MILU by NOOK

Call me cheesy, but when I heard the word MILU, the first thing coming into my mind was MOTHER I LOVE YOU. Well yeah, don't judge me please as who'll ever know if it's true ;)

That 'by Nook' phrase surely played important role, since that last name captured my intention the most, knowing I've been to Nook for several times and I loved what they served as well as their service! Not to mention, even their other baby, Tetsuo, was one of my favorites that got me hitched at my first visit. 

Being kinda resourceful, I did my little research as usual - simplest way was jumping into their IG page as well as their location tag. I could see the place was more spacious than Nook, despite the peculiar ricefield-view concept was still offered here. Landing at the real spot, it actually looked more artsy to me with each corner had its own uniqueness, making each of them a perfect spot for photo snaps. So instagenic that I could find myself collecting my 1-month stock for posts LOL. 

This type of scenery was such precious treasure, which perhaps only Bali's cafe could offer. I still couldn't picture myself sitting in Jakarta, sipping my caffeine while having paddy field right next to me. Under the clear blue sky which blended well with the green view, putting aside the heat, it's just like flawless serenity. 

Similar to what Nook offered, Milu did serve fusion of western and Indonesian dishes, from heavy rice-based ones, till light and healthy ones. You could see from my list that the choices were quite rich that I bet it would suit many different preferences. 

Cheese Croquettes 

Being rich in components seemed to be the signature characteristic of Milu. Almost each of the dishes had at least 3 main elements combined in it. This savory starter wasn't an exception. A lavish mix of golden-brown fried cheese croquettes with yummy smashed avo, runny poached eggs, and baked beans! The trio matched the fried croquettes very well as they made it not turning so sinful and it just tasted awesome having deep-fried ingredients accompanied by something more fresh in lighter texture. Besides, together they turned out way tastier than I imagined, surprising me in a great way! Oh yeah, that giant portion surely made it irresistible deal!

Scrambled Egg and Mushroom

Another dish with egg, but served in different style. Perhaps a simple one, yet I would call well-seasoned and well-paired as mushroom was such right companion with the chewy texture came together with the fluffy egg. It's just like a dish, from which you wanted nothing more nothing less, just right!

Blueberry Chia Parfait

The petite and gorgeous one, served in a simple transparent glass, allowing you to see the colorful layers. A refreshing mix of sweet blueberries combined with healthy chia pudding. Having them munched with the crunchy local granola?? Ohh. I would love to have them every morning <3

Smoothie Bowl

If I was hitched by the parfait earlier, this was another mindblowing one, which I would recommend as the champion of the day as a sweettooth! Not only friendly for your body, it's also lovely for the taste bud. You might fancy it more than the chia parfait as this one having the blended base served cold and thick, giving the freshly-served impression. Moreover, the toppings were also more generous both in portion and variants, featuring grapes, shredded coconut, granola, sliced banana, and mixed seeds all in a single bowl. Deserved to be called as champion's breakie, didn't it? ;)

Having such splendid experience at my premiere visit, would you think I have any reason for not coming back? Once again, the NOOK family got me sold!

Taste: 7.5/10

Place: 7.5/10

Service: 8/10

Price: 8/10

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MILU BY NOOK

Address: Jl. Pantai Berawa No. 90 XO, Canggu, Bali

Phone: (+62) 822 4711 4441

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun 8am - 11pm

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Fortaleza Boulangerie and Patisserie

First touchdown on the parking space got me WOWed by the gigantic space Fortaleza had in such residential area. Well, if only you didn’t intend to go to the place, I didn’t think it’s the spot that people would regularly pass-by. Nevertheless, there it resided in the area between Tangerang and Jakarta, in a two-storey building occupied with indoor and outdoor area with a spacious parking lot.

Feeling like going to a coffee shop in Bandung? Well, Ambrogio suddenly came into my mind having this view right in front of me. Those green back yard, open-air balcony, and gorgeously designed indoor area with high ceiling. If only this area had Bandung’s temperature, it would turn flawless!

Waiting for quite awhile because the number of waitresses seemed to be very few, I finally got the menu on hand. Their dishes seemed to be very affordable, with prices ranging from IDR 30-80k for main courses which were served in huge portion. If you’re up for pastries or cakes like myself who immediately got hitched by the showcase, just directly went there to place your order. Warning! Beware of getting tempted to try like literally everything as they looked so engaging especially for sweet tooth like me!

Cappuccino (IDR 23k)
Piccolo (IDR 18k)

As the place was a specialist for pastry and cakes, I didn’t put high expectations on their coffee. Nonetheless, they’re surprisingly good companion to my meals with medium-bodied taste. Cappuccino or Piccolo would just be the matter of preference on how strong you wanted the coffee to be.

Caramel Macchiato (IDR 28k)

If you’re into coffee but at the same time wanted it to be the sweet fusion with other ingredients, then their Caramel Macchiato was worth to try. Mixing coffee, caramel syrup, and condensed milk, it surely landed well on my palate despite being slightly less sweet would make it better actually. It might be pretty different to St*rb*cks one, but I would call it not far off.

Spaghetti Carbonara (IDR 40k)

Yes, you read the price right fellas and you’d better be happy as the portion was so generous that I definitely think it’s able to be shared and hence you could save more space for sweet endings or other savory dishes. The pasta was cooked al dente and the sauce was not bad, being creamy and tasty as expected. Your main carbo wouldn’t get lonely as well since there were choices of toppings including these chicken slices which I had for my first trial. It might not be something with stand-out taste that made it be unbeatable compared to other Carbonara, but I would say it’s pleasant option to go for.

Chocolate Figs Cake (IDR 18k)

Not being able to get the Nutella Peanut Butter Cheesecake as it’s out-of-stock, I tried to find something anti-mainstream from the cake shelf. Called as one of the favorites, I then chose this slice which served the combination of sweet chocolate taste and refreshingly sour figs taste. It did play with mix of texture as the top layer being creamy and moist while the half bottom was spongy. Quite good overall, and could be your trial slice when trying to find anything with decent value for money.

Caramel Macchiato Croissant (IDR 20k) 

The star that caught my attention first to pay a visit to this brand new place. The croissant looked so tempting with its neat layers and golden brown color. Moreover, the variants they had showed they’re going extra mile. This first one of mine was just an example. I felt like never met before any croissant with this kind of flavor. Calling out some of its other peculiar friends, namely Putu, Frambozen, Jasuke (corn cheese and milk), and many more!

The way it’s served was also catchy with that pipe topping containing the coffee shot to be enjoyed with the caramel custard as the filling. Honestly speaking, it would be more delectable if the croissant could go more buttery and flaky, but I couldn’t deny that they’re very nice in the stuffing doze. If I might share more input, perhaps they could go bolder in the flavors of the filing as the caramel taste was actually not being that strong.

Tiramisu Croissant (IDR 20k)

The next one was Tiramisu, which might be kinda familiar as cake, but quite rarely met as croissant flavor. It appeared kinda similar to the Caramel Macchiato one on my palate, just that this one would prolly less sweet and more into coffee flavor.

Chocolate Danish (IDR 28k)

Too huge for single portion??!? Well that’s what came into my mind, but never mind takeaway was always an option, wasn’t it?   If your preference was more towards fluffy bread than flaky croissant, this was meant to be yours. Despite it’s named as Danish, it’s more doughy but I fortunately enjoyed the taste; such perfect pair to my morning coffee and I could picture how nice it was to have it for breakie <3

Believe me or not, there were still many more in the display shelf which we haven’t gotten the chance to try as the tummy could no longer handle them. Serving this awesome place and affordable foods, believe the place would shortly be hype!

Taste: 7/10

Place: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Price: 8/10

Thanks for reading! :)

FORTALEZA BOULANGERIE & PATISSERIE

Address: Jl. Nyi Mas Melati A2, Sukarasa, Tangerang, Banten

Phone: (+62 21) 5572 8707

Operating Hours: Mon - Thu 9am - 10pm, Fri - Sun 10am - 11pm

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Amausaan Uji Matcha

Better late than nothing? I guessed it’s a YES. Being a fan of both dessert and matcha, there’s no doubt that I would feel excited to give this place a try as they’re offering the combination of both. 

Despite the outlet was kinda petite, they’re quite smart in playing with the interior. It could flawlessly deliver the ambiance of a traditional matcha cafe in Japan especially Kyoto, the city which was most famous for green tea. They were so committed that the entrance was even decorated with those orange gates just like the ones you met in Kyoto’s temples or the well-known Fushimi Inari. Next to it the visitors could hang their wishes, exactly mimicking the wishing board in those worship places. 

Orders had to be placed prior to enter the dining spot. They also secured you had had your seat before making your order. I was pretty impressed by how speedy they were in serving the customers despite the cafe was actually pretty crowded and seemed like people’s orders were various as far as my sight could catch. The fortune belonged to me on my visit timing as I got the very last vacant table, making it finally full-house once I took my seat. 

All the menu offered were sweets, with the range of cakes, hot and warm drinks, and certainly the ice cream! The ice cream even gave the choices of soft-serve and gelato. My choices went to mostly the recommended ones, being a first-timer here. 

Matcha Gradient Cheesecake (IDR 52k)

The presentation deserved thumbs-up in my view as the gradient looked so perfect. Knowing the texture was extremely moist like typical light-creamy Japanese cheesecake, it’s wonderful that they’re able to make those neat layers lining up impeccably. The play of texture was another great combination as the base was using crunchy oreo layer. Neither the cheese nor the green tea flavor stood strong in this cake as both were kinda light for my palate. I honestly thought it might be more delectable to have both going bolder. 

Ishida - White Jade Matcha Story (IDR 62k)

When this dessert firstly landed on the table, I could recall those Kyoto dessert hoping memories, when I could have matcha for breakfast lunch and dinner (yep, don’t judge my dessert addiction please). Ishida featured Uji Matcha soft-serve as the base, with extra happiness coming from milk pudding, smashed waffle cone, whipped cream, glutinous rice balls, red bean paste, and rice cereals. The combination was actually kinda mainstream when you met any matcha parfait but I could admit that Amausaan’s version was pleasant as every single ingredient tasted yummy! The highlight for me would be the red bean paste, for which I was usually pretty demanding as I loved the thick one yet with smooth texture meaning the red bean needed to be perfectly smashed. Having said so, theirs was able to suit my liking very well!

Matsukawa - Raw Matcha Bowl (IDR 62k)

If you’re the one who loved stronger matcha taste, go for this! This was definitely my favorite being the lover of bold matcha <3. If earlier one was soft-serve, this was serving gelato so expect thicker texture in your bowl. The toppings were similar with the duo of glutinous rice balls and red bean paste still loyally accompanied you. However, this time your other toppings were substituted by raw matcha jelly, which for me played the balancer role to the sweetness from the gelato. 

Enjoying my initial experience having dessert here, I would quickly give a nod to the next visit. So if you’re a green tea lover, you now have another one to add into your list ;)

Taste: 7.5/10

Place: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Price: 7/10

Thanks for reading! :)

AMAUSAAN UJI MATCHA

Address: Central Park Mall LG L-214A, Jakarta

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun 10am - 10pm

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Visit Belitung - A Brand New Holiday Experience (Part 2)

The ‘beach-and-island-hoping’ day of the trip! Yeah it literally represented how the day looked like as we’re moving from one beach to another, one island to another. 

Pantai Tanjung Kelayang

Starting from this beach called Tanjung Kelayang, which was also the place everyone parked their car and kicked off the exciting experience! People rented the boat here to go across the sea, traveling to another island desired. We’re pretty lucky the day was sunny and bright, unlike past few ones which were gloomy and rainy. There were limited times in life I wasn’t complaining about the how the sun heat stung, and I would say today I was even grateful of it because that would mean I got most number of spots to visit. The guide told me that best timing to visit Belitung would be March or April, the dry season when even some islands which weren’t available during the rainy season, would be there as the sea level went lower. The well-known one would probably be Pulau Pasir, which was sunk under the sea at my visit time. 

Batu Garuda

First stop, where we actually had no option to step out of the boat and had a tour in the island since it was mainly gigantic rocks. Visitors could only take pictures in front of it. In case you’re more adventurous, you could land at the closest island then swam here. Called as Batu Garuda, for sure it meant something and this one had the literal reflection of the name as the stone shaped like the beak of an eagle. 

Pulau Lengkuas

Another well-known pitstop, Lengkuas island which was one of most favorite spots for beach hoping and simply chilling by the beach. You would spot it quite often in any pictures of island displayed in Belitung, since its mercusuar being kinda iconic. No wonder why, white sand and clear water under the beautiful blue sky. Even the guide said that what I called as clear now, wasn’t its best since this type of season it’s usually pretty dirty as the water from anywhere else mostly flew here due to the rain. They also offered a naturally-shaped pool called as Angel Pool. Said as naturally made, it’s actually surrounded by giant stones shaping a kind of dam where people could enjoy the ‘nature-made’ pool. 

Not far from there, my family went to the point where we finally snorkel. It might not be the most clear view due to the season, but still it's super fascinating! Beautiful corals with tons of fishes swimming around. They seemed to be as excited as myself since we brought foods to be shared to them. This was indeed my premiere snorkeling time, and I enjoyed it way too much that I couldn't wait for the next!

Pulau Kepayang

While enjoying the moment of ‘doing-nothing-and-staying-close-to-the-nature’, the tummy usually wanted to get satisfied as well. Simple tips, pre-ordered your lunch at any restaurant before going there, and asked the restaurant to deliver your foods to be enjoyed in the island, for which usually Kepayang Island being the chosen one as it had the dedicated dining spot. There were some restaurants recommended by our tour guide, who had their special package offered for lunch in the island and I guessed all were offering seafood. Apparently they have been used to this kind of service so we didn’t need to give much brief as they completely understood what and how to prepare the foods. The dining spot was super crowded but it didn’t take too long to get the foods served. No worries, all facilities like toilets and places to wash hands were abundant so you needn’t expect extremely-long queue. Besides, my sweet tooth did get spoiled there as they served side dishes like banana fritters with choices of toppings! You could even refresh yourself with drinks like whole coconut water, sugarcane water, orange juice, and many more! If you wanted to get  warm beverages, you’re fully served by the free-flow hot coffee and tea. I knew it’s not like most clean or most fancy place to dine in, but totally remarkable experience and the foods were surely not bad!

Pulau Kelayang

Having full belly, we continued our trip to the next island (well, told ya it’s island hoping day so more and more to come *wink* ). Kelayang Island might not look that special when you just reached there, but wait till you visited the cave. Beware that it’s bit steep and slippery, but the view surely worth the effort reaching the center of the cave. The water under the cave was so clear and you could enjoy peculiar view which not all beach could offer. Actually if you’re brave enough, you could try going out of the cave not via the entrance but by swimming through the narrow gap between the cave gates, which did provide the route to the sea. 

Pantai Tanjung Tinggi

Then finally the last stop and perhaps even you, who’re not familiar to beaches in Belitung, have ever got exposed to this one. It’s Tanjung Tinggi beach or known more as Laskar Pelangi beach since it’s used as one of the setting in the movie scene. This beach was famous for its sunset view, which was indeed amazing! It’s like you could enjoy tri-tone in a single landscape, making it perfect spot for sunset photoshoots. You needn’t a professional photographer to capture awesome pictures here! Bluntly speaking, it successfully crafted a perfect ‘closing-bow’ to the island-and-beach show of Belitung <3

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