Specialty stores offer a little taste of home

Specialty stores offer a little taste of home

Susanna Tjokro
Contributor
Jakarta

A friend once said, "If you grew up in Germany, memories of
eating tasty German sausage would make your mouth water and make
you homesick".

He is not alone. People tend to search for familiar brands and
comfort food to refresh memories of home -- it's human nature to
crave our home-grown food now and then, if not always. No matter
where we go, we bring a little bits of our culture and our taste
for food.

As a cosmopolitan city, Jakarta is home to a large expatriate
community as well as Indonesians who have lived abroad.

And the presence of ethnic or specialty stores catering to the
needs of many people -- natives of the country and others
familiar with the food -- with good variety of specialty or
ethnic products.

After all, one person's comfort food is another's exotic food
-- or in some cases a "bizarre" culinary experience.

Many people do not mind buying as well as tasting strange
food. My cousin's jaw dropped in amazement when I told him I
loved eating patat, delicious Dutch chips, with mayonnaise. He
must have thought that chips and mayonnaise made a crazy
combination.

We may long for a taste of another country, a place that we
once visited or where we lived for a period of time in our lives.
For instance, my friend's mouth waters every time she thinks of
Dutch licorice. Lots of expatriates say that visiting an ethnic
or specialty shop is just like walking down memory lane.

Many people who go to shop at specialty stores wish they may
find "special ingredients" to help them duplicate food they have
savored at some ethnic restaurants -- without, hopefully, costing
them too much money.

Common similarities among the specialty stores is that they
mostly offer more than just food. They also sell books,
newspapers, CD, cosmetics as well as accessories.

The stores usually stock a large choice of ethnic cooking
ingredients, the so-called off-beat delicacies, those hard-to-
find items as well as specialty gourmet food. Such stores also
house organic and aeroponic vegetables too, both local and
imported.

Chances are you will also find some high-quality Indonesian
goods among the imported merchandise. Normally, made-in-Indonesia
products are priced slightly higher than those found at local
supermarkets.

Several specialty stores, like The Gourmet Boutique, sell
exclusive homemade products too.

Overall, most ethnic and specialty stores come as high-end
shopping places -- though good and excellent quality products do
not come cheap as they are not targeted at those looking to pay a
bit less and besides, high prices have done little to hurt their
business.

Most stores open on Sundays and public holidays except
Christmas, Idul Fitri and New Year.

To pamper their customers and provide an extra draw, some
specialty stores include eateries or coffee shop where tired
shoppers can rest, quench their thirst and fill their tummies --
a shopper's paradise, especially if the food on offer are tasty.

Really upping the one-stop shopping experience are those that
boast a spa or beauty and hairdressing salon.

In some cases, a specialty store is a nice souvenir shop too.
If one just came back from Japan but forgot to buy some souvenirs
for your beloved mother in law, don't panic. Just drop by at
Papaya supermarket in South Jakarta where you can find
interesting souvenirs.

Most specialty shops, particularly the small ones, emphasize
personalized service. In several stores, you may even chat with
the friendly owners, who may share some recipes and useful
cooking tips with you. Or, you can suggest the owners to add your
favorite items onto their shelves.

Rini Jaureguiberry, just like other specialty store's owners,
believes personalized service is crucial to ensure the success of
their business.

"We have embodied the concept of The Gourmet Boutique in our
name. Gourmet stands for 'fine food' and appreciation of all
things epicurean in general, a boutique for a small and warm
shop, where personalized service and contact with the customer
are paramount," said Rini.

"We aim to provide and introduce to quality food items
difficult to find anywhere else and to do so in an elegant and
convivial environment."

Expatriates find them to be a godsend, where they can get
various hard-to-find items -- either to duplicate their favorite
dishes and cook like mom, dad or grandma does back home. For many
people, they are the remedy to their homesickness.