Random Eats: October - December 2021

Item (left): Original Croffle - IDR25,000

Item (right): Cinnamon Sugar Croffle - IDR25,000

Location: Bakerman (ASHTA District 8, Jakarta)

Every foodie who has tried Bakerman's croffle will definitely declare it as one of the best in J-town. This waffle and croissant hybrid had a good buttery taste and perfect crunchiness that lingered even after being left in room temperature for a while.

Item: The OG (5pcs) - IDR38,500

Location: Dough Lab (PIK Avenue, Jakarta)

Yay, I finally got to try the highly-raved cookie in Jakarta! Considering the rather premium price, I was expectant of the quality. Right, the texture of the cookie and the chocolate flavor were well-balanced. I would say it was decent, but not as indulgent as you would expect.

Item: Samchan Crispy Bowl - IDR45,000

Location: Eat.inQ (Tangerang)

I did not put high expectation as I just randomly ordered it to kill my hunger, but the dish was legitimately good! The pork had a very crispy skin with fat, juicy and tender meat. Oh and the presentation reminded me of McDonald’s PaNas Special meal haha. The scrambled egg was also a brilliant touch to make the dish more substantial.

Item: Croffle by Air Croffle

Location: Pilona Coffee (Ruko Alicante, Tangerang)

My aunt recommended Pilona Coffee's croffle as one of the best in the area. The buttery-ness immediately hit when I took a bite, coupled with the sweetness from the sprinkled sugar. I personally think the croffle was toasted a little too longer as it became tough to chew.

Item: Es Kopi Susu Kokoho - IDR20,000

Location: Kedai KoKoHo (Ruko Alicante, Tangerang)

Not sure if the coffee was poorly extracted, but it tasted burnt and got progressively worse as I kept sipping it.

Item: Roti Gempal Nougat (half) - IDR20,000

Location: Kedai KoKoHo (Ruko Alicante, Tangerang)

The nougat stole the limelight from this dish and I could not stop licking eating it. How I wish we had one in Surabaya!

Item: Double Cheese & Smoked Beef Croffle - IDR38,000

Location: Starbucks (Juanda Airport, Sidoarjo)

It was my first time trying out savory croffle. The croffle featured cheese and smoked beef bits filling. Personally, I felt the filling was too little, but if you enjoy savory pastry, this is the right treat for you.

Item: Mie Bagan Babi - IDR22,000

Location: Acu Aling (Jl. Dapuan Bendungan 3, Surabaya)

First time trying local food of Bagan Siapi-Api. The noodle came in hearty portion, while the seasoning and flavors were surprisingly on-point. It was super value for money and worth a try.

Item: Croffle

Location: Tous les Jours (Tunjungan Plaza 3, Surabaya)

It had a sweet and crispy exterior with chewy centre. For the level of mass-produced croffle, I thought it was satisfying.

Item (left): Gym Junkie - IDR51,000 (medium size)

Location: Boost Juice (Tunjungan Plaza 3, Surabaya)

The smoothie consisted of strawberry, banana, low fat milk, vanilla yoghurt and ice. I thought they had put too much ice to the drink, causing it to be watery (and eventually I also felt that it was pricey).

Item: Gong Cha Alisan Tea with Pearl - IDR28,182 + IDR5,454 (large size)

Location: Gong Cha (Tunjungan Plaza 6, Surabaya)

I went for 30% sugar level, only to realize it was a dumb decision. Before you judge me for being a health-conscious, the reason why I went for that sugar level was because I always ordered the same drink with the same sugar level at Gong Cha Singapore. The drink had always been just right for me, so I assumed it would be the same for Gong Cha Indonesia. Turned out it tasted very bland lol. I still managed to finish the whole thing albeit it tasted a bit awful when there was very little sweetness inside.

Item (left): Cookies & Cream Ice Cream - IDR40,000 (single scoop)

Item (left): Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream - IDR40,000 (single scoop)

Location: Haagen-Dazs (Tunjungan Plaza 4, Surabaya)

Been ages until I finally had some Haagen-Dazs ice cream. Sadly, the ice cream ain't like how it used to be. It was too icy, too plain and lackluster.

Item: Hazelnut Mocha - IDR23,000 (regular size)

Location: Kopi Janji Jiwa (Ruko San Antonio, Surabaya)

The chocolatey flavor was there, texture was smooth and every sip was evenly balanced. Nice!

Item: Tokyo Banana x Biscoff Milk - IDR37,000 (regular size)

Location: ShuShu (Pakuwon City Mall, Surabaya)

What could possibly go wrong with sweet and crunchy Biscoff spread with banana milk? It resulted in a unique combination of flavor with distinctive speculoos and banana tastes that would be a favorite to many.

Item: Vietnamese Pho Beef Noodle Soup - IDR68,000

Location: Table 101 Modern Asian Dining & Lounge (Galaxy Mal 3, Surabaya)

The sweet broth really complemented the rice noodle and beef well. So comforting! I will probably still want to revisit just to get another bowl of beef pho, as I have not had a better one anywhere else (yet) in Surabaya.

Item (left): Butterscotch - IDR19,000

Item (right): Matcha - IDR15,000

Location: Geta Koffie (Jl. Dharmawangsa, Surabaya)

Both drinks had a weak taste of butterscotch and matcha. Skip them.

Item: Flat White - IDR29,000

Location: Brew Haus (Gatherthuis, Surabaya)

The coffee was pretty okay, although not stellar. It was not bitter with just the right amount of sweetness.