Han Gang, A Korean Taste You Can Survive On.

Finding Korean food that non-Korean can relate to is somewhat harder than what it seems like. Some may finds it forever untranslatable at all to their tongues. But here's what I think of one successful Korean restaurant chain here in Indonesia. 

It was started right here at my laptop screen. I was watching the funniest variety show in the world that surprisingly comes from Korea. Don't judge me yet (for you who did not, good.), at that time I hadn’t even knew about all the K-Pop euphoria. All I know was they're white(r than us), and Chinese-like. Yes, I'm not racist enough to be able to explain what their differences with our race are. So after a while and a heavy dose of that funniest variety show in the world, I started to gain LOT information regarding their food. From all those 120 episodes that I’ve watched, almost every episode contains some games about eating! I can't help to get familiar with Kimchi, Bibimbap, Kugi, Chikin n Bekju, and believe me, I can type more names this till another paragraph but I'm afraid you'll just gonna click that red X thing at the upper right corner of this window. 

Cut the chase, I lost my Korean Food virginity right at this restaurant, Han Gang. It was at the one in Senayan City and I was just in the mood for finally trying Korean food and managed to persuade my Mom to eat there! I ordered a Wang Galbi which is a rib part the Korean awesome cows. No particular reason why I chose that though, it was simply because I was astonished to see the sky-high prices and ended up choosing this one due to the price that was more moderate. IT WAS STILL QUITE EXPENSIVE THO. Back then it was 168ish just for the meat alone, and now it's already 198. I was about to complain (to Korean Cow Institution) but right at the moment I tasted that cooked meat, I understand why it's expensive. The meat was as good as unicorn! I actually one of those peeps that carefully spending my money, but Han Gang successfully ripped me off. And I still keep going back for even more rips. 

Talk about Korean food, you can’t leave the conversation without mentioning Kimchi. My first meet with Kimchi was not very well. I did not like it, at all. It was the opposite taste of Indonesian usual cuisine. I remember thinking what could’ve they done with these poor lettuces? I bet all the lettuces were all bleeding red and naturally salted with their tears! At first it may tastes bad, but after few more visits, the things work out really well between Kimchi and I. Think about Kimchi as Korean’s Lalapan. Now Kimchi is always the first thing I eat in Hang Gang., and I always asking for more Kimchi to the waiters (‘cause you get all the side dishes for free just so you know!). 

Han Gang is always a restaurant you can rely on when it comes to introducing others to Korean cuisine. I’ve tried other Korean restaurant as well, even the more ‘authentic’ one that no one would know what it called (except for those who read Korean of course, good for you.). But surprisingly, Han Gang offers taste that even more likable. After many times trying other restaurant, I keep coming back to Han Gang. They managed to adjust their food to our taste, in a way that many Korean native are still occasionally enjoy their meal there. And in spite you might think the price is ridiculous, you will get as shock as a clown when you go to other Korean restaurant with non-alphabetical letters and see their atmosphere-high prices! I think that is why Han Gang has successfully expanded into 4 different branches throughout Jakarta. 

All and all, Han Gang is definitely my go-to when it comes to enjoying Korean food. They put so much love in their food, in a way that both Korean and Indonesian can enjoy it at the same time. Hearing Korean people talking to each other right at the next tatami table, you’d feel like you transfer into a different country. Han Gang makes it a nice getaway for your daily cuisine life. You can’t have too much new foods in life, no?

I keep thinking if my first try on Korean food was not in Han Gang, and if they tasted worse, I definitely wouldn’t had a second go to any Korean restaurant. And I wouldn’t know how incredible their dishes really are. Aside from blaming them for my skinny wallet, I generously thank Han Gang for making a superb introduction to my tastebud.

Han Gang, saranghae~

(photo: google.com)

Splurge on The Desserts : Best Places to Be a Sugar Coma

We all love to pampering ourselves with sweet indulgence, which  never fails to make us happy in the moment, right? Here are my favorite dessert on-the-go places. Each of them is unique and creative in its own way. I tried to review some of them to improve your tasting experience. If you love to satisfy your sweet tooth, then this written is for you!

1.   KOI (KOI Kemang Jl. Kemang Raya No 72. Kemang, Jakarta Selatan & KOI Mahakam Jl. Mahakam I No. 2, Jakarta Selatan)

If you love dessert, make sure to stop in to KOI. I would classify this as a restaurant but somehow, often I make a stop just to have their desserts. Not because I don’t like the food, in fact the food was great, but each dessert in Koi was near perfection! My all-time favorite would be its’s Apple Crumble and Chocolate Lava Cake, which are possibly the best you can get in town.

2.      Convivium Café Deli (Jl. Panglima Polim IX no 1, Jakarta Selatan)

It is a small restaurant in Panglima Polim that offers Italian homemade cooking. Finally I dropped in as I had seen everyone raves about this place for a very long time. Convivium is one of the pioneers of restaurants offering Red Velvet cake, which they called Torta Passione. Actually I promised myself  to never eat Red Velvet, Blue Velvet; or any similar cake that have fake colors on it. Convivium successfully changed my mind. I have to admit, the cake don’t just look appetizing, but it taste wonderful too. Worth going place to satisfy your sugar craving, that is!

3.      Publico (Jl. Senopati Raya No 65. Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan)

Finally, I decided to check out this new place in Senopati. Set up like New York in 1920ish, this place successfully brings the vintage vibe to the visitors. The house speciality is charcoal grilling dishes, but surprisingly their desserts are good too! I was in love with their famous Chilled Valrhona Mars Bar, an elegantly garnished Valrhona chocolate mousse with super yummy chocolate crumble and salted caramel. I myself had an exquisite experience while enjoying that mouthwatering goodness, so yeah, would definitely recommend!! If you haven’t tried it yet, you must do so immediately!

4.   Honeymoon Dessert (Mall Taman Anggrek 4^th Floor 401-A, Mall Kelapa Gading 3 Gourmet Walk 58, Pluit Village Floor 59)

For a different way to get your sweet cravings satisfied, have yourself a treat at Honeymoon Dessert then! Just like the name says, we can stop in only for the desserts. I have been here many times and always tempted to try all of them. Unlike many other desserts that are rich in cream, chocolate, or cheese, desserts in Honeymoon Dessert are more like refreshing kind of desserts. You can get Sticky Mango Rice just like you’d have in Thailand here, which is my personal favorite beside their Mango Pancake. Ah, the pleasure to taste the rich desserts with less guilty feeling, that’s what I love most about Honeymoon Dessert! 

Despite the extra glucose (and calories) we put my body through, I guess having a dolce in moderation wouldn’t hurt. Joy can be recreated in food, and warm molten chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream is simply a proof!!  So, Lokals, lets embrace the joyness in life: eat your favorite dessert, and do good! :)

Coffee Shop: The Buzzling Fenomena in Town

Nowadays, coffee shops still haven’t show any slow down signs regarding its growth. There are no extremely delicious food, nor exclusive, superb services there. What’s the attractive things about this anyway?

After one and a half months of holiday, I go back to my routine life. A routine life where I should go to the campus for at least 4 times a week, for which most of them are in the morning. To be honest, have a campus in Depok isn’t that bad. Although its extreme weather and its traffic jam can be very torturing, the fact that Depok is now being a city with such growth in modernism, makes that city even more attractive, especially for me, as a big city lover.

I recently cross Margonda Street that’s located in Depok (thank God there was no traffic at that time!), in order to go to a skin care doctor located not far from it. Along the way, I just couldn’t help but notice the newly established stores and restaurants beside the road. Quite a lot, with much varieties of uniqueness stands out from each place. But, for the most part, my attention was directed towards the new coffee shops. Yes, coffee shopS. Not only one, but five. Well, I just didn’t come here for about one and a half months, and there were already five new coffee shops along this street!? Where have I been???

I then wondered. Why people are really attracted of such things, you know, entering the business of coffee shop? So, I then search along the internet about the fenomena of this coffee shop thingy. It then turns out that, not only in Indonesia, but almost in every country (Europe especially) that the coffee shop growth is higly increasing!

Why is this? Is it because the unique decoration that they have? The coffee? The music? Well, almost all reports that I found says that people are now more attracted to this kind of hangout place. You know, a place where you can sit hours and hours, hanging out with your friends, or even just browsing without eating much. Have some coffee time, with a great, chillin’ music.Even more, coffee shop has been proved can spur your creativity level. Walked out of the library or any other quiet zone, and getting into a relatively nosiy environment may trigger the brain to think abstractly, which will lead us to generate more creative ideas. 

Now, the questions will be: Is this also happens to Indonesian people? I mean, do above explanations precisely explaining the coffee shop growth in Indonesia? Or, do Indonesian people love coffee that much untill it can attract many producers to open their newest store everywhere?

So, half of above explanations are true... but, that’s not the main reason, I may say. It turns out that the coffee shop is a booming place in Indonesia, because Indonesian people love to what it’s called “Nongkrong”. And the definition here is: spending time for nothing. Seems a bit pathetic, eh? Admit it, you know it’s true. Haha. Seriously, I heard this from my lecturer who is one of the most famous marketers in Indonesia, for which he explained about why Seven Evelen is very successful in Indonesia, and the same thing also happens to the coffee shop thingy. So yeah, that’s pretty much answering this fenomena, isn’t it?

So, In the end, for the Indonesians, it’s just not about the caffeine. It’s just all about the coffee shop & spending time for..........err, you know what I mean.

Stand Alone Restaurant vs. In-Malls Restaurant, Which One is Better?

Being Jakartans, we’ve got a LOT of choices where to eat.  From fancy stand alone restaurants located in ‘the it’ place of the town, to well-known fast-food restaurants in malls. In my observance, stand alone restaurants nowadays are highly growing rather than in-malls restaurants. What makes them more popular than in-mall restaurants?

It was a sudden growth. When I went to Jl. Panglima Polim and saw the area was dotted with many restaurants, cafés, cake shops, and so on. I stopped at Taco Local, try to grabbed Mexican delicacies while noticed that a new restaurant was being built right next to the place. Taco Local itself was a fairly new place at the time of my first visit and it’s quite highly anticipated place, you can see a lot of people hang out there day and night. 

Speaking of which, when it comes to culinary journey, either stand alone restaurants or in-mall restaurants, I must say, both have positive sides. Here, I made several reasons on what the best you can get when you choose stand alone restaurants in Jakarta: 

1.      Exquisite Setting

Outside of the malls, there are many restaurant with great surroundings. From the downtown, urban area, to outskirt area with beach or garden view. There’s a lot of option to go and we can match it with our occasion. For example, you may go to a restaurant that can get you into romantic moment when you’re on a date or maybe choose a busy pace restaurant when you plan to go with your friends. 

2.      Creative Concept = FUN!

I’ve noticed that many stand alone restaurants have more interesting concept rather than in-mall restaurants. Either the décors, food selections, even marketing strategies. Some of them also hold live music too. These are what makes stand alone restaurants got a lot more attention nowadays, especially from young Jakartans who are always seeking for something new. And let’s admit it, there is somekind of “privilege” by visiting these kind of places, right? :p

3.      Freshly Made Food

I don’t know is it me or what, but somehow I rarely gets freshly made food at in-malls restaurant. Often times, I get a re-heated food. I guess when it comes to the freshness of the food, stand alone restaurants are the winner.  

However, there are some things about in-mall restaurants I just love: 

1.      One stop entertainment

Born and raised in Jakarta, I must say, malls are the most visited place to get myself entertained. In one of the fancy mall in Jakarta, you can get one stop entertainment in a place; from cinema, department store, salon, bookstore, karaoke club, restaurant, coffee shop, and much more! The plus side, we can walk around doing some window shopping while waiting the right time to eat, either to have a lunch, tea time, or dinner. 

2.      So many alternatives where to eat! 

The best part of eating at in-malls restaurants, we can get many choices while still considering the budget. When I’m broke, I can choose cheap fast food restaurant. And when I have spare money, I can walk in to fancy restaurant in the mall, have the best affogato in a hyped coffee shop, and end it with a pleasant dessert in a cake shop! :-P

3.      More comfortable for those who arrive by public transportations

Attending a stand-alone restaurant is not a good option when I’m using public transportation, because it’s a bit difficult to find nearest busway station or taxi line in front of stand-alone restaurants in Jakarta. Beside that, sometimes it’s rather inconvenient if we want to move to another place, so in the end we just hang out in one place for a very long time. 

Facing with so many options where to eat these days, what do you think suits you most, stand alone restaurants or in-mall restaurant? Let’s discuss!