Prost Beer (Indonesian Beer)

Prost Beer is new brand of locally brewed beer in Indonesia. From the packaging at first glance, one would had an impression it was a foreign brand beer. That was what I thought in the first place until I dig more research on it.

It is priced at IDR 16,100 in Hypermart, which is a little bit higher than the usual Heineken or Carlsberg beer in the country.

It is brewed with basic ingredient such as water, malt and hop. According to the packaging, the beer is triple hops and triple cold filtered with alcohol content around 4.8%

It is a typical lager beer which is smooth and easy to drink. Nothing out of the ordinary. I would have been expecting more due to its price tag which is slightly dearer compare to other international beers. Anyway, this beer is worth a try for those avid beer drinkers.

Rezeki Seafood Restaurant, Batam

If one is hungry and looking for seafood restaurant while in Nongsa or Batu Besar area in Batam, Rezeki Seafood Restaurant is the best place to go. The restaurant is located at the Batu Besar beach with no specific road name leading to it as well as the absence of any big sign board indicating the restaurant. However, the locals should able to point any visitors to the right location.

The restaurant is not far away from the resorts (Montigo and Turi Beach Resort) in Nongsa area as well as Hang Nadim International Airport. The journey from either of those 2 places are well below 10 minutes. When the car/taxi was parked outside the restaurant's vast parking lot, always bring along your valuables and never leave them inside the car.

 

 

Although this area are predominantly Muslims, it is obvious the restaurant is owned by Chinese based on the new year decoration which is still apparent. Like any seafood restaurant in Batam, it adopts an open air concept where diners can appreciate the sea breeze and its surrounding.

Surprisingly, it was not as hot as expected on a sunny afternoon as the sea breeze pretty much negate the current equinox heat wave. The restaurant offers a clear view of the beach with some fishing boats lying around. On a clear day, one can even see Bintan Island from here.

As I was seriously dehydrated from the incoming flight and the scorching sun, I had ordered a mango juice (IDR 25,000) and a coconut juice (IDR 20,000). The mango juice is great and pure. There aren't ice or water added to it which show their sincerity in the drink preparation. The coconut size was huge but nothing out of the ordinary.

 

As there is only 2 of us, we were unable to order as much as we like to. So, I end up with a sweet and sour fish (IDR 100,000) and water spinach stirred fried with belacan (IDR 30,000).

The fish is fresh and the gravy is thick. Maybe it is just me but I am more used to sweet gravy. Still, it is a decent presentation and generous serving.

The water spinach is alright and I guess they are using a different type of belacan which are less spicy then what we normally had here. Still, I find it appetizing and goes great with the rice.

The restaurant also serve crab, gonggong, clamp and shrimps which I reckon are good based on what I observed from the other tables.

The restaurant has its own website with a comprehensive menu in it. Another thing to note is there will be a 10% tax on the total bill when one received its bill. The restaurant is still considered as one of the cheaper seafood restaurant here and is worth checking out if one is nearby the area.

The Spa Secret Batam

There are many places which offer massage service in Batam and the best so far I came across is The Spa Secret Batam.

It is located at Nagoya area and directly opposite Nagoya Hill Shopping Centre by crossing the busy road.

The waiting area is spacious and have ample of seats. This spa is always crowded and advanced booking is recommended to avoid disappointment. I always opt for online booking and usually get a confirmation in a few hours. Reservation will be cancelled if there was a no show after 15 minutes of the appointed time.

 

So far I had tried 2 types of massage here, flat stone massage (420,000 Rupiah for 2 hours) and Balinese aromatic massage (330,000 Rupiah for 90 minutes). The therapists are professional and enjoy each of my session here. For flat stone massage, it will be carried out in a private room which is equipped with shower facility.

 

The therapist will usually put an aromatic incense just right below the head while lying down. Should the smell is too hard to bear, just notify the therapist but it works just fine for me as it kind of giving me the soothing effect as the treatment progress.

The spa also offers free wifi to kill some time should one come here with reservation and the queue is long. With its ideal location, good facility and skillful therapist, I will definitely be back again whenever I am around Batam.