#tasteritos

Kam’s Roast’s location is hidden on the side of the Royal Plaza, across from the Far East Plaza. I only knew of the place because my father was so adamant on trying some of the newly granted Michelin-starred “street food” restaurants in Singapore. I initially thought that it was just going to taste like any other roast pork roast duck Chinese restaurants. But no. I literally had the best Char Siu I have ever had in my entire lifetime. 

I arrived at the restaurant at about 11:30 AM. At about this time, there were about two groups of people in line ahead of me. Behind me were long empty queue seats waiting to be filled with people. As I became the first in line (this was at about 11:50 AM), the seats behind be were already filled with so many groups of people waiting for their turn to try Kam’s Roast’s amazing roasts (eheheh). 

The restaurant was quite small, probably filling approximately 50 seats in total. There is a private room that could seat about eight to 12 people, but you would have to spend a minimum of SGD 250 to get that room.

The menu itself is also not much, serving just the basic roast barbecue dishes, with some soup/noodle/rice options on the side and a variety of drinks to try. 

At the end, for a total of three (super hungry) people, we spent about SGD 79. Amazing.

Scroll down below for some pictures.

Char Siu. Barbecue pork with honey. The honey. 

Roast bebe pork. 

Roast half duck.

Crackling pork skin. 

Food. Glorious food.

Indita

Kam’s Roast

Address:  9 Scotts Road #01-04, Singapore 228210

Tippling Club serves ample innovation and interesting experience in its many courses of food and snacks. The food is fun, playful and interesting, combining ingredients that are not typically put together, but end up being great match.

Food is paired with a selection of sensorium cocktails, in which the drinks list is presented based on a range of smells, including caramel, grass, campfire and leather. Guests are then encouraged to pick the aroma that resonates with them the most.

Guests are presented with an option of two tasting menus; a five-course meal (at SGD 170 per person) and a 10-course meal (at SGD 270 per person). I selected the more affordable option (although you should not be fooled by the number of courses, because this does not include the extra five pre-main course snacks, three pre-dessert desserts and an after-dessert meal).

Scroll down below for pictures!

Petuna ocean troutwith beetroot, smoked ox tongue, horseradish cream.

Scallops with purple brittany garlic soup.

Iberico pork belly and jowl with braised salsify, salsa verde and wild herbs.

Pre-dessert dessert: Cheesecake pills.

Tonka bean ganache with oxidised banana and fingerlime.

Indita

Have I ever had a lunch that costed more that IDR 3 mil a person? Probably. Have I ever paid it myself? Not until now.

For the omakase lunch, Sushi Ichi’s price starts between IDR 1.8mil to 2.2mil. For my lunch in particular, I also ordered hot ocha and extra grilled toro sushi, which in total (including tax) amounted to about IDR 3.1mil. A very hefty price. The lunch price is lower compared to the omakase dinner, which would start at about IDR 3mil. 

Was it worth the price? As a background information, almost all of the ingredients used at Sushi Ichi were flown in from Japan, so they are of better quality compared to the local ones. The portions were perfect - they made me feel just full enough until dinner (when I ordered that extra sushi I ended up being super full). The service quality was amazing and the chefs were super friendly (it’s always nice to be able to have a conversational chef when you are at a Japanese omakase, as it keeps the dining experience interesting and you will also get to learn a thing or two about the person and/or Japanese cuisine). In conclusion, although the lunch was objectively expensive, it was the price to pay for such an experience.   

Take a look at my lunch at Sushi Ichi.

Indita

Sushi Ichi

Address: Pullman Jakarta Indonesia, Jl. M.H. Thamrin 59, Thamrin, Jakarta

Despite being generously invited to Attarine this time round, it was actually our fourth time back to the place. We barely needed an invitation to come back, but considering that Attarine’s menu changes constantly, regular visits have become a necessity. 

The rustic-homey interior of Attarine

Wood-fired flat bread with za’atar lentil dip and garlic eggplant dip

While it looks totally unassuming, this is definitely the one dish you have to order if you go to Attarine. The crispy but doughy flatbread is delicious, but the za’atar lentil dip is next level. I’ve never had za’atar that good outside the Middle East. Trust me, as much as I love eggplants (refer to: all other posts written by me), I can honestly say that for once, I was fully enamored with a non-eggplant dish more so than the eggplant dish. (i still love you eggplant)

Crispy chicken leg cooked with spiced honey

This was one of the night’s specials. Something I would’ve never ordered if not strongly recommended (and we were strongly recommended), and which proved to be one of the most delicious fried chickens in recent memory! The chicken leg was marinated in spiced honey for 3 days and so every single bite had the slight-sweetness of honey complementing the juicy meat. Fun fact: it took about 1 hour for us to actually finish everything, and even towards the end of the hour, the chicken skin was still crispy. 

Crispy brussel sprouts

The fourth time I’ve been to Attarine, and the fourth time I’ve ordered the brussels sprouts. Fun fact #2: I actually used to (and still sometimes do) hate brussels sprouts, unless it’s cooked amazingly well. This one is cooked amazingly well. Smokey and crispy, it has zero of that weird brussels sprouts smell. Also, that white sauce on top? Yolk-less mayonnaise. It’s like mayonnaise but 10000x lighter. Delish.

Flank steak with brussels sprouts, mushrooms and cauliflower

While this dish might be a crowd favorite, I’m not a big fan of meat, so this was just ok for me. Well-seasoned and well-cooked, but I would 100% stock up on the chicken and veggies (and flatbread) next time instead of ordering this. 

Having only opened for about a month (or two?), Attarine has quickly become one of my favorite restaurants in Jakarta. Fair warning: it’s not for everyone. I personally enjoy the abundant spices, especially the use of spice-route-inspired spices (think cumin), and the heavy focus on vegetables. Which is a point I would like to reiterate: do not go to Attarine without ordering the veggies. If needed, just order all veggies. And flatbread. I would probably go back there 100x just to order a shitload of flatbread and cocktails (hint: roasted bloody mary). 

The aforementioned hint

That said, I really hope everyone tries Attarine, and when you do, keep an open mind and an open palate!

x

Dalia

Attarine

Jalan Gunawarman No.11 A, Jakarta Selatan

Here’s how to make a simple honeycomb (recipe by the Food Network)!

Ingredients: - ¾ cups of sugar - ¼ cup of water - 1/3 cup of Honeylane Original honey - 2 teaspoons of baking soda

Steps: - Line a baking dish with parchment paper, so that the honeycomb does not stick to the pan. - In a large pot, combine sugar, water and honey, then bring to a boil without stirring until the mixture turns a caramel color. This would typically take three minutes. - Quickly whisk in the baking soda. The mixture will foam and bubble up. Working fast, pour the mixture into the baking dish and let cool. - Once the honeycomb has cooled, break into pieces and serve.

This honeycomb can be served in so many ways; you can dip it in dark chocolate and have yourself a chocolate-dipped honey comb, you can also crumble it further to smaller pieces and make it as ice cream or cake toppings (this post will come out soon!). 

Indita

Honeylane

Website: www.honeylaneid.com

Instagram: @honeylaneid

Pastriella

Bryan Sudjati started Ramen Champ in Los Angeles with his brother and a chef buddy. With all the hours logged in designing recipes and going through trials and errors, he and the group finally came up with a bunch of rave-reviewed ramens. One of the most ordered dishes in Ramen Champ is the Vegan ramen (old name: Shiitake Shio Ramen), but since he is never sharing that recipe to anyone, Bryan decided to make a different take on Ramen Champ’s vegan ramen, and covert it into a vegetarian one.

The recipe takes several prep and cooking stages, so the number one thing that you need to have to make this is TIME. But, if you are willing to go through all that, what you get will be an amazing food experience. Trust me.

From left to right: Beer (for a good time), sauteed mushroom, kelp, organic ramen, sesame seed.

For the first part, you will need to prep the egg the day before serving the actual ramen.

Egg preparation 1. Boil water in a pot while the fire is on high. 2. Put egg into the boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes, then immediately remove. 3. What we want is to achieve a runny yolk, so to stop the egg from cooking further, cool it in ice bath immediately after removing from the pot until it cools down. 4. Soak the egg in mixture of soy sauce, mirin and sugar overnight, with the shell off.

Dried mushrooms.

The second until last part happens on the second day, which is the day you will be serving the food.

Mushroom Ramen Broth 1. Boil water in pot and flavor with kombu (kelp) for 30 minutes. Basically until it tastes like the sea. Then remove kombu. 2. Add katsuobushi/bonito flakes into the water mixture and wait until you achieve a low simmer and the katsuobushi/bonito flakes sink. 3. Once done, strain broth and make sure that there is no flake left. 4. Add dried mushroom, then simmer the water again for 45 minutes to 1 hour. 5. Remove dried mushroom.

For serving, the broth will be combined with a salt mix, below.

Shio Kaishi (salt) 1. Combine a mixture of salt, sugar, soy sauce, mirin and garlic confit. 2. This is to salt the broth.

Sauteed mushrooms for topping.

Ramen 1. Boil ramen noodle until al dente. 2. In a serving bowl, add a little Shio Kaishi and garlic oil. 3. Add on the mushroom broth. 4. Add ramen, egg, sautéed mushroom or whatever topping you please. 5. Top with green onion, seaweed and toasted sesame seed.

Amazingly enough, that’s not all you can do with the ingredients! With all that egg mixture of soy sauce, mirin and sugar, you can still make additional an Bacon Bowl that is so delicious your panties will drop! (Disclaimer: panty-dropping not guaranteed)

Bacon bowl.

Bacon bowl 1. In a pot, reduce egg mixture of soy, mirin and sugar until thick (until the liquid goes down to about half of the original volume). 2. Grill bacon (make sure it does not go too crispy) and dip it in the thickened egg mixture. 3. For serving, place rice on bowl, and then top it with the bacon, green onion and toasted sesame seed.

Left to right: Karim (some random) and Bryan.

There you have it, some Japanese recipes for you to try. Go get cooking!

Indita

Being an Indonesian, I do not eat rice on a regular basis; however, I would never eat Indonesian food without having rice with it, as rice goes very well with traditional delicacies. For instance, Rendang, one of the most famous dishes in the country, is sweet, salty, spicy and creamy. Logically, water would probably calm down the intensity of Rendang’s flavors, but rice actually does the trick, because as a little fun fact for you, rice has the capability of relaxing the taste of spiciness!

The purity and simplicity of rice makes it a versatile dish to cook and a common friend to most meals.  It goes with everything and you surround your entire meal on it too. For instance, for birthdays, it is common to find upside down cone-shaped yellow rice served on top of banana leaves, prepared with tempe, eggs, prawns. Another interesting example is the ketupat, which is triangle a shaped rice, molded with palm leaves, which is commonly served on Eid Mubarak. Congee is also another way of cooking rice, often enjoyed during breakfast or when people are feeling under the weather, as it provides an easier-to-swallow option. Further, due to its white color base, rice do  not only come in different shapes, but in different colors as well! It is also quite common to find rice in green, red, white and yellow colors, which are obtained from infusing the grains with spices and whatnot.

The love for rice is not only shared in Indonesia, but also all over the world. In England and Thailand, rice is also served as dessert. For example, rice pudding provides as a rich and dense dish, whereas the Thai mango sticky rice is just a wonderful unexpected combination that is loved all over Southeast Asia.

In this edition, we show you how rice plays in our common lives, mixed with meals that we find in known food venues in Jakarta and also the back of every common family kitchen.

Congee from Bubur Ayam Haji Jewo

Rice with dried chilli

Rice Pudding with crushed pistachio and cinnamon stick

Roast Chicken, heated using the oven at 10 minutes, 170 degrees Celcius

I grew up living with a great cook (aka mi madré!), which makes me kind of a snob for well-cooked home meals. Of course, due to the increasing awareness of western culture and overall taste in Indonesians, people are increasingly able to concoct their own delicacy at home. However, none had ever really performed better than the ones my mom makes at home, until now.

Roast Chicken with mushroom sauce, roasted potato and sautéed veggie

Roast Chicken, heated using the microwave at 20 seconds, high

The way that I understand Nadja’s Gourmet’s concept is that it provides home-style group meals for people who crave for hearty, tasty dishes at home, whether to be enjoyed privately or for guests. The reason it is so homey is the way Nadja delivers the food, which is served in a very approachable manner and guided in a very easy-to-understand way.

Lidah Sambal Matah

Lidah Sambal Matah pan seared at 10 minutes, medium heat 

Since everything is pre-cooked, all you need to do before eating is to heat up the meals, whether it is using the microwave, pan fry or oven (results obviously vary on the medium of your heating process). The dishes may even disguise as an actual home cooked meal, which may deceive your guests to think that you are come kind of a master chef!

Sticky Toffee Date Pudding with chantilly cream

My dog and aforementioned pudding :)

There is also a space for freedom to plate. because everything is presented so that you can re-serve the food. For instance, the roast chicken is dissected proportionally so that one cut is enough for one person’s portion, and the side veggies are served separately from the chicken so that you can still plate your food however you want. The toffee pudding is also delivered whole, so you may cut and serve the dessert in any way.

In terms of delicious factor, everyone will definitely love Nadja’s food, which is a guarantee from me! So this is definitely a must try!