Little magic at Happy Dragon
JAKARTA (JP): The Happy Dragon Fun Pub promises fun. It's right there in its name. And if promises were cherries, we'd all be eating pie. But we're not -- we're eating Ca Kue Mayonnaise and drinking watery whisky while a bad cover band bangs away on stage, and some guy eyes your date like she's on the menu.
Location: Happy Dragon is in Hotel Dusit Mangga Dua, a rather nice-looking hotel on Jl. Mangga Dua Raya in Kota. You can telephone 612-8811 or email Dragon@dusit.com.
Hours: Happy Dragon serves lunch daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Happy Hour is from 2:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, draft beer only. And there's a live band Monday to Saturday from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
What's it got: That's difficult to answer, because when a drink list was requested we were told there was none. There is draft beer and, one assumes, bottled beer. And judging by the bottles behind the bar, they have the usual selection of spirits.
They can also prepare mixed drinks, though it seems to be a chore. The bartenders gathered around behind the bar as if conferring, appeared to reach an agreement, then dispatched one or two from the group to find the right ingredients and mix the drink. It appeared to be an exacting process.
Bill, please: The drinks are not inexpensive. Something called a Rainbow, which you set on fire before sucking through a straw, and which seemed to be the drink of choice this particular night, goes for Rp 38,800. A Johnny Walker Black Label is Rp 58,800 and a Jack Daniels and Coke the same. I was charged for two of the latter though I only drank one, did not order a double and, judging by how little alcohol I tasted, certainly was not given a double. Of course, I didn't notice this billing error until I got home.
Here's looking at you: Happy Dragon is done up with the cliches of Chinatowns you find in cities outside China. There are murals of "typical Chinese" scenes, paper lanterns, old-fashioned street lamps, etc. It's cheesy but without the cheerfulness that this often achieves.
Maybe this is partly because the place is so dark it may as well have been one of those sleazy Kota nightspots. Happy Dragon is not going for sleaze, it's going for fun (see name of pub), so lighten up.
Odds and ends: Happy Dragon on a Saturday night was not jumping. There were a few couples, a foreign man trying to become a couple with a couple of women, and a group of men dressed like they came from the office. This group seemed to be enjoying themselves, having a laugh, slurping up Rainbows like there was a contest. Everyone else was subdued. To be fair, the place reportedly gets busy for Happy Hour, filling up with people from nearby offices.
Happy Dragon does seem to be trying to liven things up, with several special attractions. On Mondays they have the Wheel of Discount, where the bartender spins a wheel every hour and you get discounts of up to 70 percent. Tuesday is couples' night and only the men pay, while Wednesday is gents' night, no women allowed (!). There is also a collection of ties hanging behind the bar; apparently if you turn over your tie you can get a free beer. Looking at the ties behind the bar, their former owners got a very good deal.
Last call: If you take the trouble to go to Kota for nighttime entertainment, you might as well go somewhere seedy and sleazy, because at least you could see something you've never seen before. But until they put the fun into the Happy Dragon Fun Pub, it's not worth the trip. (Penn Dawson)