Menteng a place to dine under the stars<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
With its well-planned homes set in spacious grounds, Menteng
\nwas the model suburb for the Dutch. That was then; Jakartans today
\nfind its side streets are a great spot to grab an evening bite and
\nlet the night pass into morning.<\/p>\n
With the rainy season back in full force, dining out al fresco is
\nnot an option for many.<\/p>\n
Yet, on one evening last week, visitors still flocked to the
\nlane off Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto, Central Jakarta, although their
\nnumbers have dropped slightly from before the rains hit.<\/p>\n
Amid an occasionally gusty wind and intermittent drizzle, they
\nsat on the plastic chairs provided on the pedestrian sidewalk, or
\noccupied the porch of a closed office building, while ordering
\nmeals from the dozens of street vendors there.<\/p>\n
Forget Jl. Sabang or the Cikini area, other popular street
\nhangout spots in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto has so much to offer, including cheap and
\ntasty meals, entertainment (pirated DVD haven) and a more
\nconvenient space, to bring back wayward diners.<\/p>\n
Regular visitors simply refer to the spot as Menteng; it is
\nlocated between the Jl. Prof. Moch. Yamin and Jl. Imam Bonjol
\nintersections, and is the street where the Plaza Menteng can be
\nfound.<\/p>\n
The strategic spot smack in the center of capital is one of
\nthe most important reasons why people flock there every night.
\nThe number of visitors doubles on weekends; it is then impossible
\nfor vehicles to pass the around 500-meter-long stretch without
\ngetting stuck in a traffic jam on the two-way street.<\/p>\n
But it does not deter people like Krisna, 30, who has been a
\nregular visitor since 1997.<\/p>\n
"The place is easy to reach, the food's great and cheap, and
\nit's open until early morning. But I think the location, which is
\npractically near to everywhere, is what matters most," said the
\nemployee of a private company in nearby Jl. Proklamasi.<\/p>\n
The area is not exactly deserted during the day with the
\nbanks, restaurants, department store Keris Gallery -- the hippest
\nplace before the advent of grandiose malls -- and several shops,
\nas well as a photography studio.<\/p>\n
But things really get going at dusk, and continue that way
\nuntil 3 a.m. or 4 a.m..<\/p>\n
Vendor Hendi, 45, said the area began to develop into a
\npopular hangout around 1985, six years after he first opened his
\nbusiness selling siomay (a type of dim sum).<\/p>\n
In the past three years, the popularity of the area has
\nincreased as a safe haven for pirated DVD\/MP3.<\/p>\n
It's an area of contrasts; along with the once swank
\ndepartment story feeling the squeeze of street vendors, there is
\nMario's Place club, offering alcohol and loud music, almost
\nfacing a mosque.<\/p>\n
If you are coming from Jl. Prof. Moch. Yamin, there will be a
\nsoccer stadium on your left where the line of street vendors
\nbegins.<\/p>\n
On offer are noodles, satay, fried rice to toast, with prices
\nranging from Rp 1,500 (for a piece of siomay) to around Rp 20,000
\nfor larger dishes. But each group of vendors has its own
\nrespective attractions.<\/p>\n
Beside Plaza Menteng, alongside Jl. Sidoarjo, is the most
\ncomfortable place, with long tables and benches. The highlights
\nof the meals are, yes, hot dogs\/burger\/steak, with easy-on-the-
\nwallet prices ranging from about Rp 15,000 to Rp 20,000.<\/p>\n
Move to the vendors in front of Lippo Bank for tasty nasi uduk
\n(rice cooked in coconut milk) with side dishes like grilled
\nchicken and fried tofu, Hendi's yummy Siomay 1001, dim sum,
\nPadang-style satay and many other choices.<\/p>\n
Across the street, in front of the Al Hakim mosque, is pempek
\n(fish dumplings) and es podeng dessert.<\/p>\n
A little bit further, almost at Jl. Imam Bonjol, is an open,
\nwell-lit box car selling a variety of seafood snacks on sticks,
\nwhere you dip them in boiled water and eat with different kinds
\nof sauces.<\/p>\n
Vendors are organized and cooperative so that you do not have
\nto go to each one to order or to pay for the meal. Just find a
\ncomfortable spot to sit, and somebody will take your order and
\nlater give you the bill.<\/p>\n
Pirated DVD sellers are all over the place, but the man who
\nreally knows what he sells and the quality of the picture is
\nstationed several meters to the right of the mosque.<\/p>\n
Last week, however, DVD sellers were nowhere in sight. A food
\nvendor said they were having a quiet week because of a police
\nraid. "They will reopen again on Sunday," he said.<\/p>\n
As with other street hangouts, there are plenty of beggars and
\nstreet singers trying to cut in on the action. Once in a while,
\nthere are some artists or even a full band with a loud
\nmicrophone, all performing on a corner, tying up the traffic some
\nmore and seemingly oblivious to the existence of the nearby
\nmosque.<\/p>\n
If only the city tourism office was a bit more creative -- and
\ninclusive of what it means to live in the city of Jakarta -- the
\nplace should be listed as a tourist destination. Visitors will be
\nable to see how some Jakartans live and get a good meal, just
\nlike other cities in the region have done (although there could a
\nbit more attention to hygiene).<\/p>\n
They would find out that Menteng is a nice place to hang out,
\ndine, do a bit of shopping and pass the time with friends.<\/p>",
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