My Residence ONFIVE at Grand Hyatt Jakarta

Residence ONFIVE  

Grand Hyatt Hotel

5th Floor 

Jl. MH. Thamrin Kav. 28 – 30, 

Jakarta

Astrid Amalia at Residence ONFIVE

The moon and the stars in the sky.
The walls that touch the sky.
The yellow of the lights.
The beach of people.
The sea of wine and cocktail.
The ocean of food and sweets.

Can you feel the love that I feel that night?

The visit to Residence ONFIVE changes my perspective about Grand Hyatt Hotel Jakarta. The hotel is not just a hotel anymore. It becomes a perfect place to getaway the way I make my getaway to Bali.

Let me tell you the story.

I come to the Relaunch Party of Residence ONFIVE at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta in the late afternoon. It is located on the fifth floor of the hotel. 

Garden at Residence ONFIVE

When I arrive at the front yard, the very friendly staffs in the residence welcome me with their big smile that makes me feel so warm. So warm like home. 

When I walk to the Residence ONFIVE, I have to pass a big beautiful garden around the residence. As I look at the garden, I ask myself: "Where am I? Jakarta or Bali? In the city or at the beach?"

Swimming Pool at Residence ONFIVE

Oh, the garden is so beautiful! The green grass, trees, and swimming pool cool me down. How can this beautiful garden be on the fifth floor of this hotel? Dang! This is amazing! 

Terrace at Residence ONFIVE

After passing the beautiful garden, I climb up through the elevated terraces before I enter the residence. These terraces are so wonderful! Again, I feel like standing in some beautiful places in Seminyak and Nusa Dua, my favorite places in Bali - a city where I call home. 

I can see the beautiful sunset that day from the terraces. Orange sky with golden sunset. I love this feeling!

Living Room at Residence ONFIVE

Inside the Residence ONFIVE, I take a glass of red wine and walk around the residence. A friendly staff from the Grand Hyatt Jakarta takes me around the residence. She explains that previously the name of the premises was ONFIVE. It was officially opened in 2008. Recently in 2015, the Grand Hyatt Jakarta re-launches “ONFIVE” as "Residence ONFIVE”.
As I look around the Residence ONFIVE, I can feel that it is a perfect place for high-level business meetings, events and functions. The concept is clear that it is a residential-style multi-functional event facility in the city.

Sitting Dinner time at Residence ONFIVE

Just like their smile, the Residence ONFIVE feels like home. It is a very big home at the rooftop of the Grand Hyatt Jakarta that has a beautiful swimming pool, Balinese gardens, four modern meeting rooms with natural daylight, a communal area with a show kitchen where coffee breaks and meals are freshly prepared, a living room, two multipurpose cabanas and four terraces.

Meeting Room at Residence ONFIVE 

Drinking Corner at Residence ONFIVE

The Residence ONFIVE is so big that I can feel that the number of guests that night is around 500 to 800 guests. So many people, so many food, so many drinks, so many smiles!

Indian Food at Residence ONFIVE

Peking Duck Corner At Residence ONFIVE

Fruit Corner at Residence ONFIVE

I am sure that the never ending food and beverages at the event of Residence ONFIVE are from the most yummiest dining places at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta. The hotel has Indonesian fare and international cuisine at Grand Café, al fresco dining at Seafood Terrace, traditional Japanese dining experience at Sumire, freshest seafood and prime cut steak cuisines at C’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant, and great drinks at Fountain Lounge and Burgundy.
If I am greedy enough, I can just book an event in Residence ONFIVE and order food and beverages from all of the dining spots in the hotel. Isn't it nice?

Sashimi and Sushi Corner at Residence ONFIVE

Dessert Corner ar Residence ONFIVE

That night, while I enjoy all the delicious food and beverages they serve, I can enjoy the beautiful view of Jakarta at night from the terrace. The jungle of luxurious residential and office towers that touch the night sky look so pretty with thousand lights around them. 

Jakarta at night from Residence ONFIVE

Did I say about the sunset at the Residence ONFIVE? Yep, I see it, but I don't have the chance to take the picture of it. Why? It is for a silly thing. I am busy polishing my nails. Wait! Polishing nails? In the Residence ONFIVE? Oh yeah, the residence provides a fun service to polish the guests' nail that night. But it is only for that night to cheer up the party :-)

Nail Art Corner at Residence ONFIVE

My Fuchsia Nails

I pick Fuchsia as the color for my nails. That night, I am the lucky girl at the Nail Art Corner, because I choose the most beautiful and expensive color that the corner has. And I am the only one that get the color. Oh what a night :-D    

Thank you, Residence ONFIVE and Melda Lazuardi from Luz Bello 3D Nail Art, for making me feel so beautiful and special :-))

The night is fun too, because the event at Residence ONFIVE invites a magician who fools the guests and teases the children. The magician steals a guest's watch without him knowing it, plays around with cards, and puts a mobile phone into a ballon. Crazy! LOL! 

The phone and ballon are still separated

The Magician and Gina Desmeralda from the Grand Hyatt
with the phone inside the ballon!

The nail polishing and the magician things show me that Residence ONFIVE is good for both official and fun events.    

With Gina Desmeralda from Grand Hyatt Jakarta, Dave Graciano the Wine Expert,
Petty Elliott the Chef, Burhan Abe from MALE Magazine
at Residence ONFIVE

An important note that I get from the event is that the food and drinks are still available until late at night. Some guests tell me that Grand Hyatt Jakarta is always being generous in delivering food and beverages at its event. Cool! Good job, Grand Hyatt Jakarta!

The sexy night is closed with a glass of red wine surrounded by old friends and new friends. What a lovely moment at my Residence ONFIVE!
Mine? Yes, I can always dream about it :-D

Home sweet home, everyone :-)

Cocktail Time at Residence ONFIVE

Sake Time at Residence ONFIVE

Residence ONFIVE

Buku Tetap Sehat dengan Yoga

Buku Tetap Sehat dengan Yoga
yang ditulis oleh Astrid Amalia

Saya merasa senang dapat membagikan kecintaan saya terhadap yoga, sebuah latihan dan olah tubuh dan pikiran yang telah saya tekuni sebagai hobi sejak tahun 2007 dan sebagai pekerjaan sejak tahun 2012, dengan menulis dan membuat buku tentang yoga tersebut. Judul buku yoga saya adalah "Tetap Sehat dengan Yoga, sebuah latihan yoga untuk mengatasi masalah siklus bulanan, hamil dan pascamelahirkan". 

Buku Tetap Sehat dengan Yoga ini saya persembahkan untuk para praktisi yoga, baik para pelaku maupun para pengajar, terutama untuk perempuan, namun bisa juga diperuntukkan bagi laki-laki. Buku yoga ini juga saya persembahkan untuk siapa pun yang ingin selalu merasa bugar dan sehat. 

Buku Tetap Sehat dengan Yoga ini membahas mengenai hal-hal yang dialami perempuan, seperti rasa sakit, nyeri, kram, rasa tidak nyaman dan juga hormon yang turun naik tidak terkendali pada siklus bulanan; dan terjadinya banyak perubahan, baik fisik maupun hormonal, yang dapat mengganggu aktivitas harian pada saat hamil.

Yoga adalah salah satu solusi alami yang efektif bagi para perempuan untuk menghadapi segala keluhan dalam siklus tubuhnya. Dalam buku Tetap Sehat dengan Yoga ini, saya memberikan solusi untuk mengatasi masalah-masalah tersebut dengan berbagai latihan yoga terbaik, yang dapat membantu Anda mengatasi segala macam serangan saat periode bulanan maupun saat hamil. Dengan latihan yoga yang teratur, Anda dapat mengucapkan selamat tinggal pada berbagai macam masalah tersebut. 

Hal-hal yang saya bahas di dalam buku Tetap Sehat dengan Yoga adalah:

• Yoga untuk menghadapi masa pra-menstrual syndrome
• Yoga untuk menghadapi keluhan-keluhan saat masa menstruasi
• Yoga untuk menghadapi keluhan-keluhan pasca masa menstruasi
• Yoga saat hamil trimester pertama
• Yoga saat hamil trimester kedua
• Yoga saat hamil trimester ketiga
• Yoga setelah melahirkan

Buku Tetap Sehat dengan Yoga ini dapat Anda beli di toko-toko buku terdekat. Anda dapat melihat daftar toko buku biasa dan toko buku online yang menjual buku yoga ini di: http://astridamalia.blogspot.co.id/2015/10/daftar-toko-buku-dan-daerah-yang.html.

Buku Tetap Sehat dengan Yoga ini dapat terbit berkat kerjasama dengan Penerbit Buku Panda Media (http://www.pandamedia.co.id/kesehatan/tetap-sehat-dengan-yoga-detail).

Selamat membaca! Semoga buku Tetap Sehat dengan Yoga ini dapat membantu Anda dan orang-orang disekitar Anda yang Anda kasihi. 

Saya ucakan terima kasih sebelumnya bagi Anda yang telah membeli buku Tetap Sehat dengan Yoga ini.

Namaste!

---------------------------

Keterangan tentang Buku Tetap Sehat dengan Yoga:

• Penerbit: Panda Media
• ISBN: 9789797808365
• Berat: 0.26 kg
• Supplier: PT Trans Media Pustaka 
• Tanggal Terbit: 19 Oktober 2015
• Lebar: 15
• Panjang: 27
• Tebal: 1
• Halaman: 182
• Bahasa: Indonesia 
• Tipe Jilid: Soft Cover 

Daftar Toko Buku dan Daerah yang Menjual Buku "Tetap Sehat dengan Yoga"

Buku Tetap Sehat dengan Yoga yang ditulis oleh Astrid Amalia

Bagi yang ingin membeli buku yoga saya "Tetap Sehat dengan Yoga", di bawah ini adalah daftar toko buku dan daerah yang menjual buku tersebut:


TOKO BUKU BIASA: 

1	BANDUNG FESTIVAL	BANDUNG
2	GRAMEDIA BANDUNG ISTANA PLASA	BANDUNG
3	GRAMEDIA BANDUNG MERDEKA	BANDUNG
4	GRAMEDIA BANDUNG PARIS VAN JAVA	BANDUNG
5	GRAMEDIA BANDUNG SUPERMAL	BANDUNG
6	GRAMEDIA CIREBON	BANDUNG
7	GRAMEDIA TASIKMALAYA	BANDUNG
1	GRAMEDIA ARTHA GADING	JAKARTA
2	GRAMEDIA BALEKOTA TANGERANG	JAKARTA
3	GRAMEDIA BINTARO	JAKARTA
4	GRAMEDIA BOGOR PADJAJARAN	JAKARTA
5	GRAMEDIA BOTANI SQUARE	JAKARTA
6	GRAMEDIA CENTRAL PARK	JAKARTA
7	GRAMEDIA CINERE	JAKARTA
8	GRAMEDIA DAAN MOGOT	JAKARTA
9	GRAMEDIA DEPOK	JAKARTA
10	GRAMEDIA EMPORIUM PLUIT	JAKARTA
11	GRAMEDIA GAJAH MADA	JAKARTA
12	GRAMEDIA GANDARIA	JAKARTA
13	GRAMEDIA GRAND INDONESIA	JAKARTA
14	GRAMEDIA KARAWACI	JAKARTA
15	GRAMEDIA KELAPA GADING	JAKARTA
16	GRAMEDIA MAL CIJANTUNG	JAKARTA
17	GRAMEDIA MAL CIPUTRA/CITRALAND	JAKARTA
18	GRAMEDIA MAL GADING SERPONG	JAKARTA
19	GRAMEDIA MAL METROPOLITAN BEKASI	JAKARTA
20	GRAMEDIA MAL OF INDONESIA	JAKARTA
21	GRAMEDIA MAL TAMAN ANGGREK	JAKARTA
22	GRAMEDIA MATRAMAN	JAKARTA
23	GRAMEDIA PEJATEN VILLAGE	JAKARTA
24	GRAMEDIA PINTU AIR	JAKARTA
25	GRAMEDIA PLUIT VILAGE	JAKARTA
26	GRAMEDIA PONDOK GEDE	JAKARTA
27	GRAMEDIA PONDOK INDAH	JAKARTA
28	GRAMEDIA PURI INDAH	JAKARTA
29	GRAMEDIA SEMANGGI	JAKARTA
30	GRAMEDIA SUNTER	JAKARTA
31	GRAMEDIA TERAS KOTA	JAKARTA
32	MAL KALIBATA	JAKARTA
33	TB GRAMEDIA AEON Mall BSD City	JAKARTA
34	TB GRAMEDIA Jbk Ciputra Cibubur	JAKARTA
35	TB. GRAMEDIA BAYWALK MALL	JAKARTA
36	TB.GRAMEDIA ALAM SUTERA	JAKARTA
37	TB.GRAMEDIA MEGA MAL BEKASI	JAKARTA
38	TRIMEDIA AMBASADOR	JAKARTA
39	TB. GRAMEDIA Cibinong City Mall	JAKARTA
40	TB. GRAMEDIA Melawai Baru	JAKARTA
41	TB Gramedia Jbk World CBD Bintaro	JAKARTA
1	BANJARMASIN
2	BATAM CITY SQUARE
3	DUTAMAL BANJARMASIN
4	GRAMEDIA LAMPUNG BOEMI KEDATON MALL
5	JAYAPURA
6	KUPANG
7	LAMPUNG
8	MAUMERE FLORES
9	PONTIANAK
1	GRAMEDIA MALUKU CITY	MAKKASAR
2	KENDARI RABAM MAL	MAKKASAR
3	MAKASAR MAL RATU INDAH	MAKKASAR
4	MAKASAR PANAKUKANG	MAKKASAR
5	MAKASAR TRANSKALLA	MAKKASAR
6	MANADO	MAKKASAR
7	TB.GRAMEDIA GORONTALO	MAKKASAR
8	TERNATE	MAKKASAR
9	TB Gramedia Manado Town Square
1	BALIKPAPAN	SAMARINDA
2	SAMARINDA	SAMARINDA
3	TB GRAMEDIA Big Mall Samarinda	SAMARINDA
4	TARAKAN	SAMARINDA
1	GRAMEDIA MEDAN FOCAL POINT	MEDAN
2	MEDAN GAJAH MADA	MEDAN
3	MEDAN MAL	MEDAN
4	MEDAN SUN PLASA	MEDAN
5	TB.GRAMEDIA MEDAN SANTIKA	MEDAN
1	JAMBI	PALEMBANG
2	MEGA MAL BENGKULU	PALEMBANG
3	PALEMBANG ATMO	PALEMBANG
4	PALEMBANG SQUARE	PALEMBANG
	TOTAL PALEMBANG
1		PEKANBARU
2	PEKANBARU MALL	PEKANBARU
3	PEKANBARU SUDIRMAN	PEKANBARU
4	TRIMEDIA PEKANBARU	PEKANBARU
1	BALI DUTA PLASA	SURABAYA
2	BALI GALERIA	SURABAYA
3	BALI NIKITA PLASA	SURABAYA
4	GRAMEDIA CIPUTRA WORLD SURABAYA	SURABAYA
5	Gramedia Lombok	SURABAYA
6	GRAMEDIA PAKUWON SURABAYA	SURABAYA
7	JEMBER	SURABAYA
8	KEDIRI	SURABAYA
9	MADIUN	SURABAYA
10	MALANG BASUKI RAHMAT	SURABAYA
11	MALANG TOWN SQUARE	SURABAYA
12	SURABAYA EXPO	SURABAYA
13	SURABAYA MANYAR	SURABAYA
14	SURABAYA ROYAL PLASA	SURABAYA
15	SURABAYA TUNJUNGAN PLASA	SURABAYA
16	TB GRAMEDIA Lippo Plaza Sidoarjo	SURABAYA
17	GRAND CITY SURABAYA	SURABAYA
1	PEMUDA SEMARANG	YOGYAKARTA
2	PURWOKERTO	YOGYAKARTA
3	SEMARANG JAVASUPERMAL	YOGYAKARTA
4	SEMARANG PANDANARAN	YOGYAKARTA
5	SOLO SQUARE	YOGYAKARTA
6	SURAKARTA	YOGYAKARTA
7	YOGYA MAL AMBARUKMO	YOGYAKARTA
8	YOGYA MALIOBORO	YOGYAKARTA
9	YOGYA SUDIRMAN	YOGYAKARTA
11	TB. GRAMEDIA Rita Supermall	YOGYAKARTA
10	TB GRAMEDIA Jogja City Mall	YOGYAKARTA

TOKO BUKU ONLINE:

1. Buka Lapak: http://www.bukalapak.com/p/buku/kesehatan/jxvj9-jual-buku-tetap-sehat-dengan-yoga-oleh-astrid-amalia
2. Parcel Buku: http://www.parcelbuku.net/non-fiksi/tetap-sehat-dengan-yoga/
3. Buka Buku: http://www.bukabuku.com/browses/product/9789797808365/tetap-sehat-dengan-yoga.html
4. Tokopedia: http://www.tokopedia.com/juarabuku/tetap-sehat-dengan-yoga-oleh-astrid-amalia
5. Gramedia: http://www.gramedia.com/tetap-sehat-dengan-yoga.html


Kalau ada perubahan dan data tambahan, nanti akan saya perbaharui lagi.

Terima kasih! 

Nordic Cuisine with Jaakko Sorsa at C's Steak and Seafood of Grand Hyatt Hotel

C'S STEAK AND SEAFOOD RESTAURANT 

Grand Hyatt Hotel 

Jl. MH. Thamrin Kav. 28 – 30, 

Jakarta 

Gina Desmeralda from Grand Hyatt Hotel Jakarta, Chef Jaakko Sorsa from FINDS and me

What is Nordic Cuisine? How do they taste? Do I have to go to Europe to eat them?

These questions start to arise in my head when I receive the invitation to attend the Nordic Cuisine Dinner.

The term "Nordic" is derived from the local term Norden, used in the North Germanic languages, which means "The North(ern lands)". The Nordic countries are the countries in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic, which are Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. 

Nordic Cuisine is western food, prepared with ingredients of Nordic countries and typical European techniques including smoking, curing and pickling. Seafood is an important part of the cuisine as the people are surrounded by sea and lakes. The dishes are made from fresh raw materials and made in natural preservation to face the cold or winter season in the countries when the supply of the food is not as much as the other seasons.

In my situation, I can not imagine if I have to travel to all those five countries just to satisfy my curiosity about the Nordic Cuisine. It is gonna be a very expensive food blogging experience to go to the countries, although I hope someday I can visit them. Amen! 

But I can let go my worries as I get the invitation from the C's Steak and Seafood Restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Hotel that collaborates with Asian Food Channel to experience the Nordic Cuisine at their restaurant, not in Europe. Thank God :-D 

They bring Chef Jaakko Sorsa to Jakarta to introduce the Nordic Cuisine from his magic hands. Nice! 

Jaakko Sorsa is the Award Winning Executive Finish Chef at the FINDS which is stands for "Finnish Icelandic Norwegian Danish Swedish", the only and finest Nordic Restaurant and Bar in Southeast Asia located in a boutique hotel in Hong Kong. Its fresh-and-straight-from-Norway Salmon is the signature ingredient in the restaurant.

Jaakko Sorsa has the experience for many years to handle very important circles, like guests at Presidential Palace of Finland, Executive Board of Nokia, Princess Takamado of Japan, Princess of Sweden and Princess of Saudi-Arabia. He is also the author of his recipe book, Scapas Dining. He is the Chef of the Year 2015 in Foodie Fork Award. Wow! 

Chef Jaakko emphasizes that his dishes are healthy and pure. 

Looking at the menu, I can expect that the food are healthy, as most of the dishes are from Salmon and Vegetables. Salmon has healthy fat, protein and Omega 3, while Vegetables are known to be the number one healthiest food in the world for its fiber and nutrition.

Pure food is guaranteed as his food is the genuine Scandinavian dishes without any modification, and they are straightly from the nature. 

Let's start the journey to the Nordic Cuisine with Chef Jaakko Sorsa! 

Smooth Salmon Soup 

King Crab, Dill Cucumbers 

Smooth Salmon Soup

The first food to open my sense of taste is Smooth Salmon Soup. The Soup made from Grilled Salmon's Head that is crushed in a blender and mixed with various spices, vegetables and dill. On top of the soup, there are sprinkles of tasty King Crab. The soup is deliciously warm, and the dill cucumbers gives a fresh closing at the end. I love the dish as it has creamy texture and savory flavor. Don't forget, I always love Seafood and I tend to have salty-tooth :-) 

Salmon in Six Ways

Gravad Lax, Cold Smoked, Seared, Mousse, Pickled, Smoked Roe 

Salmon in Six Ways

This is the Chef Jaakko's signature dish in FINDS. 

The plate has six small cuts of Salmon cooked in six different methods of preservation.

The first piece is Salmon Gravad Lax. Gravad in Swedish means burying. Gravad Lad is the Swedish way to rub some salt into Salmon to cure it. The fresh Salmon is covered with Chopped Beet Root, Lemon Peel, and Sea Salt. After that, the raw Salmon was kept for 24 - 48 hours in a refrigerator or buried to let the salt absorbed by the Salmon. As a result, the thin sliced Salmon Gravad Lax will have reddish surface, and taste a bit sweet and salty. It feels like Sashimi.

The second is Cold Smoked Salmon. The third is Seared Salmon served with a Radish Slice and Citrusy Avocado Mousse. 

The fourth is the Creamy and Thick Salmon Mousse. The texture of the delicious Salmon Mousse is impressively smooth and soft. 

The fifth is Pickled Salmon topped with Pickled Baby Carrot and Pickled Pearl Onion. The last one is Salmon Roe with Creamy Cream Cheese. 

Do you know what's crazy about the dishes? The dishes are served with a shot of liquor! That is a real kick to my face :-D   

Chef Jakkoo suggests that the dish should be consumed in order from the light one to the most flavory one to experience the joy in tasting the different flavors. 

It is amazing to know that one ingredient can be cooked in six different ways. As the dishes have good combination of protein (Salmon) and fibers (vegetables), then they are also good for those who are on diet, especially on the food combining diet. 

Some of the dishes are so creamy that they are melted directly to my throat. 

Such an amazing experience I get from one plate of many joys! This is a very recommended one for those who like to explore and adventure. 

Roots and Mushrooms

Roasted Goldroot and Beetroot, Brined Mushroom Salad 

Roots and Mushrooms

This dish is very good for those vegans and vegetarians, or those who are in any kind of healthy diet. This is good for me too as I am a big fan of the sweet Beetroot. The fresh natural taste of mushroom create fullness in my mouth, while the Goldroot and Beetroot gives fresh and sweet closing at the end. 

Duck Breast "Patrami"

Smoked Bell Pepper Sauce, Burned Feta 

Duck Breast "Patrami"

The slices of Duck Breast are beautifully cooked, cured, smoked and seasoned. Some Cubed Pickled Pumpkins are served in Finnish way to balance the duck dish. The Burned Feta Cheese - one of my favorite things in the world - is on the side with a spark of Black Pepper and Fennel on top of it. It is marvelously delicious when the duck meets the feta cheese inside my mouth. The creamy effect is unforgettable! 

Slightly Smoked Veal Tenderloin     

Porcini-Barley, Black Currant Sauce 

Slightly Smoked Veal Tenderloin

Two slices of Veal Tenderloin is the main course of the night. The extraordinary tenderloins have been smoked and slow cooked. Topped with Blackcurrant Sauce with a slice of Carrot as "a sight for sore eyes". The tenderloins are accompanied with cooked yummy Barleys and Puree.

It is surprised me that the taste of the Barleys is like a combination of rice and oats. It is very smooth and easy to chew. It is totally a healthier choice than the usual mashed potato. 

"Daim" Parfait Dessert 

Meringue, Almond, Caramel, Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate, Red Berries, Spruce Needles  

"Daim" Parfait Dessert

This is also the Chef Jaakko's signature dish in FINDS. 

When I see "Daim" in the menu, my mind goes to the famous Daim Chocolate from Sweden. So, my expectation is not far from the richness taste of that famous chocolate brand from Europe. When Chef Jaakko serves his own "Daim" Parfait Dessert, I totally forget about my expectation, because Chef Jaakko's Daim Dessert is much better! 

All the ingredients that he blends (sweet meringue, almond, caramel, dark and white chocolate, red berries) complement each other, and they look so beautifully yummy!  

The unique and rare ingredient in the dessert is the Spruce Needles Syrup spread around the dessert. The syrup is made from the tip of Pine Trees. The syrup smells like a pine forest and tastes a little woodsy and citrusy. The syrup is a great match with the sweetness in the dessert. It is a brand new thing for me to "eat a tree" in my plate. Oui, il est parfait! Yes, it is perfect! 

Overall, the dishes are delicious and unique, as Chef Jaakko knows how to balance the main ingredients and the spices. The dishes are still pure, genuine and raw, while the spices only act as little taste enhancer. 

What I like from the friendly Chef Jaakko Sorsa is that he explains his food just like a story teller tells the story to the children. Very detail, warm and personal. I can sense that he knows his food very well. 

He also comes to my corner to explain about one of the dishes. I guess he knows that I was not available when he explained about the food earlier. His attention is very detail. Thank you, Chef Jaakko! 

Concha Y Toro Wines

The dinner is accompanied by Concha Y Toro Wines that makes the night feel even warmer and more intimate. The dinner is also a warm meet up with some closed friends. Can you feel the warm atmosphere in the event?

Cheers!

As usual, the dinner is full of laughs and happiness. Everyone understands that when the belly is full, then the heart is happy and the mind is calm. 

Enjoy your dinner, everyone!

Chef Jaakko Sorsa

Coffee Tasting and Coffee Cupping: Bali Vintage Klasik, Espresso Roast, Guatemala Antigua

I am invited to do coffee cupping and coffee tasting of several coffees at the Starbucks Coffee Reserve Store in Grand Indonesia Shopping Town, Jakarta, Indonesia. So what is the difference between coffee cupping and coffee tasting? I have my own definition about them.  

Coffee cupping is the techniques or practices of observing and evaluating the taste, the aroma, the flavor and the profile of (brewed) coffee. To understand the differences of the coffees, it is necessary for the cuppers - the experts in cupping the coffee - to taste the coffees side-by-side. Cupping is also used to evaluate a defective coffee or to create coffee blends.

If coffee cupping needs two or more coffees to be observed and evaluated, then coffee tasting can be done with only one coffee to be tasted and reviewed. Well, this is only my own opinion. 

OK, let's start to explore the coffees! 

Coffee Tasting: Bali Vintage Klasik 

Bali Vintage Klasik coffee beans come from three villages in Kintamani, Bali, Indonesia. Kintamani is located near Batur Mountain in Bali, and is also used as a place to view the mountain. The villages are located in a cool highlands, and they are ideal for coffee production. The coffee beans are dry hulled and fully washed.

Dry hulled method is a simple and traditional method by using hands. In this process, the coffee cherry is picked from the tree and dried directly in the sun without peeling the skin. The dried coffee cherry turns to dark brown one, and the green seed is torn out from the skin and parchment layers by hand. All defects must be removed visually by hand. The profile of the dry process coffee is to have more body and lower acidity. 

Fully washed process means that the coffee cherry that has been fermented for several days is washed thoroughly to remove all traces of fermented mucilage. It is dried until the bean inside reaches its perfect moisture. This process can produce flavor characteristics that are brighter and lighter. 

Dry hulled method and fully washed process are traditionally known by coffee farmers in Indonesia.

Will the dry hulled method and full washed process make a difference? Let's see my tasting result below.   

• Compare to other Indonesian coffees, the aroma of Bali Vintage Klasik is lighter and sweeter. 
• The taste is light to medium with low acidity. The low acidity means that this coffee is also good for people with digestion problems. 
• The taste is a combination between lime and toasted peanuts tastes, with brown sugar between them.

I suggest that the Bali Vintage Klasik is taken as a single drink without any additional milk and sugar. The milk and sugar will kill the taste of the coffee. 

Coffee Cupping: Espresso Roast vs. Guatemala Antigua 

Espresso Roast, created in 1970s, is the signature flavor of Starbuck espresso beverages. Espresso Roast coffee beans come from multi regions, while Guatemala Antigua coffee beans come from Latin America. The process method of both coffee beans are washed. While Espresso Roast can be made in espresso shots, lattes, French Press or brewer; the Guatemala Antigua is preferred to be made in espresso only. 

What is the difference between Espresso Roast and Guatemala Antigua? Let's see if my cupping result below is correct.

• The color of Espresso Roast coffee beans is darker than the Guatemala Antigua coffee beans. It means the Espresso Roast is roasted a bit longer than the Guatemala Antigua. 
• The flavor or Espresso Roast coffee is roasted caramel, while the flavor of Guatemala Antigua coffee is nutty. 
• The acidity of both coffees are medium. It means that the profile of both coffees is a bit tastier and still have anti-oxidant properties. 
• The body of Espresso Roast coffee is bolder than Guatemala Antigua coffee. It means Espresso Roast coffee tastes stronger than Guatemala Antigua. 
• The taste of Espresso Roast coffee is like dark chocolate, while the taste of Guatemala Antigua coffee is like a fried peanuts. 

My prediction is that the Espresso Roast coffee can be taken as both single coffee drink and caffe latte (with milk, sugar and other syrups), and the Guatemala Antigua should be taken as a single coffee drink without milk or even sugar. 

Is my prediction right? So, what does happen when Espresso Roast and Guatemala Antigua are added with milk? 

Let's see the result! 

The Espresso Roast that is added with milk becomes Caffe Latte, and the Guatemala Antigua that is added with milk becomes Guatemala Antigua Caffe Latte. 

  

In my own opinion, the Caffe Latte has more taste than the Guatemala Antigua Caffe Latte. It is sad that Guatemala Antigua Caffe Latte tastes very plain in my mouth. So, my prediction is right that Guatemala Antigua should be taken as a single coffee drink without milk or even sugar and syrups. 

Have a great coffee, everyone!