Thai food, a favorite for many

T. Sima Gunawan, Contributor, Jakarta

It's spicy and sour. And it tastes really good, especially when it's still hot. And who can resist the delicious aroma of tom yam goong soup?

The popular Thai dish is a favorite among many Indonesians as well as expatriates here. Indeed, Thai cuisine has a big fan base worldwide, with its great variety of mouth-watering foods. Besides tom yam goong -- be it the prawn, chicken or seafood variety -- there is pathai or the tasty Thai dry noodle dish garnished with nuts, khai hou bai tei or chicken in pandan leaves and khao op saparoth or pineapple fried rice.

While there are few Thai expatriates in Jakarta, the city is full of Thai restaurants. Among those offering fine dining experiences are Suan Thai, formerly the Thai Garden, located on Jl. Cideng Timur, West Jakarta; the Tham Nak Thai Restaurant on Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto, Central Jakarta, and Jl. Kemang Raya, South Jakarta; and the Lan Na Thai Restaurant on Jl. Kusuma Atmaja, Central Jakarta. There are also the Mie Thai Casual Thai Restaurant located in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta; Pondok Indah Plaza and Setia Budi Building in South Jakarta; and at the Central Business District on Jl. Jendral Sudirman, Central Jakarta.

Most customers of these restaurants are not Thai. Regulars of Swan Thai, for example, are mostly Indonesians while the majority of guests at Lan Na Thai are Westerners.

"I've never met any Thais when I eat out at a Thai restaurant," said Gedsiri, a Jakarta resident whose mother is from Thailand.

"Of course I love Thai cuisine and the food in some restaurants is really good, but for me mom's home cooking is still the best," she said.

Some restaurants maintain authentic local recipes, while others have adjusted them to suit Indonesian or Western tastes. Despite this, many of the restaurants hire Thai cooks to prepare the food. The authentic mango salad in Suan Thai is topped with shredded catfish or served with garoupa, but at Mie Thai, the mango salad is topped with shredded cuttlefish or juhi.

Nova, an employee at Suan Thai, said while the food at her restaurant reflected local preferences, the Thai cook could always prepare an authentic menu on request. Many of the restaurant's important ingredients are also imported directly from Thailand.

With 120 kinds of dishes on the menu, Suan Thai can accommodate about 150 people. It's easy to walk in and eat on weekdays when there are often empty tables, but at weekends the popular restaurant is usually full, so it's an idea to book first.

Suan Thai was first established in 1989 and it enjoyed robust business. After its success two other branches were opened, in Panin Bank Center on Jl. Jendral Sudirman, and in Sudirman Square Office Tower, also on Jl. Jendral Sudirman.

Lan Na Thai first opened here in 1998. It is owned by the Hazara Indian restaurant proprieter, Haidhi Angkawijana.

A few years after Hazara was opened, Haidhi went to Bangkok where he met a friend, a Canadian expat. They traveled to Lan Na, a rice producing village, and as they ate in a restaurant there they were impressed by the food, especially the rice. The good taste inspired them to open a Thai restaurant in Jakarta.

Although Lan Na Thai started the business when the country was in a serious economic crisis, the restaurant did well.

Ika Irianti, an employee of the restaurant, said Lan Na Thai, which can seat 100 guests, maintains the authenticity of Thai recipes and tries its best to create a traditional Thai atmosphere for diners.

The restaurant opened its first branch in Shanghai in 1999 and another one in London in 2001. The branch in London, however, was closed down in 2002 but a new restaurant was opened in Bangkok in the same year. The management now plans to open a branch in the Middle East.

Lam Na Thai targets expatriates. In Jakarta, 80 percent of its guests are Westerners. In December, the business usually slows during the Christmas season as many expats return to their home countries.

The business is also affected by the security situation in the country.

It suffered when Jakarta was rocked by the JW Marriot hotel bombing last year and business is also dropping off because of the bomb blast in front of the Australian Embassy last week.

Mie Thai restaurant in the Setia Budi building located not far from the embassy, is also experiencing bad times after the attack.

But while restaurants may suffer in tumultuous times, no attack can affect people's enduring love for Thai food.

"Many people like Thai food because in a way, it has much in common with Indonesian food. Some Manado dishes are spicy and sour, while Thai curry reminds one of Sumatran cuisine," Mie Thai's Handayani said.