Monsoon Poon, A Cozy Corner for Your Special Day

Monsoon Poon, A Cozy Corner for Your Special Day

Let's continue our journey in exploring the culinary adventure in Wellington, the coolest little capital of the world.

I will take the opportunity to take you to Monsoon Poon,  a cozy corner for your special day, especially for South Asian food lovers. Known as South East Asian Trading House Restaurant and Bar, it is located in the central part of Wellington, to be exact at 12 Blair Street, Te Aro, Wellington. Moonsoon Poon has gained its reputation as an exotic corner, offering more than just delicious, people's favorite palates, but also the experience.

Welcome to Monsoon Poon

I really love this exotic entry way

As you enter the premise, you will be transported to another part of the world, - or more likely,  to several parts of the world stretching in the region of my beloved origin. For sure, you have to follow the health protocol by signing in through NZ COVID-19 tracker and showing your vaccine pass to the staff before you are assigned to your seats. 

Don't forget your vaccine pass

Before ordering our meal, I was enjoying the colorful, feel-at-home interior design in this restaurant. You will definitely see so many beautiful and intricate traditional fabrics from Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and more. 

Some fun, rustic old ads and wooden accents as well as statues can be found dotting the rooms. Not to mention in the restroom. In this area, you will see so many photos and posters as well as information about donations and charities that the restaurant and its networks have shared in the area. 

Well, let’s take a look at the ambience from some photos I took there. You can see why I love this place. 

Such a lovely collection of red lampions, paintings and plates

the corner of the bar

Now, let's take a look at the menu and the food. As I have mentioned above, they are serving South East Asian cuisines and you will definitely see some curry from Thai, Bangkok street noodles,  Thai beef salad, Singaporean  Fried noodles, Bali prawns, nasi goreng from Indonesia, Pho Bo and more.  During our visit, we orders the green curry, Singaporean noodles, beef and black pepper and chili tofu. Sorry if the photos were not that good as I forgot to take the photos after eating half of them LOL.

the green curry

black pepper, chilli and tofu

All in all, I love the food, the ambience and the interior design of this place. You should try it as well if you are around. Here are more photos I took around the restaurant and hopefully when you come down to Wellington, you get a chance to try their menu. 

The bar corner

These flowers really attracted my attention

WW: El Matador, Argentinian Restaurant in Wellington

 

Join me on my culinary adventure here in the coolest little capital in the world, Wellington.

This time. I will take you to El Matador, Argentinian Restaurant, located in the hip Cuba Street, Wellington, New Zealand. I guess this place will be perfect to take your loved ones in special occasions or even for a lovely dinner out.

El Matador has long been famous for its Argentinian grill, as it is a cafe, Asador Grill and Bar. Obviously, since Argentinian food is pretty much dominated by the grilled meat, this place is famous for its steak. 

You can definitely have others as well like burgers, lamb chops, venison, prawns, fish, squid, octopus, mussels and more. 

As for the drinks, they have various choices ranging from the alcoholic and non-alcoholic ones, including tea and some hot drinks.

Want to peep on the menu? Here you go! 

And the ambience is also lovely! I really love its industrial settings with 'old world' touch and big, rustic posters and prints. I really enjoy it. 

When we came here, we ordered their famous smoked lamb loin, fugazzeta rellena (which is packed with cheese like we love it!), as well as the steak and burger. I have to say the beef is delicious as well as the fresh salad and fries. Everything blends well in colorful plates that we have. 

Let's check out some photos I took during my dinner in this lovely place.

I really love their fresh salad and baked potatoes

the smoked TE MANA lamb loin

Fugazzeta Renella - the mozzarella - stuffed fugazza bread

I have to say that we really love this place. The food is incredible, the ambience is fun, the plating is lovely and everything is just so enjoyable. Come and visit this place if you happen to be in the city.

Join us in (almost) Wordless Wednesday and have fun with the linky party.

WW: Dining at Noah's Barn Cafe, Bandung

Dining at Noah's Barn Cafe, Bandung

Lately I have many farewell parties (although I'd prefer to call it see-you-again-soon party) to attend. 

One of them is in Bandung, when my office had a big meeting there. We were dining at Noah's Barn Cafe, Bandung, and I really love the place. 

the meeting room.. but we choose the outdoor area

The place is super comfy and it does remind us of Noah's Ark, complete with various animals (well, their statues only of course, not the real one) as well as wooden accent that resembles the boat. 

I also love the fact that this place is spacious with a lot of open spaces and greeneries. They have meeting rooms as well as upstairs sofas and corners. The health protocol was observed as well.

The food is yum, although I though the service was a bit slow that day because it was quite full. Well, my group consists of around 20 people so we packed the place with our own. 

Wanna know what we ordered that day?

We booked for around 20 people and although it was raining, all of us came down here and enjoyed the evening together.

we ordered fried rice, mushroom soup, fried mushroom, cheese and spinach roll, ayam geprek or the spicy chicken and grilled ribs, pizzas, spaghetti, steak, ice cream, carrot cake and more. It was a lovely dinner for sure. 

fried rice, complete with satay and fried chicken

So, will you come by and try the food here at Noah's Barn Cafe, Bandung?

Join us on (almost) Wordless Wednesday and have fun with the link party

Plataran The Dharmawangsa, Heavenly Place for Authentic Indonesian Cuisine

I have always had a soft spot for traditional ambience and Indonesian cuisines.

While spending some time in my beloved Indonesia, I try to explore its amazing

If you are looking for a posh, authentic Indonesian restaurant elaborated with top-notch, high class interior design in rare wooden furnitures, batik and antiques, this is the place.

Welcome to Plataran at the Dharmawangsa.

If you are familiar with the Plataran restaurant, then let's see this one.

I have been a big fan of Plataran restaurant, be it in Menteng, Senayan and here in the Dharmawangsa. They are just simply awesome!

When we arrived, we parked in the side ways and walked in to the restaurant. As you step into the area, you can see the bold and intricate design of Javanese cultures, with the replicate of statues from the famous temple of Borobudur, wood carvings imitating Rumah Jawa or the Javanese traditional house and batik, beautifully coated on the floor. In short, I love the ambience, the interior design and of course the food! The price is of course a bit higher than the average but it is worth it. Being known as the provider of authentic Indonesian cuisine in an antique and traditional setting, 

As you step in to the area, you are welcomed by rows of statues like the ones in famous temples. Then the warmth of wooden Java house is welcoming you as you sit inside. I simply love it! Well, who wouldn’t! Not to mention Batik, the original piece of high quality Batik,being coated on the floor! The food is exquisite! And authentic as well. I love soto buntut, rawon, asinan jakarta, gado - gado, bola - bola udang, dendeng batokok, and more. i love the salad and soup they have here. Some rice dishes are also wonderful. As foe tje drink, you have various choices as well. They have mushola, parking lot, and clean, artsy toilet. Well… highly recommended indeed and hope you get a chance to try the food here as well.

Tasting Middle Eastern Food at Abunawas Restaurant Jakarta

Are you a big fan of delicious mandi and biryani rice?

With lamb or chicken, both are so good by the way, on top of the rice?

Then join me here in this post as I am taking you to one of the best restaurants serving Middle Eastern food in Jakarta. Abunawas Restaurant.

Are you familiar with the Middle Eastern food? I have been enjoying more and more Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food when I was in New York City. My hubby loves lamb a lot and Middle Eastern food has been very famous fo their lamb menus. Since we lived in Astoria and there are many mosques as well as moslem communities in some parts of if, we also found many restaurants serving these wonderful cuisines and they are halal! Not to mention the famous Halal Guys, the food cart selling delicious chicken and lamb gyros as well as falafel. Oh my... I really miss them! That is why up until now we really miss this type of food.

So back to Jakarta, we do have some choices when it comes to Middle Eastern food. As you have probably be aware of, there are huge Arab communities in Jakarta and they do have their authentic restaurants. This place, Abunawas Restaurant, has been very famous for it Arabian cuisine and the setting as well as the ambience of the place is also beautiful.

When you arrive, the front part of the building is so lovely and it directly reminds of the jazeera, complete with shoe-horse shaped patio and door. As you step in, you will be transported to the Middle East as the coordinated theme and accents used depicts the unique Arabian cultures.

For sure the health protocol is implemented so the mask in obligatory and your temperature will be checked and you have to wash your hands or use the hand sanitizers. and physical distancing is also in place.

health protocol is implemented.

As you can see here, the interior is wonderful and I really love the details. It reminds me of La Alhambra in Granada, Spain, as well as La Mesquita in Sevilla, Spain. The fresco, the color choice, the ceilings, the walls.. they are just lovely! I feel so nostalgic when I saw all this beautiful setting. It has wonderful murals and amazing sofa that I would like to bring home LOL. Take a look at them here.

Look at the murals!

I am IN LOVE with this sofa!

Now.. Let's take a look at the menu here!

As I have mentioned before, they are very famous for their mandi and biryani rice. You can have this rice with chicken, lamb or fish. All of them are so good! There is also Zurbiyan rice but I haven't really tried it.

You can have the menu in individual plate or portion, or the portion for two, which for me, can accommodate 4 hungry people. 

Quarter lamb or chicken over your choice of rice is people’s favorite. You can have mandi or biryani rice, or half - half on them. Complete with spicy sauce as you like it.

Chicken over half biryani, half mandi rice

If you order any dippings, like babagamush or hummus, you will get the pitta bread as well. I also tried the cheese samosa and I love it. Tabouleh is so good and fresh, although I would love to have more lemon and fresh tomatoes on it so it has more kick.

I managed to try the smoothies as well. It has I chose the one with peanut butter, which is very nice and creamy. I guess the name of this beverage is Iskandaria Peanut Smoothie. It has a nice ring one it, right! Next time I will try the one with dates I guess!

Iskandaria Peanut Smoothie, anyone?

The restaurant has two floors so you can choose where you are going to eat. You can also have the tables or the ‘tent’ where you can sit on the floor for full Arabian experience. They have private rooms you can use as well. I love the ambience, it’s pretty with fountain, cave-like and tent-like decoration, murals on the wall and Arabic accents.

the tent looks so exotic

It has spacious parking lot, so it won’t be a problem. I am not sure it is disability friendly though, especially for those with impaired mobility. It has spacious room but to reach the second floor will certainly be problematic. I hope they will fix it soon.

So, what do you think? Will you try the food here? I will definitely be back here again soon with my hubby!

Stay safe and healthy, everyone.