Oasis restaurant caters to presidents and kings
Oasis restaurant caters to presidents and kings
By Lenah Susianty
JAKARTA (JP): You're in the gent's when U.S. President Bill Clinton enters, slaps you on the back and says "Hi!"
It's not a scene from a new Hollywood blockbuster. It happened last November at the Oasis restaurant in Central Jakarta when Clinton was here for the APEC leaders meetings.
The Clintons refused to dine in one of the Raja, the king rooms on the second floor, they wanted to mingle with the other guests.
"My guests were very surprised to find the president and his wife among them that evening. At first, I wondered whether it was true that I was serving the President of the United States of America because inside the restaurant there were only a few security guards," Oasis General Manager Oom Mucharam Endi told The Jakarta Post recently.
"Only when I went outside did I see that the restaurant was being guarded and the whole street had been blocked," Oom added.
Special officials were placed at both ends of Jl. Raden Saleh Raya that evening to pick up Oasis employees. Without the officials' nod they would have not been permitted to enter the street. Other guests, who had made reservations were first confirmed by a special team.
The tight security for the couple wasn't a first at Oasis. Established in 1968 by Carol Gandanegara, it has since served King Juan Carlos of Spain, Prince Bernard of the Netherlands, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia and former first lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos. President Soeharto, Vice President Try Sutrisno, State Minister for Research and Technology B.J. Habibie and Indonesian tycoons, including Sudono Salim, have also eaten at the restaurant.
Today, the restaurant is famous as a venue for international companies and businesses to entertain their guests.
"Most of our clients are corporate people," Oom explained.
The 1,800 square-meter restaurant was built in 1928 by the Dutch millionaire F. Brandenburg Van Oltsende, owner of tea, rubber and cinchona estates. The two-story building was designed in a style prevalent during the governorship of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, who was British lieutenant-governor of Batavia, now Jakarta, in 1811.
Being a rich man, Van Oltsende made his house luxurious. Statues of pure Italian marble can still be found in the rear garden. A painting by an Italian artist -- which was previously installed above Van Oltsende's bed -- adorns a bar on the second floor. A marvelous stained-glass window, designed by Dutch artist Robert Deppe, made by J.J.R. Engel in Jakarta in 1936 and dedicated to Dutch humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam, decorates the Sumatra room. The room is named after the dozens of old handwoven, gold-embroidered Sumatra sarongs hanging on the walls.
The last Governor General of the Dutch East Indies, Tjarda van Starlenborgh, was reported to have fled to the building during World War II every time he felt uneasy that his Koningsplein Palace (the present presidential Merdeka Palace) was going to bombed by the Japanese.
After the war, the building became the official residence of the United States naval attache and was the venue for the annual marine ball.
The next owner, Carol Gandanegara, was a keen collector of Indonesian traditional artifacts and art and turned the building into a restaurant in 1968. He made it into a museum to display his rich collections of traditional masks, statues, textiles and paintings.
In 1978, the restaurant was bought by the late Tirto Utomo, known as the king of water because his company, PT Golden Mississippi, pioneered the bottled water business in 1974. Besides a sharp instinct for business, Tirto also had a great taste for art.
"When he saw Indonesian traditional art works and artifacts adorning the walls of the restaurant, which were perfect for such an old building, he determined to keep it as it was," Oom said, "Our regulars are familiar with the atmosphere and those who return after a long absence are always amazed that everything is still the same."
Two gold plated mirrors, for example, have for years decorated the walls of the Kalimantan room, the first room after the foyer. "The Kalimantan room's curtains are always burgundy," Oom said, adding that only a slight variations is acceptable.
Every painting was done by the late Hendra, a noted Indonesian painter. They have been hanging on the same walls since the time of Gandanegara. Maintenance has therefore become one of the restaurant's rituals.
The restaurant is a place for nostalgia. At night, when chandeliers and small oil lamps on the tables are lit and patrons eat and drink merrily to the sound of the house band, the ambience of a Dutch colonial party is brought back.
Food
Tirto, who died in March last year, began promoting Indonesian cuisine. The restaurant had both Indonesian and European food, notably French cuisine, but the Indonesian food was not as popular as it is nowadays.
"We can't sell soto ayam for Rp 10,000 (US$4.54) per portion. No one will buy it if it is just like other soto ayam sold at street stalls. Therefore Tirto suggested that we sell Indonesian rijstafel in 1978," said the general manager of the two time winner of the Adikarya Wisata award. The award is presented by the Jakarta administration for institutions considered to be dedicated to the development of tourism.
Rijstafel, or rice table in old Dutch, was known in colonial Indonesia as nasi besar (big rice). It is an array of mild to strongly spiced Indonesian dishes, including a soup or soto, meat, shrimp, eggs, vegetables and dessert.
The classic rijstafel used to be served on Sundays on the terraces of the Des Indes Hotel, which has been replaced by the Duta Merlin shopping center on Jl. Gajah Mada. The dishes in those pre-World War II days were served by barefooted waiters in white livery and batik head dresses who brought up to 60 dishes on silver platers. The large number of dishes was improvised by early Dutch planters who had great appetites. It was also the Dutch who initially turned the meal into such a ceremony.
The colonial meal is now disappearing, although some Indonesian restaurants in the Netherlands reportedly still serve it.
Oasis is among the few restaurants which serve rijstafel in Indonesia. However, the dishes have been reduced to 12 and are served by 12 waitresses in traditional Sundanese kebaya.
One by One, the twelve waitresses offer each dish. You choose whatever dishes you like to fill your large Ming plate.
The rijstafel is what brought the Clintons to the restaurant. They ate kimlo (black mushroom and chicken soup), sambal goreng dadar (egg omelette in chili sauce), ayam tim (chicken steamed with ginger and star anise), tahu isi (beancurd stuffed with minced chicken and shrimp), serundeng (roasted grated coconut with peanuts) and also the famous pisang goreng (pan-fried banana).
"Before we began serving rijstafel, 30 percent of total sales was Indonesian food. Now, an average of two thirds of our take comes from rijstafel. We once had 129 guests out of 150 asking for the rijstafel," Oom explained.
On Sunday evenings they serve a Betawi rijstafel, native Jakartan food.
Coffee is also a special treat. It is more of a ceremony than an after dinner drink. The coffee is prepared on a trolley beside your table. The preparation of the "diamond coffee" rivals that of flaming cointreau.
French cuisine is still on the menu and is under the guidance of Swiss chef Ewald Falk. Chef Broto Soetantyo worries about the Indonesian menu. They are assisted by 83-year-old Malia Soenario. She started at Oasis in 1979 and is still strong and healthy. Apart from cooking, she leads the waitresses when serving the guests.
Prices, service
Prices vary. The rijstafel goes for about Rp 60,000 per person, while a set menu dinner consisting of starters, the main course, sherbet, dessert and coffee costs from Rp 55,000 to Rp 125,000 per package.
An ala carte menu is also available, offering for example delicious "Maharaja" Chicken Curry at only Rp 28,000 per portion or Beef Stroganoff for Rp 50,000.
Indian "Maharaja" curry is worth trying. The pan-fried chicken is topped with Oasis home-made curry sauce and served with tasty rice, sweet bananas and raisins. The curry isn't very strong for those who are used to very spicy and hot food. Chilies and other spices are automatically offered by the friendly waiters and waitresses. The banana gives the curry a fresh taste.
Oasis Lightly Smoked Salmon, served with horse radish cream, capers and onions, and Avocado Pear "Emerald Islands", avocado stuffed with shrimps and topped with green goddess dressing, are perfect for appetizers.
Fresh vegetables and Rujak buah and a basket of kerupuk are served on all tables, to be eaten while you are waiting for your appetizers.
Classic desserts such as Chocolate Mousse, Peach Melba and Creme caramel are listed on the menu. Indonesian kue, served petit-fours, is another choice for those who want to mix the western plate with the eastern one.
Service is remarkable. From the time you step into the compound, a parking valet is there to help. Waiting for a table or for your companion to come? Waitresses and waiters will usher you to Topeng bar where drinks are available. Food is served quickly and a small basket of sweets is provided for the ladies when they leave the restaurant.
Batak music, from the ethnic group in North Sumatra, has become part of the restaurant. Two Batak bands, Amores and Yan Sinambela, perform on different nights and turn the dining room into a merry singing stage. Their repertoires include foreign songs like O sole mio.
It is no wonder that last year the restaurant was awarded a platinum award for the best restaurant in terms of quality, atmosphere and service by organizers of the Jakarta Food Festival.
President Clinton may yet come back to canvass in the restroom.