Cafes: Comfortable weekend places for all

Cafes: Comfortable weekend places for all

Asniar Sahab, Contributor, The Jakarta Post

Cafes have been growing fairly rapidly in Jakarta recently and
have become a lifestyle choice. They are popping up most
noticeably at shopping centers.

Malls are no longer just shopping venues but also gathering
places for teenagers, who go there to enjoy the atmosphere of
cafes instead of shopping. There are a variety of cafes, which
offer various delicacies besides coffee and tea from different
countries.

When and how did cafes at malls first appear and proliferate?
Shopping-center cafes began at Pasar Raya Blok M around 1988,
when a cafe was opened on the corner of its porch facing the
road.
Its French interior design with glass panels enabled visitors to
eat and drink while chatting and watching passersby outside the
mall.

Croissant de France, as the cafe was named, began thriving
after several months, with guests mostly comprising models,
artists, fashion journalists and public figures. Considered a
prestigious rendezvous for selected groups, this cafe became
famous and recorded full houses almost daily. Now it has moved to
the basement along with other new cafes.

When Plaza Indonesia Mall was erected in the early 1990s, a
cafe, Olala, also became part of it, right under the stairs
leading to the basement, near the corner of the room. A modest
place with white iron chairs, this cafe emerged as the second
choice and soon gained popularity, offering snacks and coffee at
reasonable prices for the middle class and students.

Later, other malls began to appear, from Blok M Plaza, Pondok
Indah, Plaza Senayan, Taman Anggrek to Kelapa Gading, also with
cafes in various interior styles. These mall cafes now serve as
family hangouts during vacations, teeming with visitors at
weekends. We need only to choose between the one with special
foods or the other with coffee, tea and snacks. Expresso, found
at all malls, for instance, offers just spaghetti and sandwiches,
but its fresh ground coffee has a typical flavor.

Roti, at Pondok Indah Mall, is a cafe most frequented by
teenagers. Every afternoon or weekend, youths pack this cafe for
its cappuccino and bread at relatively low prices. Pula Toraja is
the mall's other cafe flaunting its genuine Toraja coffee.

Several cafes on the floors of Plaza Senayan Mall have various
groups of visitors, from teenagers, adults, executives,
legislators to entrepreneurs. Among the cafes are Victoria,
Nanini with its pasta and Wien on the top floor with its special
interior design. The middle-eastern style Turkish cafe opened
only six months ago and has different kinds of kebabs on its
special menu.

On the far right, in the mall's Sogo area, is Palem Teras
Cafe, with a porch-like interior and palm decorations. Its glass
panels allow views outside the building, which gives it a special
atmosphere and a feeling of comfort and peace, particularly in
the afternoon or evening. Its separate room is suitable for
discussions or meetings, but its menu is limited, with coffee,
cappuccino and snacks being the main picks.

Club is yet another cafe at the tip of the building's rear. It
has a three-division interior featuring Arabian and porch
designs, while retaining an ethnic style and wooden furniture.
Club's coffee is imported from various countries, including
mochaccini, cappuccino and Colombian supreme. Designed for all
ages, this cafe also serves grilled tiger prawns and spaghetti as
visitors' favorites.

Plaza Indonesia has been constantly developing, with recent
cafes like Dome and Boutique, the latter having applied the
boutique concept and is decorated with white sofas. They are in a
different class with fairly expensive menus, creating an
exclusive air for executives and the rich. La Moda, also on the
ground floor, often serves as a place for fashion shows and Metro
TV shoots. It has an open interior with white umbrellas, where
visitors enjoy food with piano accompaniment.

So many cafes are therefore available for relaxing in after a
hard day at work. What in fact do we seek there apart from dining
and drinking? It is, of course, the atmosphere, as by savoring
coffee, tea or food we also enjoy some comfort and watch
attractive sights and people. Malls all over Jakarta now serve as
weekend hangouts for families as well as fashion-crazed
teenagers.