Hong Bin Lou, RI's first Chinese Moslem restaurant<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Sly would likely disagree, but Sylvester
\nStallone's greatest contribution to 20th-century civilization may
\nnot be his ceaseless \"Rambo\" and \"Rocky\" sequels. In this era of
\nadvanced capitalism, Hollywood's renowned mumbler may best be
\nremembered for Planet Hollywood, his worldwide chain of theme
\nrestaurants, first unleashed upon unsuspecting diners five years
\nago.<\/p>\n
The theme restaurant is taking over. Uninspired restaurant
\ngoers around the world are emptying their pockets at the
\ncountless Hard Rock Cafes, Planet Hollywoods, Champions and
\nFashion Cafes. They feast on paraphernalia and mediocre meals.
\nTheme restaurants count on diners being so occupied by the theme
\nthat they forget about the food.<\/p>\n
Some themes are bigger than others. Movie stars and models may
\nbe more glamorous, but what icon can truly rival religion? New
\nrestaurant Hong Bin Lou at Bapindo Plaza takes the theme
\nrestaurant to a new level by pronouncing itself as Indonesia's
\nfirst Chinese Moslem restaurant.<\/p>\n
Prejudice and stereotyping often overlook the fact that
\nChinese Moslems exists both in China and in Indonesia. With
\nnearly 100 million people, the Moslem population of China is
\namong the largest in the world. But Hong Bin Lou targets not just
\nethnic Chinese Moslems hankering for halal hors d'oeuvres. It's
\nthe Moslem community at large they aim to attract.<\/p>\n
But why must a Chinese restaurant identify itself as Moslem?
\nReal Moslems don't eat wonton? Not if they contain a trace of
\npork, or are cooked in pork fat, which Moslems falsely assume to
\nbe the norm. Many Moslems steer clear of Chinese restaurants in
\nfear of consuming sinful non-halal foods.<\/p>\n
At Hong Bin Lou, Moslems can leave their fears at the Islamic-
\narched door. From the moment one enters the elevator, where the
\nnumber for the restaurant floor has been replaced by Arabic
\nscript, the restaurant reassures clients that they are venturing
\ninto strictly Moslem territory.<\/p>\n
It's not an easy undertaking. Islam's list of prohibited foods
\nnot only includes pork and scavenger animals, but also animals
\nwhich have not been ritually slaughtered. That means the prayer
\nBismillah, Allahuakbar must precede the killing of the animal by
\na single stroke across the throat. Blood is haram (taboo) in
\nIslam, except that which remains in meat after much of the
\nanimal's blood has been drained.<\/p>\n
If the animal was shot, the same prayer must also be spoken,
\nAnd while fish caught when still alive are halal, dead fish are
\nnot.<\/p>\n
Certain schools of Islam go even further and forbid
\nconsumption of shellfish (considered unhygienic during the time
\nof Muhammad), or any foods which were never consumed by the
\nprophet. Koranic law, however, is more lenient, and allows the
\nconsumption of non-halal meat should there be no other means of
\nsustenance.<\/p>\n
At Hong Bin Lou, however, starving is the least of your
\nworries. Food was on the table even before we were given the
\nmenu. In true Ramadhan style, the restaurant has prepared
\ncomplementary fast-breaking appetizers consisting of kolak
\n(bananas and sweet potatoes cooked in santan, or coconut milk and
\nbrown sugar) and es buah (fruit chilled in coconut milk). The
\nRamadhan special also included a 20 percent discount.<\/p>\n
After a day of fasting, this is a welcome treat. Yet it's not
\nso welcome when the santan is diluted of its usually rich flavor
\nand the es buah just as unimpressive.<\/p>\n
Yet free mediocre food is hardly a crime so we looked forward
\nto feasting on the main meal. Several waitresses fluttered around
\nour table, politely waving their gold trimmed long sleeves to
\nillustrate the house specialties. The staff was dressed modestly
\nin ankle length emerald Chinese costumes. In place of a jilbab
\n(headdress), they wore matching pillbox hats to complete the
\nvision of propriety.<\/p>\n
A multitude of service staff, however, does not necessarily
\nmean great service. Our waitress failed to give my companion a
\nmenu. She soon compensated for her blunder by advising our table
\nof three not to order a medium-sized dish as a small portion
\nwould suffice. Considering the hard sell of most other
\nfledgling restaurateurs, her honesty was refreshing. Give her
\nanother month at the job and she'll be recommending the priciest
\ndishes available.<\/p>\n
We ordered seafood soup (Rp 19,500), duck satay (Rp 3,000 per
\nstick), sauteed mushrooms and kailan (Rp 14,000), and the house
\nspecial, fried prawns a la HBL (that's Hong Bin Lou to the
\nuninitiated). With Islamic music wafting through the marble
\nwalls, we gazed at the elegant Chinese paintings while waiting
\nfor our much anticipated meal.<\/p>\n
Our high hopes were soon diminished. The soup arrived first,
\nfollowed two minutes later by the entrees. \"Our dinner will be
\ncold by the time we eat it,\" my companion said sulkily. And it
\nwas. After a slog through the uninspired soup (\"too salty\",
\ncomplained both my companions), we dove into the by then tepid
\nmain course. The duck satay, the most promising order of the
\nevening, was fatty and unappetizing, especially cold.<\/p>\n
After all, our vegetable dish was, in either conception or
\npreparation, nothing out of the ordinary for Chinese restaurants.
\nThe fried prawns were also typical fare -- what was atypical
\nabout it was its steep price! Perhaps the free appetizers were an
\ningenious strategy, appeasing appetites soon to be disappointed.<\/p>\n
The menu itself should have been a telltale sign. \"If this is
\na new restaurant, then why does the menu look old?,\" asked my
\ncompanion. Perhaps to suit the offerings, which were neither of
\ngreat variety or originality. We can eat fried rice, chicken and
\nnoodles at any Bakmi Gajah Mada. For an expensive evening out, we
\nexpected something more special.<\/p>\n
What we didn't expect was bugs in the soup, and hair amongst
\nthe mushrooms. Nor did we anticipate water dripping from the air
\nconditioner into our drinks. Were these problems induced by the
\nstress of serving too many customers? Looking around the fairly
\nempty restaurant, especially during the fast-breaking hour, it
\nwas evident that such negligence could have been avoided.<\/p>\n
The sloppy presentation was a shame because, otherwise, the
\nrestaurant's stately interior is fit for an emperor. True
\nemperor-minded customers can dine in the nine private rooms. A
\nmusholla (prayer room) is also available for the devout. Hong Bin
\nLou has taken great care to illuminate its Islamic theme with
\nevery possible detail but great dining.<\/p>\n
-- Dini S. Djalal<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hong-bin-lou-ris-first-chinese-moslem-restaurant-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }