I miss nasi gudeg

There is so much good food in Hong Kong, but what I really want right now is nasi gudeg. Bu Lasmi's nasi gudeg, to be exact.

The primary ingredient in nasi gudeg is green jackfruit that is cooked until it is soft, pink and velvety. Gudeg has the look, texture and taste of shredded meat. Aside from the all-important gudeg, the rice is also accompanied with hard-boiled egg, shredded chicken, chilli paste, rambak - beef rind that is cooked till golden, soft and spongy, tofu, spicy potatoes, and all of that is doused with thick savoury coconut cream.

Delicious!

You can ask to 'tambah'/add any of the stuff you like. I always ask for more spicy potatoes, gudeg, and chicken.

This is Bu Lasmi's daughter. Her warung is not as atmospheric as her mother's house. But I seldom wake up early enough to eat at Bu Lasmi's place where everything usually runs out by 8.30 am. But everything at her daughter's warung is cooked at Bu Lasmi's and brought fr there every morning, so it's really the same.

One of the many calendars in the warung.

A wall of calendars is a pretty popular form of warung interior decor. The more the merrier! The sexier the better too! We are not prudish here in Semarang.

If you ever find yourself in Semarang, and crave for gudeg (and you should!), head to:

Gudeg Abimanyu

Jalan Abimanyu VII no. 6

Tel: 024-3542100

If you are planning to go after 9am, save yourself the disappointment and go to the daughter's:

Jalan Kimangun Sarkoro no. 15

Tel: 024-8453309

Back to the blog - Hello Summer!

After a long hiatus, I've decided to return to my blog. It'd be a journal of my summer.

For me, summer began with blooming lilacs.

It has been my ritual for the past 2 years to herald the arrival of warmer weather in May with a trip to Arnold Arboretum to see and sniff the lilacs. This was my 3rd year, and Howie came with me this time. He laid down by a big grove of lilac bushes and took a nap.

The air was heavy with the perfume of the big bunches of flowers. Not all lilacs are lilac coloured. Some are deep purple, light pink, and some, like the prettily named China Snow, are snow-white.

There's lots to admire in Arnold Arboretum - not just lilacs.

I left Boston when the lilacs were in bloom and headed for home. More on that in another post.