WEEKEND GETAWAY: BALI

Hey guys! So sorry I haven't been updating in a very long time. I'm just gonna be honest to you guys that lately I have been very busy with school and just finished my exams two weeks ago (Yay!) aside from that I have also been doing fundraising for a school event (which I will explain in detail later on) and of course hanging out with friends (LOL). I am actually still into blogging its just that I suck at managing my time but all the best to me and you guys.

Anyways today's post will be about my weekend in Bali (two weeks ago). It was the week of my exams and when the exams ended me and my mom went to Bali for one bug reason (not for holiday purposes). We departed from Jakarta on Friday (5th of December) and returned from Bali on Sunday (7th of December), because I have school on Monday (yay school!).

(Airplane Food!)

Okay! So we departed by using Air Asia because it is highly affordable and reasonable. You guys can also order your own on flight meal through their website. I am not sponsored by Air Asia but I just think it is the smartest way to travel around Asia and the meal options are quite a lot and the taste will also be satisfying. So the flight took me about one and half hour from Jakarta to Bali and honestly I couldn't sleep on board the plane (I honestly don't know why).

So our first stop in Bali (aside the airport) is actually the Siloam Hospital in Sunset Road not our hotel. We went to the hospital because me and my mom wanted to visit my dad who was hospitalized there. He actually works in Bali and that's why we went to Bali that weekend. When we arrived he's actually allowed to leave the hospital already and so we decided to just stay in the hotel together.

Ramada Resort Kuta's Swimming Pool

We stayed in Bintang Kuta Hotel in Jalan Kartika Plaza, I totally recommend staying in this hotel. It is a 4 star hotel and it is related to Ramada Resort, so the hospitality was top notch and the price were very affordable. This hotel is also located in the prime location of Bali, the Kuta Beach area and it is located literally in front of Ramada Resort Kuta, since they are related tenants of Bintang Kuta Hotel has a privilege access to Ramada Resort Kuta's facilities (5 star hotel facilities!). Ramada also happen to have their own private beach.

Ramada Resort Kuta's Private Beach

So that actually concludes the first day and we actually did nothing on the first day. For dinner we wanted to eat out but the rain was really bad so we decided to order room service. The next day was very chill and easy going, we had a morning walk around the hotel and left to walk on the main street until we reached Centro (which was surprisingly very close from the hotel). We had our breakfast at the hotel and on the afternoon we took a cab to go to Beachwalk Kuta.

Beachwalk Kuta's Garden View

Beachwalk is actually my favorite mall in Indonesia, it is very different and unique from any other malls here. I must say this is the highlight of today's post (because most of the pictures are actually taken here). We ate lunch at Bebek Tepi Sawah which is one of my favorite place to eat duck (way better than peking duck in my opinion).

The restaurant is actually located on the 3rd floor of the mall and it is indeed decorated with the most beautiful and traditional interiors. But I really recommend you guys to go to the original one in Ubud, Bali the view there is amazing and it just has different ambiance, but it is also very far from the Kuta area. I personally love the classic craved stone and the traditional Balinese umbrellas. 

Freshly Made Dipping Sauce

They gave us three kinds of dipping sauce, all of them are spicy but they do have a different kind of spicy level. I personally didn't try the bottom left one (because I'm weird I guess), the top one was rather heavy and spicy, and the bottom right one is my favorite since it tasted really fresh and there is a mild spicy taste to it. But these dipping sauce is for preference and the good and bad of the taste actually depends on the person's taste.

The Classic Crispy Duck

The highlight of today's post! Bebek Tepi Sawah's signature dish, the Classic Crispy Duck. This is indeed the best duck ever and wherever you are in the world you must come and try this amazing dish (well that is in my opinion). The duck tasted very fresh and crispy with a very balanced taste. It is juicy and every crispy part tastes like heaven. The assorted vegetable was also a very good complementary to the dish since it gives a balance to the fatty duck oil.

After lunch we returned to our hotel and swam for a couple of hours. That night we went out for dinner to eat Thai Food, I didn't take any pictures since it was dark and the only camera I have in Bali that weekend was my phone (so all pictures are taken by my phone). I also forgot the name of the restaurant (lol stupid me).

The last day was very common, since nothing happened and I have to go back to Jakarta since I have school on Monday. I had to return alone, since my dad had another check up on Tuesday. So this trip is also my first experience of flying alone!

#airportfashion #ootd

Okay so that wraps up my weekend in Bali! So thank you guys for reading until this point because honestly this post is just about Bebek Tepi Sawah (LOL) but anyways it was a very meaningful trip for me because I went to Bali for a good reason and it is also my first time flying alone. Thank you guys once again and have great day! God Bless!

Thanks to Air Asia, Ramada Bintang Bali Resort, Bintang Kuta Hotel and Bebek Tepi Sawah.

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LAB SERIES & CLINIQUE

Hey guys I am finally back after a few decades missing I have finally found my way back! LOL Just kidding, sorry guys I was really busy this month, especially with assessments, quizzes and exams. I want to formally apologize first before I start the actual post, so I am sorry for the absence in the past few weeks, I hope you guys forgive me and I want to start blogging (hopefully vlog as well) once again (be more active)!

Okay, that was pretty awkward and some of the sentence didn't really make sense (LOL), but oh well. Anyway, as the title of today's post say today I am gonna post about one of the best selling product of LAB SERIES and the most common product of CLINIQUE. Unfortunately the 2 products that I will be discussing/reviewing/complaining about are not available in Indonesia (yet).

LAB SERIES BB Tinted Moisturizer SPF 35 (4.5/5.0)

I absolutely love this product! This product is perfect for daily usage, it is very light and functions very well. This is actually a men's version of BB Cream by LAB SERIES that is not tinted and blends well with all skin tone (supposedly yes, it does blend with mine). BB Cream in general is used to even-out skin tone and gives the skin a light moisturizer and sunblock. BB Cream also gives a concealer like feel, since it does conceal some blemishes.

I personally think this is perfect for guys who are embarrassed to admit that they care about their skin and guys who seeks practicality in daily skin care. I say this because I am the combination of both, because in my culture (the Indonesian) guys tend to not care about their skin and I am also quite a busy/lazy/sucks at managing time kind of person so this is perfect for me.

This product is very easy to use, just squeeze the bottle gently and a creamy-liquid substance will come out and it will look like that (the picture with my hand). After that just apply some on your face. NEVER USE SPREAD IT LIKE A BUTTER ON A TOAST, TAP ON THE FACE UNTIL IT SPREADS EVENLY, or use a sponge to spread on the face (still with a tapping method). Also don't apply too much since the excess will make the face oily especially for the oily skin type, since this is also a moisturizer.

I usually use this product if I have special occasions to even-out my skin tone and cover blemishes. This product is very effective in evening-out skin tone, while on the other hand covering blemishes may need more than one layer of cream. The fact this product is a sunblock also makes it very perfect for guys who has a lot of activities in the morning and afternoon. The practicality of this product comes in as the moisturizer, so as soon as you wash your face, just use your toner and then apply this BB Cream gently and lightly on your face.

Overall this product is perfect for me because it is basically simple and practical. Remember that BB Cream is considered 'make-up' so remove the BB Cream after a long day and then wash your face. The price is quite expensive, I actually ask my friend to buy it for me in Singapore (it is available in Singapore) and I think it costs around $50.00, but I have estimated if this product does become available in Indonesia it will cost around Rp 800,000. Other LAB SERIES products are available at SOGO Plaza Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia.

CLINIQUE Men Anti-Fatigue Cooling Eye Gel (4.0/5.0)

This product is from CLINIQUE Men and this product I think it's quite average. This product is focused for men on-the-go or the busy/lazy/slackers kind of men, which once again is similar to me. Since I think this is similar to an 'eye cream' that has a cooling effect so I think this is perfect for guys who has a tendency to sleep late, wake up early and always have their eyes on the computer screen for no reason (work, social life or others that I am not concerned of).

This is my travelling buddy since it does give a fresh feel on the eye and eventually if we feel fresh we should look fresh (I think so LOL). We often fell asleep on the plane and we are awaken by an ugly and puffy eyes, but by using this product it does relieves some of the puffiness (this sounds very commercial but it's my personal opinion). Aside from that this product is also very handy.

This product is in the form of a tube and it has a roll-like lid (kind of like deodorant) that may exerts some of the content while we can easily apply it on our eyes. A lot of websites (reviews) say that the roll-like lid is very disturbing but I actually found it very useful and practical. This roll-like lid makes the product usable in every situation.

The product itself is actually in a liquid form that is quite thick but not as thick as cream. It is in a clear transparent color that doesn't really look like anything if we apply on our eyes. This is a plus since the transparent color actually allows us to use the 'eye cream' without anyone knowing it.

The big plus of this product is actually the cooling effect that it gives. The cooling effect is actually there (for me, because some people say that this product doesn't really help) and it does reduce the tiredness of the eyes. I personally think that this product is quite useless if our eyes are already really tired, because the best cure is actually sleep. This product is suppose to eliminate dark circles but I really don't see it because I do not really have dark circles and I do not use this product on a daily basis. This product is indeed fast in absorbing in the skin and this is very big plus for me.

Overall this product is average and I think this product is not a compulsory to have. This product is very helpful for travelling and late-night work. The price for this product is quite average, I bough this in Hong Kong for HK$ 300.00 which is around Rp 400,000 or more. Sadly this product is not available yet in Indonesia, but other CLINIQUE Men products are available in most SOGO department stores. 

Okay that is it for today's post and I hope all of you find today's post interesting or useful somehow. Thank you very much for reading until this point and I hope all of you are interested in keeping update with my blog. Have a great day everyone!

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Trattoria - Cucina Italiana

Hey guys I am so so sorry I haven't been updating in a very long time due to my very busy schedule (school). Today I am gonna share to you guys one of my favorite Italian Restaurant in Jakarta, to be exact in South of Jakarta (even though they have outlets in some other parts). This restaurant is called Trattoria, you guys might have known it already (aside from reading the title) but for those who do not know this restaurant make sure to visit this amazing place.

I would also like to welcome the month November, which is the second last month of the year. 2014 felt so fast and exciting at the same time, let's hope November will be a memorable and awesome month, all the best guys! Before I formally start this post I would like to say sorry for the poor quality of the picture, it is because I took it with my phone's camera not my DSLR camera. 

(the view from my table)

Anyway, I just visited Trattoria earlier today and they really managed to impress me from every aspect, service, food and ambiance. The Trattoria that I visited was the one in Pondok Indah, it is located in the Pondok Indah Golf Course Gallery and once you enter the place you can immediately see the restaurant.

Trattoria has this very cozy ambiance that is very chill and casual, it is a restaurant that has a coffee shop feel which is perfect for me. The place is decorated with a rustic set, with all of the wooden furniture and wine bottles set in a wooden wine-bottle shelf that fits perfectly beautiful. This rustic themed restaurant has a bit of a modern touch from the huge glass windows and concrete walls on the sides and the private room. Overall this restaurant's interior is very pleasing.

(Complementary bread)

Moving on to the soul of the restaurant, the food and drinks. We (my dad and I) ordered a very average amount of food. Mushroom soup, Spaghetti Aglio Olio and Cappellacci Di Zucca. Aside from that we got a complementary Italian style bread and baking goods, this was also really good. So far Trattoria has the best bread, because it tasted similar to the one in Italy and France (trust me the bread in Europe tastes way better). 

(Mushroom Soup)

The first food that came out was the Mushroom Soup and this was huge. Turns out the portion is for two people so we were in luck because we only ordered one. They gave us two smaller bowls and spoons for us to eat easier. My first spoon of the soup was absolutely wonderful, the best mushroom soup so far, not too salty and not too creamy. The composition is just about right, very light and rich at the same time. The soup was also filled with fresh mushroom that tasted so perfect. Of course I recommend you guys to try this wonderful soup.

(Cappellacci Di Zucca)

Moving on to the food that I ordered, which was the Cappellacci Di Zucca. This pasta is in the shape of a big ravioli and it is stuffed by pumpkin, then topped with cheese and truffle sauce. The first bite tasted like heaven, the texture and flavor was perfect. I can literally taste the pumpkin and the truffle sauce alongside the cheese. The flavor just balanced out very well, sweet and savory. I really recommend this dish if you guys like pumpkin and up to try for some fun flavors. 

(Spaghetti Aglio Olio)

The last dish for today would be the Spaghetti Aglio Olio. This came out a bit late but the waitress was really nice so we didn't mind at all. This was actually my dad's order but I tried it anyway (for you guys :3). The first bite was a bit disappointing because it kinda didn't taste like Aglio Olio and it seems to be missing some of the olive oil flavor or probably the garlic. It kinda needs a bit of salt also, but aside from that the smoked beef / ham kinda saved this dish and gave it a better flavor. This was really disappointing because overall the food was really good except this one, I really hope they can improve in making the Spaghetti Aglio Olio. 

The drinks in this restaurant was very average since I didn't order any of the wine, cocktails or mocktails. We just ordered tea and pineapple juice. I am a big fan of pineapple juice and I must say the one here tasted so fresh and original, it didn't taste too sweet or artificial.

To end this post I would like to conclude that Trattoria is surely one of the best Italian restaurant in Indonesia. Aside from the excellent food and ambiance, the price was also very reasonable, the total cost for all of the food above -plus a pizza that we ordered for take-outs- was about IDR 400,000. I would rate Trattoria a 4.5/5. 

That is currently it guys for today's post and hopefully you guys can find this information useful or anything. Thank you guys for reading until this point and hope all of you have a great month ahead and stay awesome!

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BIRTHDAY IDEAS: EDOGIN - HOTEL MULIA

Food is always the right answer for everything, so it is always best to celebrate special days (birthdays, anniversaries or any other) with special food also. You can never go wrong with spending your money on food, price equals quality, right? Anyway, if you guys are having any special day coming or probably you're visiting Jakarta make sure to check out Edogin at Hotel Mulia. Especially if you love Japanese food!

Edogin

Edogin is a Japanese restaurant that is located on the lower ground level of the Hotel Mulia. Hotel Mulia is located on Jl. Asia Afrika Senayan Jakarta, Mulia is very famous for their five-star service and food. All of the restaurants in Mulia are top restaurants which serves the best quality of food and the most delightful taste.

Edogin is one of those restaurants that is located inside Mulia, this makes Edogin one of the best Japanese restaurants in Jakarta, Indonesia. Edogin is considered a five-star restaurant so be prepared to spend a bit more than you usually do if you are planning to visit and make sure you are not wearing sandals on the day of the visit (Mulia Jakarta's policy).

Edogin is actually more to a Teppanyaki restaurant than a normal Japanese Ala-carte restaurant. Aside from serving Teppanyaki, Edogin also serves a variety of Japanese Buffet. Edogin is an All You Can Eat restaurant so you will automatically be satisfied and go home with a really full and happy stomach.

My visit to Edogin was actually to celebrate my Mom's birthday last week (literally last week, 12th of October). I actually had eaten in Edogin when I was small, but I of course I did not remember it. Surprisingly the place feels and looks a bit familiar for me, as if I have been there before. 

Edogin has a really warm and luxurious/fancy feel in the restaurant and plus the very nice Japanese Oriental theme makes it way better for the best dining experience. I personally love Japanese themed interiors. Edogin also speaks a bit of Modern Japanese interiors which is really interesting and beautiful.

Now moving on to the food, the food was absolutely amazing, starting from the assorted FRESH sushi and sashimi, all the deep fried tempura and even the desserts (which includes, mousse, pudding, jelly, fruits and even pastry). The main attraction was of course the Teppanyaki, Edogin has a lot to offer to you guys, starting from tenderloin, ribs, chicken, seafood, salmon, tuna, dory, vegetables and even rice (the rice will be cooked in a Teppanyaki style, kind of like a fried rice). I personally think the Teppanyaki is way better than the assorted Japanese buffet.

Assorted Sashimi

Assorted Sushi Rolls

Assorted Nigiri Sushi

Assorted Deep-fried Tempura

Assorted Mousse (Desserts)

Squid, Onion and Short Ribs Teppanyaki

My culinary adventure did not stop there, my mom requested a Banana Flambe which they will make in front of us! I was really excited in seeing the process and of course tasting it later on. The process was really fun and thrilling. The taste was so delightful! I literally became the happiest boy on earth after getting the FIRST bite, not the whole thing! It was really delicious and you can really taste the banana, the ice cream and the brandy, it was literally the best for me.

Another thing that was really fun was the Lychee Ice Tea that my mom ordered. The Lychee Ice Tea was really good and sweet (I love sweet food). What makes the Lychee Ice Tea so special was they blended the Lychee and served it in this very big glass!

Lychee Ice Tea

Overall I would definitely rate Edogin a five out of five (5/5) and the price for this really good food, service and ambiance is really worth the price. The cost for the four of us (me, my mom, my sister and my dad) was around 2 million rupiah. Another thing that need acknowledgement is their service, super nice waiters and chefs, like they are literally very friendly and full of smiles! This wraps up today's post and sorry for the really long post but I hope you guys find this useful and comment down below about Edogin. Thank you guys for reading this post! Have a great day!

Five-Star Service!

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COLOR CODE: BLACK [BLACK ESSENTIALS]

Hey guys! I am back once again and today as the title of today's post state, I am gonna post a Black colored essential for basically every season. I will be posting some more Color Code in the future hopefully. I have always wanted to do this kind of post because I really like having same colored objects around me. Anyways today's post will be about the color black and the things that will be covered today are basically fashion pieces. Let's just get started!

COLOR CODE: BLACK

Black is a must for everyone in the world whether you are interested in fashion or not. Black fashion pieces are compulsory because they basically go with everything and you can NEVER GO WRONG WITH BLACK. I honestly love dressing up using only the color black even if some of my friends say that I look dull or something but you just gotta be confident with your own style. Anyway since I am a big fan of the color black, I am gonna share some of my favorite Black Essentials.

1. Black Louis Vuitton Sandals

These are the best pair of sandals anyone (regardless of gender) can get. Surely not the most comfortable one on earth but the comfort level is above average. The really big plus is that the design of this sandal is really trendy and timeless. Honestly you can wear this to the beach (like I did) or you can wear it to the mall (like I did) or even for big fashion events (like I did also). I am not quite sure about the price since I got it from my dad as a gift, but in general Louis Vuitton footwear are above $300 so that explains enough. The fact that it is Louis Vuitton makes it way better (high satisfaction and feel good factor LOL).

2. Black Emporio Armani Leather Strap Watch

This watch is literally an essential for everyone, not my top Black Essential but surely the most functional and fashionable one. This watch goes well with everything! (except for swimming or exercising, the watch is water proof but the strap is leather so extra care is needed) The fact that it has leather strap made it way more comfortable and cool for the wrist. I personally use this watch for semi-formal to formal attire but this watch goes well with casual outfit also. The crocodile embossed leather gave an exclusivity and luxurious feel towards the user of the watch. Surprisingly this watch is very affordable for something from Emporio Armani, it costed me HK$3,000 (about $300). That is why this watch is an all time favorite of mine.

3. Little Black Book from Black Book Jakarta

Looks like Moleskin has a competitor in their field of business. This Little Black Book (LBB) is actually not so little and it is indeed very convenient. The most attractive part of this book is the sentence/phrase that they put on the cover, it is simply beautiful. This book has elegant, smart and sophistication written all over it, that is why I really love it. The fact that the paper in this book are blank paper, you can write and sketch in the book without hesitation. I am currently using this LBB as a journal for school and important activities. This is quite pricey for a normal book but if you guys are interested in collecting books, this LBB will surely please you. The price is about $10 for the normal one (picture above). The biggest plus for LBB is that it is a local product! Black Book Jakarta

4. Carven Black Document Holder

I am pretty sure you guys have seen this item on my previous posts (the one about Hong Kong). This document holder is just really cute and stylish, the fact that it is black and not leather makes it super easy to take care of. Carven is one of my favorite brand in the world of fashion, they never fail to impress me. This document holder was actually a collaboration between Carven and Delfonics. The most attractive part of this document holder is that the shape is very consistent and the material is very durable. The price is surprisingly very very very cheap, I got this for HK$500 (about $50!). This item surely is an essential since it is very affordable and durable it also matches with a lot of outfit.

Well unfortunately that is it guys for today's post I hope you guys like and found this useful or interesting. Anyway I will try to continue posting Color Code and I will also try to improve in my writing and content organizing. Thank you guys so much for reading until this point! Hope you guys have an awesome day and stay stylish!

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