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MEDAN: Best Babi Merah I’ve Ever Had

July 13, 2011

One thing we’ve learned from all our travels within Indonesia is never to judge a restaurant by it’s physical appearance. The best things can be had at the most unexpected (or even dodgiest looking) places. Read about the most unforgettable gastronomic experience we had in Medan at My Cafe Restaurant with the help of Ibu Rita’s street stall of Babi Merah (Pork Char Siew). Yes we ate at a street stall and we didn’t get a bad tummy, which is much more than we can say about Hotel Mulia Catering services, which always gives TD a bad tummy.

After seeing the Catholic Church and the Great Mosque we were ravenous. We asked the driver where we could buy delicious (enak) pork or babi as they call it in Bahasa. He took us to this neighborhood which was quite scary and only seemed to have dirty street stalls. We wanted to back out and just be taken to a mall but we felt bad for the driver so the group decided to see the place and graciously decline. But we were surprised to be taken to a place that looked bright and clean (I overdosed on orange that night =P).

My Cafe (a Grand Maxim Seafood Restaurant)

The best thing was there was a 10% discount for Citibank cardholders. Score!

Hygiene is very important for us. It seems that our tummies are not used to the bacteria here in Indonesia (God knows we have lots in the Philippines, but perhaps they are just different here)

We were crestfallen at first when they told us they didn’t serve any pork, but they told us to feel free to buy from one of the stalls across and bring it in. YAY! All smiles again…

Our orders were served fast. They were yummy though some of the dishes were spicy! Can you imagine for 6 very hungry people the bill for the belos was less than 30 USD?!? Crazy!

  • Ayam goren Cabe Hijau (/ekor)
  • Sawo Terong Small (talong) (S)
  • Kangkung terasi (M)
  • Angsio Tahu Jepang (s)
  • Hot tea
  • coco cola
  • Fresh lime juice

Some people from the group found the food stall of IBU RITA (Selat Panjang No. 26, Medan) and found the much sought-after pork!

My friend S, recommended that we try the Babi Merah (Babi means pork and merah means red) which the Chinese call Pork Char Siew. We also got some plain roasted pork which had crispy skin. YUM.
 (2 different kinds of pork Php 75 + Php 40)

MY CAFE & BABI MERAH Part II

We visited other restaurants in Medan but we couldn’t get the Babi Merah (Pork Char Siew) out of our minds so we actually went back! Fewer in number but with our tummies still rumbling. =P According to a local the stalls on this particular street (jalan) are really famous for their BABI MERAH (Char Siu Babi)

Ibu Rita and her husband were happy to see us.

Ibu Rita told us to choose the Babi Merah in the back where they roast then cut up their different pork dishes (they also have pork sausages, deng-deng and pig’s ears) 

Her husband was jolly and accommodating. Below is the MASSIVE oven where they roast the Babi Merah.

This for us was a truly local experience. Below right is the pork deng deng which was really good (free taste!). I wish we bought some to bring home. Seriously. It’s like the tasty jerky from Jalan Alor in KL.

There were many other stalls on the street. Selling other things like these colorful buns…

But we were happy with our Babi Merah and went back to My Cafe, for almost the same dishes we ordered last time (seafood) plus this crispy fried tofu…We were happy customers. I planned to have a beer (or maybe scotch?) after but by the time we were done, I couldn’t even think of drinking! (They  serve alcoholic beverages in My Cafe)

The best thing about My Cafe is that it is actually part of a boutique hotel called My Hotel, so we didn’t have a problem going back to JW Marriott despite the late hour. They can either call a cab for you or if none is available, they have their own hotel service. I took a few pics of the lobby…

TD and I agree that the BABI MERAH (Char Siu Babi)  was THE BEST discovery of the entire trip. Seriously! I would love to attempt making this or this babi merah recipe one day! And eating in My Cafe was the best way to have it… in the comfort of an air-conditioned resto with great seafood and vegetable dishes!

IBU RITA’S BABI MERAH

Selat Panjang No. 26, Medan (across the back entrance of My Cafe)

MY CAFE

Jl. Surabaya No.88, Medan, Indonesia – 20212
+62 – 61 – 4555 500
Menu below

3 Comments · Indonesia, TRAVEL DIARIES

Trackbacks

  1. DIPLO DIY: Our Travel ASEAN Photo Book says:
    June 20, 2014 at 1:41 PM

    […] – the length of our first posting. There are even photos of our most memorable foodgasms: Babi Merah in Medan, Sambal Butter Corn in Bali, Belgian Chicken in Yogyakarta and giant prawns in […]

    Reply
  2. TRAVEL BITES: Warung 31 Pork Dishes says:
    August 18, 2014 at 1:17 PM

    […] and fish, but everyone’s the favorite was the pork spareribs (YUMMMY). We regret not ordering babi merah, pork char siew and pork deng-deng, which we only realized they had as we were leaving because we noticed the can where they were […]

    Reply
  3. MEDAN TRAVEL DIARIES: Pre-departure research says:
    September 2, 2014 at 10:18 AM

    […] TRAVEL DIARIES: The My Cafe and Babi Merah experience […]

    Reply

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Welcome

Hello! I’m Ayessa, trailing spouse to a diplomat, mama to DiploBaby and DiploDog and founder of Declutter MNL. I love talking about how to achieve a minimaluxe lifestyle one step at a time.

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GOOD TO KNOW GUIDE

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @UNDIPLOMATICWIFE

HOW NEAR IS @geneveaeroport? We are very lucky th HOW NEAR IS @geneveaeroport?

We are very lucky that the Geneva Airport is very near because it is located 4 km northwest of the city centre. It takes us less than 15mins by car & is easier to get to than airports outside the city.

BUT also means that many of the Geneva residents suffer from AIRCRAFT NOISE POLLUTION. 

In some parts of Geneva, like Vernier, Meyrin, Bellevue, Versoix, etc will have the airplane pass on top of you or very near you. This is something to consider when you are MOVING TO GENEVA & looking for a home.

When we were in @bioparcgeneve recently, it felt like airplane after airplane was going overhead every few mins. The poor animals were screaming each time.

A  report by the European Environment Agency(EEA) in 2017 said that 12% or 73,500 Geneva residents have their hearing disturbed by aircraft noise. Probably the figures have risen with the natural increase population & travel?

“The EEA describes noise as a pervasive pollutant that directly affects the health and well-being of humans and wildlife. Populations exposed to high noise levels can exhibit stress reactions, sleep-stage changes, and clinical symptoms like hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. All of these can contribute to premature mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO) reckons that humans exposed to noise levels above 40 decibels at night experience adverse health effects.

Across Europe it is estimated that noise contributed to at least 900,000 additional cases of hypertension in 2011.” - @le_news_ch 

DID YOU KNOW that owners of homes affected by the noise can request for soundproofing to be paid for by GVA? 

Check if your home meets the conditions for FREE SOUNDPROOFING c/o Genève Aéroport here:

https://www.gva.ch/en/Site/Geneve-Aeroport/Questions-Reponses-FAQ/Bruit#

SAVE or SHARE this now with someone you know who might be moving to Geneva or is already suffering from aircraft #noisepollution. 

#UDWinGeneva #UDWgenevagoodtoknow #expatingeneva #diplofamily #expatlife #genevaswitzerland #expatingeneva #filipinoingeneva #pinoyingeneva #movingtogeneva #movingtoswitzerland #movingtogeneva #genevaexpats #switzerlandexpatlife #geneva #genevaswitzerland
MERCADONA HAUL Whenever we go to Spain, we love t MERCADONA HAUL

Whenever we go to Spain, we love to go to @mercadona. It might be small but has a good affordable selection. It’s my thrifty Spanish MIL’s favorite.

We were so lucky that we had a @mercadona right beside our hotel Marina Badalona. Very convenient.
Our favorite things to bring home are:

☕️ frozen porras (bigger than churros)

🐑 baby lamb chops (the only lamb I eat coz it’s not malangsa & all you need to do is fry till crispy in olive oil with S&P) it’s called Chuletas Cabrito but TD calls it lechal 

🐽 chicharon or crispy pork rinds

🥔 Homemade potato chips. The best potato chips for me are from Spain. I don’t know how it’s so much yummier! The olive oil???

🎣 canned Sardines & tuna for me and Yaya B

TIPS:

🧊 For frozen items, we usually ask the hotel before we buy if they can put it in their freezer until we fly.

✍️ I usually bring different sizes ZIPLOCK BAGS, MASKING TAPE & MARKER when we travel so we can put everything in, label with our name and room number.

📸 then I take a photo so we can just show it to the staff and they can easily find it in their freezer.

✈️ When it’s time to pack, I placed our beach towels around the frozen packages coz I know they will SWEAT & I don’t want our other things to get wet 💦 

What  grocery do you usually like to shop for when in Spain? Where do you buy them?

#udwinbarcelona #udwinbadalona #udwtraveldiaries #udwtraveltips #udwtraveltip #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
FREE GEAR RENTAL @boxup.app + OUTDOOR GYM at ISW C FREE GEAR RENTAL @boxup.app + OUTDOOR GYM at ISW Calisthenics Park 

📍Chem. des Tuileries 140, 1293 Bellevue

After the lovely BIOPARC we headed across to this chill park with ample PARKING that had so many things for kids & anyone who wants to move & work out:

⚽️ The kids wanted to kick around a football so we borrowed a ball from @boxup.app (they also have pumps, 🏓, 🏐, 🏀, etc) just download the app & turn on your Bluetooth & follow instructions! Return after 3hrs.

👟 Outdoor gym - this was a huge hit with the kids

⚽️ football - this too!

🏀 basketball court

🏓 Ping-pong 

🏐 Beach volleyball court

🤸🏻 Monkey bars

🛝 small playground

Thanks for the wonderful afternoon guys @lidia_otilia_botezatu! 
How lucky are we to have these beautiful, clean open spaces. And the free rental gear is AMAZING! so convenient.

This is in Geneva, about 15mins drive from where we live.

SAVE THIS on your list of PARKS to visit!

⚠️ WARNING

it’s in the airplane path so there will be loud noise from that. It’s not as close as the bioparc but bring earplugs/earphones if you are sensitive.

#udwingeneva #genevaswitzerland #genevaforkids #diplobaby #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
BIOPARC GENÈVE Yesterday was a holiday in Switze BIOPARC GENÈVE

Yesterday was a holiday in Switzerland (except for Geneva). It was raining & miserable so I wanted to take @diplobaby out for a few hours. Thankfully midafternoon it stopped raining.

We met with our friends @lidia_otilia_botezatu in @bioparcgeneve and had a lovely time in this volunteer run zoo.

TIPS💡

🆓 It’s free for families on your FIRST visit!

🦢 you walk inside animal enclosures so wear shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty/stepping on poop. We wore boots & happy we did

🅿️ there’s parking inside on wood chips, if it’s full there’s another pavement parking (free up to 4hrs) across the roundabout 

🦔 Do not feed or touch the animals no matter how cute they are

🗺️ There are 2 routes (purple & blue) and 1-1.5hrs #diplshould be enough 

❎ Park closes at 4pm

SAVE THIS NOW if your looking for a fun & not too you can do in well und2hrs. It’s nice that you can go inside unlike most zoos so it’s quite unique.

⚠️ WARNING

it’s in the airplane path so there will be loud noise from that. @diplobaby who is super noise sensitive did not mind as much as I thought he would because he was so entertained by the animals.

#udwingeneva #genevaswitzerland #genevaforkids #diplobaby #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
MARINA BADALONA HOTEL At first we were going to MARINA BADALONA HOTEL 

At first we were going to stay in the heart of Barcelona, where we stayed 8 years ago (I didn’t even know that @diplobaby was already in my tummy at 2 weeks old) but the “hotel” is now expensive with no amenities & small rooms. So TD found a hotel in #badalona - a 20min taxi ride from Barcelona city center - that was so fabulous & slightly less expensive.

SAVE THIS NOW for future trips to Barcelona

WHY I LOVED marinabadalona
🤍 All white interiors was so beautiful & calming
🤍 Gorgeous view of the Marina 
🤍 Everything was so aesthetic, even where you tap your card to enter the room
🤍 Massive bed
🤍 Electric curtains
🤍 Lots of closet space & hangers
🤍 2 TVs
🤍 Refrigerator
🤍 White/cream Nespresso & kettle
🤍 Architecture & interior design is sooooo me!
🤍 Small rooftop pool with unbelievable views (need to do a separate post)
🤍 5min walk to the beach
🤍 Gorg esplanade
🤍 Yummy restos beside
🤍 Mercadona right beside - so convenient!

FEW RECOS FOR IMPROVEMENT:
✌️ Loved the textured wall paper, but it’s difficult to keep clean inside the bathroom
✌️ The bathroom surface area was a bit small & our stuff kept falling off the sink
✌️ Not a single chair in the family room so when we had room service we had to eat standing
✌️ No salt & pepper with room service so we called to ask & were told we would be charged for them taking it up. After TD clarified that there was no S&P with our meal, they said they would bring it up. The person brought a small bowl of of salt & pepper combined. The salt was for DiploBaby’s salmon, but he can’t eat pepper, I wanted both for my pesto. Had to run down in my slippers & the resto staff were very apologetic coz who serves a mixed S&P ever? They gave me individually packaged ones which I really appreciated.
✌️ Since the hotel has a pool & is by the beach, I wish there was a place to hang & dry swim suits. Our suits & watershoes did not dry in the tub.

All in all the value we got from staying in this hotel was so high compared to a more expensive hotel in Barcelona. No hotel stay is perfect.

Now, would I stay there again? YES PLEASE! Would you?

#udwinbarcelona #udwinbadalona #udwtraveldiaries
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