8 and 8, Happy Birthday!: Soleluna

Happy Birthday, Aswin! 

It was Aswin's birthday and since it still fasting month, we decided to have breakfasting at Soleluna to celebrate it. Well, the reason we picked this place because we kind of curious about Paella, one of Spanish's signature dish, also this place was not to crowded, although it was Friday night comparing to the next door restaurant such as Brussels Spring and Origin. Well, like we're expected the Paella was great and the beverages that we ordered also good.

Although the traffic on the outside kind of hectic but I think that became the interesting view from the restaurant. It seems that's the function of the wide windows. So, we couldn't get enough of Soleluna there would be another visit.

So, enjoy!

Soleluna
Jl. Sumatera No. 24
Bandung - Indonesia
Phone: +6222 4232 975

Note: Here's our previous post of Soleluna 

Churros Rp. 20.000,-

Paella Marinera: Seafood paella made with shrimp, squid, vegetables
and other seafood in a special dish broth  and saffron garnished vegetables
dia. 30 cm, Rp. 100.000,-

Paella Mexicana: Spicy Spanish rice topped with chili con carne and sliced beef
dia. 30 cm, Rp. 90.000,- 

Exotic Love: Mix of strawberry ice cream and coconut milk
Rp. 20.000,-

Orange Banana Smoothies
Rp. 20.000,-

Andaluz Bell: Mix of lychee, passion, pineapple, and soda
Rp.  20.000,-

Marquisa de Catalonia: Mix of passionfruit, orange juice and soda

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Baking at Home: Espresso Brownies (Starbucks Copycat)

I always think that the best brownies I ever taste is from Starbucks, its espresso brownies, because it contain two things that I love the most, coffee and chocolate. Beside that, I always want to make brownies, then why not bake an espresso brownies.

I've got the recipe from here, but of course with a little modification. And I bought all the ingredients mostly from Setiabudi Supermarket because they provide ingredients for baking more complete than any other supermarket.

Ingredients
250 gr  Sobocca chocolate chips (It should be semisweet but I couldn't find any other except the expensive one from Hershey)
65 gr Marley dark chocolate compound – chopped
125 gr orchid butter
250 gr all purpose flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp Bali coffee
250 gr sugar (or adjust to your taste)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
confectioner’s sugar(optional)- for dusting

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 11 x 7-inch (or 10″ square) non-stick baking pan and set aside.
Melt the chocolates and butter over a double boiler & stir until smooth to make a ganache . Then remove from heat and keep aside.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and espresso. In another mixing bowl, beat sugar, egg and vanilla on medium high until light colored, about 2 minutes.
Beat in the chocolate until well combined. Add the flour mixture slowly into the egg mixture until well blended. If you like your brownies a bit fudgy, leave it like this; but if you need a more cake-like texture, beat the mixture for another 1 min, to aerate it even further.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted 2 inched from the side comes out clean.
Cool completely, then cut into 8-10 rectangles. To make clean cuts of the brownie, allow it to cool entirely (about 45-60 mins) once out of the oven. Then use a plastic knife to cut into even slices.
Variations: You can use  any flavored coffee instead of plain espresso if you like.
Dust the Espresso Brownies with a sprinkling of powdered (confectioner’s) sugar, and eat your way to heaven!

Well, I think it was over-baked or maybe the eggs should be six, because the texture too dry, but I think it's an Ok for first try :)

So, enjoy!

The Espresso Brownies

The Mixture and A Cup of Espresso 

All the Ingredients

The Brownies' Mixture Ready to Bake

Ta da! 

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Break Fasting in 2012: Dinner at HappyCow Steak

It's been around two or three days for both of us to crave about steaks. And the television didn't help either. In each of the food channel, either it is TLC or AFC, Adam Richman, Anthony Bourdain, Michael Smith, and Jamie Oliver, all showing their journey to search for the best meat places. Heck, even Andrew Zimmern who are notoriously always informing about his bizarre expedition, in the past few days looked "normal" with him going around New Jersey sampling the best restaurant in the city with guess what: the best local steak in town.

So, after all of these bombardment, we finally giving up. We went to HappyCow Steak in Jalan Lombok, to have some steak. As Alia is already full after iftar with her ITB colleagues, the task of ordering the meat falls to me. I was going to order their burger, but as it was sold out, I decided to try their beef-chicken combo with mushroom sauce. For drink I ordered their Iced Mint Tea, and Alia ordered one of their signature drink: Es Buaya Darat (Iced Alligator?).

I strictly mentioned to the waitress that I want the meat in medium, and gladly found that they served it correctly. This is rare to be found in steak bistro all around Bandung, as they tend to make it well done, even if we specifically mentioned to have it medium.

Overall the dining experience went well (with slight disappointment on their promotion info, which already expired at that time). But still with the low price (overall dining experience costs us around Rp 55.000 ~ USD 5,5), it was worth the bargain.

Enjoy!

HappyCow Steak
Jl. Lombok No. 9 Bandung
Phone: +6222 4261500
Jl. Bangbarung No. 73 Bogor (new branch)
Phone: +62251 8371856
Website: http://www.facebook.com/happycow.steak
Twitter: http://twitter.com/happycowsteak

PS: We also have covered this place before in our blog post here and today is Alia's Birthday, so Happy Birthday dear Alia! :D

Beef Chicken Combo with Mushroom Sauce

Aswin & Ice Mint Tea

Es Buaya Darat

Santap Duk Duk Competition!

Our Photo for the Santap Duk Duk Competition :P

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Breaking Fast in 2012: Warung Om~Duleh

We've been busy working on our master thesis and we haven't been seeing each other very often. So, why not have a gathering while break fasting? My friend, Hamdil picked up the place,while Yulia suggested it. The place is called Om Duleh, it served Sundanese traditional food, that's why their tagline is "makanan rakyat" or food for people. This place looked similar or had quite the same concept with restaurant called Bancakan on jalan Trunojoyo. Basically, the foods served as buffet and we took the food by ourselves, then at the end of the line you had to pay for the food. The concept also similar with Ampera (Sundanese Restaurant), Sari Bundo and so on. In the corner of the room, they provided tea for free.

So, I arrived at 5 pm and we already made reservation, but maybe everyone stuck in traffic jam or maybe it just our habit to come up late. Everyone showed up at 5.30 pm and the place became more and more crowded and by 5.45 pm people already took the food and the queue line was very long.  But after all I managed to have the food, but lot of foods already not available :( Hmmm...that's why everyone very eager to take the food so early, even when there's still 30 minutes until the time to break our fasting.

Since I was very hungry, I kind of wanted to take everything, then I ordered grilled chicken, chicken liver and tempeh, also I picked stir fry tofu and beansprout, perkedel jagung, lalap (vegetables) and sambal (chilli). It only cost Rp. 28.000,- Wow...quite cheap, I thought it cost me more than that, no wonder I coul see a lot of students ate here, probably because of the price.

Well, every gathering never missed photo session, so after our stomach were full and before we're going home, we had this photo session, thanks to Hamdil with his complete equipment of camera.

So, enjoy! Om Duleh with its makanan rakyat

Warung Om~Duleh: Makanan Rakyat

Jl. Hasanuddin No. 26

Bandung, Indonesia
Ph/F. +62 22 2500211

Interior #1: Before Breakfasting

Interior #2: Before Breakfasting

Serving Area #1: Before Breakfasting

Interior #3: After Breakfasting

Outdoor Seating Area: So Crowded!

Serving Area #2: After Breakfasting, Everything already running out

Tea for Free!

Rice with Stir Fry Tofu and Beansprout, Perkedel Jagung, Lalap & Sambal

Grilled Chicken, Chicken Liver & Tempeh

Smileee! 

(Taken from Hamdil Facebook Photo)

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Break Fasting in 2012: Katjapiring Paris Van Java, Bandung

After watching the movies in Paris Van Java (we were watching Total Recall in Blitz Megaplex in case you are wondering) and breaking our fast inside the movie theater using Pop Corn and Bottled Tea, we looked around to find place where to eat.
There are two place that become our candidate to eat: Katjapiring and Warung Talaga. After discussing we decided to go and eat in Katjapiring.
Katjapiring is a restaurant specialized in Malaysian, Peranakan, and Indonesian food. These kind of restaurant has trending in Jakarta for a while ago, but in Bandung, only a handful of restaurant specialized in these kind of dishes, including Katjapiring.
We ordered the Nasi Risjtafel (a colonial dutch influenced cuisine), Steamed Hainanese Chicken Rice, Tomato Soup, and Kampung Melayu Curry Laksa. For drink we ordered the Milo Treasures (Milo with topping of whipped cream and chocolate condensed milk), Es Kacang ABC-Air Batu Campur (a Malaysian specialization dessert), Ice Tea O (means without sugar), and their sweet tissue Bread with Cheese and Condensed Milk.
Overall their food tasted great, and we go home with a very happy face.

Enjoy!

Katjapiring
Paris Van Java Mall
Jl. Sukajadi 137-139
Bandung, Indonesia
Phone: +6222 82063456
Fax: +6222 82063508
Website: http://www.facebook.com/katjapiring.bandung

PS: Happy Wedding Anniversary for both of us ^_^.

Tomato Soup

Nasi Rijstaffel

Steamed Hainanese Chicken Rice

Kampung Melayu Curry Laksa

Es Kacang ABC-Air Batu Campur 

Milo Treasures 

This is cute! Sweet Tissue Bread
 with Cheese and Condensed Milk. 

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Cupcakes Invasion!

Except for people in clean eating program, everyone would love cupcakes. I love cupcakes. The cute little cakes with frosting on the top of it. We've been posting about cupcakes here, our first one was the red velvet one, various flavors and of course the infamous rainbow cupcake.

My first cupcake would be the one from Miki Ojisan No Mise for Aswin's birthday, they had decorate the frosting, I think it was in the shape of lion. It tasted delicious, well, I had never been disappointed by this vendor. The second one would be the cupcake from a cupcake vendor at Cilandak Town Square, Aswin bought this for my birthday in the following month, the appearance quite good and tasted OK. 

And here is the cupcake from Disini Bakery, the Mango Cheese and Blueberry, I think the Blueberry is the new one, we've never seen here before. Like always it is good. 

So, enjoy!

Blueberry Cupcake

Mango Cheese Cupcake

The Packaging

The Miki Ojisan No Mise Cupcake

The Cupcakes from Citos

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