MET GALA 2014 Fashion

AAAAAAHHHHHHH THE MET GALA 2014 HAD JUST HAPPENED!

Okay I gotta calm myself. BUT THE PRETTY DRESSES! But honestly I can't really see the connection between the dresses and this year's Met Gala theme, America's best-known couturier (reffering to Charles James). Of course, most of the dresses came from couture collections, but aren't all the other dresses worn to other parties are also couture?

With no further ado, I'm gonna be showing you pictures depicting glamour and elegance and beauty and everything that can make anyone drool. I swear, I want almost every single dress worn to that ball. Pictures will be shown along with the reviews. The reviews will be quite brief ;)

Bee Shaffer in Alexander McQueen. The lovely baby blue satin dress hugged her curves perfectly, and the lining had done nothing but compliment them even more. Her jewelry spiced up her look beautifully.

Beyonce in Givenchy. Damn do I love that make up! The low cut, the intricate beads, the translucent outer coat; gorgeous. The see-through overcoat also made her legs look even sexier.

Leighton Meester in Emilio Pucci. I loved the delicate pattern on the dress, it kinda gave me a feel of ancient Egypt. But I think it would've done her good if she wore extra jewelry.

Emma Stone in Thakoon. It looked so playful, yet still showed Emma's maturity. Best feature: the high cut, hot pink skirt.

Florence Welch in Valentino. GET ME THE BUTTERFLY-PATTERNED COAT RIGHT NOW! Seriously it's so gorgeous I can't even. The dress beneath, in my opinion, should've been of a different color. Pastel pink, perhaps? 

Charlize Theron in Dior. The cape made her look like a super tough lady queen (Snow White & The Huntsman reference, ehem). Black and white stripes? Super classy. Maybe adding a bit more black will make this dress even classier.

Blake Lively in Gucci, also with a cape. The shine of the dress coming from the threads quadrupled it's elegance.

Chloe Moretz in Chanel Haute Couture. This dress is absolutely adorable. The frills, the belt, the beads on the pattern of the shirt, the black tie? FLAWLESS. It suited her age.

 Sarah Jessica Parker in Oscar de La Renta. I disliked the gown in overall. I thought the skirt was too puffy for my liking. Sorry, but you're not going to a princess ball, SJP.

 Lupita Nyong'o in Prada. Really, Lupita? People were wearing ballgowns and she wore a net studded with greens? I liked the jungle-look, but I just didn't think that this is appropriate for something like the Met Gala.

 Jessica Pare in Michael Kors. Classy.

Rihanna in Stella McCartney. Rebellious and elegant at all once.

 Naomi Watts in Givenchy. I loved the ombre and again, the translucency of the dress.

 Dita von Teese in Zac Posen. I understand you're trying to look like a mermaid Dita, but it just made you look like a girl whose legs were studded with origami.

 Coco Brandolini in Dolce&Gabbana Alta Moda. I just love paintings on gowns.

 Georgia May Jagger in Thierry Muggler. One word: SEXY. The strings seemed to be the only material holding both sides of the dress, radiating an aura of seduction.

Dakota Johnson in Jason Wu. I love midnight blue and the long gloves. She reminded me of a more sensual version of Cinderella.

Suki Waterhouse in Burberry. Frills, frills, frills! Pastel, pastel, pastel! Despite only having one color, this dress is so alluring and has this romantic feel to it. And her make up? Bold. Ultimate favorite look of all.

So there goes my reviews! Hope you enjoyed them, and have a good night ;)

Akane at Crowne Plaza

In a desperate search for authentic Japanese food (since my past favorite restaurant had closed down), my mom came across this restaurant, Akane. Apparently Akane is located in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, just right next to my mom's office. Coincidence coincidence, eh?

Anyways, let's take a look at the restaurant entrance.

The most gorgeous bit from the entire restaurant's interior:

On to the food! So before we start reviewing, I am going to tell you some details. I ordered the lunch set special, priced at Rp. 89k. This lunch set includes one starter, choices of various dishes for the main course, and dessert. It's a pretty good deal, in my opinion. Just like what the name had stated, this deal is only available at lunchtime, 7 days a week.

First, the starter...

 Chawan Mushi (included in the Lunch Set Special)

Placed in an adorable, mini (but not too mini) greenish-brown, clay bowl, this Chawan Mushi is smooth and light. With seasonings that did not overpower the texture and taste of the egg, in addition to the smoky scent of the shitake mushroom, it is a starter that can really enhance your appetite.

Next, the main course..

 Main Course (included in the Lunch Set Special)

So for the main course, we get to pick three choices of dishes ranging from meat, vegetables, tofu, even street snacks like takoyaki! You also get to choose your carbohydrate. Choices include california rolls and rice topped with various ingredients. For my dishes I picked agedashi tofu (top left), beef steak (bottom left) and salmon sashimi (bottom middle). For the carbohydrate I chose rice topped with miso paste, shitake mushrooms and preserved vegetables (top right). Pickled vegetables, a plate of potato salad and a bowl of clear soup with shredded chicken were also given as complements. This is going to be a lengthy review, recounting the number of components present in the main course but oh well. Here goes.

1. Agedashi Tofu - Unlike any other agedashi tofus I've ever tasted, the white tofu inside the coat has a taste! the shoyu seeps inside the tofu, and well, it's a plus point.

2. Beef Steak - Not as tender as I expected it to be, but it is still very enjoyable. The marinade really worked it's way to the beef. I recommend choosing this.

3. Salmon Sashimi - Holy moly! Those are thick slices of absolute freshness!

4. Potato Salad - Light and creamy at the same time, with huge accents of tangy.

5. Miso Rice with Shitake and Preserved Greens - Best bit from the main course. Generous in the miso paste, it complements perfectly with the salty and smoky shitake mushrooms and preserved greens. I could eat this dish alone, if I had to.

Another one of the main course..

Mix Kamameshi, Rp. 110k

This dish is not included in the lunch set specials, but it comes with a plate of salmon, tuna and yellow tail sashimi. The kamameshi is uh-may-zing! Every grain of rice was coated with tasty sauce, which I suspect to be composed of broth. Just to make this even better, the kamameshi was topped with chunks scallops, shrimps, salmon, fishballs, chicken and shitake mushrooms. The sashimi platter was also fresh, it can please the tongue of anyone who's a fan of sashimi. Highly recommended. 

Lastly, dessert!

Coffee Jelly and Cream (included in the Lunch Special Set)

When they said it's a coffee jelly, they meant it! It's not at all sweet, but it's not too bitter either. Adding the cream on top softened the bitterness though, and it reminded me of regular coffee (caffè

 americano and a creamer, does that ring a bell?). The jelly had a nice texture too.

Oh yeah, ocha was served without charge! Now, with a deal as awesome as the Lunch Special and free-flow green tea without charge, who can say no to this place? Here's a pic of the green tea:

Why is it so green? It's because they use actual matcha powder for every glass of green tea! The refill, however, did not contain too much of the powder.

All in all, I rate Akane 4 stars out of 5. Good food, affordable price and great deals - I'd be stoned if I gave it any stars fewer. Go check out this place, it's perfect for those who holds fondness of traditional Japanese cuisine. I must warn you though, their service isn't the best and you might have to wait in line, but it's all worth it ;) 

Akane

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Level 1

Jl. Gatot Subroto Kav. 2-3

Jakarta Selatan