Travelling Souvenir: Pia Legong, traditional Bali Pie

Claim to be one of famous souvenir from Bali, this delicious homemade balinese pie has no branch so meanings you only can get it in Bali. You can choose the fillings from homemade mung-bean chop, premium chocolate and melted cheese.

One of my friend teased us said that in order to get this traditional pie, he needed to pre-order it three weeks before. And guess what, all of us that easily believe him…what a good sales person he is…lol…

Because of a good campaign and marketing from one of our good friend, everyone want to have a try on it and of course so do I. We all curious about the taste and wondering how good it is until we need to pre-order.

After my first bite, two words to describe “nothing special”; high expectation lead to high disappointments. (Ok…this is purely my own opinion, so no offense :D). It only a very ordinary Chinese “pia” fills with western dessert’s fillings (read: chocolate and melted cheese).

For people who want to give a try on it, check below:

• Kitchen House of Pia Legong
  Jl. By pass Ngurah Rai, Ruko Kuta Megah 12/L Kuta-Bali
• Contact by phone
  Phone : +62 361 7898777
• website: www.pialegong.com

Myday : My great great grandpa’s restaurant 品香茶樓 (Rumah Makan Irian)

My  family (from my mom’s family) runs a small antique restaurant since 1920 in a small town in North Sumatra called Binjai. Our family restaurant, 品香茶樓 (Pin Yin: Pin Xiang Cha Lou) or Rumah makan Irian, has now being managed by five generations and now being managed by my cousins (the eldest grandson) and my aunty. Our restaurant has been operating based on Cantonese traditions in-and-out. However, we have infused some of Peranakan touches in our menus.

Saw and witnessed different ages of Indonesia and become the oldest restaurant in Binjai makes Rm.Irian have lots of histories and memories inside and most importantly legacies of culinary and traditions.

 

One of its unique is that we are still using manual lifter (as seen on the pic beside). The kitchen is on ground level and dining place is one second stories so in order to save time, they use this cute manual lifter.

Some of Rm.Irian best signatures ( always and forever) and all review done by my cousin, Hari Quang, who manages the restaurant now. 

Irian Mie Cin

Mie Cin or you might have heard it as ‘I Fu Mie Goreng’. Well, let me tell you this: there is no such thing! I understand that some other restaurant and food vendors that try to imitate our I Fu Mie have certain difficulties in cooking their hard-as-rock noodles. Unlike our hand-made noodles, the noodles they use are usually factory-made. These noodles have different texture and taste.

I don’t know if the name ‘I Fu Mie Goreng’ came from the lack of creativity or in fact that the noodles are actually stir-fried like the general fried noodle. One thing for sure is, we honors tradition and we are using the name given by our ancestors. So let’s call Mie Cin as Mie Cin, not ‘I Fu Mie Goreng’.

Irian I Fu Mie

It is one of our specialties. I Fu Mie is a Cantonese cuisine, traditionally handmade in our restaurant. It is deep-fried crispy noodles with chicken and vegetable dressing.

Once heard a customer said,” to visit Binjai without eating I Fu Mie is like climbing a mountain and go back down without seeing the sunrise”. It’s a little hyperbolic, I guess, but I totally understand him. Where-else in this town or even in this province can you find the original I Fu Mie?

My Grandmother once told me that long time ago, the first generation chef in our restaurant made the noodle with the help of two pieces of big, fat bamboo. In order to use them properly, he would move in a certain way that made the chef looked as if he was dancing the Kuda Lumping. She said,” the noodles are so special that even seeing the making process can entertain one’s eyes.”

Irian Ang tho Mie

It looks like the shark’s fin soup. It is a creamy noodle-soup enriched with egg and crab’s meat.

Several years ago, a customer asked me why the noodle is called Ang Tho Mie. Where did the name come from? Ang Tho Mie means Red Plum Noodle. The noodle is cooked with chicken eggs nowadays, it used to be duck eggs. The yolk of the duck egg became a natural colorant, giving a reddish glow to the creamy liquid. When the noodle is served in a round bowl, it looks like a giant red plum.

Due to customers’ demand, we use chicken eggs now. They are said to possess less fat, calories and cholesterol compared to duck eggs. However, we are more than willing to serve it in original style when a customer order it.

Nasi goreng Irian (fried rice)

Looks like ordinary fried rice, but try it first and I am quite sure you will ask for more. Usually it cooks with lots lots of toppings, you can find crab meat inside, fish balls, eggs, chickens and chilli padi (but it doesn’t spicy at all).

Irian Cim kong

 

and still have more menus ( all the pics are in my other hdd and I forgot to bring it along with me right now…so more to come….)
PS. must try Irian fried chicken (super duper crispy), chicken wings cold plate en much more…

I grow up by its food lol…cause every CNY, our sa cap meh (Chinese new year reunion dinner), foods are all bought from here (and it never change and it become a habit to our family which I think it is a good thing and always craving for it ).

It makes me hungry now…and can someone da bao for me and delivery them to Singapore please….:P

Myday : Lunch @ Warung Tekko Jakarta

My super duper short getaways weekend to Jakarta, Indonesia. Went there for attend two wedding parties >.<

Well, after reached Jakarta, the first thing we did is rushing for our lunch… His cousin took us to Warung Tekko Pluit which he claimed to be famous yet delicious on its Iga Penyet (Crush rib – can I say that? I think so haha :P).

I didn’t know how it tastes since I am “beefless” hahaha…so I ordered Ikan Penyet (Crush fish) which it tastes very crispy n nice and the most important things is its sambal (chilli). Spicy, yummy,and just love it…nyam nyam…. Chill yourself with its Grass jelly coconut water after that…what a life >.<

                         ~tahu kipas (tofu fan?hahah) n jamur crispy penyet (crispy crushed mushroom)~

Along with that, they have several kinds of rice that we can choose from, they are white rice (original), nasi bakar ( baked rice wrap in banana leaves) and nasi merah (brown rice). I was quite amazed with its last option of rice, they serves nasi merah means that they are quite concern on healthy issues (hey, It is Indonesia and usually we don’t really care about healthy issues).

Well, overall good services, affordable, cozy (can choose either outdoor or indoor) and of coz yummy food. For sure I will go back there to to try other menu on my next visit to Jakarta.

Warung TEKKO
Address : Ruko Cordoba Blok F No. 11 Pantai Indah Kapuk - Jakarta Utara
Phone : (021) 5699-3499, 9223-2621
Monday till Sunday : 1pm –10pm
and they have lots of branches around Indonesia as well ( check out its facebook )
PS: Thanks to Sandro for taking us to this delicious cafe :D and all photos are credit back to Warung tekko :D
~fyen

Sharing : Indonesian Art of textile “Batik” all the time

Let’s be proud of our own country art textile,Batik, which Unesco has list batik as one of the world cultural heritage from Indonesia and it is fall on 2nd of October. On that day, encouraged everyone wear batik to show their support and of course we all posed with our best Batik.

Making a batik is not just like cooking an instant noodle, you need a lot of patience and creativity to do it. In Javanese, batik means ‘to-dot’. So indirectly batik-ing is just like drawing or painting on a piece of cloth using canting (read:'’tjanting’ is a small copper cupped spout which is attached to a bamboo or wooden handle) and liquid wax. (now known as batik tulis or hand drawn batik)

But nowadays, in order to make life’s easier. They use carved wooden/ cooper blocks to do the stamped batik (batik cap). All you need to do is carve the wooden and dipped it into a pan of hot wax and pressed on the long laid cloth on the long tables. Chop chop chop…and done…:D

Know more on batik tulis

Finely detailed designs are first drawn freehand with a pencil on the textile. Then hot liquid wax is applied. The cloth is hung over a frame. The wax used in the process can be a combined product of paraffin, bees-wax, and plant resins called gondorukem and mata kucing. The canting is dipped into a pot of hot wax and the wax then flows through the spout on to the fabric. From time to time she blows on the tip of the canting to secure an easy flow of the wax. The wax is removed with hot water, scraped from the portions of the dried material still to be dyed. The parts that were covered by the wax did not absorb the dye and thus remain white (or whatever color the original cloth was previously dyied). Since the wax behave as a resisting medium, this process is called resist-dye process. Next, other areas are waxed over. this is repeated during each phase of the coloring process, up to four or more times, until the overall pattern and effect are achieved. ( o.O Oh My God…I’m so sure I don’t have that patience LOL…)

Tat’s why batik tulis costs you a lot…so do pay attention on it. If you don’t waste them correctly, the beautiful pattern will fade eventually. So let’s see some tips on it:

• Wash them gently with hands, don’t use machine or brush
• Don’t squeeze dry because it will ruin the fibers of your Batik
• Air dry the Batik but do not put them directly under sun light
• Don’t iron them directly, lay a thin fabric on top of the Batik first
• Use a liquid detergent specially formulated for Batik
• If you wish to scent the cloth, do not spray perfume or similar agents directly onto the cloth. Impregnate tissue paper or thin paper with the scent and lay/store the batik between these sheets of paper

Let’s have a peek on Batik Fashion ♥