Celebrating New Year with luscious food
Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Sharing the excitement and fun with friends or loved ones is always special when New Year is only seconds away. If you decide to look for good food to greet New Year, most hotels, restaurants, pubs and cafes are ready to welcome you.
Just like other restaurants and cafes, Italianni's Italian restaurant, Front Row Sports Grill and TGI Friday resto, all located in Senayan recreational complex, Central Jakarta, have designed special programs to greet the New Year.
Staff, waiters and even interior decoration at these three establishments have been given a face- and decor-lift to match their own themes, and be warned, guests are encouraged to dress accordingly.
"We inform our guests about the New Year themes at each restaurant when making reservations.
"Their participation is welcomed and expected. Or, at least, our staff and the interior decoration at the three restaurants try to make it that bit different," said PR manager of PT Tri Saga Sarana Sofia Irbansyah, who runs the three establishments.
Prizes from sponsors are available for guests and restaurant staff for their originality and participation, she added.
As for the themes, Italianni's restaurant will celebrate New Year with an Italian carnival atmosphere, dubbed the Carnivalle de Italiannis, starting Dec. 31, 2002, around dinnertime at 7 p.m.
Preceding the countdown, the restaurant's guests will be entertained by in-house solo guitarist Erik, playing classic pop songs to accompany guests over dinner.
But for the treat, one has to dig deeper, as the restaurant's kitchen team has prepared two special set meals at Rp 199,000++. The first consists of either soup or salad as appetizer, followed by one choice from a selection of four main courses -- grilled steak cacciatore, fillet mignon, grilled steak Vesuvio or grilled steak Tuscany. Guests are offered free soft drinks or champagne. The second comprises cheesy, stuffed mushrooms for appetizer and a selection from salmon oregananto, shrimp Florenza, roasted chicken Italianni style or veal piccata for main course, with free champagne. Both set meals will end with one of the restaurant's four sumptuous desserts: tartufo (black-and-white chocolate layer cake), tiramisu, cappuccino pie or cheesecake.
Front Row Sports Grill plans to hold a masquerade party on New Year's Eve. To make sure that every guest takes part in the event, the restaurant management will distribute a mask to each person.
Trainspop Band will perform top-40 songs to accompany dinner, preceding the countdown to New Year. Its New Year set menu, at Rp 249,900++, consists of broccoli cheese soup or chicken wings for appetizer, with a choice of main course, namely Jack Daniels salmon, New York steak or BBQ ribs.
Young and hip guests at TGI Friday restaurant on New Year's Eve can be part of its Friday Festive celebration, where they will be entertained with classic disco songs while savoring the delicious New Year set menu at Rp 199,000++.
Friday's set menu offers a choice of appetizers and its list of main courses includes Jack Daniels chicken, steak or salmon.