Untitled Fun Pub lives up to name

Untitled Fun Pub lives up to name

Bill Blade
Contributor
Jakarta

Now that all the fuss about brooms, vacuum cleaners, sweeping,
etc., has more or less died a welcome death, it's time once again
to buckle up on the Starship Jakarta and fly forth to other
problems that we know not of (to mix up Captain Kirk and Will the
Bard).

But in the meantime, while awaiting the next disaster to rear
its ugly head, I decided to take myself and a companion down to
the Untitled Fun Pub (yes, that's the name) in the new JW Marriot
Hotel.

As an up and coming young executive (bit long in the tooth for
that -- Ed), it is of course quite incumbent upon me to hang out
in such salubrious establishments, even if they do tend to be a
bit on the dullsville side. Well, surprise, surprise, this
particular salubrious establishment turned out to be one that
lived up to its name, and a ball was had by all.

Bill, please: Bit of a dearth on the old beer front with only
two exemplars of the amber nectar holding the fort, namely
Bintang (Rp 30,000 a glass) and Corona (at an out-of-this-world
Rp 50,000 per bottle) -- staff claim more beers on the way when
the suppliers get round to it.

Better selection on the spirit front with all the usual on
offer. Johnny Walker Red and Jameson Irish both go for Rp 42,500,
while premium spirits such as Johnny Walker Black and Jack
Daniels kick in at Rp 65,000.

For those who like a dainty parasol tickling their nostrils,
most cocktails are priced at Rp 49,000.

As you would expect of a joint with this sort of pedigree,
there's also a fine selection of food and wine available.

Happy Hour's a bit on the stingy side, buy one get one free
but only for Bintang. Rats!

Here's lookin' at you: Those would-be sniffers of addictive
substances out there are in for a treat as the Fun Pub, like its
mummy the Jakarta Marriot, is all of three weeks old and the
delicious smells of fresh paint and the new, deep pile carpets
are everywhere to be, well, sniffed.

But if you can drag your nose away from the floor for a while,
you'll discover that this pub is about more than sniffin' and
boozin' and is, in fact, a pretty impressive piece of interior
design.

Art deco is the dominant theme with soaring ceilings and
extravagant geometric and zigzag forms and fittings. What with
the dim, yellow-orange light emanating from the massive flying
saucer-like lamp shades and helped along by a couple of
encouragingly generous Black Labels, I was actually beginning to
imagine myself drifting back to the sophisticated world of 1920's
high society (disturbingly for my companion, somewhat like Jack
Nicholson in The Shining), until suddenly brought back down to
earth as the dulcet tones of Village People warmed up the sound
system before the band came on.

And what a band they turned out to be! None of your usual Bob
Marley rip-off merchants content to sleepwalk around the stage
for a couple of hours while the audience slowly proceeds to the
terminal slumber stage. No indeed, the South African lead
vocalist, Californian lead guitarist, and Filipina and Surabaya
female vocalists gave a virtuoso performance of mostly '80s and
early '90s' hits that kept the crowd on their toes. Even if
you're into something a bit more techno, I'll go 10 to a penny
you'll appreciate the vitality these guys exude.

But then again, this was only their first or second outing.
Will they be so lively in a year's time, I ask myself? Hopefully
yes!

As for the crowd, well quite a mixed bag, really. Lot's of
European and Asian expats. Quite a few singles around also, so
should be full steam ahead on the old SS Shagalot.

Odds and ends: When we arrived at around 8 p.m., there was an
inordinate number of pretty waitresses milling around like lost
souls. While this was a pleasant and stimulating sight on the one
hand, it was also a bit off-putting, and in some ways looked for
all the world like a union meeting was in progress. Was expecting
to hear cries of "All Out" any minute!

Verdict: While the new kid has only been on the block for all
of three weeks, it seems to have made plenty of pals. For despite
prices that are definitely not for the faint-hearted (not so
surprising really -- all of that art deco doesn't come cheap),
the place was heaving by the time we were leaving at around
midnight. And what's more, the crowd was mingling, giggling and
generally having a great time.

So while it's a bit too early to give a definitive judgment on
the Untitled Fun Pub, so far it's definitely looking good!

BOX:
Location: JW Marriot Hotel, Jl. Lingkar Mega Kuningan, Kav. E.1.2
No. 1 & 2, Mega Kuningan, Jakarta 12950, Indonesia.
Telephone: 5798-88888 (ext. 3977).
Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday-Saturday, 5 p.m.
to 3 a.m.