If there’s a tropical downpour, it might be better to avoid the risk of getting stuck in Kemang’s narrow, crowded streets. Try Tipsy lounge, Nu China or Second Floor.
FACEBAR JAKARTA FULL
Southern suburb Kemang, full of boutique shops and restaurants, is also for bar hopping. Challenge your chili limits at Beautika for cuisine from Manado in north Sulawesi island, the hottest in Indonesia, such as cumi woku blanga, or squid curried in chilies, lemongrass, lime leaves, basil and more chilies. (http:/For a no frills pounding costing just $12, try Bersih Sehat in Jalan Wahid Hasyim, in Menteng.ħ p.m. Or try an Indonesian massage in one of many luxury hotel spas, such as the central Four Seasons or the Dharmawangsa hotel in southern Jakarta. If you still have energy, join the locals to jostle and haggle for clothes, computers, pirated DVDs or just about anything at Ambassador Mall in the Mega Kuningan business area. Neither is top notch but the upstairs overlooks the square.ģ p.m. At Taman Fatahillah, go to Cafe Batavia to grab Western or Chinese food. Check out the quirky puppetry gallery and other museums, or head further north to the Sunda Kelapa port where old schooner sailing ships line up as far as the eye can see to collect sacks of goods, a throwback to medieval days.ġ p.m. Through the crumbling white streets of the old town, find Taman Fatahillah square, a popular hangout for students strumming guitars. Travel Picks: Unique post offices around the worldġ1 a.m. On the way stop for a wander around the modern Istiqlal mosque. Head back to the north to see the Dutch capital Batavia, now called “kota” or city, by daylight. On the west side is the National Museum.ġ0.30 a.m. On a clear day you can see Java’s central volcanic highlands. Go for a stroll in Monas, a green central square full of families flying kites and dominated by a gold-topped obelisk. The best way to get around is to hire a car or a Bluebird taxi, unless you’re game for an “ojek” motorbike taxi. The four-floor venue is the pride of Jakarta clubbers and it is so dark you wouldn’t recognize your twin dancing next to you to the blast of techno and house tunes.
The night beckons at the Stadium club in the old town area. Restaurant Dapur Babah serves up dishes such as potato and crab croquettes and stingray cooked in ginger, in a refurbished shop of dark colors and antique statues. Head to the north of the city and the colonial area to sample Peranakan cuisine, a fusion created by 19th century Chinese immigrants to Dutch-ruled Java. Desserts and after-dinner drinks aren’t the strong suit of Chinese cuisine, so grab a cab across the Huangpu River to Cloud 9, the Grand Hyatt’s 87th-floor bar, whose superlative status as the highest drinking establishment in the world perfectly captures the city’s lofty ambitions.8 p.m. Adventurous eaters can dig their chopsticks into Jishi’s signature braised fish head nestled in deep-fried scallions. Then meander through the French Concession’s sycamore-lined streets to my favorite hole-in-the-wall eatery, Jishi, on Tianping Road.
HANNAH BEECH, Shanghai bureau chief, TIMEīegin your evening with a cocktail at YongFoo Elite (nominally a private club, but I’ve never seen anyone turned away at the door), where the brocaded wallpaper, spacious garden and Art Deco lamps hint at the building’s origins as the 1920s residence of the British consul general.
FACEBAR JAKARTA TV
Then catch some music at the House of Blues and Jazz, owned by a local TV personality, before ending the night with a typical Shanghai treat: a relaxing massage at Dragonfly spa on Donghu Road. Stroll past stores selling bolts of Chinese silk to Restaurant 1931 on Maoming Road, where the traditionally clad waitresses evoke the glamour of old Shanghai.
Lounge on an opium bed at Face Bar, a renovated 1930s-era villa in central Shanghai, where a favorite tipple is the Chinese Whisper - a Midori and Cointreau cocktail. HAN FENG, Shanghai and New York City�based fashion designer To finish the evening, check out modern Shanghai at a hot new bar called Mimosa, located on the south bank of Suzhou Creek. Two ordering musts: the braised fatty pork and the glutinous rice balls in a sweet wine broth. Then, head to dinner at a tiny, authentic Shanghainese restaurant called Chun (Spring) on Jinxian Road in the historic French Concession. This is where Shanghai originated, and you can still get a sense of the ancient rhythms of daily life. Start out with a walk in the old neighborhoods near the Yuyuan Gardens. YU LEI, former managing editor, Shanghai Tatler OPULENT: Lounge on an opium bed at Face Bar Kome Tong lamp ‘Ridge’ collection, SACICT lamp Competition Award Winner 2005
0 kommentar(er)
