Time is money at Indian food festival

JAKARTA (JP): From Antiba to Anchorage, Dubai to Dublin, Johannesburg to Jakarta, Indian cuisine is adored the world over.

Small wonder then that Le Meridien hotel on Jl. Sudirman has launched its third Indian Food Festival.

Speaking at the launch at the Lemon Grass Restaurant last Friday, Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Munthu Venkatarnan said "the close ties between our two countries is reflected in the popularity of Indian food here."

Indeed one has only to venture down Jl. Veteran I in Central Jakarta to see the profusion of Indian restaurants there.

For the food festival, Le Meridien, in cooperation with Air India, has flown two chefs from its sister hotel in New Delhi to give that authentic touch to the food served during the festival.

The menu, which includes macchi pakora (fillet of fish marinated in exotic spices from north India and deep fried), achari paneer shaslik (chunks of cottage cheese marinated overnight in Tandoori Masala and cooked) and subz kebabs, is reasonably priced.

But if you are a big eater and a lover of Indian food, the hotel has also reintroduced its "Time is Money" initiative. Under the scheme, customers pay not for what they have consumed, rather for the amount of time they are in the restaurant.

At Rp 1,000 per minute, the scheme is for lunchtime only. Simply clock in upon arrival and clock out when finished eating.

But if you favor long and leisurely lunches, don't despair, as there is a ceiling of Rp 70,000.

Moreover, diners during the festival stand a chance of winning two round-trip tickets to India, courtesy of Air India.

So, indeed, time is money and if you want to enjoy the fare of this festival, there is still time as it runs until Nov. 14. (William Furney)