Newly opened Curves offers affordable Indian food

Bill Blade, Contributor, Jakarta

Not so many moons ago, Jl. Wahid Hasyim in Central Jakarta was a pretty dismal, nondescript sort of place, traversed mostly by backpackers on their way to and from McDonald's in Sarinah and their home-away-from-home on Jl. Jaksa.

It boasted a couple of reasonable restaurants, a few basic, low-life hotels, and one or two seedy bars.

Take a stroll along Jl. Wahid Hasyim from Sarinah to Jl. Jaksa now, however, and you'll find yourself passing along one of the most happening, if not exactly hip, entertainment areas here in the big smoke.

And the street's popularity seems to be increasing all the time, at least if the number of new bars popping up all over the place like desperate drunks at closing time are anything to go by.

One of the most recent strings to have been added to Jl. Wahid Hasyim's bacchanalian bow is Curves (just opened two months ago), a neat little boozer that's just the sort of place that's good for loosening up the tongue and getting the adrenaline flowing prior to heading off to more energetic nocturnal rendezvous.

Looks: Well, truth to tell, this joint won't bowl you over with its cutting edge design or imaginative interiors. No art deco or minimalism here!

Not that that's such a bad thing, though, as a liberal dose of art deco, or whatever other genre happens to be in vogue, doesn't normally come cheap.

Instead, what you get at Curves is a simple, unpretentious watering hole where you can drink al fresco under a parasol with your buddies while watching the world pass by on Jl. Wahid Hasyim or, alternatively, occupy a pew at the long, narrow bar (glass- topped with an interesting seashell collection on display), passing a pleasant hour or two chatting with the extremely flirtatious barmaids.

And if you've had enough of all the flirting and giggling, you can always pop upstairs, where they've got a mini discotheque, for something a little more stimulating.

Seriously dark and bathed in an eerie blue light, the disco, with its athletic go-go dancers doing their turns on the stage in the center, brings to mind the sort of joints that tend to crop up in Vietnam war movies, basically a hazy twilight zone, a boozy never-never land where anything goes and nothing surprises -- not all that different from so many other places in Jakarta on a Saturday night!

What's it got: Fairly well-stocked bar, although nothing too adventurous. A draft Bintang goes for Rp 20,000, and, for those partial to the harder stuff, a Black Label and coke will set you back Rp 40,000. Meanwhile, a vodka and orange, tequila or gin and tonic can all be had for a reasonable Rp 35,000.

Among the rather parsimonious selection of cocktails, a Cuba Libre or a Screwdriver are on offer for Rp 40,000.

Happy hour is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and will give you a glass of draft Bintang for Rp 13,000 (all quoted prices include tax and service).

But, perhaps the greatest possible attraction that may eventually materialize at Curves is the prospect of affordable Indian food. Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen difficulties (see Odds and ends), this enticing prospect has been somewhat delayed, although it should be full steam ahead in the kitchen next week, with a bit of luck.

Hours: At the moment, 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. After the kitchen is up and running, opening time will be brought forward to 12 midday.

Odds and ends: Mr. Bekash, the amiable but rather garrulous proprietor of Curves, has great plans for his pub. Unfortunately, to date must of these remain firmly stuck on the drawing board.

This is in no way due to a lack of hard work or enterprise on the part of Mr. Bekash, but rather persistent visits from official rent-seekers demanding backhanders.

So, despite the fact that he is employing 30 people at a time when Indonesian workers are being deported from Malaysia, his enterprise is being penalized by those who are supposed to be encouraging it.

But, as he says, all good things come to those who wait. Let's hope you are right, Mr. Bekash.

Verdict: It's well too early in the day to hand down any sort of definitive verdict in the Curves case, but on the balance of probabilities, it should have a reasonably bright future, or at least as bright as the majority of other bars on Jl. Wahid Hasyim, most of which are in more or less the same league. That is to say, simple, reasonably priced and slightly sleazy.

The one major potential feather in the cap of Curves, though, is the possibility of affordable Indian food, something that should have hordes of punters, especially expats, piling in for the traditional post-drinking curry. Let's just hope that Mr. Bekash's dream becomes a reality.

Curves, Jl. Wahid Hasyim No. 116A, Central Jakarta. You can call them at 327186. Credit cards are not accepted yet, although the swipe machine is expected to be up and running in the next week or so.