Hong Bin Lou, RI's first Chinese Moslem restaurant
Hong Bin Lou, RI's first Chinese Moslem restaurant
JAKARTA (JP): Sly would likely disagree, but Sylvester
Stallone's greatest contribution to 20th-century civilization may
not be his ceaseless "Rambo" and "Rocky" sequels. In this era of
advanced capitalism, Hollywood's renowned mumbler may best be
remembered for Planet Hollywood, his worldwide chain of theme
restaurants, first unleashed upon unsuspecting diners five years
ago.
The theme restaurant is taking over. Uninspired restaurant
goers around the world are emptying their pockets at the
countless Hard Rock Cafes, Planet Hollywoods, Champions and
Fashion Cafes. They feast on paraphernalia and mediocre meals.
Theme restaurants count on diners being so occupied by the theme
that they forget about the food.
Some themes are bigger than others. Movie stars and models may
be more glamorous, but what icon can truly rival religion? New
restaurant Hong Bin Lou at Bapindo Plaza takes the theme
restaurant to a new level by pronouncing itself as Indonesia's
first Chinese Moslem restaurant.
Prejudice and stereotyping often overlook the fact that
Chinese Moslems exists both in China and in Indonesia. With
nearly 100 million people, the Moslem population of China is
among the largest in the world. But Hong Bin Lou targets not just
ethnic Chinese Moslems hankering for halal hors d'oeuvres. It's
the Moslem community at large they aim to attract.
But why must a Chinese restaurant identify itself as Moslem?
Real Moslems don't eat wonton? Not if they contain a trace of
pork, or are cooked in pork fat, which Moslems falsely assume to
be the norm. Many Moslems steer clear of Chinese restaurants in
fear of consuming sinful non-halal foods.
At Hong Bin Lou, Moslems can leave their fears at the Islamic-
arched door. From the moment one enters the elevator, where the
number for the restaurant floor has been replaced by Arabic
script, the restaurant reassures clients that they are venturing
into strictly Moslem territory.
It's not an easy undertaking. Islam's list of prohibited foods
not only includes pork and scavenger animals, but also animals
which have not been ritually slaughtered. That means the prayer
Bismillah, Allahuakbar must precede the killing of the animal by
a single stroke across the throat. Blood is haram (taboo) in
Islam, except that which remains in meat after much of the
animal's blood has been drained.
If the animal was shot, the same prayer must also be spoken,
And while fish caught when still alive are halal, dead fish are
not.
Certain schools of Islam go even further and forbid
consumption of shellfish (considered unhygienic during the time
of Muhammad), or any foods which were never consumed by the
prophet. Koranic law, however, is more lenient, and allows the
consumption of non-halal meat should there be no other means of
sustenance.
At Hong Bin Lou, however, starving is the least of your
worries. Food was on the table even before we were given the
menu. In true Ramadhan style, the restaurant has prepared
complementary fast-breaking appetizers consisting of kolak
(bananas and sweet potatoes cooked in santan, or coconut milk and
brown sugar) and es buah (fruit chilled in coconut milk). The
Ramadhan special also included a 20 percent discount.
After a day of fasting, this is a welcome treat. Yet it's not
so welcome when the santan is diluted of its usually rich flavor
and the es buah just as unimpressive.
Yet free mediocre food is hardly a crime so we looked forward
to feasting on the main meal. Several waitresses fluttered around
our table, politely waving their gold trimmed long sleeves to
illustrate the house specialties. The staff was dressed modestly
in ankle length emerald Chinese costumes. In place of a jilbab
(headdress), they wore matching pillbox hats to complete the
vision of propriety.
A multitude of service staff, however, does not necessarily
mean great service. Our waitress failed to give my companion a
menu. She soon compensated for her blunder by advising our table
of three not to order a medium-sized dish as a small portion
would suffice. Considering the hard sell of most other
fledgling restaurateurs, her honesty was refreshing. Give her
another month at the job and she'll be recommending the priciest
dishes available.
We ordered seafood soup (Rp 19,500), duck satay (Rp 3,000 per
stick), sauteed mushrooms and kailan (Rp 14,000), and the house
special, fried prawns a la HBL (that's Hong Bin Lou to the
uninitiated). With Islamic music wafting through the marble
walls, we gazed at the elegant Chinese paintings while waiting
for our much anticipated meal.
Our high hopes were soon diminished. The soup arrived first,
followed two minutes later by the entrees. "Our dinner will be
cold by the time we eat it," my companion said sulkily. And it
was. After a slog through the uninspired soup ("too salty",
complained both my companions), we dove into the by then tepid
main course. The duck satay, the most promising order of the
evening, was fatty and unappetizing, especially cold.
After all, our vegetable dish was, in either conception or
preparation, nothing out of the ordinary for Chinese restaurants.
The fried prawns were also typical fare -- what was atypical
about it was its steep price! Perhaps the free appetizers were an
ingenious strategy, appeasing appetites soon to be disappointed.
The menu itself should have been a telltale sign. "If this is
a new restaurant, then why does the menu look old?," asked my
companion. Perhaps to suit the offerings, which were neither of
great variety or originality. We can eat fried rice, chicken and
noodles at any Bakmi Gajah Mada. For an expensive evening out, we
expected something more special.
What we didn't expect was bugs in the soup, and hair amongst
the mushrooms. Nor did we anticipate water dripping from the air
conditioner into our drinks. Were these problems induced by the
stress of serving too many customers? Looking around the fairly
empty restaurant, especially during the fast-breaking hour, it
was evident that such negligence could have been avoided.
The sloppy presentation was a shame because, otherwise, the
restaurant's stately interior is fit for an emperor. True
emperor-minded customers can dine in the nine private rooms. A
musholla (prayer room) is also available for the devout. Hong Bin
Lou has taken great care to illuminate its Islamic theme with
every possible detail but great dining.
-- Dini S. Djalal