Newly opened Curves offers affordable Indian food

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.