Les Hauts de Trintaudon - Haut Médoc 2008

Hasil baca-baca dari Internet, jenis-jenis anggur untuk red wine adalah Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz atau Syrah, Merlot, dan Pinot Noir. Untuk saat ini, dimana merupakan ronde 2, saya mencoba wine tahun 2008, buatan France, 60% jenis anggur cabernet sauvignon dan 40% jenis anggur merlot.

Kali ini pilihan saya sendiri (soalnya kemarin itu wine yang saya beli atas saran penjaga carefour), karena masih kurang paham wine, pertama-tama saya memilih dari negaranya, kan katanya Perancis adalah negara penghasil wine terbesar, lalu saya pilih tahun nya. Karena kemarin itu minum yang tahun muda, dan saya merasa rasanya terlalu light dan hambar, jadi ga mau lagi deh minum wine muda. Hehehe...

Penilaian saya aromanya lebih wangi dan tajam mengandung alkohol, rasanya juga lebih berat, lebih bercitarasa. Buat saya semua rasa ada di dalam wine ini, ada sedikit manis sekitar 10%, pahitnya 20%, sisanya rasa asam yang mendominasi skitar 70%. Walaupun rasa asam lebih mendominasi, tapi untungnya tidak ada rasa sepet.

Saya sendiri sebenernya lebih suka yang tidak terlalu asam, jadi kemungkinan saya tidak terlalu tertarik untuk beli ke-2 kalinya, tapi masih jauh lebih oke dibandingkan yang sebelumnya. Cuma saya akui, wine ini penuh citarasa. Trus temen yang minum juga ada bilang kalau wine ini cukup nikmat, hehehe soalnya nggak sepet.

Taiwan's Hotpot a.k.a ShabuShabu

 

Ngomongin makan pasti ga ada abisnya, Taiwan salah satu negara yg terkenal buat food hunter, enn kali ini mau bahas soal shabu-shabu, atau di taiwan disebut huoguo 火鍋 yang artinya hotpot.

So pasti basic lah yaa... Hotpot adalah kuah dengan segala isinya di kuali panas dengan api yang terus menyala, dan langsung di masak sendiri sambil disantap.... Nyam nyamm nyammmm....

Dan setiap negara punya versi shabu-shabu nya sendiri, di Taiwan sendiri kalau boleh dibilang bisa dibedakan jadi 5 macem: small/mini hotpot, normal/set hotpot, all you can eat hotpot, order hotpot, homemade hotpot. Hehehe Sebenernya saya sendiri yang mengklasifikasikannya.




Buat yang versi small/mini biasanya dimakan 1 orang 1 porsi, trus bahan pendampingnya udh di dalem kuali semua, dan udah dimasak nyaris atau bahkan udah mateng, jadi udah mendidih tuh kuahnya pas disajikan, tinggal dikasih api kecil biar tetap panas dan mateng.

ma'la spicy duck blood hotpot 麻辣鴨血鍋

stinky hotpot 臭臭鍋

Yang paling terkenal di Taiwan sendiri adalah stinky hotpot 臭臭鍋, si hotpot dengan kuah bau busuk menyengat berasal dari tahu bau. Kedua, ma'la spicy duck blood hotpot 麻辣鴨血鍋, si hotpot dengan kuah pedas ma'la dan isinya penuh dengan potongan darah beku bebek.




Kalau versi normal/set, biasanya juga 1 orang 1 porsi, cm harganya lebih mahal dikit dan porsinya lebih banyak. Bahan-bahannya masih mentah, dan kuahnya hangat suam suam kuku, jadi musti nungguin kuahnya mendidih, masak sendiri. Dari segi kualitas biasanya juga lebih oke. Kalau versi kecil dipatok 100-130nt, kalau versi normal/set 250-700nt. Tergantung restoran lah, kalau yang sampe 700nt itu complete set, ada menu pembuka sampe penutup, lengkapppp.

Kalau ini kuahnya banyak macem, tapi rata-rata yang bestseller kuah ma'la pedes (tapi di taiwan ga pedes2 amat), kuah kimchi, kuah seafood, atau kuah bening yang rasa gurih manisnya dari kaldu. Masih banyak sih, lagi-lagi tergantung restoran, tapi paling banyak ya itu yang tadi disebutkan.




Kalau buffet alias all you can eat, di taiwan juga ga kalah banyaknya, mungkin bener ya katanya orang china mayoritas tabiatnya ga mau rugi (memang ga semua lohhh, tp dibandingkan orang indo dan orang barat???), jadinya restoran kaya gini menjamur di Taiwan. Dari yang murah 200nt-an sampe 700nt-an.

Biasanya di sini bisa pilih kuah juga, cuma dari segi rasa dan kualitas daging biasanya agak kurang, secara buffet gitu lhoooo, makan sepuasssssnya sampe muntah. Gahahahaha... Biasanya ada batas waktunya, 90-120menit.



Order hotpot, maksudnya si resto cuma siapin kuah (bisa pilih juga kuahnya), trus kita musti order satu per satu dari sayur, daging, seafood, bakso-bakso, dll. Kalau kaya gini biasanya resto juga menyediakan paket biar lebih hemat sihhh... Tapi tetap saja lebih mahal, tergantung ordernya apa aja.

Makan di tempat ginian, biasanya 1 kuali disantap bersama-sama. Bahan-bahan yang disediakan juga lebih lengkap, kualitas daging dan bahan pelengkap lainnya pastinya lebih bagus lagi.




Trakhir homemade hotpot, maksudnya siapin sendiri masak sendiri makan sendiri. Tapi kalau di Taiwan, mau menyantap hotpot di rumah itu ga repot, karena di supermarket2 besar juga biasanya sediain bahan-bahan nya udah lengkap sama sayur dan bakso-bakso, bahkan kuahnya juga udah disediain. Cukup beli tambahan daging atau pelengkap lainnya sesuai selera. 

Harga ya kalau makan rame-rame pastinya masak sendiri lebih hemat, tapi kalau sendirian, mending makan small hotpot di luar, selain lebih hemat, ga perlu juga repot-repot cuci peralatan abis masak.
Musim dingin tahun ini sedikit terlambat, tapi begitu udara perlahan mulai dingin, adalah saat yang tepat untuk makan shabu-shabu alias hotpot.

Hmmm~~~ Skali-skali pingin cuba buat sendiri, akhirnya ke carefour lah belanja daging 79nt isinya 10-11lembar tebel-tebel, sengaja pilih yang ga ada lemak, trus satu set bahan-bahan hotpot yang harganya 129nt udah termasuk sayur mayur, bihun, kuah rasa ma'la, dan beberapa macam bakso-baksoan, takut ga cukup akhirny beli lagi tanbahan bakso-bakso campur untuk bahan pelengkap hotpot yang seharga 30nt.

Porsinya rasanya sudah cukup untuk ber 2, di rumah tinggal siapin kompor kecil dan kuali, kuah yang tadi dibeli kita tambahkan air, lalu biasalahhh ala indo, ga pedes kurang oke, jadi skalian cemplungin 3-4biji cabai mentah iris biar hottttt~~~~ trus kebetulan di rumah ada mie kering yang sudah pernah dibuka, skalian aja di pakai, soalnya ga ada nasi putih, jadi makan mie saja deh, dan ga lupa telor ayam 1 biji buat lengkapin gizi wahahahahaha.....

 Kuah sudah mulai deh, mulai dehhh acara masak santap... Hehehe semuanya masukinnnn... Hajaarrrr!!!

There is always a first time! Le Petit Cochonnet - Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Today i am starting to learn how to enjoy, tasting, and appreciate the red wine. Actually it is not the first time, i had so many kind of wine before this, but counting from today is the beginning for me to drink one little glass of red wine every day for a healthier life. So let see...

And this young 2014 cabernet, for me? Is too tasteless, this is really for first timer, not for me. The taste doesn't have a bitterness, very light or weak i think, and doesn't have a strong aroma. I don't like sour wine, this is not sour, but when you let your tongue really try to enjoy and tasting the wine, only the sourness that awakes, no sweet no bitter.

Well, this is a perfect wine for first timer. But once again, if u like this kind of wine, i am not telling you are beginners or anything, because liking the wine is about art. Everyone have different standards and different favorite.

韓鄉 台中，小菜吃到飽

這一家「韓鄉」韓國料理，好像真的跟在韓國餐廳一樣，雖然我沒去過韓國⋯哈哈哈，是因為他們的小菜都是吃到飽的，在韓國本來是那樣，然後啊⋯他們的size也滿大，一個人吃一份真的飽得不得了，可能口感的比較不一樣而已。

韓鄉-韓國料理
台灣 台中市 台灣大道四段771號
電話: 04-23594770

 在台灣已開了很多韓國料理餐廳，但這一家比較特別，也開了很多分店，那是因為小菜吃到飽那個啦。我也從網路上看的，所以決定去吃看看，聽說有50種小菜可吃的。

我朋友從家出門已決定要點什麼，一個是起司辣椒雞肉飯200，一個要韓式黑麵170元（很多人叫這個是炸醬麵），我呢？要熱湯又濃又辣，所以就點了yukgaejang，忘記了中文是哪一個的，反正有圖片 XD 價格差不多180-190元。也看別人點了鐵盤烤肉好像不錯，那就再加一份烤肉看看嘍～200元起。

先拿小菜來吃一吃～泡菜還不錯吃！炸芋頭跟蕃薯也蠻好吃，辣味炸馬鈴薯的口味不夠重。等等⋯大部分都蠻好吃啦。

起司辣椒雞肉飯，只放了一片起司好可惜，攪一攪後，一點口感也沒有！下面的飯都爛爛的，一下子就吃膩了。Not recommended!

炸醬麵，看起來好吃很濃，上菜時也熱熱的。他們的餐量啊⋯真的蠻大耶。味道還可以，因為我有吃過比他們的好吃多了。但不知道韓國炸醬麵的原味是怎麼樣才算真的韓國炸醬麵。

烤肉，一般的烤肉，只是用韓國特色的烤肉盤⋯邊邊可以煮一些菜，像小火鍋。

我的湯，非常好吃，大家都也很滿意✌️，口味重。推薦你們來點這個，不是泡菜鍋嘍。我們是喜歡吃辣，所以如果東西有加辣什麼都好吃多了。

我們三個人去點了四種餐就吃不完耶，太飽了，因為我們還吃小菜啊。我沒清楚得算，小菜有沒有50種，其實有很多東西一樣的料，只醬不一樣而已（像辣味跟原味已分了兩種），但我可不覺得裡面真的有50種小菜。

All about SIM dan nyetir di Taiwan (Driving license)

Well kali ini mau bagi info, karena info riwa riwi sana sini ga jelas, di sini kujelasin sejelas-jelasnya. Banyak temen-temen yang mau nyetir (mobil atau motor sama aje) di Taiwan, tapi bingung gimana biar dapet sim nya? Ujian sim lagi di Taiwan kan ribetttt, tapi kl niat jg ga ada salahnya. Ada yang bilang bisa pake SIM internasional, ada juga yang bilang ga laku.... SOOOO? gimana toh?

SIM Internasional
Ga peduli sim motor atau mobil, asal kita udah punya sim indo yang masih laku, kamu bikin deh SIM internasionalnya di Indo. Gmana cara bikin SIM internasional di indo ya? Gampang, tar satu-satu jelasinnya, atau ga cek di sini dulu ya http://www.polri.go.id/. Intinya sebelum masuk Taiwan yang kmu siapin dulu SIM internasional, OK? Kalau cuma pake sim lokal indo ga laku lohh yaa... Jadi jangan maksa nanya lagi, boleh apa nggak pake SIM indo.

Habis punya SIM internasional, boleh ke Taiwan deh nyetir, tapi eitssss memang SIM itu masih blm laku di Taiwan, kl kenapa-kenapa amit-amit misal kesundul atau disundul motor hahahaha, nanti jadi bermasalah karena SIM nya ga laku, kita jadi kalah didenda. Kalau ga terjadi apa-apa ya laku-laku aje. hahaha... So gmana biar 100% laku? DAFTAR!


Daftar nya di mana dan gimana?
Karena saya di Taichung, jadi taunya di daerah taichung.
Taichung City Motor Vehicle Station (台中市監理所)
No.77 Beitun Road, North District, Taichung City, 404 (台中市 北區 北屯路77號)
Untuk daerah lain, cuba cek di website nya http://tmv.thb.gov.tw/ 

Daftarnya cukup siapkan
- passpor (dengan visa taiwan tercetak di passpor)
- atau ARC (intinya yg menjelaskan kmu bisa tinggal di Taiwan sampai brapa lama)
- pas foto 1 apa 2 lembar lupa
- sim internasional kamu

Abis itu langsung aja ke staff bilang mau daftar sim internasional, tepatnya di lantai 2.
5 menit kemudian dia ketak ketik di komputer dia, nanti dia cetak suatu kertas dan di tempel di bagian belakang sim internasional kmu. Beres deh, asliii ga ribet, ga pake duit pulak! Emang indo dikit-dikit duit ~~~~

Inget! Sim internasional kita kan 5 tahun, tapi sim kita laku di Taiwan nya brapa lama tergantung passpor atau arc kmu, dan paling lama 1 tahun. Jadi mereka akan kasih masa berlaku, ada bahasa inggrisnya juga kok. Kalau abis masa berlakunya ya langsung daftar lagi, toh gratis,dan cuma modal foto aja.

Informasi terbaru!!! updated 2019!!
Untuk pengasahan atau legalisasi SIM international di Taiwan (Taichung) yang dibuat di Indonesia dikenai biaya 150NT/license driver

SIM Taiwan
Ini juga boleh, kl ga punya sim indo apalagi sim internasional. Biar gampang, ikut belajar setir mobil aja, nanti ada biaya udah termasuk paket buat test ambil sim nya. Tapi syaratnya tentu harus ada ARC dan denger-denger harus udah 1 tahun di Taiwan br boleh test ambil sim nya.

Tapi itu ga menjamin kmu dapet sim loh ya, ya makanya pas belajar kursus nyetir, rajin-rajin dateng belajar tiap hari biar ga kaku. Soalnya di taiwan itu kl belajar mobil, paketnya buat kurang lebih sebulan (per semester gitu deh), trus kmu bebas datang tiap hari di kasih jatah 1 jam kurang lebih, kl ga dateng ya rugi kmu sendiri. Sampai akhirnya di test.

So? masih  bingung? Yu nanya~~~~ biar ga tersesat di jalan, kaya pepatah indo, malu bertanya nyasar di jalan lo... hahahahaha

One day short trip Taichung-Alishan (Taiwan)

How to visit alishan from taichung? Transportation to alishan? So after some research using internet, this is what i founded, if you want to visit alishan from taichung... And also what i did with my trip. ALISHAN OFFICIAL SITE
There are 2 options to reach alishan, but there are not a direct trip, u have to choose to reach chiayi first or reach sun moon lake first.

1. First option, Taichung-sun moon lake-alishan (by bus)
There is a shuttle bus from taichung-sunmoonlake-alishan-chiayi and they sell it one set including (+alishan forest ticket),very affordable only 699nt. More cheaper than take a transit one. And the 699nt pack valid for 5 days trip, buy the ticket at Taichung THSR Station or Taichung Train Station. You only need buy another bus ticket from chiayi back to taichung, so another 150nt. Total will cost only 849nt.

But i prefer to take a train (because they said go to alishan using train is for get the best view and experience ya!) but if you dont want a trouble, then just take the tourist shuttle bus.

2. Second option, Taichung-chiayi-alishan (by bus, train, thsr)
***Taichung-Chiayi
 -Bus operator to chiayi from chaoma-taichung are hoshin 和欣 and guoguang 國光 it cost 150nt estimate time travel around 1,5hours. The first shift of hoshin bus is 7:10am, and for guoguang is 6:00am. If you are from taichung train station, there is a taichung bus operator 台中客運, where the first shift is 7:00am and also cost 150nt. Check the web for detail.
 -By train, there are three operator Chu-Kuang莒光 172nt，Tze-Chiang 自強 224nt，and Local Train 144nt. Check the web for detail.
 -By THSR of course it will be more expensive la, start from 410nt for adult, with duration only 27minutes, the first shift leaving on 6:30am. Check the web for detail.

I take 07:10am Ho-Shin Bus from chaoma taichung to chiayi, cost me 150nt for oneway, the seat is very big, comfortable and clean, there is also small television for your entertainment on the road. 

***Chiayi-Alishan
After get chiayi, you have so many option to reach alishan, take a train, take a bus, or just rent a taxi. But first, no matter what you take, you need to go to front station after you get-off from the bus. Follow the instructions!

 
- For train, you will be have a long trip, 2hours20mins, and it will cost a lil bit more expensive. You will have to stop at fenqihu station, and you have a lil time to visit fenqihu old street, have some local snacks there. Then take another local bus to reach alishan, another 1hour.
嘉義火車站Chiayi Train Station-奮起湖火車站FenQiHu Train Station  「train」
 (Departure everyday 9am, Extra on Sat,Sun 10am)
 (Ticket Price 240nt oneway)
 (Travel Duration 2hrs20mins) 
奮起湖FenQiHu-阿里山ALiShan 「local bus」
 (Departure everyday 1300/1440, Extra on Sat,Sun,Holiday 11:55)
 (Ticket Price 98nt oneway, estimate travel time 1hrs)

Please remind! If you plan to travel using train, need to book the ticket 2-3days before, or you wont get the seat, and u need to stand in the train for 2hours and more! Because i didnt get the ticket, so i just cancel the trip using train la. Huft~~


- Tourist Shuttle Bus, visit the shuttle bus counter, from front station, you just go out and find a blue building on the right (picture below), there is a small counter specially for selling bus ticket to alishan. It cost 236nt/way, 2,5hours on the road.
There is also have a shuttle bus from THSR station, it cost 276nt/way, 2,5hours on the road.
Find all the information about the tourist shuttle bus here.

- Or u can take a taxi la, there is so many sales person offering u a private taxi to alishan. They just sell it 250nt/pax, but because i go with 3 other friends, and they just offer me 900nt/one-way/4pax, save 11nt compare to the shuttle bus and save time, good deal. Ok la, just take taxi then, more efficient and more comfortable. And we ask them to pick us again later at 5pm.We take a private taxi when we go, but they sometimes scheduled a sharing taxi for back.

~beautiful scenery, clean air, and good weather~

For people who easily get a carsick, you better prepare!

That's how you get alishan from taichung. I also found out that if you are from taipei, guoguang motor transport also have a direct bus to come here alishan, it cost u 620nt for one way trip. There are so many ways available to reach alishan, not as hard as we think to travel.

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And this is my trip! Its a noon time when we arrive at alishan, but the air is so fresh, so cool, even on summer day and its shows 21 degree celsius. Its great weather to explore the nature, but first thing first was find a lunch, and we found a small restaurant near the alishan train station.

One medium hotpot, taiwan's fresh veggies, sweet and sour fish, and braised chicken, 880nt.
The hotpot actually really big size, is enough for 4-5people, and after cooked long enough to let the soup become a broth, its so delicious to drink a hot warm soup in cold weather. Sweet sour fish dish also not bad, but the size is too small. And the braised chicken, well we dont really like it, i think its a cooked meal and they just steam it to make it warm before they served it. So i just feel its just not so fresh made.

Alishan Map and Hotel Area Map

Then time to explore, so this is the legendary alishan train. They have 2 destination point, zhao ping station near the sister pond, or sacred tree. U can walk thru there anyway, but because i want to try sit on traditional running train at least once in my life, so~~~I buy the train ticket that cost me 50nt/pax/trip and pick the sacred tree. And i plan to going down on walk.

We see the timetable there, its written that we will spend 15mins on train, but i feel like just 5minutes just pass and they told us to get-off the train because its arrive already. Hahaha....

If the train is not running anyway, u can take a small shuttle bus, with same price but different experience only. So anyway, 3-4hours is so enough to go around the alishan. And advise for u, dont be lazy to explore, hey u already come so far just don't waste your time because u are too tired to hike. LoL!

Sacred Tree, when u got there then u will really know how big is that tree!

Three Generation Tree, the first generation tree has lived for 1500years and then died, after 250years passed there was a seed dropping on the dead root and lived for 300years, that's a second generation tree, and even the others died, the root still got alive and grew up as a third generation tree. 

Pig Shaped Old Trunk

Forever Love Tree

Three Brothers Tree, and they just near the three sisters tree.

Shouzhen Temple of Alishan

Sister Ponds

One of Alishan's Beauty

Sky Walk, good for bungee jump~~~

I got the mist coming experience also, wow its cool! Like a misty monster is coming try to reach you! (Too much film i guess) hahaha...  

The Red Cypress Forest

So this is my itinerary
- 07:10 depart from taichung to chiayi.
- 08:40 arrive chiayi, and find the taxi.
- 09:10 depart from chiayi to alishan by taxi.
- 11:15 arrive at alishan.
- 11:15~16:30 sightseeing!!
- 17:00 the driver pick us up.
- 17:10 leaving alishan, have a very nice day!
- 19:15 arrive chiayi
- 20:10 depart from chiayi to taichung.
- around 22:00 just arrived in taichung.

There is still one hour to go until our bus leaving to taichung, thats why we decided to have a dinner first, and here we are! At this old restaurant near chiayi train station to eat chiayi most famous turkey chicken rice. Why old? They said its been 35years since they opened. 280nt for 4 ppl.

And guess what, its really delicious ye~~~ Nom...Nom...Nom... They pour a lil bit broth into the rice, but its so different flavor compare in taichung. Cheap also!!

And the expenses each:
-300 round trip bus taichung-chiayi-taichung
-450 taxi (round trip chiayi-alishan-chiayi)
-100 alishan national park entry ticket (200nt for normal price, 100nt for student price)
- 50 alishan train (toward sacred tree or sister pond)
-220 lunch
- 70 dinner
Total 1190nt