The Hungry Bunny

Jakarta isn't a city one would immediately think of as a leisure travel destination. For sure, the infamous twin attacks on the Ritz Carlton and JW Marriot hotels 5 years ago didn't do much for the image of the Indonesian capital. BUT, having visited Jakarta recently during a whirlwind business-related trip, I found the city not quite as notorious as it'd been made out to be. In fact, the Indonesian capital reminds me very much of Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur; vibrant, organic, haphazard, but with a bit more chaos thrown into the mix.  The key, for a safe travel, is to keep a low, austere profile. Basically, don't be an ostentatious fool. Exercise prudence and caution as you would anywhere out of Singapore, i.e. watch your belongings and stay aware of your surroundings at all times. Here are my tips, gleaned from the locals, for a reasonably enjoyable trip. Immigration When booking a flight, reserve a front row seat for priority disembarkation. When checking in at th...

If staying at the Grand Hyatt in Jakarta, I strongly suggest you take up the executive rooms, which allow you access to the executive club lounge. Perched on the 22nd floor, the club lounge is a perfect pampering spot to kickstart your hectic schedule with hearty bites from their continental breakfast spread, or unwind with cocktails and canapes after a long hard day at work.  If popping by for breakfast, a tip is to ask for the window seats; they offer an expansive panorama of the cityscape. The obligatory but much appreciated coffee and hot drinks station, where the staff will happily whip up your favourite beverage and serve it right to your table. A veritable array of flavoured teas, from the standard english breakfast, to the girlie strawberry varietals. Loose konacha and green tea leaves, and chocolate pellets to lush up your hot beverages If you prefer your breakfast drink icy cold, there is fresh milk and juices (watermelon and orange), or coke (for a sugar-...

On my virgin trip to Jakarta, I got to witness a Tumpengan, a traditional Indonesian ceremony whereby the top of a tumpeng is cut and given to a guest of honour. Tumpeng is considered the national dish of Indonesia, a conical mountain of nasi kuning (yellow rice flavoured with coconut and tumeric) surrounded by an assortment of Indonesian meats and vegetables and perched on a circular woven tray. As far as I could tell, this Tumpeng was encircled by poached long beans, abon (floss), blanched beansprouts, spinach, perkedel kentang (mashed potato fritters), stuffed chillis, shredded omelette, sambal udang (chilli prawns), tempe orek (sweet and dry fried tempeh), teri kacang (anchovy with peanuts), empal gepuk (sweet and spicy fried beef), urap (coconut), and udang goreng (fried prawn). I particularly liked the tempeh, all nutty and soft and totally addictive. Another discovery on the Jakarta trip, was the gross-looking but very succulent Salak, otherwise known as snake fruit....

We'd caught a late flight into Jakarta, and didn't want to venture beyond the hotel's annexed mall that late at night. So it was serendipitous that we ended up at The Playground for dinner. It was just about the only place that was still open that wasn't a smoking area-only bar. The Playground , a restaurant cum sports bar, opens till 2am on weekends, and serves up Indonesian-western fusion fare. We loved the whimsical playground concept, guaranteed to bring out the child in every adult. There were swings for seats, harnessed by ropes from the ceiling. And there were spinning teacup-like tables, which were awesome fun to spin around in. The fusion fare was fair but forgettable. The Playground really shone in the traditional Indonesian dishes. I'd definitely recommend it as a must-try if you're staying at the Grand Hyatt and the midnight munchies hit.   The Ayam Bakar Krengsengan (Rg85,000), grilled chicken blanketed in a thick kickass sambal, was fantas...

Kafe Betawi is one of the most popular casual eateries in Jakarta. And like the ubiquitous Crystal Jade Kitchen in Singapore, you're likely to find them in just about every major mall in the Indonesian capital. The food is rooted in classic Indonesian flavours, but given a modern twist by dousing the spice levels to cater to the spice-averse. While the food was mostly decent, the fact that they were served tepid tipped Kafe Betawi into the middling grade. Piping hot dishes, especially the soup-based ones, are key to a more outstanding, and memorable meal. A must-try is the Ayam Goreng Kuning (Rg30,000 for each pc), tumeric-flavoured fried chicken. The chicken was a little on the skinny side, but the flavours were bang-on. It was incredibly aromatic, delightfully crispy and marinated so thoroughly that it was delicious to the bone. The Soto Mie (Rg42,000), beef noodle soup seasoned with tumeric, tomatoes, belinjau and fried shallots, was lovely in a delicate way, but need...