Nikolaas Lineleyan and a Miniature Indonesia in Downtown Miami

At Bali Cafe, Niko admits to deliberately placing many ornaments, paintings, statues, photographs, and carvings typical of Indonesia in various positions to attract the attention of international visitors. When asking for a recommendation from the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Houston, United States, about which Indonesian citizen in the Miami, Florida area had a story worth sharing with the homeland public, the name Nikolaas B Lineleyan came up. With a contact from KJRI Houston, ANTARA reached out to Nikolaas via a messaging app from Jakarta to request a face-to-face interview while in Miami. However, instead of replying with a text, the man of Manado descent born in Bandung preferred to call. ‘I need to know who I am meeting,’ said Nikolaas, familiarly called Niko, at the time. As a result, the late-night Western Indonesia Time conversation lasted nearly an hour. Almost a month later, ANTARA, having flown to Miami to cover the 2026 World Cup, met Niko at his Indonesian restaurant, Bali Cafe. ‘Ah, Mr. Siahaan, right? Please, come in,’ said Niko from behind the cashier’s desk, his voice still booming but friendly, even though ANTARA had just entered and no formal introduction had been made. We sat in a corner of the restaurant, right near the entrance. From that spot, it was clear how Bali Cafe truly showcased an Indonesian atmosphere. Beyond the food, which is distinctly from the archipelago—such as rendang, chicken satay, nasi rames, spring rolls, ketoprak, and more—the decor consists of various Indonesian trinkets. There are various carved statues and small wayang puppets, wooden wayang golek dolls, photographs, and paintings, one of which depicts buying and selling activities in a homeland market. Bali Cafe is like a miniature Indonesia in downtown Miami. ‘I have been in Miami since around 1987-1988. But I am always proud to be Indonesian. That is non-negotiable,’ said Niko. He stressed that Indonesia has a great culture that should not be overshadowed by other cultures. This sentiment strengthened his resolve to open Bali Cafe, which officially began operations in 2002. Niko, now 64 years old, is no stranger to the restaurant business, as he is an alumnus of the National Hotel Institute (NHI) in Bandung, now known as the Bandung Institute of Tourism. After graduating from NHI, Niko worked on a cruise ship. Upon completing one contract, and through a connection, he moved to Miami around 1987-1988 and worked in an Italian restaurant. To further hone his skills, he then moved to New York and worked in various cafes and restaurants. Fate eventually led him back to Miami for a career in a hotel. ‘I worked at that hotel for about 1.5 years and was already at the management level. But I thought, it’s better to work for myself, with no one bossing me around,’ said Niko.