa yang akan dipilih untuk pertama kali. Ada 10 pilihan saus di buku menu, beberapa yang saya ingat adalah Indian sausage, hot n spicy Thai sausage, dan satay sausage.

Setelah kita memilih saus, pramusaji akan menuliskannya di baki kayu kita kode untuk saus n kode meja kita. Setelah itu kita membawa mangkuk dengan baki kayunya ke food market. Yang disebut food market adalah buffet dimana tersaji segala jenis sayuran segar mulai dari kecambah, jagung manis yang sudah dipritil, irisan bawang putih, kacang tanah, kacang mete sampai daun-daunan seperti kubis, rebung, daun selada, dll. Di barisan daging ada daging rusa, ayam, babi, sapi, bahkan kanguru dan lain-lain. Di seafood kita bisa menjumpai udang kecil, udang besar, cumi dan berbagai macam ikan yang sudah dipotong-potong.

Sangat dianjurkan untuk mengambil porsi yang sediki-sedikit saja karena nanti bakalan ada kunjungan berikutnya. Namun karena kelaparan, saat itu dengan pilihan Thai sausage, aku mengambil kacang mete banyak, irisan bawang, jagung manis, seaweed, udang dan daging sapi dengan porsi yang agak banyak. Setelah 'belanja' sayur dan dan lauknya itu, kita bisa manaruh mangkuk berikut baki berkode tadi di meja koki. Di situ ada 3 orang koki yang siap meramu belanjaan kita tadi dengan saus yang kita pilih dan bumbu-bumbu tambahan dari mereka dan kita boleh duduk kembali.

Bila antrian di koki tidak panjang, pramusaji akan membawa makanan kita yang sudah dimasak tadi dalam waktu sekejab dan volia! kita boleh makan.

Begitulah cara makan di Mongos, sekarang baru ngeh kenapa diajurkan untuk tidak mengambil porsi banyak-banyak, karena dengan demikian kita bisa bolak-balik ke food market dengan mencoba macam-macam kombinasi dan saus.

Jujur saja, pilihan pertamaku rasanya gak karuan...Tapi ya wajarlah, udang, campur daging sapi plus jagung manis dioseng bareng hehehe...Pilihan kedua dan seterusnya getting better and better. Aku hanya mampu berkunjung ke food market sampai empat kali...kuenyang bo!
Tak lupa mereka juga menyediakan nasi pulen yang jarang didapat di belahan negara Jerman.

Bila ada temen-temen yang tahu restoran model beginian di Jakarta kasih tahu aku dong...Thx a lot!

and this is Mongos website, but in Deutsch lang :(
http://www.mongos.de/

Disappointed. The movie is like running to fast. They skipped many interesting parts in the book like how she called her poor house as tipsy house or about her fake smile or her impression about Mr. Tanaka who sold her to Mrs. Nitta, etc…
About the cast, well…Mameha is not that pretty as I imagine in the book. Michelle Yeoh is too old to be Mameha. Ziang Ziyi as Sayuri...Hmm…I like the part when she dances alone in her pre-mizuage party. Great performance n effect, reminds me to Uki Naka, a Japanese contemporary choreographer who lived in front of my house in Jogja. Beside that dance, nothing special with Sayuri to comment. But little Sayuri is quite ok. Gong Li as Hatsumomo is the best! Beautiful, sexy, cruel and rebel.
The most disappointing for me is Mr. Chairman. When I read the book, the author made me fall in love with Mr. Chairman as Sayuri had crushed with him…but when I saw Mr. Chairman in ‘real’ Ah...not like what I expected.
I worked in Korean company years ago and one of my boss is so charming and in my imagination, Mr. Chairman cant be less charming than that Korean man! But I was wrong :(
Finally: the book is much much better and more emotional.


pic from movies.yahoo.com

Spesialis seafood. Ikannya bisa pilih sendiri. Namun dianjurkan bila anda amat sangat lapar, sebaiknya tidak memilih resto ini tanpa telpun lebih dahulu.

Terletak di jalan Pangeran Antasari dengan bangunan serba terbuka dan serba blinky. Sangat gampang ditemukan diantara bangunan-bangunan yang yang biasa-biasa saja saja di sepanjang jalan itu.

Datang ke resto ini tak terencanakan. Asal nemu dan begitu kita datang buru-buru milih ikan dan duduk manyun menunggu karena sumpah...lapar setengah mati. Namun rupanya malam itu kita salah pilih menu. Kita tidak memperhatikan notification bahwa untuk ikan bakar sebaiknya order by phone sebelum datang, karena untuk memasaknya diperlukan waktu 45 minutes/ each fish to cook!
Blah!

So dengan wajah muram, aku, Ewi, Mauro, dan Erry mencuri-curi pandang ke mbak pramusaji. Tapi mbak nya hanya senyum-senyum saja. Sampai ketika baronang pesanan kita muncul, tanpa menunggu pesanan kedua kita, yaitu ikan kaka tua, kita langsung saja makan dengan lahap beralaskan daun pisang tanpa piring. Ada tiga macam sambal tersaji sebagai teman makan; sambal dabu-dabu, sambal asem mangga, dan sambal tomat normal. Dan semua sambal itu enak!!

Ikan bakarnya juga bloody enak. Ikan baronang dan kaka tua sama-sama yummi, bumbunya taste good. Rasa lapar yang tadinya tak terhingga terbayar sudah.

Semua ikan di Mahimahi ini konon didatangkan langsung dari Bali dan Makasar. Semboyan mereka adalah; ikan tersegar di Jakarta dengan saus yang memuaskan dan harga terjangkau. Thats very true.

Untuk dua ikan ukuran sedang, cukup sekali untuk makan berempat plus nasi satu wakul plus minuman 5 gelas (teh panas, lemon tea, lemon squash, agua) hanya menghabiskan Rp. 117.000 plus tax. Dan rasanya itu lo...enak sekali!!