Back to life...

Back to reality...

So I've been taking out the "digital trash" today and run across a bunch of pictures I forgot I had.

This one is from the food court of Tanah Abang in Jakarta, Indonesia. It's got ALL kinds of local delicacies in actual food carts. There's enough selection there to blow.your.mind. This photo (in all it's terrible phone camera glory) was taken right on two years ago today. Give or take a day or two. Considering I was in Indonesia for 6 weeks two years ago the days sort of run together.

Keeping that picture in mind, my better half and I decided to try out this new joint, Hawkers, which purports to have food that you'd find in food carts in SE Asia. I have been to SE Asia, and you, Hawkers, are NO SE Asia.

Let's say the food isn't terrible. It really isn't. The Singapore Laksa was actually pretty spot on according to He-who-is-from-that-region. And the noodle dish I had was pretty good as well. The atmosphere was REALLY Chipotle-ish. I'm not into industrial-hipster chich, and sitting on a high hard stool was pretty uncomfortable, too. But the worst... The absolute worst. The most horrifying example of the abomination "Asian Fusion" was the Cantonese Ginger Chicken, a dish promising "moist chicken breast with a savory spring onion and ginger garnish".

Nuh uh. No way, Jose. What was brought to the table? A small plate of flattened chicken breast tenders and a puree so green it looked almost radioactive like you'd see in a comic book. It glowed. The chicken was ice cold and that was OK. The sauce - because that is what it was, not a GARNISH - was the most salty thing I'd ever tasted in my life. EVER. It had a gritty texture and nearly turned me into Lot's Wife. It did NOT taste like ginger & spring onion. No way, no how. I should've had the forethought to actually take a picture of it.

What I was expecting was this:


Baiqie Chicken

We eat this dish fairly regularly at home. It's wonderful served cold. With ginger in salted oil & spring onion garnish and steamed rice made with the chicken stock. Which reminds me, I need to  my better half needs to make this again. He's a master in the kitchen. Poor guy. I bake well, but I'm not the world's best cook.

#SoulIISoul #JakartaIndonesia #FoodCarts