Organic store gives freedom of healthier choices

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Everybody wants to eat healthier, but temptation seemingly lies at every corner while healthful food is harder to come by.

Hey, farmer farmer, put away that DDT now/Give me spots on my apples/But leave me the birds and the bees, please!

There is no better theme song to accompany a meal at Healthy Choice health store and restaurant than Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi.

Serving organic food and ingredients, the store proudly brings back the blotches on the banana, a hole or two in vegetables and says no to pesticides, as per Mitchell's wish.

It offers a wide range of organic products, from vegetables, rice, to cookies, seeds, ramen noodles, mosquito spray, cough syrup, hand soap and even tampons.

All of the products are manufactured organically, meaning all the ingredients are planted or tended naturally with no chemicals added, no preservatives, no additives, no MSG and no GMOs.

One that caught my attention was rice milk, what we know as air tajin, the poor's answer to expensive packaged instant milk.

Here in the store, that air tajin is no longer cheap at Rp 45,000 a carton.

"This is, like, an alternative to milk, made from organic rice, but it's as tasty and nutritious as regular cow milk or soy milk," said store operational director Stevan Lie.

The establishment of the store can be traced to five years ago, when Stevan and his business partner founded a colon hydrotherapy clinic, which he claimed was the first in the country.

Feedback from the clinic's clients about their health needs led him to open a store specializing in organic food and ingredients about a year ago.

Ninety percent of the products are imported from the United States, Switzerland, New Zealand and Taiwan.

Local products include vegetables, rice, eggs, chicken and mushrooms, which are obtained from organic farms in Bandung and Puncak, West Java, but there is a problem of standardization.

"It's difficult to obtain organic products here because there is no clear standard (governing them). In Europe, for instance, the land where organic vegetables are planted must be free from chemicals for at least 10 years," Stevan said.

With few organic produce producers, there is the problem of ensuring product availability, especially fresh produce scheduled to be delivered every Tuesday and Friday from local farmers.

"Spices, for instance, aren't organic yet. So, the products here are yet to be 100 percent organic, but we're trying," said Stevan.

At the urging of customers, he decided to establish a small restaurant, a franchise of Taiwan's Yogi House, which also has branches in Singapore and Malaysia.

Aside from Asian regional cuisine such as ramen, curry and hot pot, there are local favorites as well, including laksa, the popular coconut milk-based soup. The difference here is that the organic laksa is made of bonsoy, a coconut milk substitute made from soy milk.

It tastes the same as regular laksa, and has the added benefit of leaving the diner feeling much lighter after finishing the meal.

"Organic farm products are even tastier. The vegetables are crunchier and sweeter. It's simply because it's natural ..." he said.

The Hawaiian fried rice, meanwhile, is crunchy because of the brown rice.

Otherwise, the items on the menu are fine and delicious, with the not-to-be-missed yogu berry dessert. Light and fresh, it is made from organic yogurt, organic mulberry jam and konjaku jelly.

According to Stevan, the restaurant is not the core of the business, which is shown by the limited seating capacity, with about five tables seating 20 people.

"Our business core is the health store. This restaurant is only to show people that healthy food can be tasty, too. But our aim is for people to implement the healthy lifestyle at home. People may even send their maid here to learn the recipes from our chef," said Stevan.

Although the store and restaurant have gained a loyal customer base, Stevan said they want to aim for a wider market.

Most customers are 40 years or above, many with health problem. Younger people are usually overseas graduates with high awareness of healthy food.

But there is always the issue of price, as organic products are not produced in bulk and are not cheap.

"I understand that organic food is more expensive, and it can be two to three times the regular price. But that's only because it's not a mass product, the farming period is longer because of the natural process and the shelf life of the products is shorter because it has no preservatives," he said.

He wants customers to see the choice of health food as a long- term investment.

"It boosts your immunity. Please note that medical expenses are much more expensive."

Healthy Choice Komp. Graha Mas Blok A6-7 Jl. Raya Perjuangan, Kebun Jeruk West Jakarta 11630 Tel. (021) 5305665/8, 5302574 Opens 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.