The Most Delicious Food
Dear readers, I think most of you will acknowledge that food always bring you memory. Do you agree to say that our mother's cooking is the most delicious food we ever had? It may has the same ingredient for fried banana but somehow our mom's fried banana is the best hahaha.
As a young adult who work outside my hometown and rarely at home, Mother's cooking is something that I will be missed. My mother's cook always take me to my childhood flashback. Moreover, when I was ill, Mother's cooks always bring my appetite to eat. We called it as the comfort food. To read more about comfort foods, you may read this.
The Memory of Foods
Food always correlate us to our memory. These memory not only limited in place, but also with whom, and within special occasion we might eat. Sometimes, when you have birthday and want to celebrate something, you might say, "Lets eat.", or "Lets go to restaurant." Moreover, eating become an activity done to commemorate frequent important occasions. We celebrate our achievement and cherish our precious moment through eating.
In spite of that, when we discussed what my favourite restaurant are, I thought the good time I've spent with good people while eating these tasty food in the restaurants. Moreover, there are always additional interesting stories in each restaurant I appointed. Here we go...
1. Bebek Sinjay
2012
Madura, East Java Province
Jl. Raya ketengan 45 Burneh, Bangkalan, Madura Island, Indonesia.
The Food
What's more to say?! The best bebek (duck) in Indonesia! Their sambals are crazy! They use this fusion sambal with additional mango where I could not find in another part of Indonesia. I even forget how many times I visited the place. Whenever you visit Madura, Bebek Sinjay is a must.
The Story and With Whom
I became a regular visit to Bebek Sinjay was when I lived and worked in Surabaya. Whenever I had friends to visit me in Surabaya, I always promote the restaurant to them. The tour would be : went to Suramadu Bridge, and continued to Madura island using public transportation. Hahaha, I terribly missed Bebek Sinjay!
What's more to say?! The best bebek (duck) in Indonesia! Their sambals are crazy! They use this fusion sambal with additional mango where I could not find in another part of Indonesia. I even forget how many times I visited the place. Whenever you visit Madura, Bebek Sinjay is a must.
The Story and With Whom
I became a regular visit to Bebek Sinjay was when I lived and worked in Surabaya. Whenever I had friends to visit me in Surabaya, I always promote the restaurant to them. The tour would be : went to Suramadu Bridge, and continued to Madura island using public transportation. Hahaha, I terribly missed Bebek Sinjay!
2. Sichuan Hotpot Restaurant
2013
Beijing, Beijing Municipality, People's Republic of China
The Food
It's Sichuan (Province) style home-cooking with a hot pot. Just boiled everything we had on the plate and the boils water was separated into two. One side was for the ordinary boils water, the other added more red chili and spices. It's tasted great but the story behind this picture even more impressive for me.
The Story and With Whom
I had my solo backpacker adventure in China for 55 days and I was the 'bule" (Waigou ren) for them hahaha. On that day, I passed this full of people queuing nearby Hutong area in Beijing. I looked around and I found out, this's a hot hotpot restaurant! There were many people queuing in front of the restaurant while eating sunflower seeds. The foods there should be delightful if there were had so many visitors.
So that, I asked a help from the waitress (she stood behind me), her name is Ji Yi. Actually Ji Yi could not speak English very well but she was trying very hard to understand what I needed. I told her, I really wished to have lunch there but since I came alone, could I join with other visitor?
Broken English by Ji Yi (She is a Mongolian btw), blind at all in Chinese by me, with a mixture of Tarzan language, in a way we had mutual understanding hahahaha. Ji Yi helped me by asking whether I could wait with a bunch of girls who were queuing in front of the restaurant.
Thanks God they were not afraid to have lunch together with this stranger hahaha. Moreover, we were able to had a pleasant meals and exchanged knowledge about our culture. More surprising, these new friends are so kindhearted. They refused to let me pay my share. They said I was their guest.
Thank you so much Ji Yi, and my new friends from Beijing. This was one of best memory I had while traveling :)
3. Hometown Westlake Garden Restaurant
2015
Hangzhou, Zhe Jiang Province, People's Republic of China
The Food
This is a lavish restaurant with a prime location just in front of the well known West Lake. They provide you a bilingual book menu with waiter and waitress who understand basic English. This restaurant ambiance is so serene. Having a hot tea while sitting in front of the calm West Lake would not hurt your pocket :p
The Story and With Whom
It was raining when I visited The West Lake. The first reason I came inside the restaurant was for hiding from the rain hahaha. However, the first time I stepped my feet inside the restaurant, I felt this restaurant atmosphere was so reserved. It was tranquil.
I decided to have a glass of hot tea and astonished to see how strategic the restaurant is, perfectly located in front of The West Lake. I sat and enjoyed my lovely hot tea even tough I had these monkey mind jumped around, hahaha. I imagined how Bai Zhu San (White Snake) and Shen Ling (Shelin) met first time in The West Lake. How blessed I was to be able to have this second trip to China to fulfill my promise to myself.
4. Waanal
2018
Timika, Papua Province
Timika, Papua Province
Jl. Cendrawasih, Karang Senang, Kuala Kencana, Kabupaten Mimika, Papua 99910
The Food
Apparently, Waanal is the one of best restaurant in Timika, Mimika Regency. They provide various menu selections with decent servings. As you may see the picture above, this is how they serve Papeda (bubur sagu/sagoo congee). It looks good and tastes good also.
Moreover, Waanal provide a band set on a small stage, and they usually invite a local band to perform on weekend. Worth to visit if you stay in Timika for a while :)
The Story and With Whom
I was frequent visitor of Waanal and never get bored. Waanal is a very good place in Timika to hang out with your friends. Moreover, this place become special for me because of the memory I have. My mother ate her first papeda in Waanal when she visited me in Timika. She enjoyed the her first papeda experience very much. Thank you Waanal :)
5. Tre Cipolle
2018
Batam, Riau Islands Province
Batam, Riau Islands Province
The Food
It was so pleasant! This picture is the medium sized of Pizza Mozzarella. You can mix 2 flavours in it, where we ordered the pepperoni and mozzarella in the same one pan.
The Story and With Whom
This was first time I ate 'proper' pizza after working in Timika, Papua Province for (almost) 5 years. It was a time of revelation where I realised, Batam is where I belong now. Before, I think a lot about how dearly I missed Papua. When I saw and tasted how exquisite this pizza was, I understand that God prepared something GREAT for me. God moved me to Batam for a reason and I have to put the faith on it.
Thank you Ms C for inviting me to have dinner. She was able to convince me to broke my diet hahahaha.
Open Your Table to Others
Eating alone can be efficient, fast, and enjoyable. However, it is also OK to open your table to others. Why not? In my opinion having chit chat with a real person is more fun and interesting than busy playing gadget with yourself.
Moreover, next time while you are eating, please put your gadget aside. Share stories, build connection with the person who accompany you to eat, create valuable memories to have, treasured them well.
Surely, memories of food is powerful to retreat us to nostalgic old time and missed our funny and meaningful friendship we have.
Batam, 26 November 2018.
It was so pleasant! This picture is the medium sized of Pizza Mozzarella. You can mix 2 flavours in it, where we ordered the pepperoni and mozzarella in the same one pan.
The Story and With Whom
This was first time I ate 'proper' pizza after working in Timika, Papua Province for (almost) 5 years. It was a time of revelation where I realised, Batam is where I belong now. Before, I think a lot about how dearly I missed Papua. When I saw and tasted how exquisite this pizza was, I understand that God prepared something GREAT for me. God moved me to Batam for a reason and I have to put the faith on it.
Thank you Ms C for inviting me to have dinner. She was able to convince me to broke my diet hahahaha.
Open Your Table to Others
Eating alone can be efficient, fast, and enjoyable. However, it is also OK to open your table to others. Why not? In my opinion having chit chat with a real person is more fun and interesting than busy playing gadget with yourself.
Moreover, next time while you are eating, please put your gadget aside. Share stories, build connection with the person who accompany you to eat, create valuable memories to have, treasured them well.
Surely, memories of food is powerful to retreat us to nostalgic old time and missed our funny and meaningful friendship we have.
Batam, 26 November 2018.
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