Eat out with authentic movie memorabilia

By Yenni Kwok

JAKARTA (JP): On Planet Hollywood Jakarta's second anniversary last Tuesday, the situation was a little bit more rowdy than usual. Techno music was blasting out in the background as beautiful models danced MTV-style to a cheering crowd.

Ipung Purwadi had come with his parents, sister, brother, wife and two month-old daughter for their own celebration. It was Ipung's teenage sister's birthday.

Asked why they had come here, Ipung listed his reasons: the food (his favorite is the burger), the friendly staff and the calm atmosphere -- although that night was untypically boisterous.

Local celebrities can sometimes be spotted here. Singer Desy Ratnasari, who performed at the restaurant's second anniversary party sometimes hangs out here with her friends.

Clearly this place transmits a certain kudos. Ipung says that when he took his friends from Surabaya here, he could see how proud they were to dine there.

"They loved the movie memorabilia. And, after all, this is the only Planet Hollywood in Indonesia," he explained.

Susan Potter, the general manager, said the company plans to open only one "Planet" in each country outside the U.S.

Planet Hollywood is owned by a brace of Hollywood superstars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis. The first restaurant was established in New York in 1991; the Jakarta branch, which is the 16th, opened its gleaming chrome doors three years later.

A whole bunch of memorabilia from the threesome's movies is on display around the restaurant, together with glamorous items belonging to other movie stars. The coolest is perhaps the rotating Terminator cyborg in a glass case and a semi-nude Stallone mannequin hanging from the ceiling from the movie Demolition Man.

Looking around, one feels one is not in Indonesia anymore.

Potter acknowledges that a certain "oasis feeling" exists among the expatriates, but she never hears this from locals, who she says gave the Planet a great welcome.

"Indonesians are very friendly, like most Asians. In Jakarta, people are generally very excited about this," she said.

Despite the local people's warm welcome to the concept, Potter said she tries to be sympathetic to local culture. She tries to balance American touches with local ones. She points out the local dishes, like the nasi goreng, on the menu, and says they hired a local band, the B-90s.

Moreover, only local celebrities were invited to the anniversary party this year -- in marked contrast to the Hollywood-style hype at the opening. One of this year's highlights was the framing of Titik Puspa's fingerprints, which now nestle on the walls among those of big Hollywood stars.

The sandwiches and the hamburgers will set you back more than Rp 10,000, while some of the entrees cost around Rp 20,000. But Planet Hollywood does not turn its nose up at the less well- heeled, Potter said.

"We sometimes have teenagers come here and only order soft drinks. We will treat them with the same respect as we do people who order three-course meals," she said. "We even allow people to just walk around and look at the memorabilia."

Although there are many similarities, Planet Hollywood is quite different to the Hard Rock Cafe, said Rosenberg, a German teenager. "The Hard Rock Cafe plays loud rock music while Planet Hollywood tends to be quieter, more for families."

Ipung agrees: "I'll go to Planet Hollywood with my wife, my family. But I'll go to the Hard Rock with my guy friends."

Potter speculated on the place's appeal to families. "The movie thing crosses generational boundaries..."

The evening, a few days after the second anniversary, Planet Hollywood is back to its quiet old self. Friendly waiters greet the customers. People buy Planet Hollywood trinkets and clothes. Some young people sit around at the bar. Two men wander around the restaurant, looking at the memorabilia, passing families dining in the cozy, comfortable booths.

The movie memorabilia is impressive, but perhaps a little oddly chosen. Planet Hollywood is a family restaurant, but strangely enough, most of the items are from action or R-rated movies like The Terminator, Romeo is Bleeding and Demolition Man. There's hardly any memorabilia from kid's movies.