Romance is in the air at Padi-Padi Cafe

Romance is in the air at Padi-Padi Cafe

By Irene Sugiharto

JAKARTA (JP): Kemang in South Jakarta was once the elite,
quiet residential neighborhood where a lot of expatriates chose
to live. But that was a long time ago. Foreigners are still
there, but not the quiet. Kemang has developed into a business
district with many art galleries, restaurants and cafes.

Padi-Padi Cafe and Gallery is quite distinctive from other
cafes in the area. Open less than four months, it delights in its
"romantic Batavia Colonial" atmosphere.

The most notable characteristic of Padi-Padi Cafe is the long
entrance to the 3,800 sqm complex. Enter the long hallway, and
experience a sense of mystery, anxiously wanting to know where it
will lead you. Not long afterward, visitors come upon the
traditional Roro Blonyo Javanese statue.

With its joglo Javanese exterior, its interior design stuns
with the cream draperies hanging on the walls and batik cloth
combined with cream-colored cloth on each wooden table. The
traditional wooden nuances take your breath away.

At the very front, the stage reverberates with traditional
Javanese musical instruments such as kecapi string and angklung
bamboo instruments accompanied by a single piano. Every Saturday
Padi-Padi presents a combination of folk songs, oldies and
Indonesian songs played using angklung modified for a modern
band. There is live music from Wednesday to Saturday with
professional singers.

For art lovers, Padi-Padi Gallery has a range of Javanese
furniture and arts for sale.

Oscar, operational manager of the cafe, said Padi-Padi Cafe's
plus was "We bring you Indonesia".

Seventy percent of the menu is traditional Indonesian fare,
while the rest is European and American food. Those traditional
foods include Selat Solo from Surakarta, Central Java, Nasi
Campur Bali from Bali, Nasi Timbel from West Java and desserts
such as Es Delima and Es Palu Butung from South Sulawesi.

The Batavia Colonial menus offers Bitter Ballen, Pannekoek and
Poffertjes. The cafe invites you to taste their exotic creative
drinks with Indonesian names like Roro Jonggrang, Andalas,
Fatahillah, Jaka Tingkir and Borneo.

Craving expensive international drinks? Spoil yourself with a
Rp 14,500 Draft, a Rp 49,900 Long Island Iced Tea, a Rp 39,900
Sex On The Beach or even a Screwdriver at Rp 29,900.

"It is not cheap, but that's all right. I enjoy the food and
the drink," said a customer.

During a night out at Padi-Padi, some customers might prefer
to sit in the beautiful garden, whereas some couples, or "wanna-
be couples", would probably find the cream-colored sofas on the
balcony more to their liking.

The place is suitable for those who prefer a romantic
atmosphere and easy-listening tunes to blaring music in a highly
charged setting. "If I want to listen to rock n' roll, for
example, I'll go to another place," another customer said.

The cafe is usually crowded on the weekends, but parking is
not really a problem even though the parking space is dark and
its surface bumpy. It's easy to find space but high heels can
make the journey to the restaurant a bit tricky.