Grabbing a quick lunch on the run without burgers

Jim Read, Contributor, Jakarta

"Oh hell! I'm running late again and I'll be in dead trouble by the time I get back to work."

How many times have you found yourself saying that during your lunch break, when, yet again, you've tried to cram too many things into those precious 60 minutes that seem to fly by once you've left your workplace?

All too often you can find yourself rushing around to pick up the groceries that you forgot to buy the previous day, while eyeing some clothing bargains on the way, hurrying to the ATM before you're left high and dry with your last Rp 500 coin, and finally managing a quick bite in the remaining 20 minutes or so.

With time at such a premium, where best to get something to eat that is tasty, interesting, nutritious and -- above all -- quick? Obviously, you could opt for a burger, but that is the easy way out and not the healthiest of options, either.

Equally, you could eat fried rice at a roadside food stall but let's assume you're somewhere near the center of town and wish to eat in air-conditioned comfort.

A food outlet in a shopping mall could be the answer. The following list is by no means exhaustive, offering guidance only, but all the examples are reasonably priced.

Express service cafe-restaurant

If you're looking for a proper meal, but in a hurry, choose one of these.

Tamani Express is at the Plaza Senayan food court and Mal Kelapa Gading, but the outlet at Plaza Senayan has a very impressive express production line setup.

From the time you've ordered and paid for your meal to the food appearing on a tray seems like only a matter of minutes. This is just as well, because the customer behind is likely to be coming up fast on your tail.

The outlet boasts large, very mouthwatering meal photos above the counter and offers filling soups, plus dishes like beef or chicken teriyaki, chicken maryland and some pasta options. Most meals are served with salad, some pasta and a sliver of toasted, French bread.

The food is attractively presented on large, real china plates, although the plastic cutlery somewhat detracts from this. Understandable though, for you can sit anywhere in the large food court and it would be hard for them to keep track of metal cutlery.

Prices are reasonable, with most main courses priced at around Rp 30,000.

Sandwiches

Sandwiches make the most ideal fast food, and (in the West at least) were around for decades before burgers or fried chicken ever saw the light of day. They make ideal finger food, too, so can be eaten at your desk if you run out of time altogether.

Sandwich Plus (formerly Subway), can be found in Plaza Senayan and the food court beneath Pasaraya, Blok M.

Four types of baguette are available, either long (12 inch) or short (six inch), including country wheat, a brown, grainy variety. All sandwiches are served with salad and dressing, including cheese, raw onion, chopped lettuce, tomato, cucumber and green and jalapeno peppers.

The main plus point here is that the sandwich is made on the spot, so you can personalize it to your exact preference.

Fillings are mainly poultry, beef or tuna. Short sandwiches are about Rp 20,000 and long ones an extra Rp 15,000.

Fast noodles or rice

Chopstix, in the basement level of Plaza Indonesia (with a newer branch at Cilandak Town Square), always seems to be busy, especially at lunchtime -- a good sign. Once inside, its atmosphere is a bit like that of a refectory or institutional dining room, with long rows of tables crammed into the limited space available.

If anywhere could be described as the culinary equivalent of a Formula 1 pit stop, this must be it. Waiters rush everywhere, there is a rapid turnover of diners and the oh-so-busy kitchen is in full view, complete with the clatter of metal utensils on sizzling woks, steam and food orders being shouted.

With red walls and bright lighting, it is very reminiscent of some of the favored lunchtime fast-food haunts in central Hong Kong, where office workers hone express eating down to a fine art.

To be honest, the venue is cramped and always seems to be too hot, but that is a quintessential aspect of its quirky attraction. Diners are not encouraged to tarry, but who wants to anyway when that lunch hour is running out?

The mainstays of Chopstix are Chinese-style dishes with stir- fried noodles or steamed rice served mainly with chicken or seafood plus vegetables. A main dish can be had for just over Rp 20,000.

A popular starter is prawn-filled spring rolls with mayonnaise, and won ton soup is always a favorite. Cantonese- style broccoli served with Chinese mushrooms is often ordered as a side dish.

Kebabs

The Middle Eastern version of finger food: meat is shaved off a block that rotates vertically in front of a barbecue. It is rolled up with some salad and sauce inside a thin, unleavened pancake, which is then toasted on the outside. The kebab is served inside a long paper envelope so that you can take it away and eat it easily without getting your fingers dirty.

Doner Kebab, in the food court at Plaza Senayan, has recently been refurbished and manages to present its food in a mouthwatering way. Attractive pictures of the food available are on the wall behind the counter. Service is fast and the kebabs are filling.

Fillings are beef, chicken, lamb or a mixture of all three. Prices are very reasonable, at about Rp 11,000 for a small kebab and Rp 14,000 for a large. Extra toppings are also available, including cheese, mushroom, red beans, sweet corn, tabouli (Middle Eastern salad) or roasted onion.

Quick meal at a coffee shop

The popularity of coffee shops as hangouts for Jakarta's beautiful people seems to continue unabated. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf can be found on the ground floor of Plaza Senayan, with a new branch recently opened in Plaza Indonesia. Both have a light and airy feel, with muted browns and beiges dominating the color scheme.

Both are ideal spots for posing, too, assuming you have a designer label carrier bag, carefully placed in a prominent position, to show all the world where you have just been shopping. They offer keen competition to Starbucks, although the posing quotient at the latter seems to be higher.

The coffee shop can nevertheless be an ideal venue for a light meal, some heavenly coffee as a pick-me-up and a slice of delicious gateau. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has an attractive range of sandwiches, salads and pastas, in the Rp 22,000 to Rp 40,000 price range.

The pastries and cakes in refrigerated display cases are hard to resist. Another plus point is that breakfast sets (with unlimited coffee refills before 11 a.m.) are available for around Rp 30,000. Breakfast at the Plaza Senayan branch is popular with those having early business meetings or with would-be shoppers who have arrived early and are champing at the bit before the stores open.

So there you have it. Don't despair whenever you feel that time is just not on your side at lunchtime. It's still possible to eat both quickly and well at a reasonable price, and there's plenty of choice available, too.

How the meaning of lunch has changed over the years

The expression "out to lunch", if written as a notice, originally meant that someone was having their lunch break, but in recent times it has taken on an additional, rather derogatory meaning. If someone is described as "out to lunch" they are inattentive, a daydreamer, inefficient or just plain stupid.

During the 1980s, when yuppies started to appear in the West and business success was regarded as the ultimate human achievement, another expression crept into the language. But is it true, as the expression goes, that lunch is only for wimps?

The hastily eaten lunch, snatched at a convenient moment, is a relatively recent phenomenon, and just one indication of the busy lives that so many of us seem to lead nowadays.

"There's no such thing as a free lunch" (meaning if someone else is paying, they'll be expecting something else in return), epitomizes the rationale behind the idea of the business lunch.

Doing business while eating can create a less formal atmosphere for both parties, while making use of what could otherwise be regarded as wasted time. Lunchtime, rather than the evening, somehow seems a more appropriate time at which to meet in this way, too. Don't forget, though, that payback time comes round eventually!

Sunday lunch in Britain used to be a social highlight of the week, when whole families would get together at home over a roasted joint of meat and potatoes plus vegetables.

With shops now open on Sundays, as any other day, the tradition has largely disappeared. Over here many restaurants find it can be their busiest day, as extended families often decide to eat out together. Special Sunday brunch deals are available, offering a well-presented, wide choice of attractive fare, as well as good value for money.

Ultimately, we all have to eat something around the middle of the day to provide the energy to keep going for the afternoon. Whether your preference is for a three-course, sit-down meal or just a bowl of instant noodles, bon appetit!