Going bananas over new cafe<\/p>\n
Deni Putri, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Bananas, which are easy to find in tropical countries, taste
\nsweet and are good for your health and personal appearance,
\nthanks to their nutritional value.<\/p>\n
Many Indonesians love bananas and include the fruit on their
\ndaily menus. They add the fruit to a variety of dishes including
\nmartabak (traditional pancake), es palubutung (flour-wrapped
\nbanana with ice and syrup) and banana cakes.<\/p>\n
The popular fruit has also inspired Anthony Kemal Gultom to
\nset up the Banana Cafe at the Bale Air Food Village on Jl. Gatot
\nSubroto, Central Jakarta. Banana-based foods and beverages in a
\nvariety of flavors, shapes and sizes are the cafe's specialty.<\/p>\n
Gultom manages to turn bananas into a range of appetizing
\ndishes and beverages that aren't just fried, baked or steamed.<\/p>\n
He makes special dishes such as Grilled Banana (served with
\nchocolate sauce and palm sugar syrup), Banana Pancake (served
\nwith honey and ice cream), Banana Boat (three flavors of ice
\ncream with a fruit cocktail, grated peanuts and chocolate sauce)
\nand Banana Ice Cream.<\/p>\n
Bananas also breathe life into such delicacies as Banana
\nChicken Maryland (deep fried boneless chicken breast with cheese,
\nserved with banana fritters and crispy smoked beef), Banana
\nButter Scotch Custard Crepes (crepes filled with custard and
\nbanana butter scotch as topping) and Banana Cream Crepes (banana
\ncream filled crepes served with vanilla sauce).<\/p>\n
The banana's flavor helps Gultom produce special beverages
\nwith names like Banana Ria (a mix of banana, pineapple and
\nlychee), Banoffee Coffee (blended banana with coffee and rum),
\nBig Bold Banana (blended banana, tofu and soybeans), Shakey
\nBanana (blended banana with vanilla ice cream), Banana Punch, and
\nBanana Juice.<\/p>\n
The delicious Banana French Toast (French toast filled with
\nbanana slices, cheese and chocolate rice), the fresh and white-
\ncolored Banana Smoothie (banana juice with vanilla ice cream and
\nyogurt) and Banana Rama (blended banana with soybean milk and
\nvanilla ice cream) are an ideal accompaniment to a night out with
\nfriends.<\/p>\n
Forget about your diet regimen when tasting the sweet and sour
\nBanana Crepes with Chocolate Sauce (banana special mix served
\nwith chocolate sauce), the sweet and appetizing Banana Flambee
\n(flamed sliced banana served with orange juice, liqueur, topped
\nwith a scoop of ice cream), the tasty and attractive Banana
\nFritters (crispy fried banana served with vanilla ice cream and
\nvanilla sauce) and the sweet and unusual Jumput-Jumput (stack of
\ndeep fried banana batter with icing sugar).<\/p>\n
Besides serving banana-based food and beverages, the cafe also
\noffers local and imported beef steaks, soups, salads, cheese
\nburgers, fried rice, deep fried calamari, beef teriyaki,
\nspaghetti bolognaise, roast beef sandwiches, barbecue chicken
\nwings and fried chicken with mayonnaise sauce, for those who
\ndislike bananas.<\/p>\n
Cocktails a la cafe, local and imported beers and regular
\nbeverages including fruit juices, coffee and soft drinks are also
\non offer.<\/p>\n
Considering the cafe's strategic location and its competitors,
\nthe banana-based delicacies' prices, ranging from Rp 7,500 to Rp
\n16,500, are not too expensive, indeed are quite reasonable.<\/p>\n
A glass of soft drink for Rp 6,500, juice at Rp 10,500, and
\nlocal sirloin steak for Rp 23,500 per serving are affordable for
\ncafegoers.<\/p>\n
Banana Cafe, which employs 30 workers including its chefs and
\nattendants, has three levels that can accommodate more than a
\nhundred guests.<\/p>\n
Each level has a different style of decoration. The first is
\ndecorated like a restaurant, the second is set up in a lounge
\nstyle while the third has a Japanese theme.<\/p>\n
Inside, the cafe guests can enjoy live band performances every
\nweekend at the center of the food village, which is surrounded by
\nmany fast food stalls including Dapur Sunda restaurant, Doner
\nKebab, Royal Steak Resto and Cafe, Warung Si Doel, Jojo Thai and
\nan Asian food house.<\/p>\n
Some traditional Indonesian banana-based dishes including
\nMakasar's pisang epe and Manado's es palubutung are only
\navailable during fasting month.<\/p>\n
The cafe, which was opened and inaugurated just last month by
\nCity Governor Sutiyoso, claims to be the only one in Jakarta
\noffering banana-based delicacies.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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