Stargazing compensates for questionable cuisine
By Bruce Emond
JAKARTA (JP): Few and far between they may be, but the capital's open spaces are fast becoming a living testament of sorts to Desy Ratnasari's soulful Tenda Biru (Blue Tent).
Not just blue, mind you, but a rainbow of hues, from fiercely patriotic red and white to the rest of the kaleidoscope, is staking out territory in upmarket sidewalk cafes.
Most are run by minor and major lights in the entertainment industry and assorted public figures jumping on the collective krismon bandwagon by displaying their culinary finesse or, in some cases, pitiful lack thereof.
Of course, the public's adoration of entertainers as the envoys of popular culture, joined with the need to appear that we are all in this crisis together, was a marriage bound to happen eventually.
The vittles on offer often take second place in the attraction stakes to rampant "stargazing" and the covetous desire to see and be seen in the choice cafe of the moment.
Belittle them as a fad and fancy soon to outlive their welcome, but for the time being the cafes are doing big business. Proof enough is the barb or two shot from disgruntled traditional vendors who feel they are being pushed to the periphery of their own profession.
From Jl. Tirtayasa in Kebayoran Baru where the first few set up shop, the eateries have since set up tent in Monas in Central Jakarta, Kuningan (reportedly an unwanted shock to the senses from the turgid waters of the river alongside) and Plaza Senayan.
Not for those who lose all semblance of poise in the face of crowds, the Senayan sidewalk cafes -- open on Saturday and Sunday nights -- are nevertheless a gentle initiation for newcomers into the arena of al fresco dining Indonesian style.
Concerns over hygiene and a sudden onset of "Java Jive" may not be as great at this upmarket location, even though it is still a cramped open area assaulted by dust and more nebulous particles. Yet those who believe in safety in numbers in confronting the threat of renewed unrest would have felt in their element in the throngs descending on the cafes.
Food, glorious food was offered in abundance, ranging from steaks, pizza and martabak pancakes (the meat variety) to a mismatch of Indonesian-Western hybrids.
Some stalls stood out as the people's choice, particularly those run by top artists. Loyal fans are willing to brave the heat and while their time away on their cell phones in the quest for a choice table.
They would reply in turn by doing them the honors of flitting about between the bustling kitchen and the dining area out front. Yet, the throngs are not always a ringing endorsement of the quality of the fare.
In one case, four anemic slivers of chicken, a bowl of broth and rice were not up to snuff from our past experience with Hainan chicken, particularly with the glaring omission of its trademark horseradish sauce. Better, though, were the iced coffee and iced chocolate, both spiked with liberal amounts of rum. For two, the bill came to Rp 36,000.
Granted, the food may just be an accessory to be toyed with and dawdled over in the higher pursuit of drinking in the atmosphere. In addition to the "stargazing" -- two spottings were an actress/singer/ad executive linked romantically to a former president's son and an aging singer nipped and tucked in the extreme to achieve that deer-in-the-headlights look -- there is assorted entertainment of cutesy child singers on stage and palmreaders.
An evening out in a sidewalk cafe may not win any prizes on the culinary front, but it is an offbeat way to while away a balmy Jakarta evening.