Let's eat, drink, and be merry...

Lychee beer afternoon.

Went to Roppan. A new restaurant just opened in a mall, next to my office.

The other day visited the mall and got this brochure stating the resto serves various types of beer. I am always into beer, especially local “Bintang beer”

Yesterday afternoon, decided to go there on my own.

So I ordered a glass, a tall glass, of lychee beer. Awkward at first sip. But, not the next one. Cold, fresh, private experience of lychee beer sipping. hehe…

That tall curvy glass stood on the wooden table. Accompanying my lonesome afternoon after work. The table would be complete with, probably, some bacon with cheese, and sticks of cigarette.

The beer was light, sweet, yet it gave me the “intense” dancing effect on my head. That smooth swing when your brain just too tired to take some “liquor” related beverages. The intake was … nice.

Before Christmas I went to an Indian dinner invitation at my friend’s apartment in Central Jakarta, near by City walk.

She’s an Indonesian born Indian. Her father works for an oil company in the country. While the rest of the family were away for holiday, she invited me and several other friends for a friendly dinner at her place.

She served several dishes which names I could not remember. I only remember cilo, the tasteless bread that goes with spicy sauce and some side dish.

This is my first time eating a REAL Indian food, and not curry.

I started with several cilos, and that sauce. a bowl of thick, sweet, sour, spicy sauce. I can taste herbs mixed with it. Come to think of it, Indians do love herbs in their food.

Next food, a pasta like dish. As you can see from the picture. Long, thick, and pretty much taste like macaroni. I remembered I ate it with some kind of sauce too. Yet, I forgot was it the same sauce or different sauce.

And she prepared a bowl of cold, I don’t know, some sort of pudding. A mix of thick flour, served cold, very cold, but not sweet. It was sour. And I noticed that the mix has several cuts of leaves inside, like coriander.

All i could say, I am happy for the mixed up taste I experienced that evening.

I have always been into food. I love to eat. Any kind of food. The past three years probably the times when I got to eat lots of food from all over the country, from all the trips I made. Jakarta itself has countless spots to find good food, from cheap to expensive, from unique to simple, from dishes to bowls, from tea to beers, and cocktails in the afternoon…

Supported by a friend who lives in Canada, Fa Dompas, I decided to collect these food memories in this blog. She will be contributing in this blog too, sometimes, if she has the time.

And, I am allowing you to share your food joy as well here…

This first post came freshly after my visit to Sabang 16. A new coffee shop located on Jl. Sabang n0, 16, Central Jakarta. A very small place, if you like small place where customers looked pack although only 30 people inside, then you would like this one, just like I did…

This place reminds me of cafe in Paris, and a place I used to visit in Yogyakarta, Kedai Kopi.

Sabang 16 doesn’t serve heavy food, like rice and stuffs, they have lists of light snacks that would accompany your weekend talks with friends, or lazy afternoon when you just want to sit, stay silent, read books, and listen to Jamie Cullum (they have nice play-list - and you can copy the music as well, just bring your usb flash disc)

The place belongs to several friends, Kennedy Muslim, and Timmothy Marbun. The later is Metro TV anchor.

Sabang 16 is favored for their sarikaya jam. Served thick between sandwiched thick bread toasted before.

I tried this sarikaya toast yesterday. It did not taste like any sarikaya jam, it tasted like butter, so smooth, light, and versatile it mixed with the sarikaya. I am telling you, a hot sarikaya toast would keep you for hours here…

For the beverages I tried vanilla coffee with ice. and this malt drink, also cold. It fits my taste budds. I am not really into sweet treats, but all three items I tried was nice. I skipped dinner after those three treats.

Anyway,the malt drink was perfect. Taste of oatmeal, not too thick, with milk, in almost brown-ish color. leave the impression of sweet introduction that will always brings you back to this warm place.

Bring your friends, eat sarikaya toast, and malt drinks - hot or cold - or try other items they served here, let some lazy tunes entertain your ears, and witness the rain outside washed your mood away…(If it is raining)