Starbucks.. after all this time

My last experience with SB was not a very pleasant one. After having Japs meal (sashimi) in Citos, Sonia and I decided to finish it with a strong cuppa coffee. Then we go downstair and visit SB. I can describe the espresso in one word.. yuck! It's a bit oily and burnt. The demitasse is not even warm, and no crema at all. The aroma is burnt, streaking and harsh. Whilst the acidity and body is not worth noting here. I think the barrista was having a problem of her own.. Please girl, keep it home!

Then with such trauma, I visited another SB to meet my relatives. About a month passed by. This time, it's Kampung Kemang (known as Ranch Market Buncit). The SB here is having much more pleasant atmosphere. The barrista is a guy. Well, that's a hope. Dana, his wife Tante Win, K'Umma and my Sonia is not a heavy coffee drinker. Well, some of them claim that they do, but you know.. you can see how big a coffee drinker a person is by measuring how much sugar they put in their cup :) More sugar mean less fanatics.. to me..

None of them order real coffee. So I did. I try my luck by ordering brew of the day. The smiling barrista said that it's guatemala. I'm in no mood of asking "what combination? which roast?" I just order the regular brew of the day.. Brew them mate, and give 'em to me!

"Should we leave space for milk, sir?" he said. "No Lad, fill 'em up!" said I.

The mug was warm, and the coffee was steaming. I just need to put about a teaspoon of sugar. Surprise! This coffee is good!

The aroma is delicate and not that bursting. More to robusta side. Then I expect a full body, medium acidity and living combination of flavour. Which.. came true.. The flavour was surprisingly complex but smooth. I notice a bit of nutty hint, creamy but not too spicy. This will go good with a thin layer of full milk or fifty-fifty of chocolate. This stuff will be great as mocca, surely is. The finish was clean and pleasant but not that fast. I think its beacuse I let the coffee to cool down a bit.

Being the cheapest drink on the list (hey, brew of the day is always the cheapest in SB!) the result is amazing. So next time I go to SB, I just try my luck with another brew of the day. No offence to those fancy brew.. moccachino.. macchiato.. I like them too, but trust me a cuppa ordinary black stuff may surprise you sometime.

And The Quail Goes Further

Remember my story of Ibu Entik's deep fried quail?

The best take away from Sukabumi, indeed. Backhome, I re-energize this little fellas to give it a twist. I sliced one big onion and crushed 4 clove of garlic and sauteeing them in mixed olive and veggie oil. Then the quail went in. I added a glass of apple juice and let them simmer for about half an hour. Salt and lots of pepper next to be mixed.

Beauty..

Ibu Entik: Revisited

After a long hard driving from Jakarta (thanks to Kampanye!), I arrived to the town where I was born. Sukabumi.

Late lunch at Ibu Entik's resto always give me sense of acceptance and welcome. Feels like home allright. Maybe it's the old house used for the restaurant, with the high ceiling and everything. Reminds me of my grandpa's house just two blocks away.

The food display at the counter shows various menu. That day, they have fried fish, fried chicken, fried tofu and tempe, beef stew, beef rendang, kering tempe (sweet dry-fried tempe), beefskin and bittermelon, salted squid in light curry and lots of pepes. Mushroom, fish or chicken covered in various herb and spices (mainly turmeric, basil, ginger, galangal and lemongrass) wrapped in banana leaves, tied and steamed for hours.

All meal come with plenty of various greenies (lettuce and eggplant to name a few) and a small portion of sour and red-hot sambal. Free flowing hot jasmine tea is ready at my table.

I choose the beefskin and bittermelon, salted squid and mushroom pepes to accompany my steamed rice. And a glass of hot sweetened jasmine tea. Big meal, indeed. All for 8 thousand rupiah only!

The beefskin and bittermelon is perfect. The skin is fried before cooked further and feel very soft. The bittermelon was sliced very thin thus the gravy can penetrate deeply and masking the bitter taste of it. Good.

Salted squid is always good in Sukabumi. Finger-sized squid, dried, salted, with purplish color was cooked in light red curry. The subtle taste of salt in the squid mixed perfectly with the herb and chili used in the light curry. Yummy!

Mushroom used in the pepes is the white mushroom grown on the damp soil. Plump pieces of mushroom mixed with various herb, what more can I tell?

I also take away one of Ibu Entik's specialties.. Deep fried quail. This tiny bird was cooked to perfect tenderness, and surely the taste is much bigger than it looks. It was crisp and crunchy on the outside but moist on the inside. I plan to have the meat seared and re-cooked with fried rice or noodle bowl. Humm.. I must do it immediately.. I can't keep my hand's off of it.

Each bird was sold for 3.5 K rupiah only. The best take away from Sukabumi, I think.