Sunday Japanese Brunch At Grand Nikko Bali

seafood haven

Couple weeks ago I was invited to join a foodie gathering at Grand Nikko Bali. We all were about to experience the impressive and pioneer Japanese brunch which is served every Sunday from 11.00 am to 03.00 pm at Benkay Restaurant. A wide range of authentic Japanese cuisine such as sushi, sashimi, tempura, udon and a lot more are available from an extensive buffet accompanied by free flow green tea.

As soon as I walked through the door, my eyes set on a gigantic bowl of mouth watering seafood, begging to be devoured. Then my eyes swept the array of food on the buffet table and I realised that I was going to have a hard time to choose which ones to eat. I really wished I had a bigger belly so I could taste all those delicious food.

green tea soba

chicken teriyaki

some condiments

these prawns are finger licking good

The ever so talented and friendly Japanese chef, Goda Katsumi greeted us while he was showing off his cooking skill at the teppan-yaki counter. Basically you can choose anything from meat, seafood, scallops to whole lobster from this counter. He cooked so passionately making sure that they serve the finest fare, raw or cooked to perfection for the guests.  I specially love the okonomiyaki that he cooked in only limited amount at a time, to ensure the freshness of this Japanese pancake. It has a fairly dense texture but still very tender. The Japanese mayonnaise topping and aonori (green seaweed flakes) gave an extra oomph. Their chawanmushi and tempura are not to be missed too! Since it's an 'all you can eat' buffet, just make sure to bring your empty stomach if you ever planned to have a Sunday brunch here.

from the sushi bar

fresh sashimi

Brunch is priced IDR 480.000 nett per person including a complimentary sake shooter or Sapporo beer. This package comes with a complimentary pass that entitles guest to relax at the resort's four inter-connected pools as well as a secluded stretch of white sands beach. It's the perfect culinary experience to enjoy with family, friends or business associates in a contemporary ambiance overlooking the stunning Indian Ocean. So if you ask me if it's worth the price? Yes, absolutely! Specially if you once in a while crave some high quality and authentic Japanese food like I do.

that okonomiyaki was sooo tasty

the foodies

I was running late for my best friend's birthday surprise so I didn't taste anything from the desserts galore. But they all looked very tempting and I'm sure they taste good too. Nevertheless it was a super delicious experience. I finally got to meet a bunch of awesome foodies in Bali during the Mekulicious gathering. Great food, great friends, great day indeed!

Thank you Grand Nikko Bali for having us. And special thanks to the lovely hosts, Maria and Febby :)

stunning view from Benkay restaurant

Benkay Japanese Restaurant
Grand Nikko Bali
Jalan Raya Nusa Dua Selatan
PO BOX 18 - Nusa Dua 80363

For more information and reservation, please contact (0361) 773 377

Switzerland: A Clear View Of The Toblerone Mountain

December 2014

Matterhorn or known as the Toblerone mountain

Hey, there!
Remember me? :p

So yeah, I've been neglecting my blog lately. I have dozens of stories to tell and hundreds of pictures to share from my previous trips. But I just couldn't force myself to sit still and write because there's too much stuff running in my mind randomly. I've been away from online world for couple months now and only updating daily on Instagram. A part of me is disappointed of myself because lately I easily get panic attack and nervous breakdown. The strange thing is that even though travelling has been a huge part of my life since I was born, lately I don't enjoy it as much. Perhaps the claustrophobia and aerophobia has wore me out. I don't recognise myself anymore. I'm still looking the best way to cure it though, whether it's having hypnotherapy sessions, seeing a psychiatrist or learning to relax by practising yoga. I'm open to any suggestions from you, guys :)

Matterhorn railway station

Alright then, I better cut the pouring heart session and will share one of my Swiss trip highlights. I had been wanting to visit Zermatt since forever. And while it's one of the prettiest cities in Switzerland, it's also one of the most expensive too. During my student life in Switzerland 15 years ago, I didn't have much money to splurge. So I was happy to finally made it to Zermatt this time. The city is heaven to snow lover and the Gornergrat railway is one of most popular activities to do. The Gornergrat railway station is situated at an altitude of 3089 m, which makes it the second highest railway in Europe after the Jungfrau and the highest open-air railway of the continent.

all aboard!

beautiful village

I've said it a thousand times before that I love travelling by train. I find the steady sound of train moving is a very soothing back sound as I admiring the view outside my window. And Switzerland offers numerous railway routes with spectacular scenery along the way. The journey I took from Zermatt to Gornergrat is no exception as well. I love looking at the Swiss chalets with it's snow-covered roof in some village I passed through. Such a pretty scenery. And I was so lucky that I got to see the Matterhorn in a full view because of the clear weather.

it's white everywhere

breathtaking view outside

the final station

super clear day!

In what feels like a blink of an eye, the train stopped in Gornergrat station (it's actually about 30 minutes ride). Though it was minus 10 degree Celsius up there, to me it felt quite warm because of the bright sunshine. My White Christmas couldn't get any more perfect than this! Oh, by the way Swiss Pass will come handy if you ever plan to explore Switzerland. It entitles you to unlimited travel on consecutive days throughout the rail, bus and boat Swiss travel system network. Apart from that, it offers 50% reduction on most mountain railways and cable cars and free entrance also free entrance to hundreds museums and exhibitions. I didn't get one so I had to fork out CHF 86 for this train ride. Boohoo :(

my White Christmas

the chapel atop Gornergrat

view from 3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat

Atop Gornergrat there's a hotel which was built between 1897 and 1907. The name is 3100 Kulm hotel at Gornegrat. It's not only one of these rare and unique accommodations but the highest altitude hotel in the Swiss Alps. The scenery is so spectacular for sure because it's surrounded by 29 peaks of the massive ridge separating Switzerland from Italy. Now, this is my kind of hotel I'd love to spend my honeymoon at *daydreaming*



FREEBIES!

I am a chocoholic. To me travelling to Switzerland always means bringing back a suitcase full of my favourite Swiss chocolate. And of course I'll share some for you, guys! One of the chocolates is even bigger than my head! teehee :D
I have 3 packages of chocolate, fridge magnet, keychain and postcard from Switzerland.

all of these were air flown from Switzerland specially for you :p

Only 3 easy steps to join:

1. Make sure you have followed my instagram @debbzie_leksono or twitter @twitdebbzie 
2. Tweet this sentence >>> #GiveAway Swiss chocolate, keychain, magnet & postcard!  Join on www.debbzie.com | cc: @twitdebbzie
3. Don't forget to leave your email address and twitter or instagram user ID on the comment box below. 

All email address will be drawn randomly and 3 lucky winners will receive this Swiss souvenirs.

Closing date: 1 April 2015

I wish the best of luck for youuuu :)

Update: Congratzzzz to the winners @sefiiin @ammamamo @iqbalrois !!! :D