Mango Tango from "Red MAngo"

My favorite yogurt Red Mango has a new additional flavor for their dessert this is mango-tango. A sweet-not so sour-yummy taste. Red Mango in Surabaya is located in TP (tunjungan plaza) 3, Jl. Embong Malang. The price for large with 3 free toppings is about IDR51000 (SG$7.2 or US$5.7). However with BCA (Bank Central Asia) credit card or flash card (similar with NETS) payment can get 25% discount.

Boncafe Restaurant in Surabaya, Indonesia

Boncafe restaurant which name spell Bongcafe was taken from France word is a family restaurant business that success to establish itself for more than 35 years. I've known this restaurant since I was a little girl and at many occasions my parents often brought me and my brother and sisters to eat there, to celebrate a birthday, to celebrate any special moment or just for having dinner or lunch. The restaurant has many branches in Surabaya but the head quarter remained still at Jl. Manyar Kertoarjo for years. The food like the well known famous T-bone steak and spring chicken not change for years, the secret steak sauce recipe is one of the restaurant best favorite.

This is the pastry soup for my appetizer the price is IDR25000 or SGD$4 or US$3. Like usual pastry soup below the pastry puff is the cream soup the content include mushroom, carrot, peas, and chicken MEAT.

While I was in Singapore I longed so much for food in Boncafe especially the T-bone steak and finally after a long wait I have a chance to taste it again. What is so much much that I missed from thee steak is that the taste is traditional old steak house not varied. Before the steak is serve there is a sweet bread with butter as a complimentary  for every steak menu which i like too because the bread is soft and it's freshly made everyday. Not Just Boncafe own restaurants they also own bakery and supermarket, their bakery is great at making bread, cookies, jelly, pudding, etc.

This is the traditional t-bone steak that I'm dying for may be I sound that I'm exaggerating but I eat this since I was little, my parents eating it when they were married young, every family members of mine love this menu so much. On top of the meat  got mushroom toast with onion. The taste of the meat is ordinary but it's quite sweet and could taste the black paper of marinated meat with baked potato, we also can change the baked potato to french fries. The veggie that served is healthy since it's not frozen but it's daily made while the sauce is delicious. The taste of the sauce is sweet, sour, can feel the meat stock. The meat is always tender and it's a local meat so it's not fatty but it's crunchy.Its served on a hotplate and the waiter will do free refill souce anytime the costumer want. The price is about IDR68000 (SG$10 or US$7.6).

This is "Chef's Salad" which my sister ordered. it's ordinary salad with 3 different meat in a mall quantity. The content include lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, eggs, onions, shrimp, beef steak, and sausage with thousand island dressing which i think is too sweet and not sour enough. Don't really like this salad since it's too heavy as appetizer but to light as the main meal. The price is IDR27500 (SGD$4 or US$3).

 

This is what my sister ordered "Chicken Gordon Blue", each steak house present different kind of Chicken gordon blue in ordinary it's chicken breast which filled with chicken ham and cheese on the center then deep fried it. In Boncafe it's same but this is not their specialty so I won't suggest anyone to order is the taste is not great even though their folloing the original method. The price is IDR51000 (SG$7.8 or US$5.7).

  

This is "Hamburger Steak Deluxe Bismark". Like ordinary humberger steak it's humble menu but delicious one and has to try one in Boncafe, It's one of me and my nephew's favorite menu. The price is IDR43000 (SG$6.2 or US$5). This menu can ask with or without egg. However should add the sauce for all of the steak menu since it's the ingredient to make it more yummy without it it won't be delightful.

This is "Spring Chicken" one of the best Boncafe specialty. A baby chicken that marinate with pepper and salt then deep fried, right before served its splash with brandy then burn slightly. The chicken taste sweet and crunchy however it's not for people with sore-throat since the whole chicken is covered with black pepper. For half chicken the price is IDR30000 (SG$4.5 or US$3.4), 1 whole chicken is IDR48000 (SG$7 or US$5.4). Its served with veggie and french fries/baked potato on a different plate.

 As for the drink my sister ask for "Es Puter" inside got red pearl, ketan hijau, coconut flesh and chocolate ice puter. It's one of Indonesian favorite ice traditionally making usually made made from coconut milk. The taste is usual but I won't suggest this for anyone who got cold since it's high on sugar and not healthy. As for the price I forgot to write it down .

 

On the left is the pic of "Thai Tea" on the right is "Lemon Tea". Ordinary freshly drinks.

NOTE: THE PRICE ABOVE CAN CHANGE ANYTIME.

Asinan Bogor (Pickles), Indonesian Pickles

This is Asinan Bogor (pickles) famously known in Jakarta, Bandung, and Bogor. If usually pickles is drowned in salty water or vinegar for few days but this one is different because it's freshly make before our eyes. This pickles content pineapple, cucumber, turnip, sweet potato, etc all are raw. After all the fruits are cut then pour some sweet sour liquid, top with fried peanut. It tasted sweet and sour and most importantly it's healthy and my mom likes it a lot she already consumed it since she was teenager so she introduced me to this food too. I enjoy this pickles but it has to be consumed immediately don't keep it in fridge for too long or it will be damaged.

"Red Mango" Frozen Yogurt

I really like frozen yogurt. Frozen yogurt is low fat ice cream and very good as a light meal for people on diet but of course try not to consume it when you are having cold. If in Singapore my favorite yogurt is Yami Yogurt in Surabaya my favorite yogurt is Red mango located in Tunjungan Plasa 4, LG floor (the lowest floor) just opposite the atrium

Me and my friend went to red mango to order the plain frozen yogurt the large one, the price is only IDR38,000 or SG$5.4 or US$4.5 because it's under promotion so we paid under "medium size" prize, the usual price for large is about IDR43,000 already inclusive tax. It's all about tax in Indonesia, if you go to Indonesia the price that displayed usually before 10% food tax, so be careful and ask to the waiter /waitress whether the price of the food is before or after tax charge.

Both, me and my friend like plain frozen yogurt, the other flavor including strawberry and blackberry which are very sour not to into my tongue. the plain yogurt is quite sweet but it's melt quite fast.

This is what I ordered the large size plain frozen yogurt, the topping: longan, mango (Indonesian mango Arumanis, a sweet natural sour taste of firm mango but not too soft and has a fragrant mango smell), and crunchy almond. What I like about red mango is they also give more toping compare to other frozen yogurt shop.

This is what my friend ordered plain frozen yogurt like mine with the toping: green kiwi fruit, can mandarin orange, and lychee. I don't really like kiwi because it my tongue not feeling well after finish it.

The shop keepers were servicing nicely if they made a mistake by giving the customer wrong toping they'll give your original toping for free while for additional toping is about IDR5,000 (SG$1 or US$0.5), very seldom to meet this kind of service in another shop. A pleasant yogurt that I have there and I often visit Red Mango nowadays, it's one of my favorite yogurt shop.

Hachi-Hachi Bistro in Surabaya

Hachi-hachi bistro is a Japanase style restaurant located in Tunjungan Plasa (TP) 4 at 5th floor, Surabaya, Indonesia. I longed for this meal when I was in Singapore, I've been there for a few times and I like the choices of the menu its usually served on a big plate. They also serve sushi but I didn't order sushi at that time. Both me and my friend went to Hachi-hachi and we only ordered 1 meal only since I know the size is more than enough for one person.

This is my order Yakimono club, its a complete serving of a meal with (I start read the picture from the left) chicken breast, white fish, beef steak (local beef which I much prefer compare to Australian or Japanese steak because the fat is not much and it's chewy) all topped with teriyaki sauce, the teppanyaki veggie fried style, plain rice, onion ring, shrimp deep fried with flour topped with mayonnaise and seaweed, last is the veggie for garnish. The portion is big and enough for 2 persons look how long is the plate. The price of the meal is IDR48,000 or SGD$7 less than US$5, very cheap quality meal compare to food in Singapore with same quality.

We divided all the food into half so we shared equally. The chicken tasted good and the fish didn't have a fishy smell and it tasted good too. The beef is common beside that the sauce made the taste become too sweet. Onion ring is ordinary however the shrimps were not fresh so I just like chewing some tasteless meat.

But still the vegetables was good and I like the taste of it full of Japanese sauce. The plain rice was fragrant and chewy. After all it's still as good as I remember.

To freshen up ourselves me and my friend ordered green tea ocha the price is only IDR8,000 or SGD$1.5 or US$90. The tea enough for 2 persons with such a cheap price and we like to eat in Hachi-hachi bistro.

Dapur Coklat (Chocolate Kitchen)

There is a new cake shop open in Surabaya "Dapur Cokelar" or Chocolate Kitchen in Jl. Biliton (Biliton street), the shop is very easy to be found and I forgot to write down the number so I cannot write it here. Anyway just drive along the way at Biliton street and you'll see Dapur Cokelat because sometimes the cars which park at Dapur Cokelat is the cause of the traffic there. Btw Dapur Cokelat is a branch and the owner is from Jakarta(the capital city of Indonesia).

Me and my friend went to Dapur Cokelat finally out of my curiosity. Inside we found that Dapur Cokelat is not that amazing the cake varieties are not many and the varieties of the chocolates just ordinary and not amazing. Instead of putting the chocolates inside glass display its displayed outside and I didn't feel to buy it since it looked like not interesting at all. I bought a few cakes with my friend to go because the atmosphere of eating there was really not into my liking, the shop is an old house from ancient period.

This special cake was a recommendation from the waitress there. The price is IDR17,500 or SGD$2.50 or US$2. I turned out to be not a good cake it's too sweet while I said that I don't want too sweet cake. It's ok when I heat it up (picture on the left) with microwave, the chocolate melted it and it's more edible to eat than before.

The yellow one in "Mango Cassata Indonesia" a nice mango flavour cool cake, the price is IDR13,500 (SGD$2 or US$1.5). The mango mouse is not too sweet with a bit of sour taste and it has the smell of mango. I just didn't feel like to eat the chocolate cake layer of the cake since as I said before their chocolate cake is not that great and usually it's too sweet. After all this cake is good.

The red cake is "Raspberry Truffle Slice", not so awesome raspberry cake but still ok to try for once. The price is IDR13,500 (SGD$2 or US$1.5). The raspberry mouse is not full raspberry flavor but it still ok.

On the right side is "Java Chcocolate cake Indonesia" price is IDR13,500 (SGD$2 or US$1.5), not so good cake. The chocolate layer is too sweet and overall it's not so good cake. The left side is "Dapur Cokelat's choco Indonesia", not my favorite either, the price is IDR12,500 (SGD$1.9 or US$1.4). The chocolate mouse is too sweet unlike the taste of the chocolate at all.

My best choice is Mango cassata Indonesia since it tasted well and better than other cakes that I've tried, too bad that almost all the cakes are too sweet.

Manhattan Fish Market @ Plaza Singapura

The last day I went out with my friend in Singapore we made a date in Manhattan Fish Market at Plaza Singapura. Then because I came late so my friends already made their choices of fish and chips (dory fish) for S$9.9 instead of fish platter for 3 to my disappointment. Last time I tried the fish it tasted soft and ok not that wonderful.











This was my choice grilled seafood platter S$18.9 with squid, prawn, and ordinary Singaporean style grilled fish. The rice tasted not excellent it's only butter rice after all, and the prawn tasted not fresh but the grilled squid was soft and not hard, the fist was ok. Overall it's quite enjoyable dinner. The price exclude 7% GST and 10% service.

Takoyaki @ IonOrchard basement snack area

ioWow at first my aunt saw the queuing at this takoyaki stall at the basement located just outside foodcourt area in front Yami Yogurt stall then she and her friend were also queuing. We impressed of the guys who cooked the takoyaki they worked fast so the queue were not waiting too long to be served.


Well we bought 1 portion of S$4.6 (6pcs), there is another takoyaki served with egg and 10pcs for about S$5.2 (not quite remember though). Anyway when I ate it hot it's crispy at the outside and soft inside, the taste is really yummy different with other takoyaki that I've ever tasted. It's worth it to buy this takoyaki. However on the next day when I bought the same takoyaki it tasted not as good like the 1st time I tried it because it's cold. So try this takoyaki when it's hot and there are a lot of people queuing for it.

Chicken Satay and Garang Asam (Food in Surabaya)

Wow splendid amazing holiday in Surabaya my hometown, refreshing my mind from heavy mind in Singapore. So far I'm enjoying the food and for sure the companion of my big family.

This is it the famous Ponorogo chicken satay, Ponorogo is a small town located in East Java, Indonesia. The chicken satay from Ponorogo famously known for the chicken meat without fat and skin and that's why I like it. The peanut sauce is thicker and tasted better than the usual ordinary Indonesian chicken satay and not oily nor sweet like the one in Singapore. The meat overall tasted good because the meat was fresh and only seasoned with salt before it's grill with traditional charcoal grill. I also ate it with lontong, the lontong which made from rice was freshly made daily which I forgot to take a picture. The price for 10 pcs satay is IDR 10.000 (US$1 or SGD$1.6), very cheap and nice satay.
Note: The traditional charcoal grill cannot blow the wind using fan because it can cause cancer so the meat will grill slowly but cooked and save.

The second dish was Garang Asam (chicken wrapped with banana leaf and slowly steam with special seasoning). I didn't try it but my parents did and they didn't very enjoy it somehow today, they said that it's not fresh and delicious today. Garang Asam (sour garang) is an old food since a long time ago but not everyone can make it as delicious as before. The price if I'm not mistaken is about IDR20.000 (USD$2 or SGD$3).



Surely the price is affordable and the place is well known to many satay lover in town. The drinks are simple red tea whether it's hot or cold, soda, juices are available with good price about IDR3000-5000 (USD$0.5 or SGD$0.8).

The address is at JL. Pucang Anom, along the street can be seen the restaurant since it's furnished very simple and looked cheap but yet the satay is good.

Christmas Cake

I know it's a bit late to talk about christmas cake but why not, so this December can't be miss without buying any tempting christmas cake and the choice was sure of to "Komugi" a Japanese cake store in Surabaya, one of Papaya (Japanese supermarket) cake store. So this is it a short cake special of the month. The fruits are peach, kiwi, and pear that soaked in sugar water then cooled it of in a fridge. The price came handy for about IDR80.000 (USD$8 or SGD$12).

This cake honestly good. Like other Komugi's cake this cake is not sweet and the cream tastes fresh, the cake is good to eat and not heavy at all, and the roasted almond is perfect combination for this short cake. After all even though the size is indeed small for that kind of prize in Surabaya but it's worth it.