Dining with themes of love, and Chinese flavor<\/p>\n
By Sudibyo M. Wiradji
\nContributor
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Scattered cafes and restaurants in Jakarta are gearing up for
\nthe Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day with many eateries
\nplanning to offer special menus and romantic treats.<\/p>\n
Despite the unfavorable weather these days, with flooding in
\nseveral parts of the capital recently, cafes and restaurants are
\nfully committed to providing their best services for their
\ncustomers wishing to celebrate the Valentine's Day on February 14
\nand the Chinese New Year, locally known as Imlek, that will fall
\non February 12, 2002.<\/p>\n
In many of the city's cafes and restaurants, outside or inside
\nhotels, celebrating Valentine's Day has become a tradition that
\nattracts regular customers. With over 500 cafes and restaurants
\navailable, Jakarta has its fair share of options for celebrating
\nthe events while dining out.<\/p>\n
As love is the central theme of Valentine's Day, all are
\nprepared to have romantic themes, in their choice of decorations,
\nentertainment, events, food and drinks.<\/p>\n
Colorful flowers will decorate Planet Hollywood restaurant
\nwith the seating capacity of 300 persons. \"Guests will feel as if
\nthey were in a flower park,\" Planet Hollywood's Assistant Sales
\nand Marketing Manager Maria S. Tenggono said.<\/p>\n
With 'Endless Love' as the theme of the program, the
\nrestaurant will present vocalist Andre Hehanusa who will sing
\nlove songs. Planet Hollywood will offer up an \"endless love menu\"
\nat Rp 250,000 (about US$24) per person, including roses for all
\nthe ladies as a gift.<\/p>\n
Guests will have their choice of the soup of the day or a half
\nportion of the Caesar salad for the appetizer, pepper steak,
\nbarbecued chicken or sword fish for the main course and New York
\ncheese cake for dessert.<\/p>\n
Hard Rock Cafe, the popular international franchise, will
\nfeature the country's top pop band, Dewa. On a heart-decorated
\nstage, the group will belt out a number of love songs. Entry
\ntickets are priced at Rp 75,000 including snacks and drinks.<\/p>\n
Known as one of the most popular places to hang out, Kafe
\nPasir Putih or Pasir Putih Seafood Market in Kemang, southern
\nJakarta, is set to organize an event called 'Romantic Seaside'
\nthat allows guests to share their most intimate moments with
\ntheir sweethearts or company in a seaside atmosphere.<\/p>\n
Not to be missed is an event called Fortune Teller at Planet
\nHollywood and Pasir Putih Seafood Market. \"If you want to know
\nwhat the future has in store, our Fortune Teller will tell all of
\nwhat lies ahead for both of you,\" Fitri of the Pasir Putih
\nSeafood Market said.<\/p>\n
If you join the celebration of Valentine's Day in Movenpick
\nMarche Restaurant, you will be treated to a three-hour session of
\nnon-stop love songs, starting from 7 p.m. that will send you
\nsoaring to new heights. The restaurant will also hold what is
\ncalled a 'Love Message Contest' in which the guests will be asked
\nto write their own words of love on a piece of paper and
\ndemonstrate what they have written after their paper is drawn.
\nAttractive awards such as hotel vouchers and CDs will be
\navailable for the winners as tokens of appreciation.<\/p>\n
A 'mouthwatering heart-shaped cake', blueberry and banana
\ncrepe with orange sauce, homemade tiramisu and chocolate mousse
\nare available at the Movenpick Marche Restaurant's pastry
\ncounter. Australian franchise DOME will serve its special menu,
\nwith favorite cuisine, gourmet pie at Rp 160,000 for two,
\nincluding a flower for ladies. If you have a yearning for
\nauthentic Japanese dishes, Puri Yoshiko must be your choice.
\nSpecial menus on offer for Valentine's Dinner include sushi mie,
\ntempura and sukiyaki at Rp 250,000 net.<\/p>\n
A Valentine's Day with an Italian flavor can be had at Maxis
\nCucina Italiana. The restaurant will prepare a dinner for Rp
\n150,000 per person. With 'show to the heart' being the theme,
\nFashion Cafe will specially prepare menus like Claudia, New York
\nSteak and Fashion-Fashion at Rp 75,000 per person.<\/p>\n
Two days before Valentine's Day, many of the city's dining
\nsites will offer dinner with a Chinese flavor, with lampions,
\ncandlelight and the like adorning the red-dominated interior, to
\ncelebrate the Chinese New Year.<\/p>\n
Highlighting the Chinese New Year celebration will be the
\nperformances by the Barongsai Chinese Lion Dance at the cafes and
\nrestaurants, including Planet Hollywood, Movenpick Marche
\nRestaurant, Fashion Cafe and News Cafe.<\/p>\n
The Chinese performances were banned for the past three
\ndecades in this country during the Soeharto administration.<\/p>\n
With the theme the 'Year of the Horse, Planet Hollywood will
\nnot only feature the Barongsai Chinese Lion Dance show but also
\nChinese dances and a fortune teller, at no additional charge.
\nRegular and special menus are available for guests wishing to
\ncelebrate the New Year.<\/p>\n
The glamorous Fashion Cafe with a catwalk will feature a
\nChinese fashion show. Batavia restaurant, in North Jakarta, will
\nprepare special menus at Rp 2 million. \"To celebrate the Chinese
\nNew Year, we will serve dinner for the family, with the menu to
\nfeature Chinese cuisine,\" said Batavia restaurant's PR executive
\nYani Rachma, adding that the planned performance of Barongsai has
\nbeen canceled due to the floods that have inundated the
\ncourtyard.<\/p>\n
Not to be missed is also a food exhibition featuring Asian-
\nstyle noodles at Movenpick Marche Restaurant from Feb. 11 to 23,
\n2002. kwetiau, stir-fried vermicelli Singapore style and Thai
\nfried noodles, just to name a few, are noodle-made specialties
\navailable at the restaurant's Asian Counter.<\/p>\n
If you wish to celebrate Valentine's Day or Imlek, cafes and
\nrestaurants in the capital will await you. Perhaps, it would be
\nadvisable for you to come a bit earlier or else you might not get
\na table. \"Every time Valentine's Day is celebrated here, our cafe
\nis always full and even the number of guests exceeds the seating
\ncapacity of 250 persons,\" a spokesperson for News Cafe said.<\/p>",
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