Umaku

Dear fellow tasters,

I’m guessing most of you have that sushi restaurant that you visit regularly whenever you crave some sashimi or unagi.  For me, there are a few places in that category but I think I’m going to add Umaku as a new entry to that list.  The name Umaku is a Japanese word but is chosen because it sounds similar to the Indonesian word of “rumahku” or Javanese word of “omahku” (both translate to “my house”) with a hope that Umaku may provide delicious food in a place of comfort just like in your own home.

Sushi Tei Eating Contest

Dear fellow tasters,

This was my first attempt at an eating contest and the event was Sushi Eating Contest by Sushi Tei, probably one of the most popular sushi chain restaurants in Jakarta.  The contest happened on one fine Saturday afternoon at the end of last month in a shopping mall in South Jakarta, namely Gandaria City.  Upon registration, all contestants were given some props for the contest, a headband, chest number, and a yellow ribbon to be tied to the wrist.  The annoying part of the contest was definitely the waiting because the eating part lasted only for less than 5 minutes but the waiting was more or less 2 hours.

Sushi Tei: Hard Rock FM Lunch Box and More

Dear fellow tasters,

Sushi Tei is one of my favorite sushi restaurants in Jakarta and last week I was lucky enough to win a quiz on Sushi Tei facebook page and get an invitation to join their Hard Rock FM Lunch Box event at the Plaza Senayan outlet.  So there I was, seated at a table of six with two other winners and their partners, listening to the radio host and his guests while waiting anxiously for what would appear in front of me.  

Hachi Hachi Bistro

Dear fellow tasters,

One day I was wandering around Mal Taman Anggrek which was quite a rare visit and I remembered a friend recommending a sushi place just next to the ice skating ring.  Thus, I decided to have my lunch there, at Hachi Hachi Bistro.  Not sure why a sushi joint is called a bistro, but looking at the tag line “sushi ‘n whatever” and browsing through the extensive and slightly cheaper priced menu, I guess you can say this sushi restaurant is more like a bistro compared to a fine dining restaurant.

Kiyadon Sushi

Dear fellow tasters,

This post is from my reserve of blackberry food photos.  I’ve actually been to this sushi joint several times on different outlets at different shopping malls in Jakarta.  What’s not to love about sushi, the sight of raw salmon and unagi is just enough to awaken even the laziest appetite and Kiyadon sushi is one of the many sushi dining restaurants that you can go to satisfy that sushi addiction craving.

The Cafe, Hotel Mulia

Dear fellow tasters,

It’s been ages since the last post, so I tried to write something short (I hope) about The Cafe at Hotel Mulia Senayan. It’s one of the dining area at the 5-star hotel which offered all-you-can-eat international food ranging from sushi/sashimi to dim sum, from Indian curries to assortments of mouth-watering desserts.

Aji Tei

Dear fellow tasters,

It was several weeks ago on a Friday afternoon and after a week of discussing where to go for Friday lunch, my friends at work and I decided to go to Pacific Place, the latest addition to already-so-many fancy shopping malls here in the heart of Jakarta.  The food court area there is actually pretty nice, with a marina theme, artificial ocean and weather-beaten wood flooring, offering a wide selection of restaurants and cafes to choose from.  After wandering around the area, my colleagues and I finally chose Aji Tei, one of the many Japanese restaurants there.

Y&Y

Dear fellow tasters,

It was Thursday noon, lunch time, and a colleague of mine from Malaysia was in town.  He already asked me the day before to join him and another colleague for lunch.  When he called, I suggested that we should go to Grand Indonesia shopping mall which has become a budding good food paradise in the center of the city.  So there we were, faced with so many options of where to grab something to eat.  With no specific destination in mind, after a quick wandering and due to limited lunch time, we decided to raid the first place we laid our eyes on, the Y&Y restaurant.

Poké Sushi

Dear fellow tasters,

As I haven’t gone out to any new places recently, I suppose I can write a post about one of my favorite sushi places here in beloved yet crowded Jakarta. I guess most of you Jakartanian sushi lovers would have known this place called Poké Sushi which offers a variety of Japanese menu, especially the all you can eat sushi menu. This restaurant is perfect for a dining out time with three or more friends, since you will be able to share and taste different kinds of appetizers, sushi rolls, and even the udon or the rice combos.