Pelangi Cafe: Jakarta, West Java

I can think of nothing better than relaxing in a café enjoying a drop of the local brew and chatting with friends. Even better, people watching as you sip that Java Arabica. In Jakarta there are literally hundreds of cafes across the metropolis.

What is even better still is a café that also serves delicious food as Kurniawan Hari found out upon a visit to the Pelangi Café located in the Hotel Ambhara in South Jakarta:

Nowadays we have gotten used to eating fast food and dishes from global-franchise food outlets so it is not surprising we sometimes yearn for traditional Indonesian cuisine.

Indeed, it is hard to find restaurants that serve really mouthwatering food. If there are any, they can cost an arm and a leg.

But don’t lose hope. Pelangi Cafe at Hotel Ambhara, South Jakarta, may have the answer.

Located on the ground floor of the eight-story hotel, the cafe serves more than guests might expect. It started with an Indonesian food promotion.

“We are serving traditional food from various regions to satisfy our guests’ wishes.

The promo will mark a transitional period for our cafe to focus on a more traditional menu,” food and beverage manager Agus Santoso said recently.

The promo offers hot and spicy food from Manado, North Sulawesi; Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam; Surabaya, East Java; and Bali.

At only Rp 95,000 (US$10), guests may choose whatever they want from the lunch or dinner buffet.

Balinese items like lawar (mixed vegetables with spicy grated young coconut), sate lilit (roasted fish meat), selada pepaya (papaya salad) and betutu (steamed duck) are worth a try.

Pelangi Cafe is also offering bothok (steamed vegetables with grated coconut) and tempeh from East Java.

Traditional desserts like kolak (sliced banana and cassava in sweet coconut milk) and wedang lychee (lychee in ginger drink) may be the ideal way to round off a meal.

“The service will be part of our rejuvenation program this year,” Agus said.

Public relations manager Viana Igah said that the cafe will be transformed into an Asian restaurant with an open kitchen to attract more and customers.

“That will be part of the revamp,” she said.

The cafe used to serve only international cuisine to its guests. However, with increasing demand from customers for local food, as well as a similar preference from the general public, the cafe is trying to respond to it with its food promo.

Food served at Pelangi Cafe, says Agus, will be 50 percent traditional Indonesian and 25 percent Asian and international cuisine.

This clearly indicates that the proportion of expatriates visiting the cafe is more or less equal to that of local people. That is why the cafe also provides alcoholic drinks including wine, whisky, brandy and beer from different countries.

Those who do not drink liquor may try The Other Side — a refreshing drink from a mix of fresh melon, orange juice and yogurt.

After all, there is something of an anomaly at Pelangi Cafe.

Unlike other dining venues, which are full at weekends, Pelangi CafeHotel Ambhara, is deserted. However, the 87-seat cafe is often full on working days.

“We also prepare food to guests’ special requests,” soft-spoken Agus said.

Like a pelangi (rainbow), the cafe aims to offer great variety for its diverse customers.

Pelangi Cafe
Hotel Ambhara
Jl. Iskandarsyah Raya No.1
South Jakarta
tel: 2700800
open 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Article: Kurniawan Hari