Hotels offer free snacks, drinks during Ramadhan
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Bringing a basket full of dates and cookies, a man walked around the lobby of Mulia Hotel in Senayan offering them to guests. It was dusk. It was time for Muslims to break their fast.
Some people took the dates and continued their conversation in the lobby while others rushed to the hotel's restaurant after taking a few.
"We provide our guests with dates or cookies to break their fast for free. This will help them to complete their fast immediately," said Mulia Hotel's public relations officer Eka Resmiasih.
Although the five-star hotel has not put up decorations for this year's fasting month, it still provides guests with various choices of dishes for break-the-fast meals.
At Samudra Suki Restaurant, for example, customers can soothe their thirst with Thai cendol, es kolak (banana with sweet coconut milk and ice) or steamed cassava with coconut sugar.
Located on the ground floor, the restaurant also offers a main course of buffet or shabu-shabu. During Ramadhan, Mulia Hotel offers a buffet for a minimum of 50 persons. The price starts from Rp 145,000 (US$14.50) per person.
As night falls, more people come to Samudra Suki to have dinner with their family, joining with those breaking the fast.
Like Mulia Hotel, the Shangri-La also offers guests a special service. Iced syrup and dates are available for free on every table at the Satoo Restaurant.
It was rather surprising that the 480-seat restaurant was almost fully occupied at break-the-fast time.
A number of guests, including Golkar legislator Marzuki Darusman, were already seated at Satoo minutes before maghrib (evening prayers, when the fast is broken).
"Like usual, this restaurant is always full. Perhaps, people like to eat here to avoid traffic jams," said Shangri-La's communications coordinator Gloria Vera Kristie.
Es kolak and es doger (sliced young coconut and young jackfruit with syrup) will quench your thirst.
For those who like jamu (herbal drink), there is a choice of beras kencur (rice and herbs), kunyit asem (curcuma and tamarind) and jamu kuat (combination of beras kencur, kunyit asem and ginseng) at the juice and herbal station.
After finishing the appetizer, guests can browse the various kitchens in this ample restaurant. They can choose Asian delicacies, Indian cuisine, Western food, noodles or grill and barbecue.
Meanwhile, Nikko Hotel offers a break-the-fast buffet for a minimum of 30 person at Rp 120,000 per person.
At The Olive Tree Restaurant, guests can douse their thirst with cocopandan or mango syrup served on each table. Afterward, dates and various cookies and snacks are provided from a mini bar.
The man in charge of preparing the dishes is executive chef Setiyanto. With his team, he prepares various sweet snacks and drinks like cake, es kelapa muda, es kolak and others.
While enjoying their meal, guests could also listen to Islamic songs at low volume.
The atmosphere of Ramadhan is becoming more obvious with the presence of two bedug (a large drum).
For those who want to perform evening prayers, a mushola (prayer room) is provided at the nearby Diamond Ballroom on the ground floor.
"We try to give the best service to our customers," said Sugeng Purnomo, assistant public relations manager at the Nikko Hotel.