MOTHER MONSTER

Mother Monster. A catchy name that caught me in the eye. It did not take long for me to give it a try. Located in the first floor of Plaza Indonesia, next to So Thai. It made me realize that I had quite some time since my last visit to this mall.

The pink and dark green ambiance are such a good companion to the good vibe. They are kind enough to let me have Christmas dinner with my girls at their long table (the best spot!). The place is very vibrant and alive. A good choice when you need to chill it a bit with your circle.

LIL TOTERS - IDR 65k

Tater tots with chili con carne, cheesy dip and sour cream, it surely is a delicate choice for me. The combination of it wall really highlight the plate. It does not hard to fall in love with this appetizer. I keep on munching this one!

DOUGH BE CHEESY - IDR 50k

Fancy a savory donut? You'll like this one! Crunchy dough stuffed with mozzarella and parmesan cheese could be interesting, but I only had this half of their portion because one whole donut was quite fulfilling for me. (I do not wanna miss another food to try!)

GONE WITH THE CARB - IDR 95k

Carbonara iss quite a safe option for me, but I am glad I choose this one to accompany me through the night. The sous vide egg is perfect, the creamy sauce is tasty, and the pork bacon is pleasing. Looks like a heartwarming dish!

48-HOUR RAGU -IDR 95k

The combination of sour tomato and sweet aftertaste are quite a kick. If you are a fan of tomato based pasta, then this pasta is the right one for you. The slow cook minced beef is delicious, goes well with the al dente pasta.

MONSTER DOUBLE DECKER - IDR 135k

Not a fan of meat, but my friend do say it's a enjoyable burger. The meat is quite juicy and the bun is soft. However the hand cut fries is such a winner for me. Delicious, perfect seasoning, good companion with the burger.

MATCHA MADE IN HEAVEN - IDR 115k

The title itself put so much pressure on it, and yet I really find it heavenly good! Matcha and white chocolate cake with a surprise of bomb inside are quite a match. The crumble and the ice cream make it even better. Sweet ending to the night!

Mother Monster is the one when you want to spend you after-work-hang-out, or chilling at your Saturday night. The food is quite good and enjoyable, goes well with their selections of drinks and their good vibe. The staffs is quite attentive and understand the menus well. The pink and green ambiance could be one iconic spot in town!

MOTHER MONSTER

Plaza Indonesia, 1F, next to So Thai and Coffee Bean

Jl, MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta.

(021) 29921939

@listentoyourmonster

Best regards,

Jessica Christy Limanjaya

KOIN WORKS

Di usiaku yang menginjak 25 tahun ini, aku sudah memiliki pekerjaan tetap sebagai dokter dan pekerjaan sampingan sebagai blogger/content creator. Gaji yang saya dapatkan terbilang cukup aman dan dapat memenuhi kebutuhan primer, sekunder, sampai tersier saya. Namun, pekerjaan yang saya lakukan adalah jenis pekerjaan yang harus saya kerjakan sendiri, dan memang saya bisa mengatur jadwal libur yang cukup fleksibel untuk saya sendiri, namun jika saya berhenti mengerjakannya tentunya saya tidak akan mendapatkan uang tersebut. Kita harus bisa membuat uang yang bekerja untuk kita. Itulah mengapa kita perlu belajar mengenai investasi.

Investasi terdengar sangat mahal, betul? Investasi identik dengan kuantitas uang yang tidak kecil dan melibatkan berbagai perusahan besar dengan jam terbang yang sudah tidak asing lagi. Tapi ternyata, ada wadah investasi yang cocok lho untuk kita!

Memperkenalkan KoinWorks, sebuah pionir FinTech lending dengan sistem P2P yang tentunya terdaftar dan diawasi Otoritas Jasa Keuangan. So, tentunya aman! Konsep P2P ini sama dengan marketplace  untuk mempertemukan peminjam dan pemberi pinjaman secara online. Investasi di KoinWorks dimulai di angka IDR 100.000, jadi daripada menghabiskan uangmu untuk belanja dan makan di luar, kamu bisa menyisihkan angka tersebut untuk investasi. Sebuah angka yang terjangkau bukan?

Sampai saat ini, KoinWorks memiliki lebih dari 30000 investor yang terdaftar. Bagaimana sih caranya menjadi investor? Kamu harus berusia minimal 21 tahun, memiliki SIM/KTP, dan tentunya akun bank. Investor bisa mendapatkan rate efektif yang dimulai dari 18% per tahun. Menarik engga sih?

Saat kamu menjadi investor, kamu dapat menjadi sumber modal untuk teman-teman yang membutuhkan modal usaha, pendidikan, kesehatan dan sebagainya. Senang kan bisa membantu dan juga mendapatkan untung? Dalam KoinWorks, saat kamu berinvestasi di dalamnya, kamu bisa memilih kepada siapa kamu ingin meminjamkan uang tersebut, dengan risiko dan keuntungan yang kamu telaah sendiri. Segala proses ini tentunya akan melewati eveluasi dengan algoritma analisis finansial dan pinjaman diproteksi oleh Allianz dan para investor dilindungi dengan dana proteksi yang berfungsi untuk meminimalisir kerugian para investor jika terjadi gagal bayar.

Selain itu, jika kamu ada di sisi yang ingin melakukan pinjaman modal usaha, kamu juga bisa mengandalkan KoinWorks! Pinjaman yang bisa kamu dapatkan sampai dengan IDR 500 juta, dan tentunya dengan bunga rendah dari 0.75% hingga 1.67%. Flat, per bulan. Tanpa ribet dan proses yang cenderung cepat, kamu bisa mendapatkan pinjaman yang kamu butuhkan.

Saya engga akan mengetik panjang lebar, karena cerita singkat di atas udah mencerminkan isi dari KoinWorks itu sendiri. Untuk kamu yang ingin tahu lebih lanjut, kamu bisa buka di KoinWorks. Ayo mulai berinvestasi untuk masa depan yang lebih baik!
Ps: baca juga tips mengenai finansial dan bisnis lainnya di KoinWorks!

Best regards,

Jessica Christy Limanjaya

5 RAMEN TO VISIT IN JAPAN

Am I hearing the cheers of those ramen lovers? Yes, I think I am. Now you're gonna read my experience with those ramen shops in Japan, which was quite an extraordinary for me. Why is that? Because ramen actually is not something that I do crave for. I like how it taste, the richness of the soup, but I just don't like the after eating effect of this tasty bowl (sorry, ramen-addict out there!). But well, I was having a 12-day-trip in Japan and ramen is one of Japan's specialties,so having ramen is a must! Surprisingly I did try 7 ramens and enjoyed those moments. Without any further babbling, let's dig in the best 5 broth!

1. Ichiran Ramen

Might be too mainstream, but I think having Ichiran delivered a whole new experience for me. A vending machine ramen to order, a private experience with you ramen (even the instruction said you have to enjoy every slurp of it!), and the probability that you might ask for another additional noodle inside. The broth was quite tasty, the meat was thin and juicy, while the noodle is soft. It was not the best I ever had, but Ichiran is quite a signature dish of Japan to try!

Ps: they have lotsa branches, but still have some queue in front of it. 

Find them here: 

Harajuku: Japan, 〒150-0001 東京都渋谷区Jingūmae, 6 Chome−5, 神宮前６丁目５−６, サンポウ綜合ビル2F

Opening hours: 10am-10.45pm

Shinjuku: ピースビル, 3 Chome-34-11 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tōkyō-to 160-0022, Japan

Open 24 hours

Shibuya: 1 Chome-22-7 Jinnan, 渋谷区 Shibuya-ku, Tōkyō-to 150-0041, Japan

Open 24 hours

2. Mutekiya Ramen

Best ramen in my life, I would dare to say that. The noodle was chewy, a thing that could make you keep eating. The broth was quite thick ( I asked for the lighter version with collagen, and it was great!) and the pork meat was very thick. The bowl was very enjoyable, and they have spicy version for their ramen. The only setback was the meat that was too thick for me, but my company loves them. Make sure you have the gyoza, it's so juicy inside! Be ready for a long queue, because apparently 9-11 pm is their peak hour. Remember that they have no branches anywhere, so make sure you have the original one at Ikebukuro. The fact that the staff is very friendly, make me love Mutekiya even more!

Find them here: 1 Chome-17-1 Minamiikebukuro, 豊島区 Toshima-ku, Tōkyō-to 171-0022, Japan

Opening hours: 10.30 am-4am

3. Fuunji Ramen

Why Fuunji? Because it's my first tsukemen experience, and I think I did it right. Fu-unji is located in Shinjuku, and it's not hard to find them with the long queue. You might be happy when you reach the vending machine, but apparently you still have to queue some more. I ordered tsukemen style of ramen (when you have to dip it to separated soup), and did not regret it at all! The chewy ramen dipped in a very flavorful broth was memorable to my palate. They do have 2 sizes, comes in medium or large. Hint for you, medium was perfectly fine for me. If you're not into tsukemen, they have the soupy kind of ramen too!

Find them here: 北斗第一ビル, 2 Chome-14-３ Yoyogi, 渋谷区 Shibuya-ku, Tōkyō-to 151-0053, Japan

Opening hours: 11am-3pm, 5pm-9pm, closed on Sunday. 

4. Zundoya Ramen

A cold night in Osaka was calling for a warm bowl of ramen and we did a good choice. Located in the heart of Shinsaibashi, Zundoya has something scrumptious to offer. The noodle was thin and soft, with thick heavy broth, although that might too heavy for me. The pork was fine, and they do have additional beansprout to add on. Zundoya could be your choice when you're in Shinsaibashi area.

Find them here: セーナビル, 1 Chome-5-7 Shinsaibashisuji, Chūō-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu 542-0085, Japan

Open 24 hours. 

5. Gogyo Ramen

This might not fit with everyone's palate, but burnt ramen really brought a whole new experience for me. The burnt taste made it more flavorful, and the broth was just fine. They are quite popular with the long queue, but I found the staff was not maximizing the whole place effectively ( I found 2 empty seats while so many people were queueing outside, freezing in Kyoto weather!). However I did not like the way they charged their appetizer, 400 yen for a small bowl of tofu, each person. I could say I was surprise when the bill came, 7000 yen for 4 people was quite a money. 

Find them here: Japan, 〒604-0000 Kyōto-fu, Kyōto-shi, Nakagyō-ku, Jūmonjichō, 柳馬場通蛸薬師下る十文字町452番地

Opening hours: 11.30am-4pm, 5pm-11pm

I know it was not many, but all of it was my best 5 during my last trip to Japan. Many of you also recommend Afuri ramen, but we did not make it. Apparently 11 days was not enough to try those delicous meals. For more information about food and travel in Japan, you could look for #jechristyJAPAN on instagram.

You're welcome ;)

Best regards,
Jessica Christy Limanjaya

REASONS TO BE A DOCTOR IN INDONESIA (OR NOT TO BE?)

So, here I am. A doctor. A qualified medical doctor. Standing on the edge of crossroads, wondering what to do next.

You might be wondering why should I experiencing this kind of confusion. As a legal medical doctor, I should be working at those good hospitals, right? Well, my friend, a journey of becoming a doctor is not that easy.

Let's go back to those years when I was sitting in my high school chair, wondering what should I take on college. Dentist was my first choice, but they said the working utensils for dentist was quite pricey and after doing some research, I was not into it. Well, my mom suggested to take a medical school and without thinking twice I took it. Good thing about it was I kinda aced it. I enjoyed it better when I entered my clerkship program (some of you know this as ko-as/co-assistant). I knew that I love being a doctor ever since. It's such a blessing that I enjoyed the learning process of being a doctor because some of them might be taking medical school just because they're coming from medical family. I do grateful that those days back then brought such a good memories and I could say my medical college did a great job by harvesting they way of thinking and processing to become a good doctor.

After those 6 years and took an Hippocratic Oath, the government required the fresh graduate doctor to take an internship program. It's a program that necessitate several doctors to stay and work in one city for a year. You might be working in Jakarta, part of East Java, Bali, or even one little island in Papua. Work as a doctor in emergency department, ward, and puskesmas were our jobs back then. It's a good phase where you could feel how the real world are, how to act like a professional one in the hospital. I do remember my first near-to-death-patient. I was the only doctor in the ward with several nurses and I had to make the call about what to do next, about when to start the CPR, about what medication to use. Oh such an adrenaline rush. In fact, I am loving every second of it. Every patient is a unique one and they really are good teachers to me. The moment they smiled to you, the moment they said their gratitude, was just amazing. Imagine one kid came to the Emergency Department, with inflammation of the brain membrane and after those two weeks of sleepless nights, he woke up, without any fever and cry, and his parents were saying "thank you" with teary eyes. Amazing.

So back here, I am confuse, because of the path I have to take. Being a specialist is my next goal and achieving this thing is far from easy. Picking the next place to work correlate with the next few years in my life. Should I take another year in secluded area in Indonesia (so that the government would give me a recommendation letter that I came from the secluded area)? Should I work in government hospital? Should I work in private hospital? Every step I choose can really bring me to different path.

The thing is, most general practitioner (GP) want to be a specialist, but not all succeed. Not because they are not smart enough, but the chances are not quite big. Moreover the one that come for doctors from private medical school. Chances are hard to get. Should  I say that races and religion take big part in the acceptance in specialist program? Well, I can't tell, but I am sure you know what I mean ;)

Shoud I take the specialist program in Indonesia? Yes, if I'm planning to work in Indonesia. I could really take the specialist program overseas, where multicultural are much appreciated, but unfortunately I have to take another 2 years for the degree equalization and surely it's not easy.

I am writing this not because I have a bitterness in my heart. I am writing this because deep down in my heart, I believe that Indonesia's system could be better than this. As much as I hate about how those racism affect me, I still love being a doctor. I never differ people by their label when I treat the patients, and I hope Indonesia do not differ me by label when I am chasing my dream.

A medical doctor,

Jessica Christy Limanjaya

BROOD EN BOTTER KEMANG

Good architecture and comfortable space are those things that matter for me. Once I stalked Brood en Broter from their instagram, I know that this place is worth the visit. So I decided to spend my Sunday at Brood en Broter, Kemang.

Turns out that Brood en Broter is one restaurant with kid-friendly concept. Looks like they're quite well known with this concept, because most of their guests are those kind of new family with small kids. This place is quite spacious with pastel colors utensils and big bright window. The ambiance on weekend could be quite noisy because of the kids.

The food was quite dominated with fusion of Indonesian and a little touch of Dutch. I rarely found good cafe with Indonesian food so I could tell I was excited to try their menus (a big fan of Indonesian food here!). They also have breakfast menus which consisted of breads and eggs with quite an affordable price. The center room was filled with lotsa bread (roti jadul) with various fillings and donuts. Interesting!

A kid-friendly room with lots of toys. I bet those kids would be very happy to spend several hours here! The room is located right beside the dining area so most parents could still take care of their children.

For the food, I had  spaghetti ayam sambal matah (IDR 49k), nasi bakar (IDR 59k), and cumi terong balado (IDR 59K). The spaghetti was quite okay, but need a little fix here and there. I need to ask for salt and pepper to make it better. On several last bites of my plate, I did realize that the oil was way too overwhelming. I wish I could have a healthier version of this, please?

The rice menus was quite enjoyable. Nasi bakar had a really good flavor with chicken and mushroom inside, but I found it was too oily. It was accompanied with balado potato crisp and fried egglant. A heartwarming plate indeed. Nasi cumi terong balado was also nicely executed with tempe and tahu as side dishes.

Overall Brood en Boter was one comfy and kid-friendly restaurant in Kemang area. The food was tasty and the price was affordable, too. Mommies, surely you can enjoy this place with your beloved friends while bringing your loved ones with you. The only bad thing I could say was I found the food was too greasy. Surely we don't want to have any occlusion in our arteries right? ;)

BROOD EN BOTER

Jl. Bangka Raya No. 25, Kemang, Jakarta

021 2188961

Opening hours: 8am-10pm

Best Regards,

Jessica Christy Limanjaya

PARDON MY FRENCH

Brunch is one thing that always attract me. I have several favorite breakfast spots and spending the time there is becoming my weekly routine. Last week I saw a post from my blogger friend about this new cute finding in Menteng area, Pardon My French.

Pardon My French located in the busy street between Tanah Abang and Mentang which is perfect to attract the crowd. The parking space is also spacious (you know how those restaurants nowadays with tiny parking lot) and the service was very good. They help me park and refuse to get the parking tip for me.

A combination of classic blue, white, and gold dominate the room. It's a mixture of French-Japanese ambiance that I get here. Very comfortable. It's not a busy day for them when I came in, so happy to be the early bird to enjoy the atmosphere. 

So I ordered cappucino, iced tea, and es kopi susu my mother (I now that's the name!). Es kopi susu was way too sweet for me, felt like having a melted candy. The coffee was okay though. However, I really love the serving of their coffee. The pastel colors won my heart easily.

Chicken Pesto Sandwich was also an interesting dish to try. I'm quite a sandwich person so finding a decent sandwich is kinda hard nowadays. The baguette was crispy with good seasoning of pesto and chicken with some greens. I might under estimate this one at first, but turns out it's an enjoyable one!

Half Roasted Chicken was surely one comfort meal that never fail. The chicken was tender with good seasoning. The portion was quite big and could fit 2 people without any hesitation in portion. The mashed potato also had this interesting flavor which could elevate the dish itself. You nailed it!

Been having a thing with good croque madame and I was quite surprised that their croque madame was beyond my expectation. The bread was hard kind of bread, with delicious cheese everywhere, filled with meat inside. The highlight of the dish was surely the delicious and generous cheese which made me could not stop to dig in. The only thing was the bread was too hard for me (I am more like a fan of moist and thick bread), however it's only about personal preference.

Squid Ink Pasta, which came in black colors turned out to be very enjoyable. The pasta was al dente, seasoned well, with lots of anchovies on top. This might be too salty for some, but mix it well would solve the problem. One hearty dish for sure!

One does not eat well without dessert and I believe in that. Actually this one came from their brunch menu, not the dessert list, but still can do. Tempting presentation of French Toast with corn flake, but unfortunately I did not fall for this one. The bread was too hard and sweet for my liking. The chocolate and condensed milk was everywhere. A guilty feeling right after I tried it (sorry belly!)

Oh hey, Mr. Bear and I!

Overall Pardon My French is quite promising. The location is strategic with chill and comfort ambiance. The staff is quite helpful with good knowledge about the menu. The food is decent and generous, with some personal preference here and the, could be a better one. I did enjoy my time at Pardon My French.

PARDON MY FRENCH

Jl. Wahid Hasyim no 154-156, Jakarta Pusat

(021) 29627721

pmfjkt.com

@pardonmyfrench.jkt

Opening Hours: Mon-Thu: 8am-11pm/ Fri-Sun: 8am-1 am

Best regards,

Jessica Christy Limanjaya

AN ESCAPE TO PULO CINTA, GORONTALO

Hello people! It's October already and surely it's crazy how time flies! September has been a really great month for me and I'm gonna share with you guys the reason why.

So I just finished my internship program and am gonna be living in Jakarta several months from now. I do mention several months because for me it's still confusing to decide which city to work at, meanwhile my boyfriend is living hundreds kilometer for me. Anyway, I did visit him at Gorontalo at the end of September with my brother. It was such a good feeling to see him after a while. Good thing was, he planned a holiday trip for all of us to Pulo Cinta Eco Resort. (Check out my post on instagram too! @jechristy)

Picture courtesy of @pulocinta

Pulo Cinta Eco Resort is located in Gorontalo, 2-3 hours away from the center of the city. You can ask the Pulo Cinta team to pick you up (additional price if you only stay for one night, free for 2 nights stay) and after that, you will take the boat for 20-30 minutes to the beauty of Pulo Cinta.

It was 12 pm when we're arrived at Pulo Cinta. Unfortunately the weather was kinda gloomy and the sun was so shy to appear. The cloud was quite overwhelming and I was really hoping that the sun would shine because the weather matters to give a beautiful reflection to the sea. It was drizzling for a while so we spend the day at the beautiful room. Chilling and playing board games (we brought monopoly, I do suggest to bring your own board game because they do not have any). I went to snorkel at 3 pm while the drizzle stops. They have the snorkeling goods so we don't have to bring our own. Their lifeguard also have to come with us so that it will be safer for us, they also know where's the good spot to dive in!

The room rate is vary between weekdays and weekends. The room is made for 2 pax (additional 1 pax is allowed, with paying IDR 750k, but you won't get any extra bed), 4 pax, and 6 pax. The price is fixed because they also serve the food for us. If you're staying for 1 night, you will get 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, and 1 dinner. Worry not, if you're starving after those snorkeling activity, you will always pick up the phone to ask for instant noodle, bread, coffee, and tea, for free! The food itself was not bad, but it was not that special too. However, I found the service was very good.

They use solar system for their main energy, so hair drying is forbidden at night. They bring the fresh water from the land, so when the weather was bad, the boat with fresh water won't be able to sail. So it's better to use the water wisely! They have a big bucket in every bathroom, so we can have a spare. The wifi speed is okay, but due to bad weather, I could not rely on it.

So they have island hopping activity to offer. We did not take it because we only have one day. Island hopping with additional of 800k/pax including 3 islands with guard. 

Living in Pulo Cinta was such a new experience for me. Everything was so blue and calming. An island life, with all the services. The place itself did not have any air con, but the weather was quite windy yet you won't need any air con. I even need a jacket to keep me warm at night!

Having a good time indeed.

A view from my room, facing a wide blue sea. You see the water is crystal clear with those coral reefs under the sea. You might take photos of it, but you are not allowed to step on it. Coral reefs are protected and those who damage them will be fined. Be kind to earth, will you? ;)

A good place to chill. Sandy feet, salty air, could not be better!

The good thing was we had this clear blue sky on the next day. I went for another snorkeling activity and it was so so good! It was quite different than the one I had the previous day. The happy sun made much differences! The sea was very clear and lotsa fish inside. I was such a happy kid!

Overall, Pulo Cinta could be an escape from the city hustle. The trip was quite a long one to reach here, but everything was worth the wait, especially when the weather is good. The place itself is really suitable for honeymoon couple. One day was enough for me, because actually they do not offer much activities around. I do suggest not to go there at the end of the year because the weather can be so gloomy. If you are able to go on weekdays, it would be nice too, because the rate was cheaper than weekends.

1 Bedroom Villa
Tersedia : (10 unit)
Area Villa    : 92 meter persegi
Harga Villa :
Rp 3,500,000.-/malam/villa (Hari Biasa)
Rp 4,500,000.-/malam/villa (Sabtu & Minggu)
Rp 5,000,000.-/malam/villa (Hari libur)
Harga untuk 2 orang

2 Bedroom Villa
Tersedia : (1 unit)
Area Villa     : 152 meter persegi
Harga Villa :
Rp 7,000,000.-/malam/villa (Hari Biasa)
Rp 9,000,000.-/malam/villa (Sabtu & Minggu)
Rp 10,000,000.-/malam/villa (Hari Libur)
Harga untuk 4 orang

3 Bedroom Villa
Tersedia : (1 unit)
Area Villa    : 212 meter persegi
Harga Villa :
Rp 10,500,000.-/malam/villa (Hari Biasa)
Rp 13,500,000.-/malam/villa (Sabtu & Minggu)
Rp 15,000,000.-/malam/villa (Hari Libur)
Harga untuk 6 orang

PULO CINTA ECO RESORT
www.pulocinta.com

Best regards,
Jessica Christy Limanjaya