(Seven) Bubble Tea Spots in Jakarta

Apparently bubble tea fever is happening in Jakarta.

Fat Bubble's passionfruit yakult (IDR 23,000/$2.3) with rainbow jelly (IDR 3,000/$0.3)

It seems to quiet down now, but when I was back home, bubble tea places seem to pop out one by one rapidly.

Do you that there are more than a dozen bubble tea sellers in PIK, North Jakarta area only? Not to mention dozens other around Jakarta's malls. I did get my share of some glasses of bubble tea, and now I'll share. The hype may have passed already, but I think there are some spots that are still worth the visit. Take note that every place offers independence to choose your preferred level of ice and sugar.

A warning though, this is a long post. Heaps of pictures. I am sorry that I can't provide thorough details of each spot, as some of them are visited when I was in a hurry or was just looking for a cold pick-me-up. The rating, though, will be given for the drinks, service, and place's ambiance.


1. Bobabits

Summarecon Mall Serpong 2 (Downtown Walk #DGF - 217)
Jln. Boulevard Gading Serpong, Tangerang

FB Page: Bobabits

Price range: IDR 18,000 - 23,000 ($1.8 - $2.3) for the drink - one size

Yay: friendly service, extensive choices of drinks (and some finger food), place's concept is really unique (look at those grocery bag and trolley chairs!), comfortable ambiance, great red velvet tea.

Nay: long queues may be present, some drinks aren't that memorable.

Menu sampled (recommended ones are bold): mango milk tea, red velvet tea (surprisingly lovely; creamy and chocolatey), mango tea, lychee tea.

Rating: 4/5 (Recommended)

Bobabits signage

Menu board

Interior: grocery bag and trolley chairs, balloons, syrups on display

The red one is red velvet milk tea (IDR 23,000/$2.3), the amber looking one in the front is mango tea (IDR 21,000/$2.1) with nata de coco (IDR 3,000/$0.3)

2. Fat Bubble

Ruko Crown Golf Blok A no. 17 
Pantai Indah Kapuk, North Jakarta

FB Page: Fat Bubble

Price range: IDR 14,000 - 27,000 ($1.4 - $2.7) for the drinks - one size

Yay: sweet and cheerful ambiance, helpful service, unique choices of drinks (e.g. Heineken tea & tropical black mousse), table games are available (great for groups), cute icon.

Nay: outdoor seating can be uncomfortable (smoke & mosquitoes), indoor seating is often packed, weird-tasted Heineken tea.

Menu sampled (recommended ones are bold): fat bubble gum, Heineken green tea, tropical black mousse, taro milk tea, lychee tea, passionfruit yakult.

Rating: 3/5 (Worth the try)

Fat Bubble signage

Exterior

Interior

Clockwise from top left: fat bubble gum (IDR 23,000/$2.3), tropical black mousse (IDR 24,000/$2.4), Heineken green tea (IDR 28,000/$2.8), lychee tea (IDR 20,000/$2), taro milk tea (IDR 23,000/$2.3)

3. T2

Ruko Cordoba D/17, Pantai Indah Kapuk
North Jakarta

Price range: IDR 14,000 - 22,000 ($1.4 - $2.2) for the drinks - two sizes (regular and large/couple)

Yay: amazingly big sizes of the glass (maybe for dine in only (?)) - the couple size one is humongous, service is nice, food and drinks come out quickly, great options of drinks and snacks (they have durian mochi ice cream!), satisfying mango smoothies.

Nay: toilet door needs replacement (it kept unlocking by itself when I was there), average point for some drinks.

Menu sampled (recommended ones are bold): milk tea, taro milk tea, lychee tea, mango smoothies.

Rating: 3/5 (Worth the try)

T2, PIK

Menu and counter

Interior

Clockwise from top left: milk tea, mango smoothies, durian mochi ice cream

4. The Lab

Ruko Crown Golf Blok D No. 29
Pantai Indah Kapuk, North Jakarta

Price range: IDR 15,000 - 24,000 ($1.5 - $2.4) for the drinks - one size

Yay: the best bubble tea place in my opinion regarding the concept and creativity, unique and cheeky decor, service is informative and friendly, many stuff to take photos of, Korean-based food, great mango popping pearls.

Nay: those who are chemostry-phobia may found this place overwhelming, drinks are just decent.

Menu sampled (recommended ones are bold): yoghurt fresh tea, wildberry tea.

Rating: 4/5 (Recommended)

The Lab, PIK

Interior

Counter

Clockwise from top left: hand drawing, toilet door's signage, beakers, elements table (literally)

Interesting stuff on the wall

Beakers, flasks, and whatnots

Left: yoghurt fresh tea (IDR 22,000/$2.2) with mango popping pearls (IDR 3,000/$0.3); Right: wildberry tea (IDR 22,000/$2.2) with pink boba (IDR 3,000/$0.3)

Wildberry tea (IDR 22,000/$2.2) with pink boba (IDR 3,000/$0.3)

5. Calais

Central Park Mall Lower Ground # #L-253 
Jl. Let. Jen. S. Parman Kav 28. 
West Jakarta

FB Page: Calais Tea

Price range: IDR 14,000 - 24,000 ($1.4 - $2.4) for the drinks - two sizes (regular and large)

Yay: service are all smiles and very helpful, super lovely sweet rose tea, relatively cheaper than other joints, cute icon and nice cup design.

Nay: (at Central Park Mall) no seats, takeaway only.

Menu sampled (recommended ones are bold): sweet rose tea (my fav so far).

Rating: 3.5/5 (Really worth the try)

Sweet rose tea (R) (IDR 17,000/$1.7) with popping pearls (IDR 4,000/$0.4)

6. Chatime

Kota Kasablanka Mall, Level LG
Jl. Casablanca Raya Kav 88, South Jakarta

FB Page: Chatime Indo

Price range: IDR 14,000 - 28,000 ($1.4 - $2.8) for the drinks - two sizes (regular and large)

Yay: the most familiar bubble tea brand for me, extensive options of drinks, service are quick, refreshing fruit tea.

Nay: (at Kota Kasablanka franchise) takeaway only.

Menu sampled (recommended ones are bold): Hawaii fruit tea, passionfruit tea.

Rating: 3.5/5 (Really worth the try)

Passionfruit tea (IDR 18,000/$1.8)

7. Come Buy

Available at: Emporium Pluit, Pacific Place, Kota Kasablanka, Central Park.
(I forgot which outlet I went to)

Web: Come Buy

Price range: IDR 19,000 - 23,000 ($1.9 - $2.3) for the drinks - two sizes (regular and large)

Yay: service is OK.

Nay: the drink is a tad too bland for my liking, but it's hard to judge since I have only tried one.

Menu sampled (recommended ones are bold): passionfruit green tea.

Rating: 2/5 (Average)

Passionfruit green tea (IDR 20,000/$2) with mixed jelly (IDR 3,000/$0.3)

This post of mine really doesn't picture the splendor of bubble tea empire in Jakarta. I recommend you checking these pages if you are thirsty for more:

Ivy's Life: Bubble Tea Fever in Jakarta
Ivy's Life: Spoiled with Various Choices of Bubble Tea at PIK
OH MY GOOD FOOD: Bubble Tea in Jakarta

For now, Calais' sweet rose tea holds rank 1 in my heart. For the places, I don't really have an absolute favourite. What about you? Do share!

Dying to Try: Korean Banana Milk

I am currently on a hunt for this.

The popular Korean banana-flavoured milk; image taken from kathynotperry.blogspot.com

The ever popular Korean banana-flavoured milk. Oh, how I wish I have my own images and review about the so-called national drink of Korea, but these images regretfully are not mine. That is why I need help!

A bit of introduction first, maybe?

The popular banana-flavoured milk is produced by Binggrae, originally in 1974. It was when many South Koreans were suffering with malnourishment, and banana was considered as a 'royal' fruit. Thus the high popularity of the sweet beverage.

Image taken from: iheartkolia.blogspot.com

It is shaped like hanggari, which is a kind of jar, which makes it even more unique.

The comparison with hanggari; image taken from: seoulcolors.com

The promotion is also a hit, with SNSD (popular Korean girlband, also known as Girl's Generation) and Lee Min Ho playing parts on the commercials.

SNSD on the banana milk commercial; image taken from: seoulcolors.com

And apparently there are two other flavours beside the banana: strawberry and the plain 'lite'.

The three flavours; image taken from: tumblr.com

I am dying to try this, not only because I know that it is super popular and loved, but also because some Korean friends are often emphasizing the same point: it is very nostalgic for them and drinking it makes them very happy. There are a few brands of banana-flavoured milk that I spotted in Korean groceries, but 'the banana milk' is nowhere to be found. I am also aware that they also produce it in boxes, instead of the unique bottle, but I haven't found those either.

Boxed banana-flavoured milk; image taken from: seoulcolors.com

I am really curious about this one. Anyone knows how to get them in Sydney? I have been looking for it at Korean groceries but still no luck!

And if you have tried it, please share, is it that fabulous?

Just to end the post on a sweet note, here's the commercial starring Lee Min Ho.

Cheers!


Disclaimer: 

• All images used in this post are not mine, all credit goes to the blogs and websites I got them from. All blog and web addresses are hyper-linked to the images and the captions.
• Most info and images are found on Seoul Colors web, thanks!

Indonesian Street Food - Food that Touches Your Heart

They say: 'the best way to a city heart is through its stomach'.

Couldn't agree more. By food, you will know a country's culture and tradition, even the people's characteristics. Food is my first priority when visiting a foreign country, because then I can feel the buzz and ambiance of the place I am visiting.

If you visit Indonesia, you'll find out that it is a very diverse country. It has 17,508 islands with 1,340 cultures, each with unique characteristics, which are often projected to specialty food in that area. For example, Javanese with their sweet dishes. And there's one thing that you are very likely to notice if you happen to visit Indonesia: we love our street food. We don't mind waiting in a queue in the middle of the night in front of a nasi goreng (fried rice) cart, and we don't mind waiting for a table in a very small and dimly light place to enjoy some portion of nasi kalong ('bat rice'; black rice served with various side dishes).

Of course, we do have a great number of restaurants offering varied types of cuisine, but really, it is the street food that screams the culture of the maker and homemade goodness more. It doesn't come from fancy places or cookery, its hygiene is often doubted, and it is not served on an antique set of ceramics. But those points are the ones that make street food shines.

Street food often comes from simple, humble carts or trolleys, operated with sometimes the most friendliest folks you can find in this planet, with great memorizing skill as well. The food doesn't come with any extravagant garnish or cutlery, thus your attention will not be distracted by anything but the food, the one that comes from super skilled hands and passionate hearts, not inferior to the bests of chefs'. There are also pinches of the maker or seller's culture characteristics, which makes it to be even more interesting.

Really, it touches your heart.

It certainly has touched my heart, big time. I am often impressed by restaurant's dishes, but the dishes that I will never forget are the ones on folded paper plates, plastic platters, and served by the man who remembers how many chilli that I like to be in my ketoprak (Indonesian style vermicelli salad served with peanut sauce).

Street food is a big part in my life history. My father is quite the hygiene-freak. Therefore, street food, with all its hygiene issues, is almost prohibited in the family. Maybe it is the reason why eating food from a street vendor, secretively, is a special and exciting occasion for me. You may find this weird, especially when people often consider eating at fancy restaurant as a treat, but street food has always been the more exciting part of culinary territory for me.

I remember spending my primary school days saving my allowance money to buy bigger portion of cicongfan (Medanese style rice sheets, served with deep fried items, fried shallots, and chilli sauce), or when I thought the best part of my high school days was the morning, when I got to buy my favourite bubur ayam (chicken porridge/congee) from a street vendor before going in. Martabak manis (Indonesian style pancake) has been the family favourite, and I remember how hyped I was when the father brought a fragrant box of it when he was home after work. In my childhood, one of the most exciting thing about going to the grandma's home was the nasi uduk (coconut-milk rice served with various side dishes) seller in front of the house. I also remember when my brother ate 100 skewers of sate ayam (chicken satays) in Puncak, and also how I cried when I went to Bandung without having some es duren (durian ice cream). Even now, I believe that my best date with the boyfriend was a dinner at nasi goreng street stall, and the best lunch with the mother was accompanied by spicy portion of gado-gado (Indonesian style vegetable salad). And I still think nothing beats bakso (meatball soup) from a street cart with words 'Bakso Dono' on for a rainy afternoon.

I also remember how fond I am to my favourite street food sellers and how friendly they are to me. How they know exactly how much I love my spicy food and that I go crazy with fried shallots and crackers. How they still greet me even when I am not buying their stuff and how they give an extra piece of siomay (steamed fish cake) just because I look 'pale' that day.

Like I said, it touches your heart.

Martabak manis (Indonesian style pancake; filled with chocolate, grounded peanuts, sesame seeds, condensed milk

Having decided to continue my study in Sydney, I have come to realize about how dependent I am to street food. There is no street food carts or bicycles doing rounds in my housing area, and therefore I have no life-saving nasi goreng (fried rice) cart in the middle of the night, when all I want is spicy, perfectly-cooked Indonesian fried rice. Of course, Maccas and Domino will always be there, but they won't make it for my midnight hunger pang.

Sydney has no shortage of great food or cuisine diversity whatsoever, but I found myself missing Indonesian street food more and more everyday.

Indonesia is indeed a growing country and there are luxurious and hip restaurants popping around, but try to peek around the corners, you may find a street food cart that can offer you a dining experience that you will not find anywhere else.

Sure thing, you can find the food items that I mentioned in restaurants, but sometimes the ones that are served on the side of the street will taste more homely, comfortable, and full of love.

And that is why it touches your heart.


Yeah, I know this post is different than my usual post. This one is an admission of Femina Foodlovers Blog Competition 2013, which I decided to take part of due to my undying love of Indonesian street food and my hunger to spread it to the world. I am currently chased by numerous essays and an afternoon shift clinical placement, which make me pretty much can't do anything else, but Indonesian street food is just too awesome to be kept silent. Indo street food FTW!