Bali Buddha Baked Goods

Asia has its own form of baked goods, but sometimes you miss that nice classic bakery item from the U.S. of A. or Europe. Guilt may take over as buttery, delicious baked goods and pastries are super caloric and will not contribute to deflating the tire around your waist when you hope to be prancing around the beaches of Indonesia and are already feeling bloated from the fried food. Again, the body is screaming for something healthy. Of if those indulgent pangs are still persistent, at least something deceivingly unhealthy. Bali Buddha in Ubud, Bali, has a cafe, home delivery, and store selling its freshly-baked goods, imported items, and other related products that was reminiscent of a Whole Foods aisle. The store is underneath the cafe, which is made of a lounge section (pictured) and a more formal dining loft area.

The menu is chock full of items that advertise a healthy lifestyle and matching the zen vibe of Bali. The portions are enough to make you 80% full. Lots of health tonics to choose from. Though if you are feeling really ill, it might be better to visit Wayan at her Traditional Balinese Healing Center, popularized by "that book" driving women to Bali in search of their eat, pray, and love.

An amazing feature of the Bali Buddha store is the day-old section in the towering shelves of baked goods. The items placed in this section are pre-packaged from the day before and are sold for half-price. Amazing! Unfortunately, Ubud is an early-rising town so you have to get to the store pretty early for the best selection. Otherwise, there are slim pickings or ::gasp:: none at all. The baked goods are placed in small baskets with a little net over them and you pick and choose what you want. The cinnamon buns were cooked all the way through, a little more dense than fluffy. I would say that the muffins were the best pick of the lot holding together well are light with just the right amount of blueberry or banana. The apple cake was full of shredded apple and had another component that bulked the filling (which was not totally apple, but I cannot put my finger on it). Each bite is satiating and full of fruity surprises. Also really tasty were the cardamom balls, which were a tad savory and not too sweet. The icing on the carrot cake was a little too thick for my taste, coming off the cake in a singular piece. The actual carrot cake part had more than just carrots - most likely pineapple pieces and other fruits as more complex carrot cake recipes do. There were just so many goods to try. The store also has imported and specialty items like locally made mozzarella cheese, herbs, and dried meats, but the baked goods that were a main source of fuel throughout the day is its highlight.

Bali Buddha Ubud Café, Shop & Home Delivery. Jalan Jembawan #1 (across from the Ubud Post Office), Ubud, Mas, Gianyar 80571, Bali, Indonesia. Tel. (0361) 976324 / 978963. www.balibuddha.com

Kafe - A Taste of Healthy Living in Ubud

The fried foods that permeate my diet in Indonesia has left me craving something healthy and fresh. Ubud is the center of culture and arts in Bali, a beautiful area with rice fields scattered through the traditional Balinese architecture and temples. It seems small, but it is really made up of fourteen villages with the focal point being Monkey Forst Road, Jalan Hanoman, and Jalan Raya Ubud. At an elevation of around 600 meters, it is cooler than the coastal towns, though attracting more of the rain. The relaxing ambiance of Ubud and the convenience of its amenities along with the assortment of shops, restaurants, cultural events, and arts makes it a bit of an expat magnet in Bali. The Zen-like nature and affinity to preserve what is there makes Kafe a natural fit in Central Ubud. It is a comfortable place to lounge around and spend the whole afternoon reading, working, using their wifi, meeting with friends, and relaxing. Kafe promotes a healthy lifestyle with its environmentally conscious policies choosing not to serve drinks with plastic straws, advocating Bali Storm Brewery local beers, using organic products, as well as hosting community-oriented events. The major attraction at Kafe is its cafe culture and delicious, healthy vegetarian (and non-vegetarian) cuisine.


The food at Kafe is fresh and it does not make you feel guilty in the least for making your order (unless that is in excess). Some of the portions seemed unfairly small, especially compared to the price of a bigger meal you can get at a local warung. My first meal there was off the "Bowl Food" section of their menu (not listed online) which was a bowl of lentils and rice with broccoli and cauliflower florets flavored with curry spices, which made the dish a deep gold color. It came with a side of yogurt and the contrast between cool and warm made the eating experience very interesting. The Banana Spice Smoothie with hazelnut and nutmeg (21,000Rp) complimented the meal well, though the texture of the smoothie was very thin, giving the impression only a few spoonfuls of banana were actually in the smoothie. I also tried the Vegetarian Lumpia (23,000Rp) with tofu, ginger, spinach and mushrooms served with lemongrass dipping sauce. There were only 2 lumpias on the well-presented plate and each disappeared in a few bites. I liked the meaty quality the mushroom brought to the filling chock full of vegetables. The Grilled Vegetable and Feta Sandwich (37,000Rp) served warm and open-faced came with fried cassava chips. The feta cheese on this sandwich was generously scooped on top mixed with sun-dried tomato and basil. The vegetables in the sandwich were a tower of zucchini, aubergine, tomato, onion, and leafy greens that hid the small piece of country bread underneath. The vegetables were not too oily and cooked all the way through. This sandwich was best eaten with a knife and fork.

The food, drink, ambiance, and philosophy of Kafe is one to experience whilst invigorating and re-energizing the spirit and body in Ubud.

Kafe. Kafe, next to Tegun Galeri, at Jalan Hanoman # 44B, Padang Tegal, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. Tel. +62 361 7803802 or kafe@balispirit.com. www.balispirit.com/kafe.

McFlurry In Indonesia

McDonald's are everywhere. Really. However, the McFlurry is not always available. Only until this summer did the McDonald's in China show the first signs of the McFlurry with Oreo and M&Ms. I was pleased to find a unique flavor in Indonesia, outside of the standard Oreo and M&Ms (which indeed was offered on another less prominent menu). The two flavors that these McDonald's showcased are Caramel Crunch and Coffee Crunch and cost more than the standard McFlurry flavors at 7000 Rupiah. The size of the McFlurry is significantly smaller in Indonesia compared to its American counterparts and the servings are sadly more conservative. The "crunch" part of the McFlurry is broken up pieces of waffle cone and tiny bits of chocolate chip. There was also a nice swirl of caramel for the Caramel Crunch McFlurry. Some servers remembered to actually do the "Flurry" part of the McFlurry putting it in the mixing machine, some mixed only part way, and some mixed it well, all of which showed an inconsistency in the training of the art of the McFlurry. The Caramel Crunch McFlurry was very sweet, appealing to sweet-toothed Indonesians, and had a lot of flavors and textures with the waffle cone, hard chocolate bits, and gooey caramel. The waffle cone was not stale at all and did not turn soft after being in the ice cream during the consumption process. The chocolate chips were very small and tasted as though there was a higher cacao percentage from its slightly bitter quality. Using milk chocolate would have made the McFlurry too sweet instead of rich. If only the caramel was a little bit thicker to create a better ribbon effect in the white soft serve because it just mixed with the soft serve resulting in a melted caramel ice cream soup. But where the soft serve did hold together, it was quite lovely, especially when taking a break from the hot midday sun.

Rujak Es Krim - An Array of Tastes

Hot, sunny, midday heat in Yogyakarta weighs you down with beads of sweat forming on your forehead. Water does not suffice this urge to cool down as your body craves greater substance as it slowly dehydrates. Enter rujak es krim toted around by a kaki lima or street cart, most likely found in the morning and early afternoon. Rujak es krim is made of rujak, the assortment of fruits including sour mango, papaya, apple, cucumber, and pineapple that is combined with es puter, traditional Indonesian ice cream. Es puter means "stirred ice cream" and is made of coconut milk and sugar. The sauce is made of palm sugar, lime juice, salt, and chilies, though I could have sworn there was a hint of tamarind in there. Mixed together, the combination of ingredients creates a cornucopia of flavor inviting sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty to this party. The vendor makes it fresh in front of you chopping up the fruits and grinding the spicy paste using a wooden mortar. The onslaught of flavors satisfies hunger (and dehydration to a point) while thrilling your tongue.

Eating in Yogyakarta, Central Java, Indonesia

Yogyakarta is a hot spot in Java for foodies. Any traveler you come across will say, "There is great food in Yogyakarta." It is a cultural center in Java close to the ocean and has several historic sites as well as surrounding nature to enjoy, such as climbing the steep slopes of Mt. Merapi. As the city is so big, it attracts people from all over, contributing to the growing diversity of flavors in the city. The cuisine in Yogyakarta is characterized by a sweetness, similar to the characteristic flavor of Shanghai (also sweetness). Being in Indonesia, you can still get the fiery chili taste with any local dish. Just ask for it (or the omittance thereof).

Going for something on the healthy side, attempting to stray away from all that is fried (a difficult task), I was taken Warung Pecel Madiun for nasi pecel madiun. In English, I was told it is a "traditional Indonesian salad." It is not exactly salad in the traditional sense being served atop a serving of rice, but it was not considered a hot dish. Pecel is actually a classic Javanese peanut sauce commonly served with vegetables. It was poured atop raw spinach, sprouts, beans, a type of cucumber, and other leaves. On the side was a type of tempe cracker and salt-preserved, shredded meat. The nasi pecel madiun tasted very fresh and the selection of ingredients showcased this. The peanuts gave whole salad a more meaty taste. The pecel sauce also brought some spiciness to the salad, making it more exciting. It was difficult to get the perfect bite in with pecel, vegetable, rice, cracker, and that salted meat on one spoon. The meal as a whole is not heavy at all, even with all the rice. Needless to say, I felt a lot healthier after several meals that centered on something that was fried.

My companion was eager to show me how hot Indonesian food can get, claiming to only eat ayam penyet pedas once a month because it can wreak havoc on the digestive system. Here is to hoping I am not reminded of the meal the following day from something other than memory. Warung Sambal is another simple restaurant in the Yogyakarta area of Sleman. I was told initially that the famous dish is "chicken cooked with hot spices" and not "fried smashed chicken" as the translation implies. However, I was not expecting this. It was a thigh and leg piece of fried chicken, bone in, of course, first boiled with a spice mixture, coconut milk, and lemongrass before it is fried, ensuring that the chicken remains tender. Dark meat is appreciated for its flavor, enhanced further if the bone is in. Asians are more concerned with flavor - not health factor - preferring dark meat over white meat. I did not get the impression that the chicken was cooked with hot spices, but rather a paste dominated by green chili was spread over the fried chicken. Ayam penyet pedas is, indeed, incredibly spicy. You can make it even spicier by asking for sambal. Only the cucumber the chicken came with is able to save the mouth from spontaneously combusting due to the concentration of chili. The rice is only a small way to falsely dilute the scoville level from the chicken. It was really flavorful, though. My innards were screaming from the concentrated bites of heat that it was not used to.


Yogyakarta is most famous for gudeg, a curry made with young jackfruit and coconut milk with chicken. The sugars of the jackfruit give the gudeg its very sweet characteristic. We tried it at a roadside restaurant called Warung Kayu, popular for late-night eating. It is a simple wooden structure with all the food laid out in the middle and an old woman scooping up gudeg and ripping chicken bits onto your plate with her bare hands (slightly horrifying for the germaphobes out there). Whatever. You are in Indonesia, so this is something you have to get over. There goes the rice, the gudeg, slices of tempe, egg, and a big piece of chicken. Looking at the gudeg, it appears to be brown slop after taking in color from teak leaves, but do not let that deter you. It goes down nicely with the sweetened ice tea, which can be asked for unsweetened. The gudeg was really tasty and not as sweet as I originally imagined, most likely because the jackfruit was not completely ripe at its height of sweeetness. The combination of spices used in cooking while the coconut milk boiled down to almost nothing gave the gudeg extra depth appealing to other taste palates. The chicken was also very tender and moist taking in the flavor of the curry. After a taste, you understand why gudeg is very much associated with its mother city of Yogyakarta.

Waroeng Pecel Madiun. Moh. Kahfi II No. 40 A, Jakarta Selatan, DKI Jakarta, Indonesia.

Rotiboy

The smell is captivating. Warm, fresh from the oven baked goodness tickles and tempts olfactory glands. The sweet aroma makes your stomach growl and the queues at the stand for the buns pulled directly from the oven show reflect how tasty it is. Rotiboy is a bakery chain that serves only one thing: Rotiboy. There are other variations to choose from, but you can only get the original Rotiboy bun hot from the oven about any time of day. The Rotiboy chain also offers other types of pastries and sandwiches, but what made it famous is the Signature Rotiboy Original Bun, which is also likened to the "Mexican Bun." Butter, milk, flour, water, sugar, salt, and coffee are combined and baked resulting in a sweetly divine, round bun with a hint of coffee and an artery clogging buttery center. Rotiboy was founded in Penang, Malaysia and has expanded to stores in Indonesia, South Korea, and Thailand.


I stood in line patiently as the bakers expertly removed the buns from the oven in pairs putting one each into a bag. There are directions on the bag on how to enjoy your Rotiboy at home like it was fresh from the oven (pre-heat oven to about 180°C and heat for about 10 minutes) and where else to find it in Indonesia. Each bun cost 7000Rp. The smell was thrilling and comforting at the same time. The first bite was warm and the spongy, sweet cake melts along your tongue as you chew. The crust is barely firm and hints of coffee linger along your taste buds and nostrils. Reaching the center, you bite into a sinfully buttery middle that is slightly gooey. It is fabulously doughy. Yum. What a great start to the day. What a great part of the day for my stomach!

If you are looking for a recipe, try this one from House of Annie or this one. I do not recall seeing a topping (someone commented about this in the posts) piped onto the dough, but rather the dough resting and waiting for baking in temperature-controlled storage units. Maybe this was added right before baking.

Rotiboy. Multiple locations. www.rotiboy.com

Hallo! Hallo, Bandung!

Climbing to the top of the ridge, you reach Punclut where a long row of restaurants overlook the city of Bandung. Volcanic mountains surround the city which lies in a basin. At night, the view is especially beautiful as the city sparkles with light reminiscent of moonlight bouncing off the ripples on a lake. Hordes of motobikes are parked on both sides of the small road as each traditional restaurant is packed with diners seated on mats on the restaurant floors. The food served is Sundanese and we pick out what we want to eat from the mostly prepared food for them to finish cooking. After choosing a prime spot to sit to take in the view, we are given a kobokan, a bowl of water with a lime so we can clean our hands before and after the meal. Sundanese food is traditionally eaten with hands, so the kobokan was completely necessary. We were also given sambal, red rice, and fresh greens. Bites of cucumber provide a cool, fresh break that relieves your mouth from the spiciness. The most interesting thing I had was what seemed to be small intestines or strips of some sort of pork part that are fried and served wrapped up in a banana leaf. It gave an extra salty bite to supplement the spiciness and sweetness. The savory fried corn cake was reminiscent of Filipino ukoy with hints of shrimp flavor. The sambal tasted slightly sweet to me, but I am not sure of what else is used to prepare it to give this hint of sweetness that apparently only I could taste. Great food, awesome views, and good conversation always makes an excellent night.

On Sunday, it is a car-free day along Jalan Dago. It is a great place to bike, walk, protest, demonstrate, and perform. Nearby is a weekend market where several stands serve Sundanese food and at a cheap price: 8000 Rupiah for a full meal. Hygiene standards may not be up to par for most Western travelers. Pushing those thoughts aside, the filling meal is really cheap and is a very Indonesian experience.

Eats in Jakarta, Java, Indonesia

Landing in Jakarta, the idea of getting real Indonesian food was absolutely thrilling. Every time anyone heard of my venture to Indonesia, the reaction commonly, "Oh my Gawd! You're going there? The food is so good. You have to try..." Oh yes, growling and ready, my stomach was ready (and hopefully prepared against food poisoning) to digest amazing food.

Upon arrival, my initial reaction was that Indonesian food was a lot like Filipino food with a spicier kick. There was an evident preference for frying things. Also, rice was a main part of the meal rather than a supplement to further fill you up.

Meals in Jakarta were spent primarily in the Kemang district, where my host is located. The neighborhood is full of restaurants, shops, bars and night clubs, though it appeared that many of them had gone out of business due to the number of boarded up store fronts. Kemang may not be the most charming district, but it is convenient. It once was an expat hot spot due to the affordability of nearby villas. My host informs me that most of the expats have left, but does not know where they moved to.

First meal was at a late-night Sundanese restaurant called Nasi Uduk Kebon Kacang, a short drive from the center of Kemang district. Sundanese food includes cities of Bogor, Bandung, and Sukabumi. It was about 02:00 and most other places were closed or closing. Most of the food is already prepared (mid-day) or cooked except for the final step. You choose what you like and they will bring it to your table. Accompanying snacks, nasi uduk or rice with coconut milk (originally from Jakarta) wrapped in a banana leaf, and bottled drinks laid on the table. We had some grilled chicken, a sort of dried or preserved beef, and tempe. This was really delicious and light. Apparently, it is made from a cultured and fermentation process that binds soybeans together into a cake which is then sliced and fried. The result is a crispy, firm exterior and soft interior. It has a light, nutty flavor. The best part is that it is healthy for you being high in protein and fiber. Anyway, at the end of the meal, you pay for what you eat. It is very straight forward. Just tell the server what you ate and they calculate the price accordingly.

Padang cuisine(from the Minangkabau people) is the capital of West Sumatra. Pulling up, Restoran Padang had a steady trickle of motobikes pulling up with patrons asking for their nasi padang wrapped up for take away. The server scoops up some rice on a plate lined with paper and the patron points out what they want from the prepared food. I chose singkong (cassava leaf) as the primary vegetable with sambal hijau, the chili sauce, and topped off with beef rendang. The cooked cassava leaf had a nice, fibery texture and had a fiery tingle from the sauce. There was also other green vegetables that were more bitter in flavor like they were pickled, but also equally very spicy. The beef was very tender, though slightly drier than expected, but the sauce left from the evaporated coconut milk and spices was incredibly savory. Now this is a way better "fast food" option.

The Kemang Food Festival on Jalan Kemang Raya is an open-air (though covered) food court with multiple food stands with Indonesian food, steak, Italian, American, and Japanese. I felt a bit adverse to this food hall, but my host insisted on eating here for the variety of choices. Sit down at one of the wooden picnic tables in the courtyard and dozens of servers representing each vendor will surround you while you peruse the thick binder of menus. They patiently wait for your order and only one lucky server will return to the respective kitchen with your order. Out of the big menu book, my host chose for me Soto Jakarta, a soup with the coconut milk, vegetables, and meat accompanied by a banana leaf packet of rice. The rice soaked up the soup beautifully. The soup was slightly sweet, yet very spicy and penetrated the flavor of the meat and vegetables, which were not overcooked. Yum.

The foodie adventure in Indonesia is just beginning and we're only in Jakarta.

Noodle Bull Revisited

With most expats still raving about Noodle Bull, the place deserved a second visit. It was a choice of ordering the same noodle soup again and seeing if it just happened to be that day's batch of broth. Fear still struck from the bland (and MSG-lacking) broth from the first visit, a soupless noodle dish was selected instead. The vegetarian sesame paste noodles were much more enjoyable than the noodles in beef soup. It came with julienned carrots, cucumber, and egg. You just mix everything up in the bowl. The combination was light, yet completely satisfying.


In addition to the sesame paste noodles, I tried the pork and beancurd side as well as their take on kimchi. The pork and beancurd side completed the depth of the meal, especially if you are hankering for something more substantial and meaty. The kimchi, however, did lack the extra spicy kick, but was a welcomed presence in central Shanghai were decent Korean food is scarce.

At least now I know one of my default options if I do happen to be coerced into going to Noodle Bull again. Maybe one day the broth will present itself as a better memory to erase the old one.

Noodle Bull. 1f3b, No.291 Fumin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. 上海市徐匯區富民路291號悟錦世紀大樓1F3B