THE ABC OF BANDUNG: Aroma Coffee, Batagor & Ciwalk!

By: Andri Suryo

Get ready to explore one of Indonesia’s most bustling cities: Bandung! Bandung is the capital city of west Java, the Indonesian answer to Paris or as we like to call it ‘Parijs Van Java!’

Bandung is not the most tourist friendly city out there, as public transport is hard to figure out and information and facilities are haphazard to say the least. Yet, there is plenty to explore. If you're in Bandung for just a day, nothing beats these fundamental principles of Bandung, THE ABC OF BANDUNG!

The Sweetest Thing About Cambodia

By: Tommy Boukhris

Nothing says welcome quite like Cambodia does. From her friendly people, rich heritage and delicious food, to her fertile land and visually stunning landscapes that evoke comments of awe, Cambodia is a place of welcome and majesty that to this day inspires the imaginationof all who travel or live in the Kingdom of Wonder.

Fortunately for anyone who is interested in learning about Cambodia there is no shortage of good material to enrich the learning experience. Books about ancient Khmer history, Angkor Wat, Cambodian culture, the excitement of Phnom Penh, the incredibly beautiful land and peaceful beaches, how to plan a move to Cambodia, traditional Khmer dessert recipes… Khmer desserts? Yes, there is now a Khmer dessert cookbook thanks to an English expat who lives in Cambodia. Gabrielle (Gabi) Yetter (pictured) is a writer who authored the first and only Khmer dessert cookbook, published this month. At the same time, she produced an ebook, entitled The Definitive Guide to Moving to Cambodia, a comprehensive and entertaining resource for anyone thinking about or planning a move to Cambodia.

Bali’s Galungan food

By: Mila Shwaiko

I was born on the day before Galungan, the most important religious festival in the Balinese calendar, which marks the ten-day period when deified ancestors descend to inhabit their former homes. I’ve always had a love for, and strong attachment, to food— especially Balinese food. This is something that everyone in the compound where I grew up knows and delights in teasing me about.

According to Gung Rai—a close neighbour who has known me since my birth and who has never treated me as anything but another of her own children—it’s pantas (only right) that I’m this way. “It’s fitting that a child whose oton [ceremony held 210 days after a child’s birth and marked every 210 days thereafter] is on Penampahan Galungan loves food so much, because it’s the day when it all gets prepared and cooked,” she says.

Frankly, I think my passion for Balinese food has little to do with the day of my birth and everything to do with Gung Rai’s cooking. I used to get up each day at about 6am and go straight to her kitchen. It was a dark, warm space, with bamboo and rattan workbenches, dominated by a large mud-brick fireplace. Every surface near the fire was covered in a fine layer of soot, even the masses of cobwebs high in the rafters. By this time of the day, she’d already have been to market and be half way though preparing the day’s meal. She would give me a plate of freshly steamed rice for breakfast as I sat and watched her at work.

The food would be cooked in big, soot-blackened pots, balanced on the top of the fireplace. I’d poke the embers and feed the new fire with coconut husks. I loved to make the flames flare up and the sparks jump; I probably made a complete nuisance out of myself, but she never minded or paid me any negative attention. In later years, the packed dirt floor was replaced with white shiny tiles; a fridge appeared and the wood fire was replaced by a gas stove. But the family made a unanimous decision that the food didn’t taste nearly as good as it had before, so a new fireplace was built in the empty space behind the old one. The shiny new kitchen seems to get used less each year.

Bali’s Sashimi Tuna Journey to the World’s Biggest Fish Market

Five local Indonesian wooden longline vessels enter Benoa harbour within the space of two hours. They have been fishing for yellowfin and bigeye tuna in the Indian Ocean for the past week and will offload today to a simple processing facility beside the quay, TFK, for export overnight to Tokyo, Japan. It is the third day of the New Year, and the world’s biggest fish market, the Tsukiji wholesale market in Tokyo, Japan, will open again on Saturday, 5th of January 2013, two days time. The captain and crew of the boat know that this is jackpotday, the day the highest price will be paid for a bluefin tuna, and are hoping that their fish will also get a good price. And their surprise catch of this trip is a 150 kg Southern Bluefin tuna which, given its size, will have a high fat content and so be very valuable.

Kopi Luwak: What Happens When Bum-Nuggets Become Gold-Nuggets?

By: Daniel J. Newcomer, first published in Bali Expat

There’s nothing like a nice and warm cup of excrement in the morning to really get the day going strong is there? With the aroma, the flavour, and the low acidic content, just thinking of my morning cup of bum-nuggets makes all my endorphins dance crazier than a jazz trumpet king high on benzos. Although this is quite the dramatic overstatement, it seems to make sense in the world of Kopi Luwak, or as some people like to call it – “poop coffee”. With prices on the international market varying between $100-$600 for every kilogram, Kopi Luwak is easily the world’s most expensive, and most luxurious coffee; which is all thanks to one adorable little animal and the contents of its digestive system.

A Gado-Gado Recipe while Dreaming about a Mansion

By: Jacobus E. Lato

Gado-Gado is an Indonesian vegetable dish served with peanut sauce on top. It is often sold and enjoyed on the street. One night, several months ago, one of my friends told me a story while we were passing an up-and-coming area in Surabaya. “Jack, do you see that big house over there.” I looked towards the pointed direction. “It is owned by a gado-gado seller, who used to sell his food near the front yard of the house before. But now he is the owner of the house.”

I remembered vividly coming here with friends several years ago, patiently waiting in line to savor the seller’s excellent gado-gado. Hundreds of customers must have thought the same thing, because now the owner, Markus Maturo, hasn’t only bought this mansion, but also currently leads 6 automotive factories! If a similar from rags to riches experience awaits you after making gado-gado remains to be seen, but one thing for sure: Gado-Gado is a healthy, crunchy and delicious dish any time of day!

A Malaysian Christmas Spread: Green Apple Chutney

By: Erna Dyanty

Every year in December, the streets will be covered with shades of red, green and white. Everything seems warmer even when you’re in the cold. Kids come up with a wish list, dad’s figuring out the wiring for the lights and mom is listing out her shopping list for the kitchen. Christmas is that time of the year where everyone comes together under the tree for presents and at the dining table for a major end of the year feast.

While some of you may sit at home, dreaming of a white Christmas and a huge Turkey, we Malaysians wait for a sunny holiday and a feast with a spread of local goodness. Christmas in Malaysia, like any other festive season is celebrated by everyone! Whether you’re a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or Atheist, we come together and just celebrate the year with thanks, a feast and of course the presents.

Tongseng Kambing: Spicy Goat in a Smooth but Fiery Curry

By: Aisah Wolfard

Tongseng Kambing is best enjoyed in the rainy season especially in the evening. Tongseng includes a lot of indonesian herbs and spices, giving this dish a lot of flavor. Kambing is the Indonesian word for goat. Many men in Indonesia believe eating kambing will give them more power and energy (yes, also between the sheets;-).

Regardless of any benefits to masculinity, Tongseng Kambing is a smooth but fiery dish that will appease any rumbling stomach. The coconut milk makes it creamy, while the spice paste adds heat, an irresistible dish altogether. Cooking tongseng kambing is easier than it seems, once you have all the ingredients, so let’s give it a try.

You can replace the goat with mutton or even beef if desired.

Baso Recipe: Indonesian Soup with Meatballs the Size of Tennisballs!

By: Aisah Wolfard

One of the most popular streetfood dishes is baso. When the baso seller walks through the neighborhood, people flock to his stall to order a spicy broth filled with a variety of meatballs. The baso meatballs come in all shapes and sizes. The original meatballs were the size of ping pong balls, but due to popular demand they now sometimes come as big as tennisballs.

Best of all, baso is easy to make and instantly gratifying! This baso recipe teaches you how to make the meatballs and the broth. Spice things up with diced spring onion, bawang goreng (fried onions), sambal, soy sauce and so on!

Filipino meals: Isa pa (One more), please!

By: Joan Mae Soco-Bantayan

Filipinos are food lovers! They take regular meals thrice a day; one in the morning (around 8:00 am), another at noon (12:00 nn), and one more for dinner. Aside from that, they have in-between meals and snacks which they call merienda. The country’s staple food is rice, so expect having rice every meal if you plan to dine in local style.

So, if you’re on the road to Philippines, be sure to open your palette and get ready for a gastronomic romance with the country.