Resting Along the Year

Alright, we know that we have Christmas in the edge of every year and New Year’s Eve in the end, also in the beginning of the years. Christmas and New Year Eve have only 5 days interval and this makes a global holiday. No one wants to miss the great moment, right?

This world-scale big moment attracts people to have themselves happy. The first primary thing makes people happy will be food and beverages. These commodities must be special and symbolic because those must be given in special days, too. As we seen, those like chocolates and sodas are primaries as their symbols as love, happiness, and friendships. We can’t forget beers and alcohols (also vodka, wine, and other alcohol beverages that contain high alcohol rates).

Who would miss great moments like spending the New Year’s Eve by going out with friends? Even when we went out with our friends, who would refuse a couple bottles of beer as year’s transition celebration? When beers weren’t enough, no one would stronger to refuse a bottle of vodka. Well, get drunk, fallen down asleep somewhere, and got awake in different year, or maybe decade, or century, or maybe a different millennium? Got drunk in 1999 and woke up at year 2000, fallen asleep for a millennium.

Or maybe some people would spend the special moment with their special friend (couple, RED). Get rest on the bed, sharing each other’s warmth, perhaps. Of course the both (unless if they were threesome) would fallen asleep together and a same story would happen like mentioned in previous paragraph.

By the way, we’re free to celebrate our special time with anyone and anyway. Happy New Year!

-Coffee and Us

Year Closing with Toraja Robusta and Kenner

It was Saturday afternoon in the end of December 2012, Tito came to my house. We made an appointment in the previous day. In the following day we brew a glass of Toraja Robusta and made a review about it. Not only that, he brought a box of cigarettes, the brand was Kenner – I read it mentioned on its box. We took some pictures of it – together with the coffee – and posted several articles. These are the reviews he wrote…

Toraja Robusta

At first I opened the coffee, it was smelled quite strong, and I guessed it contained high acid. Then when we brew it with proportion of 200ml hot water and 2tbl spoon coffee. First of all it smelled schorchy but not too hard, the color is black brownish, it lost its ‘acid-smell’ and it surprised me. When I sipped it, I could not really feel the sour taste of the coffee, but it is so bitter untill end of your toungue, it was a little strong but light coffee. Approaching the dregs, the sour taste got a little increase, but still light. I recommended this coffee for you who loves strong coffee that contained less acid.

Kenner cigarette

I brought a cigar, just a local Central Java’s cigar, Kenner king extra. It was made in Temanggung, I just got it as a souvenir from my friend. At the shaped, I couldn’t identify which is corona, petite corona, panatela or what. It is their own shape, but totally it is unique, it had been cut, silky and light brown. First third, the taste was light, I think it is Indonesian’s taste. I couldn’t feel any sensation at this part. At the second third, I still felt that it is so light, I started to feel the very light tobacco taste, and the nutty after taste. But I think it was too light, I couldn’t find any surprising taste again. At the last part, I still felt the same taste. There is no more sensation. But it didn’t change became spicy at the last inch. I recommended not to buy a lot of this cigar, maybe you can try one or two of this cigar, you will feel bored if you grab it too many. The after taste was easy to get lost, it left on your tongue only 15 minute.

But I totally enjoyed it, the coffee, the cigar and our chat. It feels homy, comfortable.

Coffee and Cigar review by Tito

Photographs and Introduction by Gerry

Once Upon A Night with Martabak

        Night at Jogja, Jogja’s night life is very beautiful and just like never end. You will always find friendly people here, they always have story to be told to everybody anywhere. Don’t ask why if sometime, people make a chat with you somewhere no matter you know them or not. People are very friendly here, moreover  in the night life, it will give a diffrent atmosphere here.

        Some nights we were very bored with our daily activities, then we decide to enjoy the night. We went out with no destination, just let where your feeling bring you to. When we passed Gembira Loka zoo, we were attracted with a little stand in the street and it was written “martabak Malabar Abah Pi’i” (Abah have same meaning with daddy, father, or mister). We decided to take a rest there. Martabak is a food originally from indian, but now, it’s popular also in Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore. In Malaysia, they serve it with teh tarik. Martabak is food which contain egg, garlic, minced mutton and onion. People who sell martabak ussually sell also martabak manis (sweet martabak)/ terang bulan (java)/apam balik (malay). Martabak manis is a food like pancake with a big fold, usually, it is filled with chocolate, nut, cheese, or banana. We chose to order martabak manis with choconut.We also watched how the chef made the martabak manis. It was very unique, they chef always make the pan move like a circle. He also moved the pan up and down. Only took 15minutes to serve it.

        First of all we looked nothing interesting except the shape that more wide and slighter. When we took it, we felt that it was very puffy and so soft, when we ate it, we felt the diffrent, it was very smooth martabak manis that I have ever tasted. It is creamy and the mixture was very excellent. The chocolate melted in your mouth and so did the martabak manis, with the touch of crispy nut. It was unforgetable taste in my mouth. It didn’t stop here, the owner, Abah Pi’i was very friendly. We never chat or talk to him before, but he came and made a chat with us. Just love what we talked, it gave us diffrent atmosphere. It made the martabak manis more tasty for us. He told us that he use the family recipe, his grand parents were indian. They came to Indonesia and they started to sell martabak, and now, Abah Pi’i is the third generation. He still use also the steps to cook from their grand parents.

        We spent about two hours here just to enjoy the martabak manis  and chat with Abah Pi’i. We cut the chat and went home. We really recomend you to taste the martabak and martabak manis here, it’s 20 meters east of GembiraLoka Zoo. It is also cheap we spend only IDR 11.000 for a choconut martabak manis. Don’t forget also to take away for your family.

Angkringan

When you found yourself walking on the street of Central Java and Yogyakarta province, we will find drays or wagons with variety of foods on it. We can find long seats and plastic tarpaulin that covers the upside of the dray. That’s what we’ll see. Anyway, what is angkringan?

        Angkringan is based on a Javanese word, angkring, which means sitting. We can recognize it with the long benches arranged around the wagon. Usually it has plastic tarpaulin covering its top. It is fit 6 - 8 people sitting in it.

        Going into the menu, there are variants of food and drinks offered there. The food is like nasi kucing (rice and the side dish in very small portion, like cat portion), crackers, tea, hot milk, ginger, of course coffee, and many other traditional foods. Everything is offered by very reasonable price.

        Angkringan is one of many cultures in Java. Angkringan has became a culture because it unites all people in stratifications into its atmosphere. All people from every ages, profession, and classes are welcomed there. We can buy things there in cheap price. People are freely talk and chat about anything, in really warm and friendly atmosphere. This atmosphere is actually the true culture, togetherness.

In Yogyakarta, angkringan usually become crowded in 6-7 p.m, at Indonesian’s dinning time. Angkringan usually open in 5 p.m untill 2 a.m and even until early morning. People spend almost 1 hour or more in angkringan. Angkringan owner shall be friendly to get more comers, they will enjoy the food, the kretek cigarettes, and the Javanese friendly atmosphere. Quite deep huh?