FOOD TRIP: GADO-GADO

Hi ladies, last week I was in dire need for vegetables, those busy schedule made me unable to even cook my own vegetable dishes. I love all kind of greens, (include bitter gourd here). My household always point out the importance of vegetables and fruits. When I was just a little girl, my lunch or dinner always had 2 kinds of meat/ fish, and 2-3 types of vegetable dishes. Therefore if I missed my daily vegetable/ fruits, I felt uncomfortable, headache kind sensation.

Around 500 meters from my workplace, I found this great GADO-GADO, recommended by the nurses in my workplace.

GADO-GADO is an Indonesian dishes, originate from Sunda/ west Java, it is popular in Banten, Jakarta, West Java. Central and East Java has its own variant, named PECEL, and Pecel usually use galangal in its sauce.

Gado-gado is the equal term of Salad in european country, usually the vegetable is blanched, the vegetables that can be found: spinach, kangkung, bean sprouts, green bean, chayote, corn, cucumber.
Additional: tempeh, tofu, potato, boiled eggs, crackers
Sauce made from ground peanut, tamarind water, lime juice, terasi, palm sugar, chilies, salt, water.

You can eat the vegetable plain, with lontong or rice. (I know :D full of carbohydrate)
Relatively, it is a low calorie food if you can limit the peanut sauce.

This Gado-gado stands near gondangdia station. I went there around 1 PM, straight at lunchtime, the queue was around 5-8 people, usually office worker. But the vendor is helpful, smiling (despite hot weather), and earnest on his job.

I went to nearest Indomaret (our minimarket) to buy some cold black coffee to wards off the heat and waiting for the food. He still remembered my request: add the vegetable, less sauce, no eggs + half rice and just adjust the price :D
It is served on top of plate and banana leaf, true to its traditional value.

For only IDR 14,000 I was quite full, it tasted good, and I am happy with the experience.

FOOD HUNTING PASAR PAGI: KERAK TELOR, MIE CELOR, CENDOL

Hi ladies, and all the folks out there. Have you ever wander other  city just to hunt for certain food? in this past 2 months I have been so busy that I missed PEKAN RAYA JAKARTA, it ended at 17 July 2016. Sadly, I have not be able to fulfill my craving for kerak telor or any traditional Jakarta food. 

When my schedule with my husband were match, I decided to use train and Busway to go to Mangga Dua, because my husband would like to know the recent PS4 price deal :P.

I prefer to hunt food in street food, although I am quite picky, and choose the cleanest street vendor that I could find.

And here I found what I was craving for

Kerak Telor with chicken eggs: IDR 17,000, you can change it with duck eggs but sadly it was sold out. It is a heritage of Jakarta/ Betawi people, made from small amount of ketan (sticky rice), mix with eggs, cooked with heat from charcoal, the finishing touch? sprinkle it with serundeng (shredded coconut), shallots and ebi. My review with this one that I have bought from Pasar Pagi, was disappointing... It is really different with the one that I have tried with my Oma and Opa (grandmother and grandfather) when I was just a little girl.

Mie Celor: IDR 18,000 big yellow noodle with gooey gravy, from coconut milk, boiled with ebi (dried shrimp), or fresh shrimp. Ideally for finishing touch, it was sprinkled with bean sprout, shallots, ebi, shrimp, boiled eggs. It comes from Palembang/ South Sumatra Region, a bit disappointed that this Mie celor was bland, no shrimp or any coconut milk trace from its gravy, not true to the original one that I have tried once in Palembang.

Cendol: IDR 11,000 it said to come from Java Island? in Java you call it Dawet , in Sunda/ west Java, you still call it cendol :-D this one is the best deal from these 3 food. it is sago (rice flour) which is mixed with coconut milk and palm sugar. The sweetness is kinda mellow, aromatic, with gentle smell of coconut milk. I love this traditional beverage.

Hopefully, I can find another great food on my next food trip.

MARTHA TILAAR BEAUTY HAUL

Hi ladies, tentunya kalian familiar dengan brand asli Indonesia yang satu ini? Ya, perusahaan yang didirikan Mrs. Martha Tilaar sejak tahun 1977 telah memantapkan dirinya menjadi salah satu leading cosmetic brand di Indonesia. Brand awalnya yang berupa SariAyu telah berkembang dan menjadi pemilik dari brand terkenal lainnya di Indonesia: BIOKOS, CARING, RUDY HADISUWARNO, PAC, DEWI SRI SPA.

Pada situs resminya sendiri, Martha Tilaar menyebutkan 2 brand yang masuk kategori high end mereka, yaitu PAC dan DEWI SRI SPA.

Bulan Juli ini, kebetulan ada SALE, mungkin mid year ya? Buy one get one untuk beberapa produk DEWI SRI SPA, yang tidak boleh terlewatkan, terutama untuk kita yang sudah tahu betapa worthed nya kualitas brand yang satu ini. Saya ahkirnya memutuskan untuk membeli beberapa produk dari lini DEWI SRI SPA dan BIOKOS.

Bagi kalian yang suka nilai-nilai tradisional dan wangi yang natural, DEWI SRI SPA merupakan produk yang pas, secara pribadi, saya suka yang seri WHITENING, karena terasa banget sereh/lemongrass nya, walaupun belum saya beli karena stok habis >.<

• BODY LOTION: IDR 160,000 for 2
• SENSUAL - sexy kind of ylang-ylang and sandalwood (cendana) combination 
• REVIVING - mint, fresh, lift your mood!
• BODY WASH: IDR 118,000 for 2
• SENSUAL - kebetulan hanya ini yang tersisa dan wanginya kusuka
• BIOKOS DERMABRIGHT SERUM + Free Facial wash: IDR 349,000

Overall:

PRO:

Wanginya enak, bahan natural, kemasan bagus dan yang pasti made in Indonesia.

Will I buy it again? YES

CON:

Lumayan Mahal, disarankan stock banyak-banyak ketika lagi diskon

  

MAC LIPSTICK: HEROINE

Hi ladies, this is my 1st review about lipstick. Yes I adore lipstick, you can change your mood based on this things that you applied on your lips. It is the most important makeup that can change your whole makeup. Unfortunately I love red and other dark colored lipstick. I think 9 out of 10 has darker shade (My mom always complain when she see my lipstick collections, she always mumbling: why I don't have pink or nude colors?). Lets get back to the topic: When you love purple, you will ultimately hooked with MAC HEROINE, it is the true purple, the equal of ruby woo in terms of true red. 

(forgive me for low lightning in my dorm)

The texture is quite velvety and smooth, it is glided smoothly, the color is pigmented and true to the picture. You will feel 90-s vibes from the color. It match perfectly with punk/goth attire, darker eyeshadows, but I will try to pull it off on lunch date :D

I bought it on MAC counter for about PHP 1000 or IDR 295,000

Overall:

Packaging: 5 (classic bullet model of MAC)

Texture: 4

Color: 5

Longevity: 5 (I need makeup remover)

Price: 4

QUEEN HELENE MINT JULEP MASQUE

Hi ladies, Do you like to do mask on your face? I have combination, sensitive, acne prone skin, which prone to dullness. When I was on elementary school up to my medical school days, I like to have DIY mask once in a while. 

• Lemon + eggwhite
• Yoghurt + eggwhite + honey
• Oatmeal + berries + honey
• Papaya + banana (yes I tried this combination)
• Avocado + yoghurt

I mean, like every fresh ingredients that could be found in my refrigerator (except sambal/ chili paste). I found it enjoyable but it kind of hassle to prepare all these things, and also the mess I left after... I tried to buy ready to use masque, from local Indonesian brand, to Korean/Asian brand.

So, after  I did my research, I found few of the blogs recommend this understated masque, seriously this thing is one of the best in market, and I found that the lack of  reviews is disturbing.

This clay based mask, work to sucks and clean all impurities in pores. The minty smell is pleasing, it felt cool during treatment. The steps were: after exfoliating, I put it on and let it dry for about 15-30 minutes, until it dried and cracked ^__^. You can wash it with warm water and cloth afterwards, then apply toner, serum, moisturizer and voila, based on my experience, you will swear your skin felt amaaahziing.

I bought it for less than PHP 400, in Healthy Option, Philippines. I like it so much that I bought 3 more bottles before I went back for good to Indonesia.

This is in natural lightning, no editing was done, taken with iphone 4s, sorry for the clothes, I was ready to sleep >0<.

Overall:

Packaging: 5

Smell: 4

Texture: 4

Price: 5

Will I buy it again? YES

When you find it in shelves/ drugstore, please buy it and try its miracle. I think it is best for combination and acne prone skin.

Best Regards, Kiss