Indian food attracts wider market
Indian food attracts wider market
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Thanks partly to Shahrukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee and other
Bollywood people, all things Indian are gaining popularity here,
including its spicy and pungent cuisine.
Until recently, very few could afford Indian cuisine regularly
because Indian eateries in Jakarta were mostly upmarket.
Now, for less than Rp 40,000 you can enjoy a complete Indian
meal plus soft drink at a number of eateries.
"Indian food has become more popular here," said Gurmeet
Singh, the owner of the Indonesian franchise of Singapore-based
Komala's.
Singh, who was born in Indonesia, said that before he decided
to buy the Indian eatery franchise, he checked out trends over
the past five years.
"And we see that Indonesians have become more familiar with
Indian culture, thanks in part to Bollywood," Singh said,
smiling.
"At weekends, customers have to queue outside the restaurant.
My customers are not only Indian or foreigners but also
Indonesians," he said.
Singh claimed that Komala's served an average of 250 people on
weekdays and more on weekends.
"Half of the customers are Indians and the other half locals,"
he said.
Foreseeing a prosperous future, he plans to have at least
three more Komala's restaurants in Jakarta in the next four
years, to add to the existing one in the Sarinah building on Jl.
MH Thamrin.
Komala's also provides catering services.
"Mostly for weddings and birthday parties of Indians. But once
we served at a party for Indonesians. They ordered vegetarian
chicken from us," Singh said, adding that Komala's is 100 percent
vegetarian.
Jane Tom, a Gandhi International School teacher who came here
with her family 13 years ago from India, expressed pleasure at
the wider choice of Indian restaurants nowadays.
"We only had expensive Indian restaurants back then, but
recently we have cheaper ones like Komala's, and more recently
there's another one in Sunter, Sam's Curry House," she said.
Before Komala's and Sam's Curry House, Akbar Tandoori and
Curry catered to the middle-class market with a small joint in
Plaza Senayan food court.
Tom, who trained her Javanese maid here to cook Indian food,
said, however, that Indian food here did not taste exactly the
same as in her hometown Kerala in southern India.
She said she used to bring spices and ingredients from India,
but now there are more Indian stores in Sunter, North Jakarta,
and Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta, and she can have her spices
delivered.
Separately, Singh said that Komala's had to adapt Indian
flavors to local taste to attract more customers.
"Like McDonald's, for example. They serve rice and fried
chicken here. They don't do that in the U.S. Komala's has also
adapted recipes to local tastes. We make the food here not too
spicy, a moderate taste," he said.
"But locals here love our lassi," he said, referring to an
Indian yogurt beverage.
So, food lovers, be adventurous, and taste some spicy masala
dosai or curry this weekend!
Indian restaurants in Jakarta
Akbar Palace
Wijaya Grand Center Blok H 37-39
Jl. Dharmawangsa Raya
021 720 6818
Akbar Tandoori & Curry
Plaza Senayan Food Court
For delivery: 7278 7070
Ganesha Ek Sanskriti
BRI II Building 9th Floor
Jl. Jendral Sudirman Kav. 44-46
021 571 9415, 571 3567
For delivery: 7279 7070
Hazara
Jl. Kusuma Atmaja No. 85
021 319 25037
Haveli
Graha Irama Building 2nd Floor
Jl. Rasuna Said
021 526 1165
Indian Mantra
Pasaraya Blok M, Cineplex Level 10
021 7278 0364
Jewel of India
Hotel Ambhara
Jl. Iskandarsyah Raya No. 1
021 270 0800
Khaban Restaurant and Cafe
Sunter Mall
Jl. Danau Sunter
021 640 7019
Kinara
Jl. Kemang Raya 78-B, South Jakarta
021 719 2677
For delivery: 7278 7070
Komala's Restaurant
Sarinah Building
Jl. MH Thamrin No. 11, Central Jakarta
021 390 3533
For delivery: 728 00505
Queen's Tandoor
Permata Plaza, Ground Floor
Jl. MH Thamrin
021 390 3287
Queen's of India
Danau Sunter Hotel
Jl. Danau Permai Raya Blok C1
021 658 31477
Rasa Sayang
Jl. Paradise Barat Raya Tahap II Blok K 31-32
021 640 5070
Sahara
Jl. Veteran I No. 23
021 381 0996
Shah Jahan
Sahid Jaya Hotel 18th Floor
Jl. Jendral Sudirman
021 570 4444
Taj Mahal
Jl. H. Samanhudi No. 10A, Pasar Baru
021 381 3754
Tanduri
Jl. RS Fatmawati No. 12
For delivery: 7278 7070