Jani Journey Journal

So a year ago, my cousin (Hana) and I went to Bandung to visit our cousin (Aghna). Other than visiting Aghna, we also want to do a quick vacation in between our busy routines. One of the places that we visit was this café named Café D’Pakar which located high above the Bandung city. And yes, I was referencing to my current favorite song 'Castle on The Hill' by Ed Sheeran :D

The access to this place was quite difficult due to the high slope degree. Not to mention Hana, who was driving the car, is a bit newbie driver. I hold on to the edge of my seat all the way up, LOL! Even though the access was difficult, the view that this place offer was breathtaking. They got this beautiful hills and valley view, trees all over the place and of course fresh air! Now tell me who doesn’t love that?

There is an entrance fee of IDR 25.000 per person to enter the café. However this entrance fee can be redeemed with food and drinks with the same price. I think it is more like a minimum order fee and maybe they are avoiding people who came just to take pictures without ordering anything.

All of the café area was outdoor. Most of the tables don’t have canopy above them, so prepare yourself if it’s raining all of a sudden. The tables are spread down the hills and almost every tables is facing the valley. We ordered some Nasi Bakar and Ice Tea for our lunch that day. The Nasi Bakar consist of yellowish rice and chopped chicken. There was also a few slices of cucumber and a complementary kerupuk (crackers). I quite like the Nasi Bakar, however it was a bit too spicy that I end up not finishing it.

I personally love and recommend this place to everyone whose planning to go to Bandung in near future. Although, please note that since the place was quite big and outdoor, it is a bit hard to call the waitress. It also took a while for our food to come. Probably because our tables was a bit far from the main building (where the kitchen is located). But it was still worth the view.

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Café D’Pakar

Jl. Dago Pakar Utara

Dago Pakar, Bandung

Jawa Barat, Indonesia

(+62) 851 0267 7787

Opening hours: 11 AM – 6 PM (Tuesday – Friday), 9 AM – 6 PM (Saturday – Sunday), Closed on Monday

Food: 4/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Price: 4/5

Service: 3/5

If I have to name my current favorite place for sushi in Jakarta, Sushi Masa would be the one. Sushi Masa is one of the most talked Japanese restaurant in Jakarta at the moment. Named as a Japanese restaurant with the freshest seafood you could possibly get in Jakarta, my expectation become very high and I cannot hold myself to not to come here.

Located in Penjaringan, no one would have guess there is a Japanese restaurant in the middle of Muara Baru fish harbor. Sushi Masa is located on the 3^rd floor of the Grey Building. The building is noticeable from afar, but there is no sign post or whatsoever around. Oh by the way, the 1^st floor is a Norwegian Seafood Store. They have lots of frozen goods for us to buy. Even though the location wasn’t easy to reach, it didn’t stop people to come here. From what I heard this restaurant is always packed. So it is better for you to do a reservation first even when you are coming here alone.

I order quite a lot of food that night. I don’t really remember each name of the food that I ordered, but I really remember the taste of the salmon sashimi. It was so fresh, there is no fishy smell at all! Most importantly, it melts the perfectly once it touch your mouth.

The pictures tells it all, isn’t it? Even though it was very pricey (an IDR 35.000 for a slice of Salmon Belly Sashimi), I can not stop eating it because it was THAT good! I also order the Salmon Belly Aburi Sushi (IDR 40.000 per pieces) and it was phenomenal! The chef grilled it to a perfection without eliminating the salmon taste. Oh my God! I think I have died and went to salmon heaven!!!

Other than sashimi, they also served sushi and other Japanese dish. One of the recommend dish that night was the Tender Smoked Duck Breast (IDR 30.000 for 3 slices) and the Unagi Kabayaki (IDR 250.000). The waitress keeps recommending this again and again, so I decided to order it. The duck breast was just fine, I guess. I don’t find anything special with this one or maybe I was just over expecting it though. Meanwhile the grilled unagi was superb! It was tender, really rich in flavor and yummy!

I also order the Beef Hana Roll (IDR 105.000 for 3 pieces) and Gyu Enoki Yaki (IDR 70.000 for 4 pieces). I really love it! The Beef Hana Roll was a sushi wrapped with beef topped with ikura (fish eggs) and mayonnaise. I love how juicy the beef was and how the mayonnaise was given in the right amount, so it doesn’t overpowering the whole dish. The Gyu Enoki Yaki was also amazing! The beef was tender and nicely covered by the sauce. However one of the pieces was a bit dry and chewy but I doesn’t mind because it still taste nice.

My cousin order the Atama Shioyaki (IDR 100.000), Salmon Donburi Set (IDR 120.000) and Beef Teriyaki (IDR 130.000). I personally think they were just okay. I find the Atama Shioyaki (grilled salmon head) need a bit more saltiness. But a dash of shoyu on the sides make it better. The Salmon Donburi Set came with a miso soup. The salmon was perfect as always, while the miso a bit lack of taste for my liking. As for the Beef Teriyaki, it was a bit chewy and dry. The sauce poured too much and I can’t hardly taste the beef because of the sauce.

I also order some desserts. I tried their Hokkaido Mini Mochi in Caramel (IDR 40.000 for 4 pieces), Hokkaido Milk Pudding (IDR 60.000) and Chocolate Lava (IDR 50.000). The mochi was nice but I personally thought it was a pricey for 4 pieces of mini mochi. The pudding was smooth and sweet. The sour strawberry sauce balance it all out. The biscuits crumbles also gives a nice texture to the pudding. While the lava cake was a different thing. It was really rich in chocolate, gooey and addictive! My cousins and I even order some more of it.

My only note for Sushi Masa was their slow service and a bit rude waitress. My aunt order the Ebi Mentaiyaki (and turns out it was just meh) since the first time we sit down and order. But it came out after we ask for the bill. We asked them to cancel the order since it didn’t came out, but suddenly right after we canceled it, it came! And the waitress insist (with a high tone) that we have to pay for it. I mean, I know you probably tired of working and my family was annoying, but still, that is not how you treat your customer.

Do I think it is worth it? Definitely if you are a person who loves sashimi like me. Even though the prices here are not as affordable as other sushi joints, quality really do comes with a price. What can you say, when all of the fish served is imported.

Okay now I seriously gotta go, because I’m drooling all over my laptop.

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Sushi Masa

Grey Building 3^rd Floor

Jl. Tuna Raya no 5

Penjaringan, Jakarta Utara

DKI Jakarta, Indonesia

(+6221) 292 63 561

Opening hours: 11.30 AM – 2 PM, 6 PM – 10 PM

Food: 4,5/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Price: 4/5

Service: 3/5

My friends and I, has this kind of tradition where we have to hang out at least once in a year. Why once a year? Because that way, we could save up a lot of money to do whatever we want, LOL! It could be having a sleepover, a movie night or simply a nice dinner. This year we decided to have a dinner at a fancy restaurant that rumored to be the highest restaurant in Jakarta.

About a week ago, we went to Seasonal Taste at The Westin. It was a buffet restaurant, which located at the 51^st floor of The Westin hotel. I was amazed by how beautiful the view was. Seeing beautiful Jakarta at night at that height, somehow makes you realize you can’t imagine yourself growing up in another city. Enough for the blabbering, moving on to the food.

The buffet has lots of food selection. Ranging from Japanese, Thailand, Italian, Western, Indian, Korean, Chinese and of course Indonesian. The interesting part of the buffet was some of the food was influenced by Indonesian food. I remember they have a pasta with rendang sauce and grilled fish with sambal matah.

I think most of the food was just okay. I don’t really remember I like any particular dish that they served that night. However, I must say that the lamb chop and grilled beef was one of the best that I have ever taste. The others was just fine, I guess.

They also have a special area for desserts. I didn’t eat desserts much that night (weird, I know!) but I tried their cake and mousse in a jar. Some of them was nice but the others was just okay, nothing really special.

So my visit to Seasonal Taste at The Westin was just okay. Nothing really special that made me want to go there again. I think for a buffet that cost IDR 408.000 ++ per person, they could do way much better. Although, I really appreciate the price includes a free flow drinks (beer, flavored ice tea or water) for the guest. However, if you need a place to eat with a great view, I would really recommend this place.

*Update 23^rd of August : went there for my aunt’s birthday. Most of the food was the same like when I came here the first time, only the western food table changes it’s menu. And also, the shrimp that I get from the cold appetizers table was VERY smelly. Not good :(

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Seasonal Taste

The Westin 51^st Floor

Jl. H. R. Rasuna Said

Kuningan, Jakarta Pusat

DKI Jakarta, Indonesia

(+6221) 278 87 700

Opening hours: 6 AM – 10 AM, 12 PM – 3 PM, 6 PM – 10 PM

Food: 3/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Price: 3,5/5

Service: 3/5

I can’t believe how time flies so freakin’ fast! It feels like it was just yesterday I turned 20 and just two days ago, I turned 25.

I would like to thank you everyone for making my 25 birthday memorable. From the wishes, the presents and most of all the prayers. I can’t give you guys back anything at the moment. But I pray to God, hoping that He can repay your kindness to me somehow.

Last night, right before I went to sleep, I lost in my thoughts. I realized I haven’t been accomplished anything in the past years. Ever since I was 15, I always wrote some kind of life goals that I have to achieve in every 5 years. On this 25^th birthday, I realized nothing from my last 5 years life goals list has been ticked off. Not even the graduating part, especially the graduating one.

This past few years has been really rough for me. My loved ones passed away, my friends move on with their life and my family pushing me to be what they need me to be. I always set the bar so high. I always want to bring out the perfect version of me. I always felt like I have to be what the society want. I was tortured, unhappy and blaming myself for every disappointment and breakdown.

I felt like I was nothing. I feel like I failed my parents, I failed my family, I failed my friends and mostly I failed myself. After hours of crying, suddenly it hit me. I thought, regretting everything will do nothing. Cheesy. But if you really knew me well, you’ll know how hard for me to get up from every single breakdown that happened in my life.

The next day, I woke up and determined that I have to make my 25 better. I promised myself to do one kind act to other person every day. I promised myself to try something new every week. I promised myself to read a book every month. I promised myself to be a better me in a year. I promised myself a happier version of me. I’ll try my best to update what I have done through my instagram, so follow me there to keep up with the happier life project.

So I guess, I’ll see you again next year, hopefully.

About a year ago, I won two holiday packages to Bali from a quiz that held by Qubicle on their instagram account. What is a Qubicle? Qubicle is a mixture of social media and content creation platform, further called social content network. In Qubicle you can create your passion into something great by meeting people with the same passion as yours. You can check the full website here.

I thought the prize that I won only get me a return tickets and a hotel voucher. Turns out, some of the Qubicle team came along and we went to various places with them. I had so much fun! One of the places that we visit was the Bali Pulina, a famous coffee plantation in Gianyar-Bali.

Bali Pulina is an agro tourism plantation where they educate visitors on coffee growing. One of the main production here is the Kopi Luwak or also known as civet coffee. Kopi Luwak is known as the most expensive coffee in the world since the difficult process to retrieving the coffee beans. The coffee fruit is digested by the civet and then we retrieve the beans after they passed through the digestive system. Gross, but somehow this is what made them a huge business.

After a walk through the plantation area, the guide took us to the lounge area. In this lounge area you will be given a board of cups with a tea and coffee.

While sipping your tea/coffee, you can see the infamous Ubud’s rice fields.

There is also an open leaf shaped terrace where you can see the surrounding area clearly.

I personally love Bali Pulina. The lounge with the rice fields view was so beautiful! I can spend a whole day just sitting, enjoying the view and of course sipping my coffee. And did I mention the coffee was free? Yes, it was all free, unless you want to try the Kopi Luwak.

Oh by the way, if you like their coffee, you can always buy them at the gift shop near the exit. Other than coffee, they also sell some Bali souvenirs.

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Bali Pulina

Jl. Sebatu

Tegallalang, Gianyar

Bali, Indonesia

Opening hours: 8 AM – 7 PM