P's Place: A breath of cool air in steamy Jaksaville

You might have noticed by this stage of the game that Jakarta has almost as many luxurious pubs as there are pedicabs in Bekasi.

Unfortunately, like so many of the aforementioned three- wheeled taxis, the majority of these pubs, with a few notable exceptions, are empty most of the time outside weekends.

So, normally what happens midweek is that the intrepid guzzler finds himself stuck propping up some frigid bar surrounded by a virtual battalion of bartenders, waitresses and associated other attendants, all the time being barraged by volleys of questions about where he's from, where he's going and where he ate dinner last.

Not a fate that would normally send a frisson of anticipation up the eager punter's spine, especially given that most of these deluxe, glorified morgues have a penchant for charging the proverbial arm and a leg ... or two.

All of which, of course, proves once again that copious glitz and glitter, and interior designers flown in from New York or Tokyo, do not a convivial establishment make.

So what is a true-blue glugger to do, say, on a wet Tuesday after work here in the big smoke?

Not sink into despondency, no sirree, as there're still a few locales around where you can have a couple of beers in the company of like-minded imbibers at prices that won't overly stress the piggy-bank.

And paramount among these locales is still the old dog itself, Jl. Jaksa.

Now, only someone with a perpetual sunny disposition, or else suffering from hole-in-the-head syndrome, would deny that Jaksa has seen better days, and it seems like a long-distant memory when the street was jam-packed every night with thirsty expats and starry-eyed backpackers (still a few of the latter around, but nothing like those roaring 90s).

What we've basically been left with on Jaksa is a row of cobbled-together, clapped-out drinking dens serving warm, if not actually hot, beer and the sort of food that you'd hesitate to feed to your pet goat (if he survived Idul Adha, that is!).

Let's face it, good customer service is not something that comes second nature to most of the pub operators mooching around in this neck of the woods, and take-the-money-and-run has sadly, long been the name of the game for most of them.

Until the last year or two, that is.

For there's been something of a mini-revival quietly taking place down Jaksa way, kicked off by the great food and unbelievable prices dished up by Ya-Udah Bistro, which set up shop almost two years ago.

This heartening process has recently received a major shot in the arm with the arrival of P's Place, a new boozer that's full just about every night of the week with sundry normal, weird and eccentric characters -- a great place for both an after-work tipple or a major shindig with the mates.

But let's get one thing straight right away -- P's Place is small. So small, truth to tell, that uncharitable souls might even be tempted to label it a hole in the wall.

But good goods come in small parcels, so they say, and P's Place is replete with some very good goods indeed.

Not least among these is the balding, big-eared and amiable proprietor, Boss P, who is normally to be found holding up the bar somewhere in the vicinity of the pool table, ensuring that well-known 8-ball cheats, like your's truly, don't get up to their usual tricks.

He's such an amiable host, in fact, that when in a particularly good mood he's known to stand the regulars a beer or two, something heretofore unheard of in Jaksa!

Also wrapped up in Boss P's small parcel of enticing goods is a coterie of simpering barmaids who give all the appearances of having just been drafted in from Blok M.

This should come as no surprise, though, given that P's Place is the northern offshoot of that popular Blok M hostelry, D's Place, another great spot for an after-work tipple.

Pricewise, P's is slightly more expensive than most of the other watering holes on Jaksa, which is perfectly reasonable given that it's in a different league altogether -- I mean, it's clean, friendly, has a pool table and a big TV (for the footie, of course), and, something of a new departure for Jaksa, it's fully air-conditioned.

If you do find yourself tempted to give Boss P's establishment a whirl, a glass of ice-cold Bintang draft will set you back a very reasonable Rp 12,000 (happy hour Rp 10,000), a Johnny Walker Red Rp 25,000 (happy hour Rp 20,000), Black Label Rp 32,500 (happy hour Rp 27,500), and a Smirnoff Vodka Rp 25,000 (happy hour Rp 20,000).

They've also got house plonk in the form of Semillon Trebbiano Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon (Rp 32,500 per glass, Rp 27,500 during happy hour), both of which aren't too bad as far as such tipples go.

As for the food, check out the meat pie, served with Branston Pickle and a snip at Rp 25,000. Other tasty treats on offer include Southern-style Gumbo (Rp 30,000), the special chili bowl (Rp 25,000), and traditional fish and chips with tartar sauce (Rp 25,000).

I once described Jl. Jaksa in this column as being something akin these days to a jaded old tart still flogging her wares long after her use-by date. And in many ways this still holds true.

But with the advent of Ya-Udah and now an air-conditioned, reasonably priced boozer in the shape of P's Place, it's pretty clear that the old tart still has one or two tricks down her dress to keep the punters lining up. Good one, Boss P!

P's Place, Jl. Jaksa No. 5, Central Jakarta (tel: 319-09847). Hours: 10 a.m.-2 a.m. seven days a week. Happy hour: All day until 8 p.m. Only visa credit cards and cash accepted so far.