What does a book lover and a foodie have in common? They always find comfort in their classic favourites, being around them is therapeutic, and trying something new is always fun! So, for the bhookh lover in you, we have curated a list of recommendations which are must-eats. Read along!

Have you ever figured out a way to stop that annoying colleague from biting into your food? We know it can be difficult, but what’s life without some struggle? We’d suggest quoting to yourself from this new-age self-help piece and not give a fork! Live the foodie life and don’t fret, because food will always be there for you.

Think your connection with food is strong enough to be passed on through generations? Take the inspiration to raise your voice for your one true love, and do not oppress those cravings. The layers of deliciousness might strike a chord with you.

Is your idea of fun defined by getting away from reality and travelling to a fantastical world? Then you know what we’re Tolkien about! Immerse yourself into the precious spices and embark on a journey of a lifetime with the fellowship of your friends. Does that ring a bell? If not, then let those adventures take over your plate.

If romance is your cup of tea, then we have a diversi-tea of options for you! From cutting chai to Earl Grey, we suggest you pick your perfect shade and don’t stay in the grey area about your choices. After all, who doesn’t like a twist now and then in their favourite love story?

There are some classics that stay with you, Always. They are loved by everyone and never fail to cast a spell and gain your crust. The fans share a cheesy bond, and their cravings never really end. Here’s to all of them: just use Expelliarmus and grab that last slice!

While you may never be satisfied with just one serving, this list is never-ending. Click here to find your own bhookh special and don’t stop till you turn to the last bite. Happy eating!

The Ritz-Carlton Pacific Place’s Pasola elevated Sunday buffet brunches to a whole new level! The inspiration came from the farm-to-table concept, and Executive Chef Sean MacDougall and his team highlighted a quintessential marriage between Indonesian farmers’ freshest ingredients and food artisans’ creativity. The buffet exhibited the union uniquely, in a series of tantalizing international selections, friendly local flavors and the fusion of the two. To celebrate this, Pasola invited Zomato and Zomato foodies to enjoy a range of delightful appetizers, main courses, pass around and desserts.

What a lucky day for us! It was a cozy Sunday morning, and Zomato and Zomato foodies were pampered with appetizers of oysters, scallops and prawns laid out on ice, as well as premium-grade sushi and sashimi. In contrast to the cold, Pasola offered a series of hot dishes, cooked live in front of patrons. On to the European dishes, the trained chefs teamed up to serve Roast Dijon Rib Eye Steak, Lamb Rack and Mini Foie Gras Beef Burger, as well as the lighter selection of Eggs Benedict with Spinach and Salmon. We were quite filled with them, but we were still excited to try the East Asian dishes. Commencing the Asian taste with an assortment of freshly-steamed Dim Sum and newly-fried Tempura, we moved on to savoring their authentic Peking Duck. The tender and flavorful duck meat was wrapped in thin and crisp skins, where every bite gave a juicy, yet crunchy sensation. Better yet, the chef sliced the meat on demand, right in front of us! Only the freshest from Pasola, as we were told. Our group then moved on to pamper our local taste buds. We started off with Barramundi Pesmol, baked fish covered in savory and sour turmeric sauce, followed by Soto Sum Sum, a bone marrow dish immersed in garlic, onion and shallot-seasoned soup. The last entrée was our ever-familiar Pempek Palembang, a Sumatran-originated dish, where the springy fish cake was fried into perfection and served alongside refreshingly-sour but sweetly-balancing sauce. As if we had not eaten enough, we were then in the last station; Desserts! Those with sweet teeth - basically each and every one of us, we were first introduced to the chocolate-based desserts, starting with  Churros and Chocolate Sauce, Bali Chocolate Slice with Honeycomb, Warm Chocolate Melt with Ice Cream, even Chocolate Fountain! Seriously, who could resist fresh fruits dipped in chocolate fountains? We certainly could not! Balancing out the decadence of chocolate, we were then pampered with a fusion tangy dessert, Harum Manis Mango Mousse, followed by Strawberry Jelly with White Chocolate Rocks and a station of Homemade Gelato in different flavors. 

Pasola offered us a full-stop meal experience, and it was one neither Zomato and our foodies would never forget! Interested to have dining and food gathering sessions with food lovers from all over Jakarta? Follow our social media @zomatoid on Instagram and Twitter. Also, review your favorite restaurants on Zomato after dining out, so Zomato will be able to recognize and invite you to attend gathering sessions in those restaurants!

Holi is more to us than just a festival. With the onset of March, the whole country dances to the same old yet mandatory Holi songs and colours itself in happiness. But like every colour adds a different meaning to the festival, there are some people who add their own flavour to it.

There are two types of people on Holi. Those who love Holi and everything that comes with it, and then there are those who run as fast as possible the moment they hear Holi hai! Whether you are the splash-till-you-die type or I’m-in-my-room-DND type, we get you. This year, we have some tips to celebrate every kind of Holi!

Your celebrations start a week before D-day. Be it the ever-so-loud padosi Uncle or your always-annoying-but-cute best friend, everybody comes in your pichkari radar. Your white outfit has been picked out days before and you’ve already decided on your Holi hashtags for Instagram. If Balam Pichkari is your jam every year and Holi seems incomplete without a party scene, we’d say take your friends somewhere out for a colourful Holi celebration. Paint the town with every possible colour while you choose from our range of top restaurants. Also, don’t forget to check out the reviews and ratings before you step out for a colourful day!

You despise the phrase Bura na maano, Holi hai! and go into hide mode whenever someone even comes in your five-feet radius to apply gulaal. You are all bathed and in bed, too busy binge-watching your favourite show that you zone out from all the Holi songs. Your friends keep calling you down but you only pick up the phone when you need to order food. This time, put it to good use and order your favourite Holi delicacies on Zomato. The only time you’ll have to get up from bed is to collect your order!

No matter how you celebrate Holi, we have something to make your day colourful. From us at Zomato to you, have a flavourful Holi!

Click here to order your festive favourites!

Let’s meet Mare Nostrum, Jakarta’s new spot for casual Mediterranean dining. Mare Nostrum, the Roman translation for Mediterranean Seas, offers a contrasting experience for their patrons. The restaurant is wrapped in contemporary color-blocked walls while overlooking Jakarta’s skyline from Grand Sahid Jaya Hotel’s 18th floor, yet, without losing the genuine and relaxing Mediterranean touch with curated specialty dishes.

First stop! The Spanish fusion specialty for appetizers, crunchy, cracker-like Amuse Bouche, followed by hours d'oeuvre Vitello Tonnato, tenderloin slices covered in a creamy, mayonnaise-like sauce. The two dishes were rather filling for starters, but it was only the beginning! Moving on to the first entrée; Braised Beef Cheek with Polenta and Parmesan, the dish normally consumed during winter days by the Mediterraneans for its warming quality. The dish comprised slowly-braised beef cheeks, cooked in low heat for hours in red wine, beef stock and other essential spices. It was cooked to ultimate tenderness and perfection, and it tore apart easily with a gentle tingle of our forks! Of course, the evening wouldn’t be complete without Spanish specialty paella. When Seafood Paella was served, the table was delighted with the combination clams, fish and shrimps, and the creamy and savory texture of the rice. 

The best thing about the evening was the made-your-own dessert. Here, Espurna de Crema Catalana topped with Strawberry and Mango Sorbets came on the table. Executive Chef Michael Suyanto led the session in carefully crafting the Catalan traditional cème brûlée, from the mixing of the cream to even the torching of the sugar! Yes, the favorite session was torching the sugar layer. Moving on, Liquid Chocolate Bonbons with Blackcurrant Sorbet was served as the second dessert. The chocolate flavor was both delectable, especially when it is combined by blackcurrant’s refreshing tanginess. 

It was an experience neither Zomato and our foodies would never forget!

Interested to have dining and food gathering sessions with food lovers from all over Jakarta? Follow our social media @zomatoid on Instagram and Twitter. Also, review your favorite restaurants on Zomato after dining out, so Zomato will be able to recognize and invite you to attend gathering sessions in those restaurants!

Leap days are special. But this year, it’s extra special. It’s the first leap day of the decade and it has fallen on a Saturday. Yay!

Why not do something hatke today? If you love food, we suggest going all out and trying those whacky cuisines, styles and food combinations that you have always been curious about. Put your faith in your plate and take that Leap of Taste with Zomato.

Have you ever got the urge to wrap those long strands of spicy noodles around your fingers? Have you ever run out of patience to find a fork and craved to eat them straight from the takeaway box? Don’t let ‘log kya kahenge?’ influence tum kya khaoge. Go, roll them up and savour those noodles like they are meant to be savoured!

Who doesn’t love a good ol’ khichdi after a tiring day at work? But what to do when your cravings go beyond borders. Your favourite khichdi will be no less than a fashionable plate of risotto if you add a generous tadka of oregano and chilli flakes. Does that make khichdi the successor to pizza and pasta? It’s time you find out.

The only green that you won’t fuss about is the hari chutney. There’s no other condiment which goes with all your snacks, be it tikkas, kebabs or chaats. So, why not take a demo with hari chutney and let french fries reveal its true desiness? Make it happen and taste how it goes!

We know you can’t choose between your desserts. Be it the desi delight of a chashni-dripping gulab jamun or the classic sweetness of drool-worthy ice-cream. There’s no reason to choose anymore. Skip the dessert discrimination and scoop both of them in a cone! 

The list doesn’t really end. Whatever quirk suits your taste buds, take that Leap of Taste with Zomato. Let’s celebrate this extra day while getting extraaa with food, shall we?

Metro Manila - For the past 6 years, Zomato Philippines has been at the forefront of creating the most comprehensive restaurant guide in Metro Manila. And for the first time, they will be honoring the most outstanding restaurants in 2019 with the Foodies Choice Awards 2019. The awards reflect the combined opinion of more than 3 Million users across over 20,000 restaurants in the metro. Based on a full year of reviews, votes and ratings, these restaurants were the cream of the crop consistently. 

The Foodies Choice Award 2019 recognizes 150 restaurants in Metro Manila across all categories, and the winners were determined solely by factoring the restaurant rating and number of user votes over the year of 2019. 

Below is the full list of winners per city in the greater Metro Manila area, including Rizal, Sta Rosa, and Tagaytay City. Zomato Foodies Choice 2019 picked the top 10 restaurants based on reviews, votes, and ratings from users of the app. The list is in alphabetical order per city.

Las Pinas City

• Buku-Buku Kafe
• Butcher and Sons
• Café Mary Grace
• Mama Lou’s Italian Kitchen (BF International)
• Mama Lou’s Italian Kitchen (Almanza)
• RACKS
• Sambo Kojin
• Skillets and Grill
• Teppanya
• Trattoria Altrove

Makati City

• Banapple
• Izakaya Kikufuji
• Kermit Manila
• Medokoro Ramenba
• Motorino Pizza
• Nikkei
• Ooma, Greenbelt
• Ooma, Rockwell
• Soban K-Town Grill
• Z Hostel Bar

Mandaluyong City

• Café Lyon
• Din Tai Fung
• Easy, Tiger
• Lola Café
• Manam Café
• Motorino Pizza
• Nikkei
• Ooma
• Soban K-Town Grill
• Sunnies Café

Manila

• Becky’s Kitchen
• Café Ilang Ilang – Manila Hotel
• Champagne Room – Manila Hotel
• My Kitchen
• RACKS
• Raffaele – The Bayleaf Hotel
• Shawarma Snack Center
• Sky Deck – The Bayleaf Hotel
• Soban K-Town Grill
• Wai Ying Fastfood

Marikina City

• Balestier
• Beeffalo by Hotrocks
• Ca Phe Saigon
• Café Amarela
• Café Lidia
• Fino Deli
• QiZia Café
• Rustic Mornings by Isabelo
• Tongara Ramen
• Vikings

Muntinlupa City

• Banapple
• Da Gianni Cucina Italiana
• Manam Café
• Mr. Roboto
• Neil’s Kitchen
• Ooma
• Ramen Yushoken
• Sibyullee
• Sunnies Café
• Sushi Ninja

Paranaque City

• Fresh – Solaire Resort & Casino
• La Chinesca
• Mandarin Palace Seafood and Shabu-Shabu
• Medley Buffet – Okada Manila
• Ramen Kuroda
• Red Lantern – Solaire Resort & Casino
• Sensei
• The Burgery
• Tito Chef
• Waterside Latin-Inspired Cuisine – Solaire Resort & Casino

Pasay City

• Buffet 101
• Hawker Chan
• Manam
• Mazendo
• New York Slice
• Paradise Dynasty
• RACKS
• Rossini Ristorante Italiano
• Spiral – Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila
• Vikings

Pasig City

• Bistro Charlemagne
• Café Juanita
• Charlie’s Grind & Grill
• Frankie’s New York Buffalo Wings
• Locavore
• Mama Lou’s Italian Kitchen
• Mister Kabab
• Sibyullee
• Silantro Fil-Mex
• Tipsy Pig Gastropub

Quezon City

• Blue Rocket Café + Kitchen
• BOA Kitchen + Socials
• Isaribi
• Mama Lou’s Italian Kitchen, Bagong Pag-Asa
• Mama Lou’s Italian Kitchen, Diliman
• Route 88 Bike Café
• Soban K-Town Grill, Bago Bantay
• Soban K-Town Grill, Libis
• Soru Izakaya
• Vikings

San Juan City

• Araullo Gastropub
• Cowrie Grill
• Feta Mediterranean
• Guevarra’s
• Manam
• McLaren’s Pub
• Pho Hoa
• Premier The Samgyupsal
• Sibyullee
• Tomo Japanese Dining

Taguig City

• Mendokoro Ramenba
• Ooma
• PizzaExpress
• Rackshack
• Saboten
• Sariwon
• Shake Shack
• Soban K-Town Grill
• Soru Izakaya
• Sunnies Café

Taytay and Antipolo

• Eggs For Breakfast Café
• Starbucks
• Tamagoya
• Vieux Chalet Swiss Restaurant
• Burrow Café
• DonnAppetit Garden Grill
• Laziz Restaurant
• LEON Authentic Mexican
• Tahanan Bistro
• Yellow Bird Café x Kitchen

Sta Rosa, Laguna

• Bistro Charlemagne
• Café Seolhwa
• Ippon Yari
• Kanin Club
• Kenji Tei Ramen House
• Mama Lou’s Italian Kitchen
• Nonna’s Pasta & Pizzeria
• Nono’s
• Xtremely Xpresso Café
• You’ve Got Baked

Tagaytay City

• Antonio’s
• Bag of Beans, Silang Junction
• Bag of Beans, Mendez Crossing
• Balay Dako
• Breakfast at Antonio’s
• Café Voi La
• Charito by Bag of Beans
• Deli de San Honore
• Lime and Basil
• Tsokolateria

Start your day with coffee. Super relatable, right?

Did you know that your daily coffee demand directly grew coffee-related businesses? This idea inspired Zomato and Indonesia’s coffee machine distributor Toffin to acknowledge and appreciate the investment made by both coffee shops (and you!), in Zomato Coffee Shop Awards 2020. With seven categories of eight nominees each, the event had successfully heightened to be the talk of the town among coffee shops and coffeeholic. The enthusiasm surged to be unexpectedly high, as nominees held various campaigns to gain more votes on both digital platforms and offline activities, for instance, serving special treats only for voters!

And, after one full month of biding one’s time, Zomato finally had the champs!

Kopi Janji Jiwa - as Best Social Media Engagement & Favorite Coffee Shop of The Year 

BEAU Bakery - Best Bakery & Pastry

Coffeeholics often had the sweetest teeth, and BEAU Bakery definitely knew this. Started in 2014 with only one product - the Bombo, or Italian beignets, the bakery had fruitfully elevated Jakarta’s sweet tooth game to another level, with a selection of (really creative) cakes and bread, freshly baked!

Djournal Coffee - as Best Chain Coffee Shop

Friendly baristas, cool ambiance, pocket-friendly prices and of course, signature coffees earned Djournal Coffee to champ the Best Chain Coffee Shop award. Managed by Jakarta-based food and beverages mogul ISMAYA Group, the brand displayed only the highest quality coffee experience, easily lovable by coffeeholic’s from anywhere!

Giyanti Coffee Roastery - Best Standalone Coffee Shop

Tucked in the antique Surabaya Street of Jakarta, Giyanti Coffee Roastery is as mesmerizing as it sounds! Inspired by the old Javanese poem titled Babad Giyanti - which heaved the beautiful geopolitical situations of archipelagic Java in the 1700s, Giyanti’s coffee is carefully crafted to be both unique and passionate. Highlighting such distinctions, having only a single outlet made them go home a champion!

(Unique ambiece on Giyanti Coffee Roastery. Sc : @foodwaw)

Six Ounces Coffee - Best New Cafe 

Seriously, this coffee shop got Zomato thinking as well, what is a Nutella Bomboloni? Apparently, top-rated foodies had been tweeting over the drink, and it turned out to be one of their must-try, “It girl” beverages in their menu book. That did not stop there though, Six Ounces Coffee curated other creative menus with comfortable seating areas, which supported their growth rapidly into having two outlets in both North and South Jakarta!

Hakuna Matata - Best Hidden Gems Coffee Shop

Hakuna matata! Disney’s classic Lion King inspired the Cijantung-based Hakuna Matata to translate their menu and ambiance to be worriless and full of happiness for their customers. The coffee shop’s location was rather hidden, however, it had completely stolen the hearts of Jakarta’s coffeeholic. Elevated with conquering this Zomato Coffee Shop Awards 2020 category, we could all foresee more posts of the super Instagrammable cafe!

They say music is a universal language. The same can be said about food too. People vibe better when they have a shared interest in music or food. But there’s more to it - we feel there’s a connection between your khaana and that favourite gaana. 

Read on to know which music genre jams together with your favourite dishes.  

POP

Your hips and lips don’t lie when that pop song comes on! Not only do these favourites top the charts, but our hearts too. It’s gotta be pizza! Easy, cheesy and a party favourite - pizza will have you dancing to its tunes!

ROCK

Speakers blasting, head banging and meals left hanging! You need something on-the-go for your rock ‘n’ roll mode. Raise your hands up for shawarma so that the fillings Slip-Knot! After all, when that solo comes on, you will have one hand free to air guitar!

HIP-HOP

Do you live your life on the beats? Does the deadly combo of rap and rhythm rule your heart? If the answer is yes, then you gotta be all hands for this ‘boht hard’ collab of Burger feat. Fries. Balance is everything, and how they bring out the best in each other is how every hip-hop song jibes with your vibe!

COUNTRY

When those soft and easy notes take you down the old town road of nostalgia, all you crave is ghar ka khaana. While country music makes you long for home, your favourite comfort food will make you feel closer than ever! 

ELECTRONIC

You can’t stop when the beat drops! You love to twist, turn and show everyone your saucy moves, just how you roll your spaghetti around your fork. No ‘penne’ for guessing your dish. Guetta bite of your favourite pasta while you get your feet on the dance floor!

CLASSICAL

Only a true connoisseur can appreciate the magic of classical music. When the heart strings match with the chords of the sitar, the sweetness quenches the thirst of the soul. A plate of piping hot jalebi dripping with chashni has the same effect. The everlasting classic sweetness will leave you in true blue foodie’s heaven.

BOLLYWOOD

Does your heart go choley-choley-choley when you think of food? You always #DoItWithATwist - whether it’s remixing the old classics or something jazzy and new. The food that matches your bolly-vibe will definitely be - chole bhature. The party never stops, whether on the dance floor or in your mouth!

No matter which genre matches your vibe, we know what to have on your plate the next time! Tune into your musical mood with your favourite food.

Click here to order online on Zomato.

A lot of people would describe love as a bittersweet feeling.  And when Zomato Gold and Koffie Nation came together to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Kuningan, it certainly was a celebration of all things bittersweet — mostly coffee. A few lucky Zomato Gold members were invited with their special someone to enjoy their Saturday tasting a special menu from Koffie Nation, an espresso and latte art-making class, and a session on leading a healthy lifestyle conducted by Fibrefirst. 

Dressed to match their dates, the guests clearly had a gala time trying to make heart-shaped art on top of their lattes and cappuccinos. Jokes were made, laughs were shared, and the couples shared loved filled moments with each other.  That wasn’t all — their love for each other was also put through a test with games like  "couple trivia" & “guess who am i”. This was followed by a chance to interact with super cool gadgets from Fibrefirst, which they also got a chance to win by participating in a quiz. The nutritionists also advised the guests on how to keep a tab on their health conditions and live a healthier life.

In the end, each guest was treated to a special gift hamper from Zomato, which included Fibrefirst products, vouchers and the winners of the competitions got a special voucher and a cool Koffie Nation house blend coffee & tumblers. It was definitely Valentine’s Day they would all remember.

If you want to make everyone happy sell ice cream, that’s why we want to make our Foodies happy too. Who can reject the sweetness or freshness of ice cream or sorbet? NO ONE, including our foodies! Together with Zomato, a brand new ice cream bar & cafe, Paris Sorbet successfully made a one-fun-day with the foodies. Not only did they taste their fantastic ice cream and sorbet, but 10 foodies also got a new experience to learn how to make a sorbet!

As you walked into this dessert bar and cafe, that is located in Jl. Wolter Monginsidi No.71, you can see the clean and spacious ambiance with an earthy “decoration” that makes us feel like we’re in Bali. The event started with a little overview of the place and of course the activity that foodies are going to have. Interesting facts, this is a french-ice cream bar & cafe, but they use some local ingredients, such as vanilla, cocoa, coffee, etc. Jonas, the owner of Paris Sorbet said, the ingredients come from West Java, Sulawesi, and also from Papua (cool, right?). 

And the fun part begins! Sacha Lefebvre, the Ice Cream, Chocolate & Candy Specialist lead the “Sorbet making class” with a demo on how to make one of the favorite Sorbet here, Mango Sorbet. Not only teach foodies how to make a Sorbet. He also showed us how to do the scooping like a pro (this is FUN). The foodies seemed very excited and very happy while trying to make their best Sorbet presentation on their own plate. Not only to make it look good, they also have to recognize every single condiment on it. 4 talented foodies get honor as a winner of Sorbet making competition! Yaaay! 

After the fun class experience, we’re trying different plates of ice cream and sorbet. Every foodie can choose what they want to taste. Our foodies love every ice cream & sorbet here! (especially Vanilla Ice Cream, and Baked Apple sorbet!).

At the end of the event, all winners get a special gift from Paris Sorbet: A Special Cake! We took a picture together so the fun memories would stay forever with us!

Such a fun day to be remembered! If you want to get invited to this cool class, don’t forget to follow our social media @zomatoid on Instagram & Twitter. And always give a review on Zomato every time you dine out.