Scary treats at Halloween parties in Jakarta restos

Maria Endah Hulupi The Jakarta Post Jakarta

Halloween night is supposed to be the scariest night of the year with children and adults dressing up like ghosts and goblins roaming the streets for trick or treat.

While "vampires" will leave their coffins to seek out their victims, Halloween party goers in Jakarta can go out to enjoy an "unusual" dinner, offered by several restaurants and cafes.

Halloween is a holiday to celebrate pagan rituals, like human sacrifice and midnight orgies in dark woods. In reality, the celebration of Halloween, which started as a harvest and fire festival among the Celts, has been co-opted by America, with its gift for mass-producing everything from food to holidays.

And even though many Indonesians are unfamiliar with the foreign tradition, the theme sells and in the past several years special events, marking the celebration have been held by a number of restaurants in the capital, including Front Row Sports Grill in Taman Ria Senayan recreational complex, Central Jakarta.

"It's still a surprise but the theme chosen is among the scariest so as to ensure that visitors joining the event will have goose bumps and, of course, fun," said Sofiya Irzandach, the restaurant's banquet sales coordinator.

The restaurant celebrates Halloween night on Oct. 31, 2002, part of its 5th anniversary festivities, dubbed "5 years, 5 days, 50 percent off". During this five-day event, diners can also participate in the restaurant's special programs.

During the first three days until Oct. 29, the restaurant offered 50 percent off for food and beverages. There is also a three-day competition until Oct. 30 with games including 9-ball billiards, Sega rally, arm wrestling and a drinking competition (it's not the quantity of beer that counts but the speed of drinking). There are prizes and gifts from sponsors for the winners.

A day before Halloween, dinners will be entertained with classic rock songs on its Classic Rock Night on Oct. 30, featuring the 7 Years Later band.

The festivity will be wrapped up with night of Halloween during which, guests will be served by scary-looking waiters, serving "unusual" treats.

There will also be a scary sexy dancer, a fortune teller, Jamaica Cafe Acapella and prizes. Guests can wear their scariest costumes and enjoy the celebration.

The restaurant has created a special Halloween set menu at Rp 102,900++. The menu includes pumpkin soup and one of three main courses, namely Adams Family Steak (grilled beef with three pepper butter, served with French fries and mixed vegetables), Jack The Ripper Chicken (grilled chicken breast basted with the restaurant's special Jack Daniels glaze and served with mixed vegetables and loaded baked potato) or Swamp Thing Platter (shrimps, calamari and white fish battered and fried served with tartar sauce, hot and sweet sauce, French fries and coleslaw) and the dessert is caramel turtle brownie.

Although there is nothing unusual to be expected from the food presentation, the restaurant chefs have ensured that the menu comprises vivid-colored food to match the Halloween theme.

Two other restaurants also in Taman Ria Senayan complex, Italian restaurant Italianni's and TGI Friday also offer special Halloween set menus.

The Halloween set menu at TGI Friday is available at Rp 99,900++ which includes appetizer, dessert, free refill of soft drinks or a glass of beer and four main courses to chose from: Jack Daniels chicken (grilled chicken breast basted with Jack Daniels glaze and served with baked potato and vegetables), mushroom chicken mushroom (deep fried chicken breast topped with sauteed mushroom and mozzarella cheese served with fried mushroom, baked potato and vegetables), fisherman platters (battered shrimp, calamari and grouper fillet served with Fridays fries) or BBQ burger (melted Colby cheese, cajun onion rings and Fridays barbecue sauce).

While Italianni's offers two Halloween set menus at Rp 89,000++, namely Nosferatu's Favorite, consisting of minestrone soup, steak cacciatore and raspberry cake and The Bride of Nosferatu's, including zuppa di mussel for soup and one of the three main courses, namely penne remigio or spaghetti bolognese or frutti di Maare and tiramisu for dessert.