10 Stereotypes About Jakarta (and why they are inaccurate)

September 27, 2014, 8:53 am

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Jakarta was named as one of worst expat cities to live in by BusinessWeek in an article published in 2009. Among long term expatriates living here, this ranking could not have been more inaccurate and it was laughed at widely. Jakarta is a city facing many enormous challenges, but it is not the hellhole some people like to describe.

To bring back some justice to this city, here is the list of 10 stereotypes that I hear about Jakarta, and why they aren't true:

1) "Jakarta is one of the most polluted city in the World"

Jakarta is polluted of course, but it is far from being among the most polluted in the World, especially if you stay in South and Central Jakarta.

According to this document (click on "2011 air pollution in cities database"), from the UN World Health Organization, which compares the annual measurement of PM10 (particulates that have a diameter of up to 10 μm) by cities, Jakarta is less polluted that most other cities in Asia. It is for instance less polluted than Seoul, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Delhi, Beijing, Shanghai,

2) "Jakarta is not safe"

There is crime in Jakarta, but it is still a safe city if we consider the statistics, especially for murder. I invite you to look at these numbers coming fom the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime: Click here, and then on the link "Homicides in the most populous city". They give you the figures for the intentional homicide count and the rate per 100,000 persons in the world's biggest cities (between 2000 and 2010).

On average, Jakarta has 0,7 murder for 100,000 inhabitants. Bangkok has 4 murders, Kuala Lumpur 4.4, New York 5.6, Seoul 2.4, Paris 1.6, Berlin 1.8, London 1.6, Sydney 1.1.

In fact, Jakarta is the safest city of the list except for Tokyo (0.4) and Reykjavik in Iceland.

3) "Jakarta is below sea level".

Jakarta is on average at a height of 8 meters above sea level. But it is true that around 40% of the city is under that level, especially in the North.

The most worrying part is that the city is currently sinking at the speed of up to 12 centimeter per year. This is due to the combination of several factors: Over-pumping of the city's water resources, the growing weight of the city (all those new towers do make Jakarta more fat), and excavation of the ground for new projects.

More: http://www.theatlanticcities.com

4) "The traffic in Jakarta is unavoidable"

This is part wrong as it depends where you live and how you are organizing your transportation. If you stay in Bekasi and you have to work 9 to 5, then you are screwed. If you have some flexibility about your working hours, and if you don't live too far from the city center, then you should be able to avoid the worst of the traffic jams.

My general rules:
- Use your legs as much as possible.  For instance, to avoid riding an extra kilometer to turn around ("putar balik), it is often better to be dropped on the wrong side of the road and to cross it by foot.
- Avoid being on the streets at the following time: 7am to 10am, 5pm to 8pm
- Avoid Kemang on a Friday and Saturday night
- Avoid shortcuts during peak hours as you are very likely to be stuck
- Always use the major roads (Sudirman, Gatot Subroto, Thamrin) and if possible the toll roads.
- Choose very carefully your hotel or accommodation. The location should be one of your top considerations.
- For long trips across the city, do not hesitate to take the Transjakarta and its dedicated lines.

5) "The only taxis that are reliable are Blue Bird taxis"

Blue Bird taxis are generally reliable, but so are most of the companies in Jakarta: Gamya, Express, Prima, Taxiku, are all good taxis in my opinion. Rule of thumb: If the taxi looks old and is not in good condition, do not take it.

6) "Jakarta girls are easy"

If all you know about Indonesian girls are those going to CJs or Bats, you will indeed have the impression that it is easy to get Indonesian girls. It is a bit like saying that Dutch girls are easy because you went to the red light district in Amsterdam. Try your luck again in trendy places such as Fable or Lucy in the Sky and you will see that it takes more than a full wallet to get a date.

7) "Prostitution in Jakarta comes from Westerners"

Prostitution in Jakarta for Westerners is rather limited and not organized. It often takes place in the confines of a few 5-star hotels bars (or in Blok M), and the girls are free-lancers. They choose who they want to sleep with and they don't have to share the money with anybody.

Prostitution for Indonesians is massive and controlled by large groups under the protection of local authorities. There are huge brothels and red district areas in Jakarta, where you will never see a foreigner. They cater to all the stratas of society and to all religions. Girls in those places have contracts and get only a fraction of the money paid by the customer. Drug is also widespread, mostly in local clubs in Kota/Mangga Besar area.

8) "Jakarta is a poor city"

There is a lot of poverty in Jakarta, and a wide gap between the rich and the poor. But Jakarta is wealthy: According to this study, it is the third richest city in Southeast Asia behind Singapore and Bangkok, with a total GDP of US$ 224,000,000,000.

9) "There is nothing to do in Jakarta"

 

It depends who you are, what you are looking for, how you are looking for it, and what you compare Jakarta with.

If you are on a short term expatriation of 2 or 3 years and a minimum open-minded, you should have enough things to do to fill those years. Jakarta has shopping centers, restaurants, spas, nightlife, theaters, a zoo, an ice rink, concert halls, stadiums, dozens of different neighborhood, a beachfront, a colonial area, museums, traditional markets, festivals, expat clubs, golf courses, friendly people, huge parks, etc...

People criticize the lack of activities in Jakarta. But how many among those have actually been to one of the city's museum? How many have been to an art gallery in Jakarta? How many have been to one of the events organized on a weekly basis by the foreign cultural centers?

10) "Street food in Jakarta means Nasi Goreng"

There is so much more than Nasi Goreng in Jakarta's street. One of the best things about Jakarta is to go around the city to try the hundreds of foods from all over Indonesia. Read my review about Street Food in Jakarta to get some ideas...

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Circle K vs. 7/11: Which Take-Away Food Tastes Better?

October 1, 2014, 3:48 am

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I could have called this article: Circle K vs 7-Eleven: Which take-away food will not make you sick?

At the bottom of my residence, I have a Circle K on my left, and a 7-Eleven on my right. Both about 100 meters away from each other and they didn't exist just 1 year ago. As they are open 24/7 and serve some take-away food, it can be quite convenient for everyone from the busy executive to the reveling expat. For that reason I decided to make a food trial to compare which one you should prefer for take-away food.

The first item I tried was their Spaghetti Bolognese.
Eating the Spaghettti Bolognese of Circle K (21,500rp) is probably the closest you'll ever come from eating actual plastic. The sauce was ok, even though it is hard to see any meat from the Bolognese (at most you'll notice some bakso crumbs). The ingredients mention "daging" on the box, which means "Meat". We don't know if it is beef (as it should in a Bolognaise sauce) or chicken or pork or most likely something else that must not be very expensive to produce (and may live in a  sewer). The spaghetti in itself had no taste and they had a very strange, chewy texture.

Spaghetti Bolognese from Circle K

The Spaghettti Bolognaise of 7/11 (19,500rp) are actually fresh and they must be eaten within a few days. They do not mention any ingredients though which I always find a bit scary. It didn't taste like homemade pasta of course, but it was very decent and eatable. Even better, I didn't feel sick after eating it.

Spaghetti Bolognese from 7/11

The second item I ate was one of their Sandwiches:
I took the Tuna Spread Egg Sandwich from Seven Eleven (18,000rp). The bread looks like it is whole meat, I wouldn't know for sure as there is nothing on the label. It is not bad: The vegetables feel fresh and it is not too heavy on the sauce. There was just a one of the ingredients which had a strange taste, as if it had already expired. Overall, not too bad and it seemed healthy.

Tuna Spread Egg Sandwich from 7 11

I compared it with the Beef Salad Sandwich from Circle K (9,500rp). This sandwich was a total disaster. It doesn't look nice, it is just two poor pieces of bread with a brown paste in the middle. The bread and the filling had no taste, except for onions. It may have had some irritating chemicals inside as my mouth was feeling itchy afterwards.

Beef Salad Sandwich from Circle K

The third item was their Hot Dog:
The Hot Dog from 7-Eleven had a disgusting appearance as you can see on the picture. It looks like the last thing someone would ever want to put in their mouth. I overcame my fears though and after I added a lot of ketchup, I had a big bite. The Hot Dog has a sort of plastic shell, but once you reach the inside, the taste is not too bad. The bread as well is decent. Overall, the whole thing almost tasted like a normal Hot Dog.

Hot Dog from 711

At first glance, the Hot Dog from Circle K (17,500rp) seemed like a superior product. It has a nice round sausage and the bun is well-shaped. However, there is no taste, or at least not the taste of a hot dog.They added some mustard that looks just as if a dog had peed on the bun.

Beef Hot Dog from Circle K

The last item on trial was the Beef Lasagna:

In 7/11, the Beef Lasagna (16,000rp) comes in small portion and the presentation is relatively good. It has very little pasta, tomato and beef, but way too much cheese and fat. The first bite feels ok, but then it starts to feel quite heavy.

Beef Lasagna from 7-Eleven

In Circle K, the Beef Lasagna, comes in a very large portion. It is not really following the recipe for lasagna. It rather looks like Bolognese Sauce topped up with cheese. The taste is very boring, the same as eating tomato sauce out of a can.

Beef Lasagna from Circle K

Final result: 

My general opinion is that those convenience stores are not selling proper, edible food. It is in your own interest to avoid them.

If I had to choose a lesser evil, I would go for 7-Eleven as they have more choice and their products are in general more fresh (though slightly more expensive). It is not good enough to repace a normal meal or food taken on the street I think. Circle K is a big NO for me, I will never buy any take away food from them again.

I felt unwell after eating their food, especially the Beef Salad Sandwich: Mild migraine, discomfort in my mouth, stomach pain that required a trip to the bathroom.

Another thing that bothered me a lot is that there is no label indicating which ingredients were used to make these products. I am especially curious about the origin of the meat of the hot dogs and that of the bolognese/lasagna sauce.

Air Asia: Why it is the Worst Low-Cost Airline?

October 1, 2014, 8:19 pm

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I am surprised that Air Asia can still get the title of "World's Best Low Cost Airlines" in 2013 considering it is by far the worst company and the one company I always try to avoid when flying in Asia.

It seems like AirAsia is so good with its marketing and advertising that people are brainwashed into thinking that they are receiving a 5-star service when flying with them. I hear people excited about taking AirAsia, when the truth is that they will pay more for sitting in a super tiny seat without any food or service and probably departing late.

AirAsia is more expensive than any other low cost airlines in Asia while it does not give back any thing to its customers. Obviously, they do cut on their services and operating costs but the money saved with this rationalizing is not used to decrease flight ticket prices, it is just more profit for the company. I applaud with both hands at how smart it is.

I would accept the level zero of service provided by AirAsia if they were more cheap than anybody else. This would be my reward for accepting such a shame service. But it is the contrary that happens.

My problems start with their website. It is the trickiest and most dishonest booking website that I have ever come across with.

If you use flight comparators such as skyscanner, you may have had this problem of clicking on an AirAsia flight because it seemed to be the cheaper options, and in the end realizing that when you add the taxes, the fuel surcharge, the luggages, the seats, the meal, the check in fee,  the payment fee, the priority seats, and the priority boarding, it ends up being more expensive than Singapore Airlines.

Avoiding to pay additional charges will require your full attention: For instance, if you don't want to have AirAsia Insurance, you have to refuse once, and then cancel your refusal. Tricky? Canceling your seats is so complicated as well that I booked them inadvertently at least 3 times... Same with the priority boarding that I forgot to un-tick...

Charging for additional fees is the specialty of AirAsia and its most lucrative business. They will find any possible way to make you pay additional fees. You want to add additional luggage weight to your booking at check in time? This will be charged beyond reasonable. You want a bottle of water on the plane? Take out your wallet. All other companies will give you something free even though they are cheaper: Lion Air for instance do not charge if you request a special seat and they allow 15 kilos of luggage for free. Sriwijaya will give you a free snack (very limited but still), Citilink lets you choose your seat for free, etc...  Within the price range of AirAsia, you can actually often fly with regular companies where the service is beyond any comparisons.

With AirAsia, no only do you get nothing free, you also get less for what you pay for (unless you pay more).

When you arrive at the airport, you will notice that AirAsia is the only company that forces you to check in with a machine instead of a human. If you do not check in online, you will have to pay an additional fee. The company would probably reply that it helps keeping its costs low and its prices lower, but the prices aren't lower. They are higher. It is an additional constraint on passengers that is increasing AirAsia's margin while not benefiting to the customers. Maybe one day Executives at AirAsia will find a way to make passengers clean the plane by themselves...

Let's talk about space now: I am a rather tall guy so I'm sensitive to the space between seats in an airplane. All low-cost companies are usually uncomfortable, but AirAsia beats all records. If you are more than 180cm and you didn't buy priority seats with extra leg space, your flight with AirAsia is a torture. You have to fold or squeeze your leg so that you will miraculously fit in the tiny space. If you are more than 190cm, I do not believe you can fly in those seats. If you are more than 190cm and you ever managed to fit in an AirAsia seat, please give me your testimony below.

AirAsia usually flies from and to second class airports, not the main ones. This is true in Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok. Those airports are low-cost with less comfort, less shops and restaurants, and more queuing and disorganization. If you have to connect to another flight, unless it is another AirAsia flight, you will lose precious time running from one part of a city to the other.

Air Asia is very very often late and it is not just a personal impression. Just have a look at flightstats.com. You will see that some routes like Denpasar-Jakarta are on time on average 29% of the time only... Try to get any kind of compensation or excuse from a delayed flight and you will understand what is the meaning of low-cost services...

At last, the flight attendant of AirAsia are obviously recruited on their generous looks and it makes for a pleasant flight if you are a male like me. In terms of skills and attitude, they are probably on average more snobbish and arrogant than with other low cost airlines. Comparing them with flights attendants from regular companies like Singapore Airlines is a blasphemy. In terms of skills, I am not so sure but you should probably wish that nothing goes wrong during the flight...

My conclusion:

Personally I always avoid AirAsia because I consider that they are priced as regular airlines while offering the lowest standard of low cost service.

Be smart when you book a flight and check what is the real final price you pay and what kind of service are offered.

I would say book with AirAsia only if you can get a real promo and if you are flying without luggage, and without any need for extra services. You may also be sensitive to the safety issue as the record of the company doesn't show any deadly accident (but you may want to read this article though: Accident with AirAsia).

Salsa, Tango and Latin Dancing in Jakarta

October 8, 2014, 2:41 pm

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Salsa has been popular in Jakarta since the early 2000s.  You can actually dance and listen to Latin music any single night of the week in selected bars, clubs and restaurants in the city (see the lastest schedule below). 

The best Salsa nights in Jakarta are run by two teachers who have lived in Indonesia for many years now, Luisa and Damaris. They have contributed to the building of a passionate Salsa community, which is made of both locals and expats. 

Luisa

Damaris - Please note the woman wearing a jilbab next to her

Luisa & Elkin warming up the crowd in Ritz Carlton

Damaris

Most active participants are women, usually from upper level class and educated. There is such a lack of male dancers that the few that are available can be paid to become dance partners. If you are looking to meet great ladies, learning salsa in Jakarta is an excellent idea.

Salseros tend to dress up, especially in high-end venues such as the Ritz-Carlton. For girls, wearing high-heels and a dress is almost always a must.

Latin nights are usually preceded with Salsa classes hosted by Luisa or Damaris. Luisa is Colombian and she teaches Salsa in the Puerto Rican way, sometimes with her fellow countryman Elkin. She also knows Argentinian Tango. Damaris, who is from Cuba, is naturally teaching the Cuban way, with her Indonesian partner Chris. In general, you have to pay to attend Luisa's classes, in which you can get a more personalized approach. With Damaris, it is free but you will only get the basics, in group sessions.

Once the class is finished, you will have a DJ or a Live Music night. Typically, the latter are the most crowded and the most happening. The best bands in Jakarta for Latin music are Los Morenitos and Primavera. Both are similar and they have a large repertoire: Salsa, Tango, Merengue, Bachata, Kizomba, etc...

The following list of Latin Nights in Jakarta is up-to-date as of May 2014. It will probably be different in 6 months since the hosting venues change regularly. To get some information about the location of the classes and the latin nights, I invite you to email Luisa directly (lucha2807@yahoo.com) or to visit her website: Salsa Class Jakarta. Damaris post updates on her facebook page: Damaris Morales Salsa.

You can also email Indah (indah.ramadona@gmail.com) who helped me write this article (and she can give you tips on belly-dancing too!).

Monday

Salsa dancers go to Hotel Neo Melawai in Blok M, in the bar called Bite & Beer (BnB). It is headed by Damaris with Chris. Classes start at 7pm and the DJ at 8.30pm.

You can contact Bite & Beer at +62-21 2966 1400 or visit http://melawai.neohotels.com.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, the place to go to is the Tex-Mex restaurant Amigos in Bellagio Mall (Mega Kuningan). It is hosted by Luisa and the music is played live by the band Los Morenitos.

Wednesday

Damaris  teaches in Hacienda in Senayan Arcadia, again with Chris. It is then followed by a DJ.

You also have Luisa who host a salsa/tango night in Yeyo on Jalan Senopati (Kebayoran Baru) with the band Primavera. Classes from 7pm to 9pm, music until 1am.

Yeyo Senopati

Phone number: +62 21 7228129
Email: yeyo.rsvp@gmail.com
Facebook: Yeyo Jakarta

Thursday

You have two events, one with Luisa and one with Damaris.

Damaris is in Only One Club (often called O1) in FX Sudirman, 5th Floor, with the band Los Morenitos from 8pm to midnight.

Luisa is in Tempus (ex-Mistere) in Ritz Carlton hotel in Mega Kuningan with live music from Primavera. The entrance fee to Tempus is 100,000rp. Classes are from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Primavera plays until 1am.

Friday

Several persons told me it is the best night for salsa in Jakarta. There is only one place to my knowledge, Amigos in Kemang (be careful there is also one in Bellagio) from 9pm to 1am. They have classes before that from 6pm to 9M (including classes for children from 6pm to 7pm). It is hosted by Luisa with Los Morenitos.

On Friday night, there is another Latin night hosted by Let's Salsa Indonesia (see below) with Iono and Rony Noor. It happens in Warung Bang Hoody on Jalan Pejaten Barat Raya (near Australian International School) starting 7.30pm. The DJ plays lating music, zouk and kizomba.

Warung Bang Hoody (WBH)

Phone number: +62-21 4083 2934

Email: warungbanghoodyjkt@gmail.com

Twitter: @warungbanghoody

Saturday

Saturday is usually good also. It happens in the Caribbean restaurant Aruba in Pasaraya Mall (Blok M). It is again hosted by Luisa with Primavera band. Classes are held from 7pm to 9pm and the band plays until 1am.

Aruba restaurant

Phone number: +62 8 57 77 80 80 86
Email: info@arubajakarta.com
Website: Aruba Caribbean Jakarta

 Sunday

On Sunday, it starts at 6pm in the new branch of Hacienda restaurant in Pondok Indah Mall 3, you have classes by Damaris with live music from the band Los Paraguas.

If you are interested in salsa classes only, another alternative is to learn through "Let's Salsa Indonesia". They do not have a foreign teacher and they have mostly Indonesian students. They also organize events on a regular basis. Apart from Salsa, they can teach Bachata, Merengue, Reggaeton, Line Dancing, Rueda de Casino, Kizomba and Tango.

Other dances are becoming popular in Jakarta: Samba, Zumba, Flamenco, Pole Dancing, Burlesque, etc... If you have some information about events or classes, do not hesitate to share below! 

Expat Communities in Jakarta

October 24, 2014, 11:09 pm

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The population of Jakarta is predominantly made of Indonesians from Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi or any of the other islands of Indonesia. The first ethnic minority would be Indonesian Chinese. Expatriates represent a fraction of the population, with the main communities being Japanese, Korean, American, Australian, and European.

Expats in Jakarta are spread in the whole city, but as each community tends to stay in the same areas and frequent the same spot, it is possible to get a general mapping of where they live and hang out:

- Indians in Jakarta (Expat or Indonesians): Many live in Pasar Baru or Sunter area. You will find them in clubs like Immigrant or Cloud or in one of the restaurants listed here: Indian restaurants in Jakarta.

- Japanese and Korean Expatriates: Most live in South Jakarta in Kebayoran Baru area (Pakubowono, Senopati, Dharmawangsa, Pondok Indah). Many offices from Japanese companies are located in Thamrin or in the Northern part of Jalan Sudirman so there are quite many Japanese/Korean restaurants there too. There is a Little Tokyo in Jalan Melawai (Blok M), which is a combination of Japanese restaurants and karaokes.

- Americans and Australian Expats: With the Australian School and Jakarta International School being located in South Jakarta, many American and Australians live in the Kemang/Pondok Indah area. Even though Americans are one of the main nationalities in Jakarta, they are not so visible. Most often, they will go out in 5-star hotel bars/restaurants, expats bars in South Jakarta, in Blok M (Jalan Falatehan), X2, Red Square.

- Arab (Saudis): Saudis I've met in Jakarta come mostly for tourism. Many come to enjoy drinking alcohol and meeting with girls, far away from their wifes. Jakarta is usually a stop on their way to Puncak. In Jakarta, they will hangout in Cikini area (Arabian Tent Cafe) or in Gatot Subroto in the club De Leila.

- European Expats in Jakarta are not a single community, but since each nationality is small, I prefer to group them: You will mostly find them in Kemang, Cipete, Pondok Indah, and in the Golden Triangle (Surdiman, Rasuna Said, Mega Kuningan). Naturally, they will hang out in clubs in those areas, particularly X2, Red Square, Immigrant, SKYE and all the expat bars.

- Indo Chinese are not expats obviously but still I wanted to include them on this listing: They are to be found mostly in Pluit, Pantai Indah Kapuk and Kelapa Gading for the wealthiest. In Glodok, the Chinese Glodok are supposed to be from a lower level. You will find them in many places in Jakarta, for instance Sun City, Club 36, Empirica, Da Fu.

- African: I haven't been there in a long time so I'm not sure if it is still valid, but in 2007 there was a small Nigerian community living in Jalan Jaksa/Wahid Hasyim area.

- Russian expats: I have rarely seen Russians in Jakarta except in Dragonfly and SKYE. According to my taxi driver, there are two big Russian expat compounds in Senopati and Tebet.

Warning: This post is full of generalities and stereotypes. It is not a scientific study about Expats in Jakarta, but merely observations I made while living here. I would be more than happy to receive your comments.

Jakarta Nightlife 2014

November 3, 2014, 9:43 am

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Jakarta nightlife has changed quite a bit since my previous guides: "Jakarta Nightlife 2011", "Jakarta Nightlife 2012" and "Jakarta Nightlife Tips". Before you head out tonite, these are the latest trends in the Jakarta's partying scene:

The new center of Jakarta nightlife in 2014 is in SCBD (Sudirman Central Business District), in the ex-Bengkel area. In 2 years, many bars and clubs have opened there and they attract the wealthy, trendy youth of Jakarta:
To have a drink, try Lucy in the Sky, Potato Head Garage, Beer Garden, Canos in Foundry 8
For clubbing: Fable (Young crowd, Jakarta International School) or Empirica (Upper Class Indo Chinese). 

These places do not have too many tourists or expatriates yet.
Apart from that area, two new clubs worth trying have opened in 2013: Alibi on Rasuna Said (replacing JackRabbit) and the popular Exodus from the Stadium group.

Immigrant was still on top of the game when it closed down for renovation a few months ago. We can expect it will still be popular with a more mature crowd (25-45 years old) when it reopens.

Dragonfly, Red Square (closed) and X2 now attract mostly foreigners and girls looking for foreigners, with a varying proportion of working girls in each (high in Red Square, lower in X2 and Dragonfly). Equinox in X2 is always full on weekends but the crowd is not as upper class as it used to be.

The following bars/lounge/restaurants are usually always busy with expats on weekend nights: Loewy, Bluegrass, Aphrodite, Liquid Exchange, Social House, Cork & Screw, Union, Potato Head, Eastern Promise, De Hooi, Fez, Face Bar, Awan Lounge, Molly Malone's, Murphy's, Black Cat, Melly's, Vin +. Level 5 of Grand Indonesia is nice too with many new cafés like Warung Kopi Tinggi, H5, Ismaya Catering Co.

There are 3 popular rooftop bars in Jakarta: SKYE is the best one with regular events. It is a good place to start a party night and it is busy every day. Cloud is very similar. You also have Awan Lounge in Kosenda hotel but for a younger, cheaper crowd

Hard Rock Cafe has moved for a third time in 10 years. It is now in Pacific Place but it isn't really happening.

Blowfish has been renovated. It is smaller and has become more quiet. Domain as well has some good nights but it is mostly quiet.

Prices have increased. It is not uncommon to pay a 200,000rp entrance fee in the most popular clubs.

Jackrabbit, Luv's Bar and Tribeca have closed. Jaya Pub hasn't and it is still the oldest bar in Jakarta nightlife.

BATS, CJs, Blok M are pretty much the same as before: They have live music, expats and businessmen, and lots of working girls. You can go there pretty much any day of the week and it should be busy. Some other hotel bars are not really happening but they are ok for a drink: Burgundy (Hyatt), MO (Mandarin Oriental).
Tiga Puluh (Le Meridien) and Tempus (Ritz Carlton Mega Kuningan) have live music as well but aren't too crowded.

Bars in Jalan Jaksa change name regularly, but the atmosphere hasn't changed. It is a mix of young indonesians, working girls, professional girlfriends, backpackers, budget expatriates, gays and random people.

7/11 stores are becoming the new cheap bars in Jakarta. On Weekends, they will be full everywhere.

Off the beaten track but very popular too, De Leila is where Saudis go to party in Jakarta.

In Kemang, it is hard to keep track but Nu China, 365 and Triple Nine are still there and crowded. There is a new strip of bars on Jalan Taman Kemang with many recent openings: Umbra, Beer Brother, Parc 19, Liberica, Cowboys Saloon. Hipsters may want to check Treehouse or Cafe Mondo.

In North Jakarta, the music is changing: Techno Kota/ Techno Dangdut/ Funky House is slowly becoming a thing of the past. They don't have it anymore in Mille's and Millenium (but still in Crown, Exotis, Puja Sera). The popular places are still the same: Stadium and Crown are the busiest ones even during the week. (Update May 2014: Stadium is currently closed following the death by overdose of a Policeman).

Still packed as well are Club 36, Malio Club, Alexis, Mille's and Millenium. Sexy dancers and striptease (full naked or boobs only) is the norm in many places: Classic, Malioboro, Crown, Club 36, V2, Emporium, Sumo, etc etc... Even in Stadium during the week...

Prostitution and massage parlours are still operating freely in the capital of the largest Muslim country in the world (Travel Hotel, Classic, Fortune, Malioboro, Alexis, Emporium, Orchardz, etc... basically all the clubs outside of the city center). Drug use is also massive in North Jakarta even though the prices have tripled in a few years.

The only major new nightlife venue in North Jakarta, 1001 (Colosseum) is a surprising success. I consider it to be one of the most impressive nightclubs in the city. Great lighting, great music and good crowd. On the other hand, Illigals, even though it has some interesting events is still rather quiet.

There is also some nightlife that has emerged outside of Jakarta's city center: In particular, in Central Park Mall near Taman Anggrek and in Pantai Indah Kapuk, near Pluit. Those are Cafés/lounges, no real nightlclubs to my knowledge.

Closing hours for the night clubs is very unpredictable. Officially, it is 3am but it seems to change every week. Normally, clubs in the South close at 5am maximum, and clubs in Kota around 7am-9am. Clubs that can be used for afters are Mille's and Exotis. It is very common to rent a karaoke room to keep the party going in some clubs like Stadium, Millenium, Crown.

Since I cannot be everywhere all the time, please drop a comment if I missed something! Thanks a lot!

More pictures of Jakarta Nightlife's new venues (Empirica and Exodus):

Bengawan Restaurant @ Keraton at the Plaza Hotel

November 14, 2014, 2:29 am

≫ Next: Blu at Shangri-La Hotel

≪ Previous: Jakarta Nightlife 2014

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If you are a Mexican food lover, you can read my review of my favorite Spanish and Mexican places in Jakarta.

Keraton at the Plaza in Jakarta might be one of the most luxurious and elegant hotels in the city, along with The Hermitage, The Kempinski, The Mandarin Oriental or The Ritz-Carlton. 

They have a buffet with fine cheeses, fresh oysters, and a wide variety of meat. But I came here to taste their "Modern Mexican kitchen". It is a special Mexican menu designed by a friendly Mexican chef (see picture above), struggling everyday to get Mexican products in his kitchen in Jakarta.

I don't know another restaurant in Jakarta serving Fine Dining Mexican food and Bengawan is unique in that sense: Their dishes are colorful, tasty and .... Spicy! I recommend Bengawan for genuine Mexican cuisine cooked by a native Mexican and passionate chef: One of a kind place in Jakarta, with a nice view of the city.

The Keraton being a 5-star + hotel, you should expect to pay rather expensive prices of course.

Bengawan at Keraton at the Plaza Hotel

The Plaza Tower

Jalan Thamrin

Jakarta 10350

Phone number: +62 (0)21 5068 0000

Email: luxurycollection.keraton@luxurycollection.com

Bengawan website

Keraton at the Plaza Facebook Page

Blu at Shangri-La Hotel

November 14, 2014, 2:51 am

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Blu at Shangri-La is the new fancy lounge of the Shangri-La Hotel, located right next to their huge swimming pool.

The main advantage with it is that you can say to your wife you want to go to Blu, then sneak in nearby BATS which is a lot more fun.

I wouldn't go there for clubbing unless they have special events, but I can imagine it is fine for a few drinks or some light food before BATS. It is more suitable for a woman crowd probably.

Opening Hours:
Wednesday to Saturday from 5:00 PM to 12:00 AM

Blu @ Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta

Kota BNI, Jln. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 1, 

Jakarta 10220 

Phone: 021 2939 9562
Blu Twitter
Blu at Shangri-La Facebook

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Top 10 Rooftop Bars in Jakarta

December 6, 2014, 10:27 pm

≫ Next: Publik Markette vs Caffé Milano

≪ Previous: Blu at Shangri-La Hotel

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When you live and work in a city like Jakarta, you might want to elevate yourself above the traffic and the pollution. Rooftop bars give you this opportunity to enjoy a drink outside in the open air and to experience another sight of the city, most often spectacular. Most of Jakarta's Rooftop Bars listed here are located in Hotels or in landmark office buildings.

Here is a list of the 10 best Rooftop Bars, to have a drink with friends, to bring your date, to enjoy Jakarta's skyline or to simply enjoy Jakarta's Nightlife while having a drink outside.

1. Skye Bar
56th floor,
Menara BCA, Jalan Thamrin

2. Cloud Lounge
49th floor,
The Plaza building, Jalan Thamrin

 3. Awan Lounge 
9th floor,
Kosenda Hotel, Jalan Wahid Hasyim

4. Soupanova Ecosky
23rd floor,
GKM Tower, Jalan TB Simatupang

5. BART
7th floor,
Artotel Hotel, Jalan Sunda (near Sarinah)

6. La Vue
Top floor,
The Hermitage Hotel, Menteng

7. SHY Rooftop
Top floor,
The Papilion Building in Kemang.

8. 8 Lounge
8th floor,
The Ritz-Carlton Pacific Place, SCBD

9. FJ on 7
7th floor,
The colony building in Kemang.

10. Lobbyn
Top floor,
FaveHotel Kemang.

Lucy in the Sky is also a good option for a Rooftop bar in the SCBD area, even though it is only located on the 2nd floor.

Publik Markette vs Caffé Milano

February 28, 2015, 12:30 am

≫ Next: Newton Executive Club (Lokasari)

≪ Previous: Top 10 Rooftop Bars in Jakarta

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Following the opening of Central retail store and Uniqlo in Grand Indonesia, there has been a few new restaurants opening in this part of the mall. The two most popular are Publik Markette and Caffè Milano. I tried both of them for a quick double lunch on a weekday. In that same area, you also have Union Deli, Benedict and Nomz that I did not visit.

Publik Markette was opened by Ismaya (SKYE, Kitchenette, Pizza e Birra, Fook Yew, etc) and Caffé Milano is owned by the same people behind Union (some of which are also shareholders in Loewy, E&O and Cork & Screw). The Union group's venues, concept and design, are more geared towards Westerners while Ismaya's concepts are very popular among local Indonesians and less among expats (except for a few venues such as Dragonfly). Ismaya is usually more playful, more creative and innovative, while Union stays more classic and chic.

Caffè Milano:

Caffè Milano does not offer anything really new in terms of design and originality compared to the group's other venues. Even though it looks nice and classy, it is a disappointment for this part. Regarding the food, it is prepared by an Italian Chef, Luca Pezzera, so it is rather decent from what I could try. It is quite expensive for what you get though. I paid Rp200,000 for a basic pasta dish (Linguini with Ragout) and a sparkling water. For a 100,000rp more, I prefer choosing a full set lunch menu from Casa d'Oro in Kempinski Grand Indonesia, or in Scusa in Intercontinental also nearby.

Publik Markette

Publik Markette, on the contrary, is quite original, with an artsy design I have not seen elsewhere yet in Jakarta (I let you look at their photos). Their concept is similar to an adult version of Marché restaurants. You can take food and drinks from the display, or order from the menu. Taste-wise, as with most mall restaurants serving Western food in Jakarta, it is average with more misses than hits. The prices are not too high considering the location.

Overall: 

If you are looking for a buzzing and trendy place, both places will make you happy.

If you are looking for a classy venue with better food, more expats and closing late, you should go to Caffè Milano.

If you are looking for an original and comfortable place to eat or drink, you should go to Publik Markette.

If you are looking for excellent food at a decent price, you should go elsewhere.

Caffè Milano

Jl. M.H. Thamrin

Grand Indonesia East Mall, Central Department Store - Ground Floor

Phone number: +62 21 23580638

Facebook: Caffè Milano

Instagram: Caffè Milano

Website: Caffè Milano Jakarta

Publik Markette

Jl. M.H. Thamrin

Grand Indonesia East Mall, Central Department Store - Ground Floor

Phone number: +62 21 23581281

Facebook: Publik Markette Jakarta

Newton Executive Club (Lokasari)

March 9, 2015, 4:52 am

≫ Next: Jakarta Nightlife in 2015

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Newton is a new luxury "Executive Club" with a lounge and a karaoke. It is located in the red-light district of Lokasari, just next to Mille's.

At the moment it is still quiet and the customers are almost all locals. There are many hostesses and girls companions hanging out in the lounge, where you have naked girl striptease in the evening.

For me nothing special, just a cheaper option compared to Malioboro or Alexis. A good reason to go there though could be to make a pre-party before going to Mille's.

Newton Executive Club Jakarta

Ruko Permata Lokasari Blok B1 (between Glodok and Mangga Besar)

West Jakarta

Phone number: +62- 21 6291.888

More photos on their website: http://www.newtownexecutive.com/

Jakarta Nightlife in 2015

March 29, 2015, 5:23 am

≫ Next: Top 10 Beer Bars, Pubs and Beer Gardens in Jakarta in 2015

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Jakarta nightlife has been a bit disappointing recently. After living over 10 years in Jakarta, 2015 is so far my worst year in the city, nightlife-wise. 

As Jakarta is becoming more developed, its unique craziness is starting to diminish: Stadium has been closed, probably for political reasons, just months before the Presidential election. It hasn't really been replaced yet. Illigals organizes parties regularly with the resident DJs of Stadium but it is absolutely not the same. The club is rarely crowded and it closes early. Other people go to Colosseum, which I find impressive and worth a look, but totally boring. Most of the crowd there is made of males, glued at their tables with escorts from Alexis. It also closes early. The best choice would be Mille's, especially if you are looking for an after-hour venue, but it only attracts the hardcore clubbers using drugs. If you are not into drugs, you won't manage to stay in Mille's for more than an hour. The karaoke rooms of Golden Crown or Level 5 in Kelapa Gading can be used as small, private clubs and they can be considered as an alternative if you are with a group of friends.

Apart from Stadium, Red Square and Millenium too have been closed. To compensate, not many new openings. You have Nebula in Central Park which is not really happening. Kemang has its new favorites but I can't keep up with the scene there. Immigrant has been renovated and it is a disappointment now, I've stopped going there. Blowfish's renovation on the contrary was a success and it might be the best club in Jakarta at the moment.

The hottest/hippest nightlife area in Jakarta in 2015 is in SCBD, not far from Pacific Place. The lease of this land is supposed to expire soon so all those bars and clubs are built for a short time only. You have the "old" places like Fable, Lucy in The Sky, Potato Head Garage, Empirica. Each of these bring their own kind of crowd: Fable the spoilt kids from international high schools, Lucy in The Sky the spoilt students, Potato Head Garage the spoilt young executives, Empirica the spoilt young Chinese. The area has welcomed new bars and lounges too such as Hide and Seek. On weekends, all of these will be packed so it's easy for you to move around and to find which one best suits you. During the week, it is much more quiet unless there is an event.

Most of the new trendy places have been targeting Indonesian wannabe hipsters. The hipster trend is great for business: Basically, you can charge premium prices for people to hangout in dumpsters and receive zero service. I love underground places when they charge underground prices. But places like the ones mentioned above (+ a few like Bauhaus, Awan Lounge, etc.) are abusing. I hope this trend will fade as it has become ridiculous. 5-star hotels restaurants with great service and setting are sometimes cheaper.

Almost all the clubs and bars in Jakarta have completely given up on trying to be original in terms of music. Apart from a few exceptions such as Safe House, Cloud, Skye or 365, the music played is mostly horrible. Clubs have no identity and they all seem to be satisfied with the current mainstream hits. I don't want to sound too snobbish, but hearing weeks after weeks and clubs after clubs the same songs over and over again makes me depressed. I don't understand why they have a DJ since the guy just plays the same mix-tape every night. There are so many great musicians and DJs, it's not too hard to check on internet what is going on in the world of electronic music. Your only chance at hearing good music in a club in Jakarta is to patiently wait for a "famous" invited international DJ to play. Fortunately there is one about once a week either in Blowfish, Dragonfly, Illigals, X2 and others.

The cost of clubbing has dramatically increased in Jakarta. It is quite hard to have a decent night out without spending at least 2M rupiah in entrance fees (200,000rp is standard in upscale clubs), drinks (easily reaching 150,000rp/glass), food or taxi fares. If you are into paying for girls or massage parlours, it will be even more. The most famous clubs are also increasingly segregating customers between those booking tables/bottles and those simply ordering drinks at the bar. It is probably the curse of every city to become more pretentious as it develops but it surely makes me feel nostalgic. On the other side, in the absence of real bouncers, the entrance of clubs and lounges is regulated by overzealous hostesses and security guards who will let in a guy wearing a 10$ polo short but refuse entry to another guy wearing a 300$ branded t-shirt.

On weekends, the clubs and bars have become full of expat tourists from Southeast Asia's other capital cities. X2 was once a club with 20 or 30 "bules" maximum. Now you have at least 100 on weekend nights. Same things in Immigrant, Dragonfly, etc. I am a foreigner too so I'm not in a position to criticize it too much, but I just regret the time when Jakarta was more authentic and less international. It seems people were more friendly then too. Naturally, tourists are one of the reasons the prices are going up.

Jakarta was much better in 1950

Some people still come to Jakarta thinking it is a 24-hour clubbing city. Unfortunately, apart from the most extreme clubs in North and West Jakarta, you will most likely be home by 5am. It is still not bad compared to other cities in Asia, but it is another sign that Jakarta is becoming a more reasonable city. 

In spite of all this, I still consider that Jakarta nightlife is among the best in the region. My Jakarta Nightlife 2014 guide is still rather up to date except for the closing of Stadium, Red Square and Millenium. Most places haven't changed: CJs, BATS, Golden Crown or 36 are the same as they were 5 years ago. With all the talk about fighting drugs we hear from Jokowi, I am also surprised that some ecstasy factories like Sydney 2000, Exotis or Mille's still exist.

I will also post in a few days my recommendation for the best clubs, bars, restaurants and spas in 2015. In the meantime, please comment on this article if you don't agree with me or if you have some interesting information for others to read. Thanks a lot!

Read more: The Best Bars in Jakarta in 2015

Photo credit: All photos were taken on Blowfish facebook page.

Top 10 Beer Bars, Pubs and Beer Gardens in Jakarta in 2015

April 2, 2015, 4:47 am

≫ Next: Top 10 Striptease and Sexy Dancer Shows in Jakarta in 2015

≪ Previous: Jakarta Nightlife in 2015

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Starting 2015, you are normally not allowed to buy any alcohol, including beer, from minimarts all over Indonesia. It should take a few months before someone smart finds a way to bypass the law so until then, you'll need to find a friendly and cheap bar to grab a beer when needed.

Beer bars are not difficult to find in Jakarta so to avoid listing 100 venues, I made a choice with the following considerations in mind:

Is the place crowded? Does it have a large choice of imported beers? Is it friendly? Does it have regular events? Is it popular with expats? Is it affordable? Does it have good food? Is the atmosphere appealing?

The more YES I answered to those questions, the higher the ranking. Please comment below if you want to add a venue. 

For those looking for a place to celebrate St Patrick Day's or Oktoberfest, it is a good list to start with as well.

Sorry to that guy for posting this photo. I hope his boss is not a reader.

1) Beer Brothers (Kemang)

Large choice of beers, mixed crowd of locals and younger expats, easy-going.

2) Beer Garden (Menteng, Kemang, SCBD, Radio Dalam)

All their locations are usually packed. Crowd mostly local.

3) Paulaner Brauhaus (Grand Indonesia)

High end beer bar. Good food, large choice of beers including their own Paulaner.

4) Brewerkz (Senayan City)

Singaporean owned. Rather posh and neat. They have their own micro-brewery.

5) De Hooi (Pondok Indah)

Friendly expat bar, many regulars, great food menu.

6) Eastern Promise (Kemang)

Meeting point of most expats in Kemang. Always happening. Good music.

7) Murphy's (Kemang)

First irish pub in Jakarta. Friendly staff and good management.

8) Molly Malones (Senayan Arcadia)

Second irish pub in Jakarta, same owner as Murphy's.

9) De Burse (SCBD)

Same owner as De Hooi and Eastern Promise. Similar concept but more intimate setting.

10) Liquid Exchange (Rasuna Said)

Reasonable prices, good location, eclectic crowd and decent choice of beers.

The following bars and beer garden almost made my list but finally didn't:

Melly's Garden: Uncomfortable

The Barrels in Kelapa Gading - Too much noise from La Piazza Mall

Joglo Beer in Kemang - Not visited yet

Brew & Co Cilandak- No visited yet

Top Gun in Blok M - Too loud, too dirty, too noisy, too many prostitutes

Pizza e Birra - Horrible food

Aphrodite in Taman Rasuna and Mad Dogs in Cilandak - Getting old now

Minus 2 - A bit far in PIK

Double Doors - Not city center

La Bière - Central Park - Not a fun crowd

Jimm's Sports Café and Everest Bar in Bellagio: Almost made it

Bremer in Kemang: Haven't been there in a long time and I don't know if it still exist

Photo credit: Pictures taken freely from the facebook page of Beer Garden and Beer Brother. 

Top 10 Striptease and Sexy Dancer Shows in Jakarta in 2015

April 4, 2015, 3:38 am

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Yes, even in self-righteous Indonesia you will find more strip clubs and sexy dancers than in most other Asian countries. Sure Bangkok has its fair share of gogo bars, but women there rarely go full nude in public. In Jakarta, you have dozens of places with daily naked shows for a male public, obviously, to enjoy.

Remember that you are in Jakarta, not in Hollywood. Don't expect a spectacular striptease show with pole dancing, synchronized choreographies and splits, it is usually pretty basic. In most places, you can also book the stripper for a private dance and more depending on the size of your wallet. In all those places, the dancers usually try to get customers to buy them ladies' drinks after they've finished their routine. The price for a drink is between 50k and 100k. If you buy one, you will just get a thank you. If you buy at least 3, you will get a short lap dance. If you buy more than 3, you won't get much more. 

The huge majority of those venues are located in North and West Jakarta in the following districts : Kelapa Gading, Taman Anggrek, Taman Sari, Hayam Wuruk, Gadjah Mada, Mangga Besar, Lokasari. If you stay in Sudirman area, the closest ones will be about 5 kilometers away. Without traffic in the evening it's a 15 minutes ride. 

Following a hard work of research and investigation, here is my list of the Top 10 Best Striptease and Sexy Dancer bars in Jakarta in 2015

1) Tease Club (Full Nude)

Managed by Alex Tirta from Alexis Group. It may be the most sophisticated strip club to date in Jakarta in terms of costumes and choreography. They used to have a live sex show but it was probably too risky. Even corruption has its limits in Indonesia.

2) Malioboro (Full Nude)

Managed by the biggest competitor of Alex Tirta in the naughty nightlife scene, the Stadium group. There are dancers in two areas, the Malio Club with about 8 to 10 girls dancing non stop, and the Malio Spa which is less busy.

3) King Cross (Full Nude)

Managed by Stadium Group as well. Sexy dancers on two floors. The best ones are on the top floors. It is best to arrive early to avoid the crowd (like 10pm).

4) Classic Hotel (Full Nude)

3 floors have dancers in Classic Hotel: On the ground floor, you have the best dancers but there is an entrance fee and the drinks are more expensive. On the 2nd floor and 5th floor, you have a basic dance show in two huge rooms (they are also called Terminal 2 and Terminal 5 as you are given a boarding pass upon exit). You should be aware that Classic is more a bordello than a bar.

5) Club 36 (Full Nude for Indonesian girls, Bikini for Thai Girls)

Wait another hour and you will have the dancers instead of the band

Club 36 is owned by Alex Tirta as well and it is located just next to Jayakarta Hotel. Intimate and usually crowded, you always have about 10 girls dancing on the main bar. It is the only place in Jakarta with Thai dancers.

6) D's Place in Blok M (Bikini in Main Room, Full Nude in private)

D's Place is one of the oldest bars of Blok M. You have a main room with a podium in the middle where girls will do sexy dances in bikini. Those girls are usually quite young and pretty. You also have a more private room, the "corner bar", where you can get a private lap dance from older girls. You can actually get more than a lap dance: D's place could be considered as the only blowjob bar in Jakarta.

7) V2 (Full Nude)

V2 is a small one stop entertainment complex located at the beginning of Gadjah Madah street. If you come from Sudirman, it is quite easy to find. Nothing really special compared to the places mentioned above. They have live music and topless DJ from Eastern Europe once in a while.

8) Golden Crown (Topless)

Inside Golden Crown, you have a lounge with western music with sexy dancers during the week.

9) Diamond (Full Nude)

Diamond Club is a discreet venue located just between Harco Glodok and Lindeteves LTC Mall. Dancers go full nude.

10) Sumo Spa (Full Nude or Topless, I'm not sure)

Sumo Spa in Kelapa Gading is also owned by the Stadium Group. They have a small lounge with dancers.

In case you need more addresses:

List of venues with non-nude sexy dancers:

Play Club in Hotel Alexis

Dreams Club in Plaza Indonesia: I didn't review it yet so I'll be interested to get more information. Apparently they have dancers/models from Eastern Europe.

Illigals in Hayam Wuruk: They have regular events but no nude or topless dancing to my knowledge.

Flirt Bar in Fashion Hotel: Daily - They've had topless dancing on occasion and some Russian TDJ (Topless DJ)

Nebula: Occasionally

Sun City: Daily, during break time of the live band:

Other places with sexy dancers that didn't make the Top 10:

Comfort Spa in Mangga Dua

Galaxy Spa in Fatmawati (Owned by Delta Spa)

CDs Club by Delta Spa

M Star in Mangga Dua

Top 1 Taman Anggrek

Newton in Lokasari

Fortune Spa in Sudirman

MTR in Kelapa Gading

For the following places I'm not sure if there are dancers or not, but it would not be surprising if they do:

Zen Karaoke in Thamrin

Colosseum/1001 in Kota Tua

De Leila in Gatot Subroto

New Medika in Daan Mogot

Bandara in Taman Anggrek

I've probably forgotten a few places, please comment on this list of the best Strip Club and Sexy Dancer Show in Jakarta to help me keep it updated and accurate. Thanks!

Dream Ultralounge (Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta)

April 4, 2015, 8:10 pm

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Dream Ultralounge is a luxury club, restaurant and lounge who had its soft opening in February 2015. It is part of the revamping of the restaurant Moovina, which has been split in several venues, namely Wine Connection and Dream on its upper floor.

Located in Plaza Indonesia, arguably the most prestigious mall in Jakarta, Dream is the counterpart of the Ego Ultralounge/X2 in Plaza Senayan. It is targeting a similar crowd of wealthy Indonesian executives and expats who don't mind spending a few millions a night to entertain themselves. As it is still new, it has not been ruined yet by the tourists and the ayam as Ego/X2 did already a few years ago.

I find their motto "F*ck Water, Drink Champage" to be quite inappropriate considering the situation of Indonesia but it will give you an idea of the mindset of the people inside. If your budget is just a few hundred thousand rupiah and if you don't like wearing high heels, you may want to avoid it.

They have a live acoustic band every evening, followed by a DJ. They promise to bring a guest DJ every Saturday and to hold a themed event every Friday. They also have model fashion shows regularly.

Overall: Even though it is a bit pompous, I still recommend you to visit Dream because of its central location, its décor and its exclusive feel. Depending the evening, the music can be quite good as well. It is also more suitable for 30+ clubbers.

Dream Ultra Lounge

Mall Plaza Indonesia 4th floor - Moovina

Jalan Thamrin Kav 28-30 

Phone number:  +62-21 2992 3999 (fixed line) or +62 (0) 878 8536 8895 (mobile)

Website: Dream Club Jakarta 

Facebook: Dream Jakarta 

Instagram: Dream Lounge Jakarta 

Twitter: Ultralounge Dream Jakarta

Opening Hours: Every day until late. Closed on Sunday.

Note that there used to be a club in Mangga Besar named Dreams.

Photo credit: I took the pictures on Dream's facebook page.

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3 Reasons I Don't Read Indonesian Food Blogs

April 5, 2015, 3:49 am

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Before criticizing Indonesian food blogs, I will criticize myself first. Hopefully it will spare me the whataboutery comments:

- My blog is visually not appealing.

- I make grammar and spelling mistakes.

- I don't always take pictures from the places I visit. 

- There are some types of food I don't have much knowledge about (Korean, Japanese food). 

- I make review of restaurants I have tried only once.

- I don't update as often as I should my older reviews

- Etc.

That being said, I will allow myself to look at the work other bloggers are doing in Indonesia. I am impressed by the number of food and restaurant review blogs existing in the country, particularly in Jakarta. Many of the people behind them are really dedicated and I am sure they spend hours preparing their articles every week. I also find that in terms of design, some blogs are absolutely stunning. 

In spite of that, I don't really follow them for the 3 reasons listed below:

1) Increasing number of sponsored reviews

As I was doing some research about Publik Markette, I noticed that 80% of all the food blogs I visited based their reviews on a food tasting event they had been invited to. Even though the bloggers were honest enough to mention they did not pay for their food, it raises suspicions on the sincerity of the reviews they will write. Another issue is that they all experienced the restaurant on the same day, with the same dishes, in an event that cannot be compared to the experience of a regular customer. For this reason, I would consider that all these reviews are irrelevant because they do not describe a genuine dining experience. The only way to make it interesting would be to review the event and then to write about the restaurant separately. Unfortunately this never happens.

2) Focus on the form rather than substance

Indonesian food blogs tend to have a very nice design and excellent photos. They usually use a creative template and each has a unique style. However, when you start reading the content, it is quite basic with very little criticism.  I often feel I am reading an advertorial instead of an actual review.

The truth is that most restaurants in Jakarta are average and a few only are actually good. Yet, reading Indonesian food blogs, it seems that Jakarta is the culinary capital of the World blessed with only wonderful eateries serving amazing food. 

In my opinion, pictures in a food blog should reflect the reality of the experience of the diners. I used to review restaurants using a Canon 5D which was transforming any food into something spectacular. While it was making my blog look nice, I switched to a more simple camera a few years ago because I felt the result was more honest. There is nothing wrong in posting incredible pictures of a restaurant, but again as a reader it tends to mislead people into thinking a restaurant is better than it is.

Quite a gap sometimes between the picture and the reality

I have also noticed that many will use verbiage and exaggeration when describing a dish they have sampled. I read a 200-word paragraph praising a beef cordon blue as if God himself had cooked it. This is even more useless because in Indonesia, there is no such thing as dish consistency. It is almost impossible to get the same dish cooked and prepared the same way twice. Personally I prefer when the reviewer go straight to the point but it might only be me.

3) Limited knowledge of Western food & Wines

I read Indonesian blogs each time I need information about a Chinese or Indonesian restaurant. When it comes to Western food though, I will not use them as a reference. If we look at their background, most of the English-speaking bloggers form an homogeneous group of middle to high class Indonesians, mostly from Chinese origin, who studied abroad. While this does not affect the quality of one reviewer, it means that in terms of diversity, they will tend to have similar opinion and similar taste. Considering Western food, they tend to favor dishes that are more fat or more sweet than the authentic ones for instance. If I wrote about Indonesian food, I would probably not be the most pertinent judge as well.

The Typical Indonesian Food Blogger would say that this is a perfectly cooked hot dog with just the right amount of cheese

The idea behind this article is not to bully or to mock Indonesian Food bloggers. As I said, I really think their work is great and in many aspects, better than my own. I am just listing a few reasons why I don't read them.

If you have a blog and you do not read me, I would be grateful myself to know what I could improve and how.

Top 10 Best Bars in Jakarta in 2015

April 7, 2015, 6:02 am

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As promised on my Jakarta Nightlife 2015 review, I am updating the blog with my list of Jakarta's best venues in 2015. 

For more recommendation about the best bars in the city, you can check my review about Jakarta's Best Beer Bars and Beer Garden. You may also want to read last year's ranking: Jakarta's Best Bars 2014.

More rankings coming in the next few days: Best Clubs, Best Spas, Best Live Music.

Regarding this year's best bars, I made the list based on my personal preferences only. If you are a Western expat in your 30s, you will probably find it relevant. If you think a bar should be included here, please drop me a comment and I will visit the place if I haven't done it already.

In this month of April 2015, my favorite bars in Jakarta are:

1) Cloud Lounge

Cloud is the best place for a drink in Jakarta in my opinion. You have good music, good people, good view, good service and good food/drinks. I only wish it could become more wild sometimes late at night.

2) Safehouse

The newcomer Safehouse is small and not particularly pretty, but it may have the best music in Jakarta. Visit it if you are into electronic music (and expats).

3) Loewy

The ever popular Loewy is always happening, especially in the evenings around its main bar. Lots of expats and lot of expat hunters.

4) Potato Head Garage

Potato Head Garage is not always happening, but when it does it is usually for fun events with a great crowd. Visit it on weekends only.

5) Lucy in the Sky

Popular hangout for the cool kids in Jakarta. 

6) SKYE

First rooftop bar in Jakarta, similar to Cloud with a slightly less impressive view. The service gets messy when they are busy.

7) BATS and CJs

Band in CJs

Some people prefer BATS, some people prefer CJs. Both are quite similar if not identical: They are hotel bars with live music and a crowd of husbands having fun away from home.

8) E&O

Primarily a restaurant, their bar can be a great place to go for a drink on the right evening. They are serving among the best cocktails in Jakarta.

9) 365

Alternative bar with usually a good music selection and an interesting crowd.

10) Potato Head - Social House - Union - Cork & Screw

Union in Plaza Senayan

Those places have been around for half a decade now, which is an eternity in Jakarta. They are not exactly bars but they are still popular with upmarket Indonesians who want to drink and hangout.

As you may have noted, there are 14 bars listed above. Indeed, Jakarta's Top 14 Bars did not sound well to my ears. Photo Credit: I took the liberty of taking them from each venue's facebook page.

Online Dating Sites & Apps In Indonesia

April 11, 2015, 1:27 am

≫ Next: 30 Groups Who Own Jakarta Nightlife

≪ Previous: Top 10 Best Bars in Jakarta in 2015

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I once wrote a review about dating Indonesian girls and where to meet them. You can still read it here: Where to meet Indonesian girls? Most of the information on the review is still valid, but it certainly needs an update on the world of online dating through websites or social apps such as Badoo, Tinder, WeChat, Skoot, Beetalk, etc.

If you are looking for a great girl in Jakarta, online dating is by far your best chance. 90% of the girls there are looking for a stable relationship. Another 9% is looking for money. And maybe less than 1 percent is looking for a one night stand (not the hottest girls usually). The fact that they are looking for a stable relationship does not mean they want to get married straight away. It means they want to feel a long term relationship is possible. For this reason, it may be more difficult for you to find a date if you are not staying in Indonesia and if you do not speak Indonesian.

Depending on which website or which app you use, you can pretty much chat with any type of women you could think of: Students, employees, executives, single mom, etc from any ethnicity or religion. There is such a diversity that it would be hard to generalize. To give you a better understanding, I will describe the specificities of each dating app or website below:

Badoo (Mobile app and website)

Badoo is probably the best dating website to use in Indonesia. They also have a mobile app which is called "Hot or Not". It has a very large number of users, with usually several hundred women online at anytime in Jakarta.

Badoo attracts 99,9% of Indonesian girls, from all background. You can filter girls by age, location, status, body type, etc. Most girls can speak English and many are interested to meet foreigners.

Tinder(Mobile app only)

When Tinder started in Indonesia, most of its users where either foreign or Western educated girls. Its base has now expanded, but it is still the most trendy app to use. For this reason, this is where you will meet the most girls who can speak English and who have well-paid jobs. This is also where the most girls are interested to meet foreigners.

WeChat (Mobile app only)

WeChat has a "look around" feature which allows you to add girls located within a few kilometers from you. If they accept your invitation, you can start chatting with them.

Many ladyboys and prostitutes use that feature so it can be quite annoying if this is not what you are looking for. You will also probably receive a lot of invitations from other guys. Girls using this feature do not always speak English very well. It is popular with the Chinese community but your chances of getting a reply is low unless you speak Chinese.

Beetalk(Mobile app only)

Beetalk users are mostly Indonesian and young. It has a "look around" feature as well which is quite invasive as it tells you the exact position of the people around you. If you use it in popular malls like Grand Indonesia or Central Park, it will probably tell you a list of person within a very close range, sometimes a few meters only.

Few girls using Beetalk speak good English so it is more appropriate for those with a basic knowledge of Indonesian. It is a good app but not the most effective for foreigners.

Tagged / Hi5 (Mobile app and website)

Tagged and Hi5 are the same service since they merged in 2011. It used to be one of the most popular social networks in Indonesia but it is struggling now. It is still a relatively interesting website to try as the number of Indonesian users is quite large. I would say that girls on Tagged are usually a bit older: They made their Hi5 account 10 years ago and they haven't closed it yet.

Skout (Mobile app only)

Skout is similar to Badoo but only works on a mobile phone. The ads are quite annoying so I didn't like using it. It has a fair number of Indonesian girls using it.

Conclusion

All these dating apps and websites are free but you have to pay if you want to get some VIP features. For instance, becoming a paid member will generally entitle you to send more messages, to see who clicked on your profile or to be seen first by girls.

There are probably some scammers too so you should naturally always make sure the person you are talking to is real. I would recommend asking for the girl's facebook or skype.

There are other services that I haven't tried but they might work well. If you have used one of the following to find a date in Jakarta, it would be nice if you could write a comment about it below:

OK Cupid: Popular dating website but I don't think it is available in Indonesia at this moment.

Zoosk: One of the most popular dating apps in the world but I read some negative reviews about their privacy policy so I did not want to try it.

Ask.fm: Very popular social media in Indonesia, mostly with the younger crowd. It is not a real dating website but it is used as such by many Indonesians to make friends or get a date.

Wavoo is an Indonesian dating app which just started. It does not have a very large database of users at the moment.

Setipe.com is an Indonesian dating website which could be promising but it is still new and I encountered some problems to register.

IndonesianCupid.com and AsianDating.com are online dating sites where men must pay to send messages. They have the same database of users as they belong to the same group Cupid Media.

Photo Credit: The photo are from Kucluk Oye.

30 Groups Who Own Jakarta Nightlife

April 17, 2015, 11:40 pm

≫ Next: 13 Reasons the Indonesian Police is the Best in the World

≪ Previous: Online Dating Sites & Apps In Indonesia

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You would be surprised to know that 90% of Jakarta's main clubs, bars, spas and karaokes are in the hands of less than 50 persons and only about 30 groups.

It is quite difficult to know precisely who owns what because there are usually several partners in each business venture. This is a way to minimize the investment cost, to spread the risks and to help with the promotion. Each of the owners brings his network of friends, family, strategic connections and partners to support the business and to make it grow. Within the same group, it is also not uncommon to have several companies (PT) with different shareholders each. 

Another difficulty is that the real owners are sometimes hidden behind a nominee. This is especially true when the venue is reputed for hosting illegal activities such as drugs, prostitution or gambling. The best illustration for that is Tommy Winata who has the particularly of being a nominee who uses other nominees: He owns stakes in multiple companies without having his name mentioned and he owns stakes in companies on behalf of other people too. 

In spite of that, after very long hours of research and enquiries, I managed to get a fairly good picture of the people who own the largest and most famous clubs, bars and restaurants in Jakarta.

My first surprise was to see that the whole industry is dominated by about 30 big groups that can be split into a few categories:

• The Underground Nightlife Kings: The owners of the infamous nightclubs and bars in North and West Jakarta, usually with strong ties to the Suharto regime.

• The Post-Suharto Golden Generation: OPCO, Ismaya, Union Group, Potato Head, the owners of these trendy groups, started in the 2000s, are usually young people under 40, sons and daughters from wealthy Indochinese families who studied in the US/Australia. 

• The Foreigners: An odd bunch, usually behind smaller pubs and bars with a majority of expat clients. Though foreigners are rarely owners, a lot of them work as Chefs or General Managers.

• The Corporations: Some huge conglomerates own restaurants and bars. MRA, the owner of Hard Rock Café, MAP, the Salim Group, etc.

• The New Generation and Smaller Groups: Groups that emerged in the late 2000 (All-In, Biko, Immigrant, Ryst).

Note: The list below is probably incomplete and there may be some errors. If you have better information, please take the time to write about it in the comment section below. 

The Underground Nightlife Kings

Alexis Group

Alexis Hotel, Play Club, Zen, Club 36, Emporium, Colosseum and 1001, Tease Club

Officially owned by Alex Tirta and managed with his son. There isn't much information available about them apart that they are badminton fans. A source working at Diageo Indonesia (PT Dima) told me that the Alexis Group is their biggest client and that Mr. Tirta could be one of their shareholders.

According to a plausible rumor, there are more than one owner in Alexis. Some names that circulate are Aliang or Rudi Widjaja.

Stadium Group

Stadium (closed), Malioboro, Malio Club, Sumo, Nebula, King Cross, Level V, Exodus, Kampus (closed), Rajamas (closed)

Rudi Susanto (also called Rudi Rajamas) is the official owner of the Stadium Group. He is the face that the employees can see and they call him Pak Rudi.  Most likely, he is only the visible part of the business and much bigger fishes are hiding behind this name.

In a study of Jakarta's sex industry written in 2005 (available here), John MacDougall, a graduate from Harvard University writes the following: 

"Rudi Rajamas controls the most lucrative sex industry venues while Apow focuses largely on gambling.  Both of these men are subordinate to Tommy Winata, a man with tremendous authority in Jakarta’s entertainment establishments and districts."

If you speak Indonesian, you could also read the following report from Tempo about the Gang of the 9 Dragons which controls drugs, prostitution, gambling and all mafia activities in Jakarta:"Isi Perut 'Geng Sembilan", May 31st 1999.

The legend that circulated for years about the Stadium was that it belonged to a General in the Indonesian army who was previously a boss at Pertamina. The only person to fit the description would have been Ibnu Sutowo but he died a few years before the Stadium opened. Still, you will see below that the Sutowo clan has a link to Classic Hotel Group, which is linked to several Gang of Nine figures. The son of Ibnu Sutowo, Adiguna Sutowo, is worth mentioning. He is a convicted criminal who shot to death a waiter of a club he owned (Fluid in Sultan Hotel, ex-Hilton, see here). 

Supra Group

Millenium (closed), Mille's, Sun City, Sands Hotel & Spa (closed), Batavia Hotel (closed)

Possible owners: Tommy Winata? Arief Cocong? Cahyadi dan Haryadi Kumala? Rudi Susanto? More likely all of them.

The Supra Group is very mysterious and I am not sure it still exists. On their website, they claim to be the owners of several business entities, among which a bank, an internet provider, etc... 

It seems they have been divesting and that their properties have changed owners: Batavia Hotel has changed name into De Rivier Hotel, Sands was sold to Agung Podomoro Land and changed its name to Sense Spa, Millenium was closed. A friend also told me that Sun City and Mille's are independently owned now.

For Sun City, he confirmed that it is headed by Arief Cocong, an associate of Tommy Winata and a Gang of Nine member.

One interesting thing was to browse the list of the few companies the server of Supra Group is hosting. It comprises KFC Indonesia (Gelael Group, close from Suharto), the Kartika Chandra Hotel (Sudwikatmono from Andika Group, a member of Suharto family) and the Grand Ancol Hotel which is the previous name for Alexis Hotel.

One certainty regarding Millenium Club is that it was founded by Cahyadi and Haryadi Kumala, who are also the owners of Sentul City and the Golden Boutique Hotels. In the latest news, they were imprisoned by the KPK in a corruption case (see here).

There is a possible link beween the Kumala brothers and the Gang of Nine: Millenium was located in Gadja Mada Plaza, owned by Artha Buana Sakti which belonged to Tommy Winata. In a 2006 interview to Tempo, he declared that 6 floors of the Mall were given to his Bank Artha Graha Prima to pay back a debt from Bank Harapan Sentosa. Gadja Mada was then sold to the Lippo Group in 2007.
The following article from Tempo also links the Kumalas to the Gang Of Nine (see here)

Artha Graha Group

Tommy Winata and friends in 2013 (photo: KanalSatu)

Huge conglomerate of Tommy Winata (TW)

Tommy Winata and his family may have shares or interests in several venues, but it is almost impossible to say which ones with certainty. Through Graha Artha, he controls Borobudur hotel and therefore Manhattan Club and Musro Club. He was also the owner of the Bengkel Entertainment Complex so it is very likely that he is the owner of Lucy in the Sky and Roxy Karaoke which replaced it. I have also heard that Sands belonged to him (thus linking him to the Supra Group above). Through his son Panji, he owns Discovery Sky in Ancol. I have heard repeatedly that he was the owner of Golden Crown and the Plaza Hotel Glodok, but a source working there told me the owner is a man named Johny Tan.

Regarding other properties, all we can see are his links with other people such as Arief Cocong, Rudi Susanto, Sugento Prananto or the Supra Group (through Sands). Those links have been detailed in several articles such as this one from the Indonesian Corruption Watch.

A theory is that TW is a nominee himself and acts for even more powerful people, people who were once in the inner circle of the late President Suharto. According to Dr. George J. Aditjondro (read here), the drug traffic in Jakarta was in the hands of the grand son of Suharto Ari Haryo Wibowo, also known as Ari Sigit. He could possibly be behind Tommy Winata as well. 

Something interesting to note is that the Lamborghini Club Indonesia often meets in places supposedly owned by Tommy Winata such as Lucy in the Sky or Ritz Carlton Pacific Place. It turns out that is that a former owner of the Lamborghini company was Tommy Suharto until he sold it after the Asian Crisis.

Classic Group

Classic Hotel & Spa, Terminal 2 and 5, Travel Hotel, FM1, FM7, AJ Brandon

I was not able to confirm the ownership of this group which comprises 3 of the largest bordellos in Jakarta. Ponco Sutowo is a potential candidate. He is the brother of Adiguna Sutowo (see my note about Stadium), son of Ibnu Sutowo, and owner of several hotels in Indonesia including the Sultan Hotel in Jakarta and the Ayodya Hotel in Bali. As with his other family members, he has very close ties with the Suharto family.

As advertised on their website, Pulau Ayer Resort is part of the Classic group. Several sources indicate that Ayer Island belongs to Ponco Sutowo (Click here, from the personal webpage of John MacDougall, cited above, or here, from the Jakarta Post).

If he is the owner of Pulau Ayer, chances are he is the owner of the Ayer Resort also, and thus the owner of the Classic Group.

Another thing I noted was that there is a restaurant named AJ Brandon in all of the group's location. AJ could mean "Adhi Juno", the name of the daughter of Ponco. It is a very indonesian thing to do to name businesses after the initials of family members. 

According to PolitikIndonesia.com and several other sources (here), more people are involved in the Pulau Ayer Resort which used to be a gambling island. Some names that come up are all member of the Gang of Nine such as Sugento Prananto, Arief "Cocong" Prihatna and Edi 'Porkas" Winata, all of whom are close to Tommy Winata.

Alila Group

Illigals, Sparks Hotel 

Budiman and Donny Tjahyadikarta from the family of the owners of Alila Hotels Group are the owners of Illigals and Sparks Hotel. Several people working in the group confirmed this to me.

The Post Suharto Golden Generation

Ismaya Group

Dragonfly, Blowfish, SKYE, Social House, Publik Markette, Pizza e Birra, Fook Yew, The People's Café, Colette and Lola, Magnum Café, Pasta de Waraku, Sushi Groove, Tokyo Belly, Puro, Djournal Coffee, Djakarta Warehouse Project, Ismaya Live

Bram Hendrata, Christian Rijanto dan Brian Sutanto are the three co-owners and co-founders of Ismaya, probably the most famous and largest F&B group in Indonesia. Some sources mention other investors such as Rudy Widjaja.

OPCO

Domain,Portico, Yellowfin, Koffie Warung Tinggi, Stark Beer, H5, Urbanite Asia, Manna Lounge (closed), Public (closed), Embassy/Wonder Bar/Balcony (closed)

OPCO was founded by Reeza Budhisurya and Yudha Budhisurya who also participated in the opening of Cork & Screw (Union Group) and Score!. Bona and Rama Budhisurya, from the same family, joined later.

Other investors and co-founders of OPCO include Andrew Santoso (also involved in Union Group, Lifestyle Unlimited Group and other ventures: Circa, Mangkok Putih, Single Malt Bali, Meja Bali, Urban Kitchen).

Some venues have partners like Angel Widjaja in Warung Koffie Tinggi.

Union Group

Union, Loewy, Cork & Screw, Caffè Milano, Canteen, Casa, Union Deli, E&O

Owners: Jennifer Karjadi, the most visible face in the group ; Andrew Santoso (Also in Opco and Lifestyle Unlimited) ; Winfred Hutabarat (Yale Graduate, also co-founder of Aksara with Arini Subianto and Laksmi Pamuntjak who seems to have shares in Canteen as well) ; Donny Basuki; Michael Wijono, Dani Wanandi (also owner of Jaddi Group, see below).
Will Meyrick, the owner of Mamasan and Sarong restaurants in Bali, is a partner in E&O.

Potato Head Group

Potato Head Garage, Potato Head Pacific Place, Potato Head Beach Club and hotels Bali, Three Buns Burgers, Potato Head Folk Singapore

Owners: Ronald Akili and Jason Gunawan

Red Square Group 

Red Square (closed), Hacienda, Black Cat, The Boutique KTV

Owners: Rachmat Harsono (also part owner of X2), Agus Handojo, Hari Setiawan, Surya Iskandar, Andri Budiono with a foreign management: Paul Counihan (ex Jalan Jalan who also worked on X2), Eddie Cordisco, Yos Malelak. Most likely, it is the same team who developed Prohibition Bar in Senayan Arcadia as well.

Urban Concepts Indonesia and Lifestyle Unlimited

X2, Alibi (closed), Vertigo/X-Lounge (Closed), JackRabbit (closed), X-Ktv, Ippachi, Tokio Kitchen, Urban Kanteen, Yogu, Shabu Tei

Owners: Danny Setiawan (with Andrew Santoso) ; Rachmat Harsono (Family of owners of Samator, one of the largest producer of gas in Indonesia)

Jaddi Group

Vin+ (Kemang, Senayan Arcadia, Central Park, PIM, Seminyak), South Beauty, AW Kitchen, D’ Crepes, Mix Grill and also Cork & Screw.

Owners: Children of Jusuf Winandi, the brother of Sofyan Winandi (owner of Santini Group): Doni Wanandi, Dani Wanandi, Feller Lokanata and Lowrenz Tanuwijaja. Also shareholders are Reimer Simorangkir, Yolanda Simorangkir and possibly Hermansyah Rasyid.

Boga Group

Bakerzin, Pepper Lunch, Sushi Tei, Sushi Kiosk, Rakuzen, Ten Ten, Paradise Dynasty, Master Wok, Canton Paradise, Paradise Inn

Founded in 2002, the Boga group is more into restaurants than nightlife but its owners, Kusnadi Rahardja, David Soong and Sonny Kurniawan, are linked to the above venues.

The Foreign groups

Mount Scopus

Venues: Negev, Balboni, Chateau Blanc, Amber Sky Lounge, The Harvest Bakery

Owner: Australian-Sri Lankan Lal De Silva is the founder and owner of Mount Scopus, one of the most successful foreign-owned F&B companies in Indonesia.

Bugils Group

Eastern Promise, De Burse, De Hooi, Double Doors, One Tree Bar (Closed), Bugils (Closed)

Owner: Dutchman Bartele Santema

PT IndoErin

Venues: Murphy's Pub and Molly Malone's Pub

Owners: Irishman Killian Murphy and his Indonesian wife Irene Alaydrus Hawadi Murphy

The Aphrodite Group

Aphrodite, Fez, Kinara, Liquid Exchange 

Owner: Fred Alloysius, a Singaporean-Indian.

Blok M Bars

Mostly developped by a few expats with the help of local partners / premans (the most famous Karno). Daryl Patton, who passed away in 2011, seems to be the main figure as he was behind Tambora (closed), D's Club (Daryl's Pub), and Top Gun. I could not find who are the current owners.

Regarding MyBar, Hitesh Darbar a British expat used to be the owner but that may have changed.

The Smaller and Upcoming Groups

Baresto Mitra Maju

Immigrant, Rustique, Bistro Garçon, Monolog, De Luca, Olive 

Owner: Chris Darjanto and his father. Other possible shareholders Franky Angkawijaya, Evie Karsoho and Fany Hermawan

Svarna Group

Ocha & Bella, Moovina, Dream

Owners: Vincent and Villysia Sianandar, possibly with other investors.

RYST Group

Publico, Empirica, PB PIK, Baker's Gallery Kota Kasablanka

Owner: Agung Wahyu Nugroho

Biko

Beer Garden Kemang, Menteng, SCBD, Radio Dalam
Owner: Mikael Mirdad

All-In

Odysseia, Fable, Mirrors Bali, Gardin, Ringmaster Bakery and Donut

Owners: Officially Jason Kurniawan and his friend Feisal Hamka. Due to the young age of the two owners, it is very likely that they benefited from strong connections and money.

Feisal Hamka comes from a reputed Indonesian family and his father is close to Siti Hardijanti Rukmana, the eldest daughter of Suharto also called Mbak Tutut. The daughter of Mbak Tutut and Feisal were both directors of the publicly listed company PT Citra Marga Nusaphala Persada Tbk, the operator of several highways in Indonesia including the Jakarta Inner Ring Road.

Fable is located in ex-Bengkel which presumably belongs to Tommy Winata. The Lamborghini Indonesia Club mentioned above had several parties there. Odysseia is built in a prime location, the same as Paul for which I heard that MAP had to negotiate for several months as the owner of Pacific Place (Tommy Winata through Tan Kian) wanted to keep it for himself (MAP is the owner of Galleries Lafayette and the first client of Pacific Place).

Kemang

Nu China

Several owners, one of which is named Novarmi Bakti Massewa. She filed a complaint against the founder of Indoclubber Jack Lapian in 2010 after she was late to pay him his DJ fees. She might be from the same family as Fit Aidil Massewa who was the GM of The Venue in Kemang as well.

Jack Lapian seems to have been involved in several other venues such as V2, X9 club and B1.

The Venue, Tipsy, SHY Rooftop and FKTV are under the name of local celebrity Maia Estianty, the ex-wife of Ahmad Dhani. She probably has other investors. She is linked to Bambang Nuryatno Rachmadi (ex-owner of the McDonald's franchise) and was introduced to Tommy Winata by her ex-husband.

The Corporations and the Franchisers

MRA Group

Hard Rock Café, Cloud Lounge, McDonald's

Owner: MRA Group or PT Mugi Rekso Abasi, founded by Adiguna Sutowo in 1985, along with some friends of him including Tommy Suharto, Soetikno Soedardjo, Dian M Soedardjo and Onky Soemarmo. Adiguna Sutowo, as mentioned above is the son of Ibnu Sutowo who could be linked to Stadium Group and Classic Hotel (See above for more details).

More about Adiguna here: Adiguna, Spoilt Brat of Famed Tycoon.

MAP (Mitra Adi Perkasa)

Paul, Starbucks, Cold Stone, Chatterbox, Pizza Express, Cold Stone, Burger King, Domino's 

Owned by Syamsul Nursalim, the owner of Gajah Tunggal, through Boyke Gozali his nephew.

A corporation within a corporation, MAP is a serial franchiser. They never create concepts, they just import to Indonesia businesses and brands that are popular elsewhere.

PT Makindo (Gula Gulaku)

JJ Royal Bistro, JJ Royal Brasserie, Sugar Gallery

Owner: Gunawan Yusuf

The JJ restaurants are most likely an amusement for some family members of the Makindo group, one of the largest conglomerates in Indonesia with strong ties to the Suharto regime.

Bakrie

Otel Lobby, Bluegrass, WWWok (closed), Magenta (closed), Twilight Coffee (closed)

Owner: Gaby Bakrie

Probably more a toy for a wealthy heiress than a real business.

Shangri-La Jakarta

BATS

Shangri La Hotel Jakarta and therefore BATS is owned by the Salim Group of Anthony Salim (Indomie among many others). Other investors are the Lyman Group (Osbert Lyman) and most likely the Kerry Group of Chinese Billionnaire Robert Kuok.

Hotel Mulia Jakarta

CJ's

Owner: The Mulia Group was founded by Tjandra Kusuma and his sons Gunawan Tjandra (Tjan Kok Kwang), Djoko S. Tjandra, Eka Tjandranegara, and Ekman Tjandranegara . Djoko Tjandra is currently hiding in Papua New Guinea to avoid prison time in Indonesia after he was sentenced for embezzling over 50M USD.

I was told by a reliable source that the ex-president of Indonesia SBY could have shares in Mulia. This source has been working for PT Sandua Jaya International, the holding company of Edhie Baskoro the son of SBY.

Conclusion: Gathering information to write this article was very difficult. If you think I made a mistake or a wrong conclusion, please write a comment below so I can make sure I correct it.

I will follow in the next few weeks with another article about the owners of Jakarta's most famous restaurants. 

Photo credit: I took some pictures from the facebook page of the venues listed, if that poses a problem to someone, just let me know and I'll just take them down. 

13 Reasons the Indonesian Police is the Best in the World

April 22, 2015, 10:54 am

≫ Next: D'Heaven Hotel And Spa

≪ Previous: 30 Groups Who Own Jakarta Nightlife

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Even though the Indonesian Police is receiving some bad press occasionally, I thought it was time to celebrate their work and ethic through a short illustrated post. I haven't traveled that much in the world, but it seems fair to me to say that the Indonesian Police could be among the best in the planet.

Here are 13 reasons why:

The Indonesian Police is particularly compassionate towards the sick and the elderly.

Pakubuwono XIII is thanking the police for its understanding

In 2015, the King of Solo was asked to provide a DNA sample so the police could check if he raped a 16 years old woman. Unfortunately, the King was feeling unwell that day. The Police understood the situation and dropped the case altogether, allowing one very sick man to remain free. More on the Jakarta Globe: Sick Solo King No Show For Questioning.

The Indonesian Police is a role model for many people who want to be super-heroes.

Angry Mobs are part of Indonesia's folklore

America has Batman, Britain has James Bond, Indonesia has "Angry Mobs". Angry mobs are even better than superheroes: They find the guilty people, they make a trial on the spot, and they execute the sentence. In most cases, the super power of the mob is gasoline but it can also be the mastering of ropes, sticks and knobs. Read more about it in the Economist: Lynching in Indonesia.

The Indonesian Police is not afraid of taking risks.

The bullet-proof vest proved very useful in this high-risk case

In February 2015, the Surabaya Police cracked down on illegal possession of Valentine chocolates and sweets. Even better, they seized condoms from couples who were consenting adults just about to make love. Rest assured, they all went to jail for your very own safety. Read more about it in the Jakarta Globe: Lovers Detained for Doing The Nasty Thing

The Indonesian Police is efficient.

Only Teh Botol and Teh Kotak permitted

On April 22nd, 2015, it took 60 policemen to seize 20 bottles of alcohol during a citywide raid. According to my sources, 5 Policemen were carrying 4 bottles each and the remaining 55 were assigned to smoking cigarettes. How lucky we are that the police cares some much about health issues. Read more in The Jakarta Post: Police Raid Minimart.

Photo : Budhi Firmansyah Surapati / Beritajakarta.Com

The Indonesian Police is not afraid to admit its mistakes.

That was the picture before Daddy came to visit

Don't you hate people who never admit their mistakes? Indonesian Police is just the contrary. On January 20th 2015, Christopher Daniel Sjarif lost control of his car, killed 4 people and flew the scene. The urine tests came back positive for LSD and the driver himself confessed to taking drugs. Yet, a few days later, the Police said they made a mistake and that the drivers should be released as it was just a "pure accident". Christopher can certainly be happy that the police is not afraid to admit when it is wrong. Read more on the Jakarta Globe: Police Confused About LSD Suspect.

The Indonesian Police protects the innocent child.

The outrageous Panda jumper mobilized Mangga Besar police for a week

As most people, you are truly shocked by the indecent jumper shown in the picture above. Even though it does not really exist and it was just part of a joke, the Indonesian Police preferred to take this issue as seriously as possible and asked for the public's vigilance to prevent anyone from wearing it. Complete story on the DailyMail: Police Warning for Indecent Panda Jumper.

The Indonesian Police is made of angels.

The Police assured the test does not discriminate against women

Only virgins are accepted in the Indonesian Police force. This makes sense because its moral is so pure that it cannot be corrupted by anyone who had intercourse. We all know that the 250,000,000 Indonesians that populate the country were all created without sexual intercourse. Read more on CNN: Virginity Test for Police Officers.

©Adek Berry (AFP/File)

The Indonesian Police is tremendously respected.

Policemen protecting the shade of a parking lot

The Indonesian people sees its Police force as a perfect example of honesty. In fact, almost 8% of the respondents of a Transparency International 2014 survey estimated that the country's Police Force is not corrupt. That's better than Pakistan and almost as good as Zimbabwe. Only some silly minds complain from time to time but it does not take long before they realize their mistake and apologize. Read more on the Jakarta Globe: Adrianus Apologizes for Calling National Police Corrupt.

Photo Source: Reuters

The Indonesian Police knows how to have fun.

Now who wants weed?

Just like anybody, some Indonesian policemen enjoy a little party and some drugs to blow off steam when needed. The good thing is that unlike other citizens, they don't have to worry too much about going to jail. More in the Jakarta Globe: Police Cuff Officer to Flagpole.

The Indonesian Police is capable of empathy, forgiveness and understanding.

Ahmad Dhani with good pal Himmler

Ahmad Dhani gave his 13 years old son a Mitsubishi Lander as a present. The boy was safely driving at 180 km/hour until it collided with two cars and killed 7 people. The Police concluded there was no wrongdoing on neither Dhani or his son's side and closed the case without charging anybody. Indonesians are so lucky that their Police understood that no one should be blamed for this insignificant matter. Read more on Jakarta Globe: Ahmad Dhani Not Charged.

The Indonesian Police knows about drugs that no other Police in the World knows.

The Policeman on the right is carrying the magic stone in his right hand

While rapists in Europe can keep abusing children as they please, Indonesian Police has discovered a new drug called "Magic Stone" that enables them to make more convictions of rapists. This drug was used by Neil Bantleman from Jakarta International School to rape kids in a "Secret Room" that only the Indonesian Police is able to perceive. Read more on the Jakarta Globe: Police Accuse JIS Teachers of Using Magic Stone.

Photo source: Adi Weda/European Pressphoto Agency

The Indonesian Police is generous.

Come on, come closer from the fire

In March 2015, the Police of Tangerang seized 3,3 tons of Marijuana. After much discussion, they decided that the best way to give back to the community was to make a big open air fire with it so everyone could feel high, free of charge. Read more in the Daily Mail: Entire Tangerang Town Get High.

The Indonesian Policemen are true believers.

In December 2014, the Jakarta Post published a cartoon that was criticizing ISIS in Iraq. The police could not accept that because the word Allah was in the cartoon so they summoned the Jakarta Post editor for questioning. They will not let anyone spread blasphemy. It is good to know that smart people are defending religions. Read More in the National Post: Indonesian Newspaper Accused of Blasphemy.

And finally, the Indonesian Police is fluent in English and knows how to give clear instructions to citizens:

With so many qualities, it is only normal that Indonesian Police officers, especially high ranking ones, receive a fair compensation for their work. I am scandalized when I read people complaining because Budi Gunawan, currently the number 2 Chief Police in the country earned 7,2M USD during his 2-year tenure as head of the Police Career Development. That's only 300,000 USD per month. I don't believe this money could have been better used.

First picture source: Aditia Noviansyah