Thai food, a favorite for many<\/p>\n
T. Sima Gunawan, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
It's spicy and sour. And it tastes really good, especially
\nwhen it's still hot. And who can resist the delicious aroma of
\ntom yam goong soup?<\/p>\n
The popular Thai dish is a favorite among many Indonesians as
\nwell as expatriates here. Indeed, Thai cuisine has a big fan base
\nworldwide, with its great variety of mouth-watering foods.
\nBesides tom yam goong -- be it the prawn, chicken or seafood
\nvariety -- there is pathai or the tasty Thai dry noodle dish
\ngarnished with nuts, khai hou bai tei or chicken in pandan leaves
\nand khao op saparoth or pineapple fried rice.<\/p>\n
While there are few Thai expatriates in Jakarta, the city is
\nfull of Thai restaurants. Among those offering fine dining
\nexperiences are Suan Thai, formerly the Thai Garden, located on
\nJl. Cideng Timur, West Jakarta; the Tham Nak Thai Restaurant on
\nJl. HOS Cokroaminoto, Central Jakarta, and Jl. Kemang Raya, South
\nJakarta; and the Lan Na Thai Restaurant on Jl. Kusuma Atmaja,
\nCentral Jakarta. There are also the Mie Thai Casual Thai
\nRestaurant located in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta; Pondok Indah
\nPlaza and Setia Budi Building in South Jakarta; and at the
\nCentral Business District on Jl. Jendral Sudirman, Central
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Most customers of these restaurants are not Thai. Regulars of
\nSwan Thai, for example, are mostly Indonesians while the majority
\nof guests at Lan Na Thai are Westerners.<\/p>\n
\"I've never met any Thais when I eat out at a Thai
\nrestaurant,\" said Gedsiri, a Jakarta resident whose mother is
\nfrom Thailand.<\/p>\n
\"Of course I love Thai cuisine and the food in some
\nrestaurants is really good, but for me mom's home cooking is
\nstill the best,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Some restaurants maintain authentic local recipes, while
\nothers have adjusted them to suit Indonesian or Western tastes.
\nDespite this, many of the restaurants hire Thai cooks to prepare
\nthe food. The authentic mango salad in Suan Thai is topped with
\nshredded catfish or served with garoupa, but at Mie Thai, the
\nmango salad is topped with shredded cuttlefish or juhi.<\/p>\n
Nova, an employee at Suan Thai, said while the food at her
\nrestaurant reflected local preferences, the Thai cook could
\nalways prepare an authentic menu on request. Many of the
\nrestaurant's important ingredients are also imported directly
\nfrom Thailand.<\/p>\n
With 120 kinds of dishes on the menu, Suan Thai can
\naccommodate about 150 people. It's easy to walk in and eat on
\nweekdays when there are often empty tables, but at weekends the
\npopular restaurant is usually full, so it's an idea to book
\nfirst.<\/p>\n
Suan Thai was first established in 1989 and it enjoyed robust
\nbusiness. After its success two other branches were opened, in
\nPanin Bank Center on Jl. Jendral Sudirman, and in Sudirman Square
\nOffice Tower, also on Jl. Jendral Sudirman.<\/p>\n
Lan Na Thai first opened here in 1998. It is owned by the
\nHazara Indian restaurant proprieter, Haidhi Angkawijana.<\/p>\n
A few years after Hazara was opened, Haidhi went to Bangkok
\nwhere he met a friend, a Canadian expat. They traveled to Lan Na,
\na rice producing village, and as they ate in a restaurant there
\nthey were impressed by the food, especially the rice. The good
\ntaste inspired them to open a Thai restaurant in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Although Lan Na Thai started the business when the country was
\nin a serious economic crisis, the restaurant did well.<\/p>\n
Ika Irianti, an employee of the restaurant, said Lan Na Thai,
\nwhich can seat 100 guests, maintains the authenticity of Thai
\nrecipes and tries its best to create a traditional Thai
\natmosphere for diners.<\/p>\n
The restaurant opened its first branch in Shanghai in 1999 and
\nanother one in London in 2001. The branch in London, however, was
\nclosed down in 2002 but a new restaurant was opened in Bangkok in
\nthe same year. The management now plans to open a branch in the
\nMiddle East.<\/p>\n
Lam Na Thai targets expatriates. In Jakarta, 80 percent of its
\nguests are Westerners. In December, the business usually slows
\nduring the Christmas season as many expats return to their home
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
The business is also affected by the security situation in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
It suffered when Jakarta was rocked by the JW Marriot hotel
\nbombing last year and business is also dropping off because of
\nthe bomb blast in front of the Australian Embassy last week.<\/p>\n
Mie Thai restaurant in the Setia Budi building located not far
\nfrom the embassy, is also experiencing bad times after the
\nattack.<\/p>\n
But while restaurants may suffer in tumultuous times, no
\nattack can affect people's enduring love for Thai food.<\/p>\n
\"Many people like Thai food because in a way, it has much in
\ncommon with Indonesian food. Some Manado dishes are spicy and
\nsour, while Thai curry reminds one of Sumatran cuisine,\" Mie
\nThai's Handayani said.<\/p>",
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