Taste of Jakarta to savor

Taste of Jakarta to savor

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

I was recently in the Indonesian capital attending a conference for work.

The trip was short and I was there for only about 30 hours.

The packed schedule did not give the delegates time to see too much of Jakarta. We only visited a shopping mall close to Hotel Pullman in the city center.

The mall boasts many brand-name shops and reminded me of Hong Kong's Festival Walk.

I was curious about the prices of consumer products there, so I did some checking in the spirit of The Economist's Big Mac index that tracks prices of goods worldwide.

At the Nike shop, I noticed that trendy sports shoes were priced about the same as those in Hong Kong.

But socks that would cost HK$90 in Hong Kong were selling for the equivalent of between HK$40 and HK$60.

Like other emerging market currencies, the Indonesian rupiah has shed value. The current rate of HK$1 to 1,780 rupiah is about a third of that two years ago. So one can readily see the impact a strong greenback is having on the tourist industry in Hong Kong.

We did not have time to go restaurant hunting so, luckily, the buffet at the hotel did not disappoint.

Its dessert and noodle dishes have a pleasing local "peasant" flavor.

Indonesia has more than 14,000 islands so it is naturally endowed with an abundant supply of seafood.

Our host the Harian Indonesia newspaper, or Sin Chew Daily, treated us to Chinese cuisine, which included giant lobster sashimi.

There was also the apple fish soup, which is aromatic wi

th a strong wine flavor.

I found this recipe rather special as chefs in Hong Kong do not usually put wine in soups.

The doufuhua dessert tofu pudding was served in coconut water. It was smooth and has a cooling effect for the weather in Jakarta, which is hot even in November.

Coconut water has become a trendy beverage because the media have trumpeted its lack of calories and high vitamin properties.

Coconut water doufuhua has the potential to become a hit in Hong Kong. Siu Sai-wo is publisher of Sing Tao Daily

Source: Taste of Jakarta to savor