Bubbly Babble

Briosse Bistro Review

Finally get to visit the latest happening café in town, Briosse Bistro! It has been a few months since I keep seeing people's Instagram posts here, and I get to tried it last weekend. Briosse is located in the 3rd floor of Thema Home, and I think the place is strategic and instagenic at the same time. It has a good lighting (both natural and artificial) and very comfortable.

(Love the Professional Looking Menu Book)

(The Famous Photo Spot)

I love the interior design very much, because it looks minimalistic and homey at the same time with glasses, paintings, wood furnitures, and their comfy couches. Another lovely thing from their interior is how their color palettes matches one another with black, tosca, white, and brown colors.

(Loving the Ceiling and Pantry)

(Smoking Room, Overlooking the Street)

(I Find This Unique Artwork Amusing)

(Comfy Furnitures and Instagram-able Floor)

(The Second Most Famous Photo Spot - Good Advice Right There, Briosse!)

Overall from all the menus that I tasted, everything tastes delicious and satisfying. Price wise, it can be classified as middle range, and I think it is suitable with the portion and taste, as well as very affordable considering the pretty ambience, spacious place, and beautiful interior.

(Giant Chicken Sashlik - 55k)

(Nero Tagliolini Seafood - 60k)

(Beef Carbonara Pizza - 70k)

Their Giant Chicken Sashlik is savoury, an awesome combination of the BBQ-like sauce and grilled chicken, no wonder that it is famous and often recommended. Briosse Bistro also gives generous amount of fresh seafood on the pasta and their cream sauce tastes very good. Incredible amount of mozarella is also given on top of the pizza (it tastes like cheese pillow <3), too bad the egg is not perfect and therefore losing its aesthetic value.

Overall, I think Briosse Bistro is highly recommended for people who want to spend their time hanging out for a long time and eat good food (as well as looking for a place for a good Instagram post :P) Their service was nice and it is also a beautiful place to visit whether during daytime or nighttime. Definitely a must (not only once) visit!

Ambience (Place, Interior, Music) : 4/5

Price (Worthiness) : 4.5/5

Taste : 4.5/5

Briosse Bistro

HR Muhammad 27-29,

Putat Gede, Suko Manunggal,

Surabaya Barat.

031-7310850

(Inside Thema Home, 3rd Floor)

- Caroline Ongkowijoyo

(Picture courtesy of Caroline Ongkowijoyo, unless stated otherwise)

2:23 AM
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Books Wishlist - August

Wish List

Here are some books that I thought would be good and interesting (but haven't got the money or time to buy). Hope it inspires you, book hunters :)

1. This Modern Love by Will Darbyshire

http://www.modernlovebook.com

"This Modern Love is a unique crowdsourced book of letters, stories, and photographs about the state of modern romance by YouTuber Will Darbyshire."

I think this would be interesting, because it features questions, with answers and stories from real people, and what happens in real life romance from different point of views. It would also encourage me to think (therefore doubled as a journal), what would I answer if those questions were asked towards me?

2. Holding Up The Universe by Jennifer Niven

http://www.jenniferniven.com/books/holdinguptheuniverse/

Jennifer Niven is very good at creating stories that made us aware, people aren't always as good as they seem. Inside, their hearts might be broken, they might have mental illness, and their spirit might be wounded. I've read All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, and it was very good as well as eye-opening.

3. Landline by Rainbow Rowell

http://www.rainbowrowell.com/landline/

Rainbow Rowell have the ability to create a fun and relatable story. I've read Eleanor & Park as well as Fangirl, and those are books that I can't stop reading once I finish the first page. Reading the synopsis of this one also makes me curious and intrigued to read the story.

4. Instant Happy : 10-Seconds Attitude Makeovers by Karen Salmansohn

https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Happy-10-Second-Attitude-Makeovers/dp/160774368X

I personally think that positivity is an important things to keep everyone of us going in this life. This book description directly got me at "With witty sayings, inspiring philosophies, colorful graphics, and a dose of cheeky tough love.."

5. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Then-There-Agatha-Christie-Collection-ebook/dp/B0046H95RM

It is one of the most famous book by Agatha Christie, and I really want to read this one. From Agatha Christie to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, mystery or detective book has always been interesting for me.

P.S: Pictures are from various sources.

8:36 PM
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Turquoise Haven - Le Pirate Beach Club || Bali 2016

Review

For my visit to Bali this time, I decided to stay in Le Pirate Beach Club for 3 days and 2 nights, because I saw pictures of it and the location is full of my favorite colors 😍 I feel like arriving on a turquoise haven, and here I'm going to share about my experience and few guides for staying here.

To go there, I used a speed boat from Sanur, and you can find the ticket counter nearby a famous fish culinary place "Mak Beng" (which is also a recommended culinary visit!). Look for a destination to Nusa Lembongan.

(Look at how beautiful Nusa Lembongan Beach are <3)

After arriving on Nusa Lembongan, you can use a motorcycle or a car (a.k.a pick-up in local language) to go to the Yellow Bridge. Note that only motorcycle can be used to cross the bridge.

(Yellow Bridge, connecting Nusa Lembongan - Nusa Ceningan)

From the Yellow Bridge to Le Pirate Beach Club, you can just drive with motorcycles straight ahead following the way until you find Le Pirate, or call Le Pirate employees to pick you up at the Yellow Bridge. Anyway, a little trivia fact, this bridge as well as Nusa Lembongan and their seaweed farming, is featured in the twenty-eighth season of The Amazing Race.

In Le Pirate Beach Club, they have 10 beach boxes (so you need to book far ahead of time to make sure you get to stay there), and you can choose between the beach box (fit 1-2 person/room) or the bunk bed room (fit 1-4 person/room), both at IDR 800,000 (rate may varies). I stay in the bunk bed for the 1st night, and the beach box for the second, and I'd have to say the beach box is way more comfortable though the bunk bed would be cheaper (for cost/person).

Before we go further with the review, I would have to say that this would not be a luxurious-few-star resort, so if you're looking for an extravagant stay, this would not be it, and you might not be interested to read further. But if you want to experience a true island exploration stay, do read down below :)

Here is the picture perfect turquoise and white beach box:

(Taken in the early morning)

(Instagram-able much?)

(The Beach Box)

I'd have to say that you can't expect a spacious room, that's why 1-4 person/room would be a little claustrophobic. I forgot to take picture of the bunk bed room, sorry for that.

(Outdoor private bathroom)

Because the bathroom is outdoor, it can get dirty easily, like a little bit sandy. There is not hot water as well and the water tastes a little bit salty. However, when you brush your teeth at night, you can directly see a sea of stars above you, makes you realize how staring at your phone all the time makes you forget about nature wonders (or is it just me?)

(View from inside)

I'd have to say that you can't expect a spacious room, that's why 1-4 person/room would be a little claustrophobic. I forgot to take picture of the bunk bed room, sorry for that. I do recommend you to bring anti-insect chalk as well (purchase it at the nearest convenient store / drugstore before departing from Sanur) because inside you can find a few ants around, not harmless though.

There is also a place to sit just right by the sea, where you can just chill out chatting while listening to the waves at night, or watching the fishes down below in the morning and it is my favorite place to be in Le Pirate. You can also see Nusa Lembongan Island as well as how the locals harvest the seaweed there.

(Morning Sea, Before Sunrise)

(Evening Sea, Before Sunset)

The pool is very close to the sea as well, making it very fun to swim in and very pretty to take a pic with. Even more because it is accompanied with the cute colorful chair all around, as well as some bean bags.

(The Color Combinations are just asdfghjkl <3)

(The sun is still shy)

(Sunrise, finally!)

Upstairs, right above the dining area (the restaurant, forgot to take a picture ☹️) there is also a quite spacious lounge filled with pastel blue pillows, where you can see the whole area from above.

(Loving the pun here)

(Such a cozy and Pinterest-y lounge, isn't it?)

(Going to miss my hair when it fades later on..)

(View from the dining area, during breakfast time)

Overall, Le Pirate Beach Club is quite a nice place to stay in, but it's very hard to sleep comfortably in the Bunk Bed, because I get the bed that is close to the roof (or the attic) and it is a little bit dusty and dirty on the sides. Also, part of the reason why I can't sleep is because I'm afraid there might be an insect nearby (might be weird, I know). It is also not comfortable to stay inside the room when you're a little bit claustrophobic because it isn't spacious.

Some of the furniture's fabrics, like the chair by the pool and the pillows in the lounge were also a little bit dirty, like having yellow stains, maybe because it has been there for a long time? And the floors of the lounge were dirty as well (even with the barefooted rules), I left from the lounge with dirty black feet :(

Aside from that, my family members were quite paranoid because at night they could hear the waves crashed onto the rocky sides, while for me it was actually quite comfortable to hear the sea while I'm about to sleep. It is also nice to wake up in the morning and just see a picturesque view outside my bedroom door.

(The sunset, seen right from my beach box front)

Before I go with the review summary, I'd have to remind you that this island is a little bit secluded so it would feel good for people who look for serenity and an escape from busy city life, but not suitable when you need a dose of productivity or lots of activities daily. You get to watch sunrise and sunset right from this place, the sea is yours for 24 hours, but there will be no good wifi connection there and TV is not available as well. Basically, do go there if you just want to escape the media, take a break from the busy city life, enjoying solitude, and have a good time chilling and bonding with family and friends. It would be a pleasant experience.

Leave a comment down below if you have any question, and I would gladly answer them and help you as much as possible! :)

Review Summary:

Ambience (Cleanliness, Comfortability, Sleep Quality) : 2.5/5

Aesthetic (View, Layout, Interior Design) : 4/5

Service (Waiter/Waitress, Room Service, Tour Assistance) : 4/5

Value (Cost, Price Worthiness) : 3/5

Experience : 4/5

Le Pirate Beach Club

Nusa Ceningan - Bali

Instagram: @lepiratebeachclub

Email: rsv.ceningan@lepirate.com

Reservation Phone Number : +62361 487 240 , +62851 0041 6833

Captain Phone Number : +62811 3883 701

www.lepirate.com

- Caroline Ongkowijoyo

(Pictures courtesy of Caroline Ongkowijoyo, unless stated otherwise.)

8:01 AM
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June 2016 Music Playlist

Playlist

1. Halo - Beyoncé

2. Make You Stay - The Girl and the Dreamcatcher

3. Candyman - Zedd

4. No Money - Galantis

5. How to Love - Cash Cash ft Sofia Reyes

6. Letting Go - Day6

7. Lush Life - Zara Larsson

8. Don't Let Me Down - The Chainsmokers feat Daya

9. Fire Meet Gasoline - Sia

10. Stand By You - Rachel Platten

11. Close - Nick Jonas feat Tove Lo

12. Roses - The Chainsmokers feat ROZES

13. Lonely Planet - Rachel Platten

14. Never Forget You - Zara Larsson & MNEK

15. Not Today - Imagine Dragons

16. Cheap Thrills - Sia

17. Faded - Alan Walker

18. If I Ain't Got You - Alicia Keys

19. Christina's Song - MAX

20. Hair - Little Mix

6:48 AM
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Seaphoria Review

Food

Visited Seaphoria for lunch yesterday. Upon arriving, I felt a little bit uncomfortable with their cramped parking lot space, but no worries because they also provide valet service. First, let's look at these photos of the place and its interior.

(First Floor - Seen from parking lot)

Their first floor space is quite good, I quite like their choice of interior design with pastel wood texture on its walls, wood furnitures, and wide glass windows and doors.

(The iconic photo spot)

I choose to have lunch on the second floor, because the waitress there said it is way more comfortable and wider. Their second floor is divided into 3 big parts. The balcony, the lounge, and the dining area. Inside the dining area, there are also 3 doors leading to 3 VIP rooms.

(Dining Area)

(Stairs Connecting the First and Second Floor)

The artwork on the wall is really amusing, I also love the way they decorate the lightings.

(Lounge Area - Seen from the Dining Area)

From the photo above, you can see the wall on the right also have doors leading to the VIP Rooms

(VIP Room Door)

(Lounge Area)

(Balcony)

(Balcony - Another Photo Spot)

I like the squares used as decoration, putting those squares in line with each other please the eyes. (Is it just me?)

Moving on to the food, yaaay! I ordered Escargot and Glaze Prawn Aglio Olio and my dad ordered Beef Gratin. My mom ordered Spicy Tomato Crab, and my Auntie ordered Garlic Parsley Chicken Breast, however, I forgot to take a picture of these two, my apologies. Another apology I have to give is because I don't really know how to cook, nor having the ability to notice an ingredient from tasting only, so my comments on these food might be limited and all these food reviews is based only on an amateur foodie tongue.

(Escargot - Rp. 65.000,-)

The Escargot is very very tasty. It's very soft and savoury, and accompanied with some crunchy bits. The garlic is just perfectly enough, and it doesn't taste too strong, making it tastes very good alone or with the garlic bread.

(Glaze Prawn Aglio Olio - Rp. 38.000,-)

The Aglio Olio, however, did not taste as good as what I imagined it would be. It's basically taste like a spaghetti with some sweet and sour and spicy sauce on top. The prawn were cooked beautifully though, not too soft and not too rubbery as well, so I figured the prawn must be fresh.

(Beef Gratin - Rp. 88.000,-)

I did not try to taste the beef, because it seems to be the part that I hate (the gooey part of the meat, I don't really know what it's called, maybe the fatty part?). However, I could say the potato gratin and the sauce is very delicious.

(Spicy Tomato Crab - Rp. 58.000,-)

Their Spicy Tomato Crab taste delightful as well. It's crunchy and the sauce is sweet and sour, with enough amount of spice. Fits well with their warm steamed rice. (Seriously though, I think it's quite hard to get a good cooked rice here in Surabaya, and theirs is one of the best)

Courtesy of : instagram.com/seaphoria

(Garlic Parsley Chicken Breast - Rp. 82.000,-)

As for the Garlic Parsley Chicken Breast, the sauce and spices tastes very good, the mushroom and veggie are cooked beautifully, and the chicken breast is very tender.

(Coconut Cookies Shake - Rp. 27.500,-)

At first, we ordered ice tea, ice peach tea, and ice lemon tea for our beverages. (Those are very good and tastes fresh as well, but the ice peach tea is a little bit too sweet for my taste) Later on, the waitress offered us little cups to taste one of their beverage, which is this Coconut Cookies Shake. It tastes A-MA-ZING! I never thought that combining coconut water and cookies and cream could taste that good. It's fresh, and creamy, and just enough sweetness at the same time. Definitely a must try and must order.

Overall, it was a super pleasant lunch. Comfortable place and ambience, good service, and tasty menu. I went home with a heavy tummy, light heart, and happy smile.

Ambience (Place, Interior, Music) : 4/5

Price (Worthiness) : 3/5

Taste : 3/5

Seaphoria Bistro & Lounge

HR Muhammad 17,

Surabaya Barat.

031-7381177

(Next to ATM BCA)

- Caroline Ongkowijoyo

(Picture courtesy of Caroline Ongkowijoyo, unless stated otherwise)

9:04 PM
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Lighthearted

Thoughts

Recently, I was upset with a friend. I felt like she is only looking for me when she needs something for me, or when she has no one to accompany her. So I don't feel like we're close enough and therefore I didn't try to fix the problem as well.

But she was the one who first came up to me and said sorry. She explains all things that might cause me to misunderstand. We talk about each other's feelings and things that weighs our heart. And I go home with a happy smile on my face. No burden, no sadness, no being upset whatsoever.

It felt good to fix a problem and finish the matter. It felt good to lose a hatred or disappointment in your heart and feels lighthearted.

I learn that there are times when people are not as bad you thought they would be. Sure, people might make you upset and there are times when you hate them so much. But nobody's perfect. Everyone's got a flaw and their flaw might not be tolerable for you. However, when you choose to fix it, it can also happen that it is only a misunderstanding. And it is so not worth it to break a relationship over a grudge, or misperception.

In order not to be disappointed in the future (or at least minimize the disappointment), don't expect people to be flawless. Don't expect people to understand you either. Keep it in your mind that people do have both bad and good side, and they can do some mistakes as well.

After all, why fill your life with hatred when you can fill it with happiness?

10:05 PM
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Briosse Bistro Review

Books Wishlist - August

Turquoise Haven - Le Pirate Beach Club || Bali 2016

June 2016 Music Playlist

Seaphoria Review

Lighthearted

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