THE BETTER TRANSITIONS

All these times I’ve been struggling with the eye cylinder that I’ve been suffering. Initially I didn’t have any eye problem and not until the middle of last year that I knew about that because I started feeling that I need to quinch my eyes more to read small letters and number in a certain distance, AND THAT’S THE MAIN REASON WHY I’VE BEEN WEARING CONTACT LENS! But currently, I found myself too lazy to wake up (even waking up is lazy) and put on the contact lens and for some reasons, my eyes tend to be very dry in the morning and most of the times, putting on the contact lens could irritate my eyes. I know I could just moist my eyes with the eye drops and put them on but yes sometimes I am THAT lazy.

If there’s an award for the laziest person on earth, I’ll probably send someone to pick it up for me.

Just in time when I was planning to start converting to glasses, it was just the perfect timing as I got introduced to the Transitions^® Signature™, the newest, most responsive adaptive lenses!

Transitions^® Signature™ lenses are released by the Transition Optical Inc. so I guess the naming should make sense (LOL). They call it the Transitions^®Signature™ lenses because the lens was equipped with the photochromic technology inside the lens allowing the lens to adapt automatically with the direct sunlight and the further protection of the UVA and UVB sunlight, to describe it in the most simple way, the lens could darken out when you’re actually outdoor and as you stare directly into the sun, you barely need to quinch your eyes as you’re wearing sunglasses! As you guys know, the UVA and UVB sunlight could be very dangerous and when it continuously hit the eye without protection, it could really be one of the cause of cataracts and trust me you don’t want any.

This is what I meant:

When I don’t stare directly to the sun

When I stare directly to the sun: look at how the lens darkens out

The adaptivity of the lens is also quite sensitive, as soon as the lens detected the UV light, it darkens out and it will get darker as the UV light gets stronger.

You can purchase the frame and lens at any major optics in Jakarta or Indonesia, they are highly available there. I bought the frame for IDR 1,5 mil ($140).

And of course to ensure I get just the exact value of the lense I must do the eye check and even better: IT’S A FREE EYE CHECK! No extra cost needed!

The eye check test was pretty basic: letter and number reading and the spot and point test. Since I knew my cylinder was around 0,5 which technically not crazy big or bad, but the disadvantage of it is that if I have to read small letters from a distance, it could be a burden and blurry. Anyway, back to the result, the number stated that my cylinder value was still 0,5 for both eyes. They would print out the result and you can give this to them as the prescription to proceed with the next step, which is the lens making.

I was given two options for the lens color: brown and grey, actually it doesn’t matter if you choose either brown or grey, they don’t contribute to any sight problems even when they darkened out, and I can still see, read and notice 100% clearly (even clearer as I am now using the glasses) but the optician told me that the brown color is better in enhancing contrast between red and green objects, while the grey is more neutral.

I chose this New Balance frame, initially wanted Ray Ban but the frame doesn’t really suit my style and I had to pick them asap because I was going to leave for Bali on the next day and couldn’t wait until freaking New Year. It took around 3-5 days of work, mine was around three days, sent it to the optic on Friday and got mine on Monday (Saturday and Sunday did not count).

So I currently still wear the contact lens combined with the best, most stylish and protective lens on the market. Not only that it boost my confidence, comfort is also the key! Not to mention most people told me that I look much mature and face is slimmer with glasses, and to you all wondering why am I still wearing contact lens is because I want my eyes to look bigger!!! It’s the eyes that do the talking. F small black eyes!

PRICING

If you’re wondering about the pricing of this lens, I must say the total value of the lens with the money that you’ll be paying is completely worth it. Health is such a lifetime investment and without health, everything is basically nothing. The pricing will depend on these conditions: the lens brand, the material, the lens type, prescription and additional coatings that you can customize. For the lens type you can choose between the single-vision, bifocal or progressive. The total value of the frame and lens was around $600, knowing that this has the possibility of lifetime usage, I am on board!

Yeah, just like leather bags, once you bought it and take care of it nicely, it could be a long lasting investment right *wink*.

For more information about the Transitions^®Signature™ lenses:

http://www.transitions.com/id/produk/lensa-adaptif-transitions/

This post is brought to you by Transitions^®

Howdy Hello Hola Hey Ho Jakarta

Again, the kind peeps from Opco Indonesia (thank you Sylvie and Priscilla) invited me and some bloggers to dine at their newest branch Howdy Hello Hola Hey Ho, or simply known as H5. Okay, never found such a catchy name for a restaurant but here you go.

I sometimes (have to) pass this particular restaurant because it's located on the 5th and life knows how often an event is being held on the 5th floor, and at first I thought this was just another western themed restaurant serving western food only with different packaging but there I was given a lesson NOT to judge because I was quite stunned to learn the fact that they're actually a restaurant with Asian food concept! Now I am curious!

But it did NOT look like typical Asian themed restaurant as you can see from the logo and the entrance, very western retro with a little touch of sophistication *self-defense*.

The venue was spacious but not huge and I totally love the idea of separating the smoking and non-smoking area! Restaurants with this policy ALWAYS get higher points from me, talk about supporting the health! The design looked like a traditional eatery with mixture of earthy materials, metals, in a way quirky but hip and yet comfy.

THE RIGHT ONE IS SO ME!!! minus the fat.

Enough interiors! FOOD PHOTOS!!!
Gotta warn you since the restaurant was really dark and dim, these are not the best photos that I took, I think I should really start consider buying external flash, only thing that it's totally not handy. Beauty is indeed pain.

There were around 12 courses served to us (big dinner!!!) and most of the menu consist of eggs which I am such a sucker for and they were...

Mr Phat (Pork - Non Halal)
IDR 50k
The first course with egg! Okay let me start with the egg, I think they made simple great pan fried eggs, lighty seasoned, semi-crispy layer underneath with runny yolk still pouring like lava! This was a good starter, more like a salad which consisted of vegetables and meat addition, both elements were fresh and all topped with a little tangy sauce dressing.

Uncle Ho's Crunchy Wings
IDR 32k
For appetizers, I have always loved deep fried chicken wings, well I think most of you would probably agree with that, but H5's take on this was a bit unique because the chicken wings were marinated before, fried and then tossed in what could be the most unthinkable: FISH SAUCE, yes this dish was inspired by the Vietnamese culture and guess what? IT WAS DELICIOUS! The chicken was still juicy and tender, the coating was crispy with fish sauce on, totally unique and worth trying

Son-In-Law Eggs
IDR 18k
If you know Tamago or that runny boiled egg(s) in ramens then this would be the deep fried version. A little fried texture-ish on the coating but still pretty much runny on the inside! This was being served with the tamarind-caramel sauce which was just a perfect match to this whole dish. Simple but pretty yummeh!

Vietnamese Chicken Chop Rice

IDR 55k

This particular dish was H5's take on the classic broken rice, I was honesty expecting the rice to be how it should be instead of plain white rice because I wanna experienced the uniqueness, but the honey-glazed chicken saved it all, it might look a little burnt and dry physically, but the flavor was just pretty decent! The portion also completed with Chicken Meatloaf which was just okay to me, and (again) soft-centered Sunny Side Up.

Nasi Campur Aunty K
IDR 52k

If you know "Nasi Uduk" then this one is H5's version of it, the rice was really fragrant and perfectly seasoned and flavorful! I honestly found their coconut milk rice as the top ones I've had in life so far. The portion was also completed with papaya salad, amazing shredded beef, addicting peanut cracker and (again again again) egg topped with chili jam. This was just simple but overall pretty yummy.

Tom Yum
IDR 60k
While the portion and the filling was appropriate enough, their soup was not my favorite one, I just felt like it was a little too strong for my taste bud but in a way I was expecting it to be a little sourer, maybe spicy and smoother soup texture.

Crispy Roast Pork Knuckles
IDR 199k
One of my favorites, hands down gotta be this one! Their cripsy roast pork knuckles was seriously good, it's share-able for three beasts and since we've had that much food already, we kind of "snacked" this one, the skin was crispy but still chewy and the meat was just tender but one thing for sure: both pretty much addictive! The portion also completed with Zesty Apple Slaw, Lettuce wraps and special H5 sauce, but even without the sauce, it was great already!

Before we move to the more detailed explanations of the desserts, quick word: THEY HAVE AMAZING DESSERTS worth going back for!!!

Bangkok Betty
IDR 35k
Warm black sticky rice with coconut cream, Thai tea sago (mini orange pearls), Durian ice cream and fresh Durian on a bowl and you could feel that burst of flavor in your mouth even on that first goddamn scoop! It was very good and the Durian ice cream turned out to be passing my expectation. The black sticky rice was on the perfect state of consistency, and the fruit was fresh, but maybe if they could have a fuller one that would be better. The Thai tea sago however was not really 'screaming' but it did give a little texture play tho.

Mango Mania (seasonal)
IDR 40k
Presentation wise, not the best looking dessert but I just don't know how to put it: THIS WAS PERFECT! At first, I saw the mango and felt a little turned off already because the color sort of led me to a thought that this ain't going to be sweet but again, your favorite scum seemed to have to learn a lot because the mango was sweet with a very little hint of sourness and definitely fresh! The mango-cream icy bar had two layers: the top one was the more sorbet-ish texture and the below one was the creamier, smoother, silkier one but both was equal friggin delicious, so delicious I want it right this second! The sticky rice was also lovely made with proper consistency and stickiness! Another thing that needs to be highlighted was the simple salted peanuts, played a major roll on the flavor and the texture man!

Not the best idea to write reviews during the night because it friggin kills!

Asian Mess
IDR 33k
Presentation wise, it did sort of mess looking but the complex presentation actually led to amazing dreamy flavor (told ya they made great desserts!), the portion consisted of vanilla ice cream, coconut cake chunks, meringue, lemon curd, mango slices and salted peanuts (yes that one). Now I finally found a beautiful mess and I love everything on the plate, no negative comment. Period.

Affogato
IDR 35k
It turned out to be a pleasant surprise when I learned that they're using creamy avocado pannacotta and dark chocolate shards as the base because I never had one before. The pannacotta was smooth, silky, flavorful without overpowering everything. Funny thing that made this simple dish capital AWESOME was the aftertaste: if you don't like avocado then the coffee will tone it down for you, but if you don't like coffee, then the avocado with sort of balanced everything. One scoop and the flavor faded to this one moment of balance. LOVE LOVE LOVE!

That was such a big dinner eh?!

Overall I think that Howdy Hello Hola Hey Ho served pretty good food in general but maybe they just need a little factor to make the food stands out and to 'WOW' the costumers! No further negative comments on the desserts, they were very very good and I'll be back for more!

THANK YOU HOWDY HELLO HOLA HEY HO FOR THE SCRUMPTIOUS DINNER!!!

Wishing you best of luck and go win a lot of hearts!

Howdy Hello Hola Hey Ho

Grand Indonesia 5th fl.

Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 1

Jakarta Pusat 10310

021 - 2358 0045

Opening Hours: 11 AM - 12 AM

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

FACEBOOK || TWITTER || INSTAGRAM

email: eatandtreatsindo@gmail.com

Yellowfin Sake Bar and Kitchen Jakarta

Got invited by Yellowfin Jakarta for a scrumptious dinner time (thank you!) and this post will be talking all about it!

As you know (or don't), Yellowfin is a Japanese restaurant which is also a part of the OPCO group which is also running some other restaurants like the classic Portico, Koffie Warung Tinggi, Stark Bierhaus and to the newest joint: Hello Howdy Holla Hey Ho in Grand Indonesia, bet it won't be stopping here soon, looking forward for more ventures from the giant!

Yellowfin itself currently has two branches: one located in Grand Indonesia and another one that I went to was its first and main outlet located in Senopati (just across Anomali). I've been checking out (or at least looking) at Yellowfin because physically, this place is eye-catching with all those hanging lamps outside the restaurant but since I haven't got the chance, plus reading some mixed reviews, I kinda hold myself back a while ago.

The restaurant area was surprisingly quite spacious, it could hold around 60-80 people based from what I experienced visually. The venue was decorated majorly with wood materials and it had that rustic mood to it while still having that Japanese sense to it. During the night, the lighting was pretty dim but I honestly think the dim lighting was actually the quality for the dining venue because it lived up the ambiance.

Yellowfin is also known as a Sake Bar so you're going to find tons of sake bottles used as decoration elements.

They also have private dining area for two groups (12 each) and there will be minimum charge applied due to the reservation, around IDR 2 mil to spend minimum.

Private corner.

First before I start showing you the food pics, I am pretty much FUMING MAD with blogspot because they tend to compress the friggin photos! The photos below suddenly appeared to be taken with some old douche camera with grains all over the photos, Those weren't even looking like that as I am looking at the computer folders right now *sigh*.

Ponyo
IDR 35k
Ponyo is one of some Yellowfin's signature mocktail creations. Technically it's mango puree mixed soda water, passion fruit and passion fruit syrup. This was pretty refreshing and I love how well the flavor was balanced and the dose of sweet and sourness.

Green Tea Lemoncello
IDR 100k
This particular beverage is one of Yellowfin's signature cocktail and sake creation. It actually tasted like Tequilla, only with the mixture of sake. DO have the sugar-coated lemons after you had a cup to neutralize everything, surpisingly this was pretty decent.

Gyu Tan
IDR 70k
This was one of the appetizers served on the dinner. Their take on Gyu Tan (or simply known as Ox tounge) was just really close to perfection! Thin sliced uber tender juicy Gyu Tan served with the-of-so-delicious Miso sauce. Bet you're going to be very addicted once you tried this because it's THAT good plus it had that grilled, wok-ish aroma that rush up your appetite. You probably going to be surprised because it tasted so much like actual beef meat.

Asparagus Bacon
IDR 45k
Short to say, the Asparagus Bacon was another success. The Asparagus was cooked 'pan-seared' and the bacon was just tender and juicy (instead of dry and crispy) which I love. The bacon they're using here is pork and since I am such a sucker for pork dishes, this was friggin good!

Ebi Tempura Spicy Salad
IDR 48k
Now this one had the more interesting play of flavor and texture comparing to the previous two. It was crunchy, sweet, savory, sour... playful but still pretty much fun and enjoyable! This was not spicy as what stated on the titling. I honestly didn't really experience the Ebi because it was either minced or being cut to be ultra tiny but I did 'bump' into the mushrooms, short to say this one worth your try.

Spicy Maguro Onigiri
IDR 25k
They also gave two of their signature onigiri creations: the Spicy Maguro Onigiri and the Shake Onigiri (with Salmon - below). The onigiri was pretty big for a personal size, tried both of the onigiri but I must say that I was fond of the Shake Onigiri because first, I am really fond of Salmon, and secondly the meat was more generous comparing to the Spicy Maguro one, again I didn't find any spicy hint from the onigiri.

Shake Onigiri
IDR 25k

Hamachi Kama Teriyaki
IDR 140k
Hamachi is the Yellowtail fish which also happens to be the icon of the Yellowfin! If you look at the logo, it would be devastatingly hard to cook this because it was just cute! Anyway, this dish was one of their most famous as well as best sellers and I HAVE TO AGREE! It was seriously really really good with juicy smooth meat even after being deep fried and grilled. Gotta give credit to the outstanding cooking skill of the chef. I would grant this as one of the best fish courses I have eaten so far in my life. VERY RECOMMENDED!

Ebi Creamy Spicy Yaki
IDR 148k
This could made me teared up because of HOW GOOD this is. The prawns were big, really fresh and smooth and all that creamy dressing was just beyond my expectation. There's something about this dish that had its own class but you're aware that it's not intimidating.

Gindara Saikyo Yaki
IDR 165k
I must say that Yellowfin is such a champion and serious with their fish courses, again, didn't fail to impress me was this Gindara Saikyo Yaki! The Gindara (black cod) was marinated in Saikyo Miso overnight and that's probably why the seasoning absorb pretty nicely to the meat still leaving it to be juicy and smooth!

Ogura Ice Cream
IDR 25k

Yellowfin was just the awesome place to have great Japanese food (or Japanese seafood) and since I experienced it myself, I must say that I was pretty much impressed by how awesome the food was I could shed friggin tears of happiness! Especially that Hamachi Kama Teriyaki man... hmm! Pricing wise, I honestly think the food pricing is still pretty much reasonable, even if they're expensive, they're expensive for certain reasons.

DON'T STOP READING!!!
Celebrating their second anniversary, Yellowfin is having a special All You Can Eat promotion for their Sushi, Salad, Yakitori, Chahan and Miso Soup) for IDR 199k, every Saturday and Sunday 11-2 PM. Great freaking deal!

NOT ONLY THAT...

Win a chance to travel Japan for two by joining Yellowfin Kihada Chan competition this MAY!

The terms and conditions are very easy: you just have to dine in Yellowfin, collect the stamps and fill in the "passport"! This passport could be the real deal for you as the gateway to JAPAN!

Japan is such a country with worth loving culture and I bet everyone wants to go there!

Keep updated with the information regarding to the Japan trip from the social medias (below).

WHY THE HELL do I need to type this in the middle of the night. Better off to 'tie' myself with the blanket so I won't cheat for the fridge!

THANKS FOR READING!!!

Yellowfin Sake Bar and Kitchen
Jl. Senopati Raya No. 42
Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan
021 - 722 0394 // 0812 1969 0077
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

FACEBOOK || TWITTER || INSTAGRAM

email: eatandtreatsindo@gmail.com