10 Fav MVs of 2016

1. wonder Girls - why so lonely
a surreal combination of playful barbie world and thriller b-movies. love the pastel color scheme and retro effects, very trippy yet on point that it lives up the reggae vibe the girls are serving this time around.

2. ladies code - the rain

a chic cinematic masterpiece! you can tell a lot of efforts are made to craft the video judging from the amount of details provided. i really adore the dreamy future pop direction ladies code are taking with their genre lately and this mv is a perfect personification of it.

3. seventeen - check in

an mv that literally follows what the song title is trying to convey. watching it feels like following someone's escape travel on instagram with a fantastic vsco skill. the shots are taken very carefully and it brilliantly explores unusual spots that establish unique and remarkable scenery.

4. blackpink - whistle

VM is one of my favorite multimedia production houses and they really serve some of the best mvs this year, including blackpink's whistle. just like their other signature works, this mv incorporates unique elements with filtered colors that makes it feel modern, youthful, and sophisticated.

5. nct u - 7th Sense

not only the song made it to my #1 kpop song this year, but the mv also sits nicely on my favorite list, once again thanks to VM. the mv focuses on a nebulous atmosphere that can be seen through a range of visual effects, including silhouettes and deep tones that perfectly match the song's intense vibe.

6. heize & dean - and july

toxic relationship has never been this hilarious. heize and dean showed off their charm as a couple that attempted to express their thinly veiled annoyance through intricate tricks such as sticking super glue on a shoe, locking a toilet, and.. spitting on coffees. yikes.

7. red velvet - russian roulette

russian roulette is cute as much as it is disturbing. you will find yourself getting blown away by the splash of vibrant colors mixed with comical aesthetic only to realize later that each of red velvet members are actually trying to kill each other. speaking about dangerously adorable!

8. jonghyun - she is

who would have thought that dimmed brightness and vibrant colors would create such a decent visual trip? jonghyun takes this contrast to a new level, making this mv an unforgettable compliment to the stylish song itself.

9. san e feat. raina - sugar & me

sweeter than sugar, this mv melts in your mouth like a maple syrup on a hot pancake, chocolate glaze on a cake, or fondue on a strawberry. and chances are, you might as well find the said desserts on the clip itself!

10. bts - blood, sweat & tears

a lavish take that pleases the eyes with artistic allusions and philosophical symbolisms. bts and lumpens are made for each other and i hope they will continue to explore more visual concepts for many years to come.

I think its funny how, as im sitting here at 2am staring at the ceiling, every single memory suddenly plays again at the back of my head. some are sweet some other are bitter but one thing for sure theyre all beautiful. its like watching through a kaleidoscope thats constantly stretching an old film strip without any missing scenes. going on a road trip to watch you perform with your old band, seeing the flush on your cheeks as i played the first song i made for you, getting drunk on new years eve and vomitting on my bed, telling each other stories as we sat on a grassfield, and so on. theyve become a part of me, a part of my entity my soul that i cant let go even if i want to. and thats the same thing as you. it hurts its sad it makes me want to tear myself apart smash my head on a brickwall scream till my throat bleeds if only it could change a thing but reality says otherwise it says i just have to live with it. people come and go, moments are constantly woven, some memories are forgotten and thats fine. thats just how it goes. you will always be a part of me and a piece of me will always follow your steps wherever you go. maybe one day our paths will cross again, maybe not. maybe we will live happily with our own life, maybe we will still remember each other once in a while. who knows. 20 years from now we would sit at the rooftop from different parts of the world and stare at the same 2am sky and think about how it would have been if everything were different. and in that moment maybe i could see your smile once again.

who knows.

wonderland

its late at night
im staring blankly at the ceiling
my eyes are opened wide
though my consciousness is slowly fading

through my peripheral vision
i see you,
like a premonition
a dream thats yet to come true

a smile is carved on your face
its saccharine and intoxicating
i cant help but to chase
your shadow though my steps are falling

i fantasize a hand to hold
with your fingers and mine intertwined
reality feels like a second world
when i lived too long inside my mind

let's ride to sugar beach
where the umbrellas are pink and the sand looks like sugar
the ocean is deep blue and the clouds are high
and we soon fall asleep under the stars

i've always wanted everything to pass quickly
but not this time, the time where i just want the clock to stop
stop it from ticking, stop things from moving
just for a moment to cherish this sweet embrace

i hate to wake up and see you go
it only made me realize that this was all but a dream
a fragment of imagination tattooed at the back of my mind
that i can't let go no matter how hard i try

and as your shadow slowly gets wiped by the cotton waves
i gather the remaining memory in the palm of my hand
it keeps on slipping through the gaps of my fingers but i don't mind
it's still sweet. like sugar. every bit of it.

sometimes you can only feel something by its absence. by the empty space it leaves behind. nostalgia is a trick. a rose colored glasses that deludes your view toward the perfection that is yesterday. yesterday is the place that you constantly long to go back to, because the present lacks of contentment. and slowly you find yourself drowning in a sea of thoughts. the long lost memories.

and its also true that sometimes, you miss the memories, not the experience.

W&S Bottle Shop-Eatery

if you're looking for a place to spend quality time with your significant other on the weekend, then you might want to look up for this particular spot. declaring itself as a bottle shop slash restaurant, W&S presents an intimate and elegant atmosphere with great choices of tantalizing dishes that will spoil your tastebud. being located in a secluded corner makes the restaurant pretty difficult to notice at first, but once you step in, you will be greeted by a cozy, spacious place with chic and fresh modern interior. W&S, which stands for wine & spirit, combines retail bottle and restaurant into one whole concept. therefore you will find many selections of spirits, liquor, and also wine from around the world. an extensive wine and spirits cellar is also present to preserve premium, super premium, and limited edition drinks that can only be found at specific places.

at W&S, you are free to take away the bottle of your choice or enjoy it on the spot while having the special dishes created by executive chef arnold budiawan at the restaurant area. not only that, W&S also prepares a hampers package that you may craft with your own delectable wine selection along with pretty decorations for your loved one. don't worry, W&S will help you with a delivery service to make sure your package is safely arrived!

 

    (chicken wings)                                              (grilled beef brisket)

done digging the bottle shop area, now its time to try out W&S' signature dishes! apparently they chose western food as their main menu because the variety of dishes is highly suitable for wine pairing. of course, in order to cater to different palates W&S also serves other categories, like asian food for instance. for a warm up, grilled beef brisket is a wonderful dish you shouldnt miss! its a slow roasted brisket with a texture that goes oh so tender in every bite, plus it is topped with chimicurri that provides a crisp and refreshing aftertaste. other than that theres also chicken swarma, that is basically chicken wrapped in pita bread and served with corns and chili mayo. these menus come in pretty big portions that can fill up to two tummies, and especially fantastic when served with a glass of wine.

  

(rottiserrie chicken)                                                   (summer breeze)

one of W&S' specialties is rottiserrie chicken. it comes in a full portion of whole chicken that can satisfy 4 up to 6 people, complete with roasted potato and gravy. before this wonderful menu is served, the chicken has been marinated for hours to make sure the seasonings perfectly seeped in to the bone. i was quite surprised when i found out that this exclusive menu only costs 145k for A WHOLE portion, which is very affordable for a dish this sumptuous and delicate! you can also order it in half portion or 1/4. Before leaving, don' miss the special cocktails and mocktails creations that are served directly by the bartenders at the bar section. you may pick the fresh and fruity one like peach bizzare or tropical flush, or the mild-textured and creamy one such as velvety nutella. it was definitely such a pleasant experience to hang out at W&S. the cool ambience plus the great selections of food and drinks that are priced reasonably made it worth a visit!

W&S

Cilandak Town Square Ground Floor Unit D-048

Phone: (021) 759 20249

Opening hours: 11AM - 1AM

Average spending: Rp 100.000 – Rp 150.000 per person

(photos by: Sofyan Effendi)

Food Container

lately there has been quite a number of unique food courts poppin up in town, like pasar santa and food fighters to name a few. they serve a wide variety of food and drinks under one roof, and the tenants are mostly comprised of start ups or independent brands. it slowly grows into a favorable phenomenon since the jakartans always LOVE to try something new and unique aside of the common dishes they usually eat. i recently stumbled upon a new joint that is located in lebak bulus area, and it apparently also presents a fun culinary destination concept with lots of mouth watering treats to try. that being said, welcome to food container!

food container isnt that hard to spot. it is located right by the roadside with a container-like appearance that lives up to its name. when i walked inside i was greeted by 23 different tenants with their own specialties. the 'brain' behind food container, wiyanna, apparently used to hold culinary festivals or events at malls or local bazaars. "as food aficionados, my husband and i aim to create a permanent culinary destination that is also supported by creative sellers in this industry. hence food container's visitors will meet many kinds of dishes that they wont find in any other food courts in general," she said.

you can pick your seat and a waiter will hand out the menu to your table. its good that the menu already covers each existing tenant so all you gotta do is confirm your choice and few minutes later your selections will arrive straight to your table. since the place is rather hot and humid (food container utilizes open aired space with fans instead of ACs), then it will be perfect to start your culinary journey with some cold and refreshing beverages that you can find at food container drink corner. the yellow painted booth offers a variety of drinks from flavored tea, juice, up to the bartender's special mixes such as green container (soda and melon syrup), strawberry sensation (milk, soda, and strawberry syrup), and container lychee (yakult, lychee syrup, and jelly toppings). the colourful appearance makes the experience even more exciting!

 

(Suwar Suwir)                                     (Mr. Panda Dim sum)

now lets shift to the 'heavier' course. if indonesian food is a staple meal for you, then there are a number of booths that you surely dont want to miss. one of them is suwar suwir that serves authentic local cuisines with traditional sambal selections. their signature menu includes suwir combrang (a combination of shredded chicken with the fresh and exotic sambal combrang) and suwir matah (a combination of shredded chicken, onion, chili, and sambal matah with a variety of spices that make this particular dish rich in taste). all menus are served inside a go-to box that is so simple you can carry it everywhere. for other local food alternative, you can also try out nasi kentjana that offers traditional rice dishes such as nasi bogana, nasi campur bali, nasi kuning cakalang, up to nasi liwet solo, and not to mention their unique dessert, pisang janda, a sweet treat served with condensed milk and cheese. it feels perfect when you enjoy it with a glass of wedang uwuh or wedang ronde, a classic traditional drink to warm up your body.

 

(Ichitori)                                           (Nasi Kentjana)

moving on from local cuisines, you can explore unique dishes from other countries as well. for japanese food lovers out there, you might have heard about ichitori for a while now. yup, the brand has been floating in local culinary scene quite often because ichitori often participates in numerous bazaars and festivals. some of their signature menus are mushroom karaage, chicken karate, and toriyaki, all comes with generous toppings. there's also ultradon, another booth that serves japanese food, especially donburi AKA rice bowl with various topping selections like mushroom, chicken, beef, or dory fish, served with their tasty homemade sauce.

meanwhile if youre looking for western food selections, theres no need to worry. just head over to curly, which previously has opened its booth at pasar santa. theres no way you would want to miss their highly recommended signature menu, curly's cheese steak. its a sandwich with 60gr meat, onion, mushroom sauce, cheddar cheese, and mozzarella cheese that melts in your mouth. fantastic!

 

(Pipa Bite)                                          (Martabak Dunia)

it feels incomplete to visit food container without getting your hands on the delightful desserts they got in store. head over to pipa bite for unique pastries with sweet fillings (cotton candy ice cream, anyone?), warung mamacha (they serve this roppan-style bread with a bunch of toppings like marshmallow, ice cream, and cereals), or offle (waffles with varied topping selections that you can pick yourself). but if you come along with some friends, then it would be perfect to order something sweet in sharing portion, right? if thats the case, martabak dunia might be your main option. its basically just like any other martabak, but what sets it apart from the rest is their uncommon toppings that are named after the countries they identify with; such as thailand (durian), italy (bolognaise), USA (cookies & cream), and china (chicken floss). pretty impressive i might say!

all in all food container successfully provides a remarkable experience for culinary hunters or simply anyone who's looking for a new atmosphere to spend their weekend with friends or family. with all the goodness that it offers, i wish all the good luck for food container in the future!

Food Container
Jalan Lebak Bulus Raya No. 30A, Jakarta Selatan 
Opening hours 10 AM-10 PM
Average spending: Rp 100.000/person

Instagram: @food_container

(photos by: Sofyan Effendi)