December 10, 2014

NEW in Town: WAKUWAKU Japan Cafe

Some of you might have already heard about WAKUWAKU Japan. But for those of you who haven't, WAKUWAKU Japan is an entertainment channel that has been broadcasting Japanese TV programs in Indonesia since February 2014! For more info, read our review about it here.

And now ladies and gentlemen, WAKUWAKU Japan has spread their wings by establishing this Japanese-themed cafe:

Before you think something like, "Oh well, just another cafe with charming decor."

It's not!

WAKUWAKU Japan Cafe has something really unique and exciting to offer their customers which we think is very important if you want to stand out from the crowd, especially in these days where cafe business is growing so rapidly.

What they offer to you is... the opportunity to experience the real Japan.

Who wouldn't like to relax on the tatami, sip a cup of Ocha (or a spoon of Matcha ice cream) while enjoying the beautiful view of Japan's four seasons?
You can now do ALL that and more in Jakarta, thanks to WAKUWAKU Japan Cafe(´▽`ʃƪ)♡
Putting sakura ceiling on our Christmas wish list!
Here's a closer look to the indoor seating area. Covered by tatami mats and cushions, surrounded with LCDs showing the beautiful and soothing scenery that will complete your Japanese culinary experience. :)

The MENU

For food, we ordered Tai-Chazuke, Sake-Chazuke, Chirashi Sushi, and of course, Matcha Shiratama Anmitsu and Imagawa-Yaki for dessert! (ˆ ڡ ˆ)
A lovely waitress with our freshly-brewed Houjicha (roasted green tea)! All the waiters and waitresses there gave a very pleasant service. :)
Fyi, they give you a FREE REFILL on the tea! *wink*
And if you're feeling a bit cheapo or you're just not that hungry, you can order their tea only and get FREE Shiki-Oriori cake (click here to know what it is)! How awesome is that?
Kampai to the free cakes and tea drunk!! Lol.
Pour yourself a cup of tea (and even better with a slice of cake) to make this rainy day less dreary.


The FOOD

After the food arrived, we wanted to shove 'em right into our mouths, but they were just too pretty that we couldn't resist not taking any pictures!
In case you are wondering why there is a "Kaffein" word there, WAKUWAKU Cafe is a collaboration between WAKUWAKU Japan with Kaffein Cafe.
Elle's Sake-Chazuke (Salmon)
Jess' Tai-Chazuke (Snapper/Ikan Kakap)
As expected, the food tasted as good as they looked! It was no surprise because they imported the chef and food ingredients straight from JAPAN! And while we are on it, all the cutleries and equipments they use in the cafe are also Japan-made!
The toppings.
Sake-Chazuke and Tai-Chazuke are both warm, comforting type of food. The way to eat them is to pour the hot water (here at WWJ Cafe they use fish stock) over the rice like we did in the pictures.
Treat yourself and try them please! The fish stock in particular, was very light yet rich in flavor. Perfect companion during this rainy season. :)
Our tips: Eat them while they are hot. Don't take too much time in taking pictures!
Ah, did you know? The Jap initially used Ocha for the hot water, hence the name: Cha/tea + Tsuke/submerge, but nowadays people are starting to use fish stock. Also, they usually eat Chazuke after the main courses.

What seems to be everybody's favorite: Chirashi Sushi (or "Scattered Sushi")! We also love it to bits! :D

And while we were enjoying our meals...
 JENG JENG JENG! Look who came to the cafe!!
IT'S ULTRAMAN!!! (✧۝✧)/
It was very entertaining and weird at the same time, seeing Ultraman posing with the food and photographed by many people while we were eating quietly at the next table from him! Such a rare event, lol!
And so, we decided to take a pic together before he took off saving the world! x)

Okay, we then continued to... dessert!! This Matcha Shiratama Anmitsu was so heavenly, we could die! The mochi was oh my God! So soft and melt in your mouth! Mixed with matcha ice cream and red bean and anmitsu, &*#^$%@*@&!!! That's all we could say...

Like most Japanese culture, this furoshiki-wrapped sweets is very unique! Shiki-OriOri with its cookie-texture represents Japanese four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. All of them taste yummy, we really enjoy them!! Especially when knowing the backstory of each cookies. ^^
As you can see from the picture above, they have an outdoor seating area as well! But we didn't manage to take a look as we went straight to the WAKUWAKU Cafe Opening Event on the ground level of the mall after we've finished our desserts! 
It was so crowded because JKT48 was going to perform that night!
Not only is the event beautifully decorated with Japanese theme, there are also Japanese street games to keep you entertained and get to know Japan a little bit more.
Us. Failing so many times at this game. (Thanks Osafune-san for the pic ^^)
Oh yes, you can also borrow Yukatas for FREE to take some pictures! We chose this fake sakura tree as our backdrop ^^ Hopefully we can take pictures with real sakura in Japan soon!! *fingers crossed*

Found these funny-looking masks near the Yukata corner :D
All in all, we had a GREAT time that day! From the delicious food, nice ambience, lovely service and surprising event at the WAKUWAKU CAFE, to the fun and delightful WAKUWAKU Cafe opening event! Thank you, WAKUWAKU Japan and BinaBlog for inviting us!
See you again soon :D


WAKUWAKU Japan Cafe
Gandaria City, Mainstreet Dining UG. Unit #MUC33
Jl. Sultan Iskandar Muda no. 8
Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia
021-29008071
10:00 - 22:00
Open until 28th January 2015 only! (HURRYYY)


XOXO

December 03, 2014

Grey Skies


Here's my outfit choice when the weather is bipolar. A cozy sweater and a lightweight skirt, finished off with a practical bag and a comfortable yet stylish footwear. :)


I always love how 'relaxed' a bucket bag looks. I got this one from Shopbop, and while there are quite many choices of bucket bags in their store, I personally think this one is the best because of the minimalist design, the leather material and it's also big enough to carry a lot of my junk. Other than this, I also love this one from Rebecca Minkoff, and this one from Michael Kors Collection.

What I Wore: GOWIGASA Grey 'BABE' Sweater and Plaid Skirt | Madewell Fenwick Bucket Bag | Won Hundred Alva Ankle Strap Sandals (I've got a feeling I'll be wearing these sandals a LOT)

Closing this post with a quote from Duke Ellington that reflects my current situtation both figuratively and literally:
 Grey skies are just clouds passing over. 


xx
Elissa Yamada

November 27, 2014

Bali Wedding + Good News for Shopaholics!

Hello!

Here's some lovely snippets from the wedding I attended this past weekend in Bali.
The groom, Erick, is one of my bf's close friends and he and his wife, Decy, has been together for 7 years! They are such good people, I'm so happy they finally tied the knot :)
The sun was SO bright that the wedding organiser were handing out sunglasses at the entrance for all the guests, including the bridesmaids! 8)
The vow...
…and the kiss!
Haha I love Erick's expression here! xD
The first dance. They look so cute together, aren't they? :)
I didn't take any pictures of the food, but it was amaaazing! The shrimp, the pork ribs, the sambals, EVERYTHING. URGH. I'm drooling right now reliving it!

Congratulations once again, Erick and Decy!
Best wishes for a happy life together! :D


OUTFIT

What I Wore: Suite Blanco Top | GOWIGASA Blue Maxi Skirt | Whiting Davis Cage Minaudiere Clutch Gold | Jason Wu Mustard Leather Buckle Sandals

I chose my new maxi skirt in blue from Gowigasa for that elegant and classy look, plus it can also be my "something blue" for the wedding hehe. I paired it with this sleek gold clutch that I got from Shopbop. Like finally, my quest for a formal-yet-stylish clutch is over!! Fyi, it comes with a chain strap for convenient carrying, but you can also tuck it inside perfectly when not in use. :)

For shoes, I wore these leather sandals in mustard to tone down the 'gold'. They are surprisingly VERY comfortable despite the height, I swear! And you know what? I also got them from Shopbop! They DO carry a lot of pretty things! I always spend so many hours browsing their store to find the *perfect* ones.

And good news for YOU,
Shopbop is having their BIGGEST SALE of the year!

• The sale begins Tuesday, November 25 - Monday, December 1 (that's an ENTIRE WEEK, my friend!)
• There is NO brand exclusions, and with this sale, the more you purchase the better the savings (see pic above). So I would strongly suggest you to find friends for a group purchase if possible!

For the discount code and more information about this event, click here and here. :D

---

Another shopping event that I'd also like to mention is:

YES, you can catch our online store, GOWIGASA at Alam Sutera Mall (TraffiqueFest Bazaar) this coming weekend and enjoy these privileges:
 Take a pic on our booth and get 20% OFF for posting it on your Instagram account.
You can try out our outfits and buy on the spot, OR if you prefer, we can also deliver it to your home for FREE.
 Get BONUS (beauty products) for purchases of IDR 300k and up.

Payment method:
✓ Cash
✓ Bank transfer (simply show the proof of payment to our staff)

See you later, loves!

XOXO

November 26, 2014

Mercedez Benz Indonesia | #StarChase Photo Competition

So, I just went to Vin+ earlier and met a bunch of cool people from the agency and Mercedes Benz Indonesia. Apparently, Mercedes Benz is holding a fun competition called #StarChase Photo Competition. It is ongoing now and TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY to join (November 22-27th, 2014)!!
There will be a total of ten (10) winners for this competition. One winner will be treated to a luxurious shopping experience from #MercedesBenz. If you are one stylish woman you will get Louis Vuitton and if you are man, you will win Hugo Boss. There are also luscious gadgets for nine other winners!


How To Join

Here comes the fun part. Mercedes Benz team is going 'round town (in this case, Jakarta) to park their gorgeous rides. All you have to do is to spot one and take a stylish photo of you together with the luxurious car.

Step by step:
1. Visit http://bit.ly/starchase to get the exact venue location & car
2. Go to designated venue around Jakarta on 22 November - 27 November 2014
3. Take a stylish photo of you with the Mercedes-Benz car at the venue
4. Upload the photo with #StarChase hashtag and tag @MercedesBenzID on Instagram
5. Ten (10) of the best photos will win these prizes:
    • One (1) luxurious shopping experience from #MercedesBenz (Louis Vuitton if you're a woman and Hugo Boss if you're a man)
    • One (1) Samsung Galaxy Tab S
    • Two (2) Samsung Galaxy K Zoom and
    • Six (6) Canon Digital IXUS 145


Some of The Participants

Cute pose! Love the twin fashion style. XD


Me, Participating

 White car is the bomb. #NotRacism #JustAMatterOfPreference

 Met Hans too, here. Hi, Hans! It's always nice to meet you! 

I told Hans that I feel like Syahrini (a famous Indonesian celebrity), posing with a posh car like this HAHAHA.

 I drive both manual and automatic cars since I was 14 years old, so driving an automatic car like this is a treat for me (ya feel me, manual car drivers??).

 Loving the classy interior of this car as well.
I mean, look at that rich tan color! #ColorOriented


#OOTD: GOWIGASA Cara Black Leather Jacket & Deep Green Silky Maxi Skirt (coming soon to the website) | Topshop Top | Unbranded Necklace and Spike Bracelet | June + Julia Shoes

As you can see, Vin+ was the designated venue when I went for this #StarChase Competition. The last time I went there was on 2011… I guess? With Elle. It was one of our girls' night outs, just the two of us haha. Most of the time, we stay home watching movies, so rare opportunities like this, we ought to preserve lol.

Anyway, good luck for joining the competition. Very easy one, just snap to win so make sure you join haha! Thank you so much for reading and see you guys on my next post! (ˆˆ)づ♡

XOXO
Jessica Yamada