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cr ip bs su ISSUE NO. 266 | 4 NOVEMBER – 1 DECEMBER 2020

JAKARTA • JAVA • BALI • LOMBOK • KALIMANTAN • SUMATRA • SULAWESI • WEST PAPUA

INSIDE THIS ISSUE One Water Filter at a Time with Econesia Five Recipes Worth a Try in Quarantine Secrets to Indonesian Cooking And many more...

IMAGE BY LEK NIKTO (UNSPLASH)

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Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

INDONESIA EXPAT MARKETING ADVISER

Edo Frese

edo@indonesiaexpat.biz EDITOR

Contents

Mirella Pandjaitan

editor@indonesiaexpat.biz EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

expat.editorial@gmail.com

Dear Readers,

06 BUSINESS PROFILE One Water Filter at a Time with Econesia

SALES & ADVERTISING

Dian Mardianingsih (Jakarta)

08

Who doesn’t love food and drinks?

dian@indonesiaexpat.biz Wahyu Atmaja (Bali)

ads@indonesiaexpat.biz MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS

marketing@indonesiaexpat.biz DISTRIBUTION & ADMIN

Juni Setiawan

Food is a universal language. It’s part of who we are, regardless of our location or how it’s whipped up in the kitchen. The food we love has a way of informing who we are.

Food and beverages bring people together, they’re enjoyable to make alone or when bonding with loved ones. They expose us to a new country or culture in a new way, give inspirations to others, fuel our bodies, taste good and make us feel good. We’re all part of a collection of experiences, therefore self-evolution will never end. Whether you’re a professional chef or an amateur, welcoming the unfamiliar will help your personal expansion.

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Let Indonesia Expat guide you in this culinary issue, with insights on professionals in the culinary and hospitality industries, special reviews on Jakarta and its surroundings’ restaurants and hotels, food security and waste, our reliance on Grab and GoFood deliveries, and Yogyakarta’s beloved culinary scene. One thing’s for sure, we can always experiment and experience food and beverages everywhere we are. Bookmark these stories for your aid in the coming months.

Don’t forget to check out our daily news updates at indonesiaexpat.biz. Follow our Instagram and Facebook accounts @indonesiaexpat to stay updated on the daily COVID-19 case numbers and news, as well as attractive promotions from your favourite hotels, restaurants, and schools.

PT. Koleksi Klasik Indonesia 17th floor, Pondok Indah Office

12 SLEEPOVER Staycation Mission: Master the Art of Doing Nothing at The Alana Sentul

14 SNA MEDIA CLUB COLUMN Five Recipes Worth a Try in Quarantine

16 MEET THE EXPAT Beverage Making with Marek Vojcarcik

FOOD SECURITY Food for Thought

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10 OBSERVATIONS Panned and Deliver

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FOOD AND DRINK Pizzeria: Jakarta’s First Specialised Pizza Restaurant is Back

CULINARY With Vincent Nigita, Eating Pastries in

Edo Frese

20 LOCAL CUISINE Secrets to Indonesian Cooking

Opinions Expressed in this publication are those of the writers and the publisher does not accept any responsibility for any errors, ommisions, or complaints arising there from.

22 FOOD AND DRINK Jakarta’s Hidden Japanese Delight, Kokuu Restaurant

No parts of this publication can be reproduced in whole or in part, in print or electronically without permission of the publisher. All trademarks, logos, brands and designs are copyright and fully reserved by PT. Koleksi Klasik Indonesia.

24 RESTAURANTS Telling Porkies

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business profile

Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

One Water Filter at a Time with Econesia

M

aarten Tromp spent most of his days hitting the waves in Bali during his vacation. The ocean’s alarming plastic waste inspired him to help combat this never-ending environmental issue. Now, as the Business Developer for Econesia and settling in Bali, Maarten believes water filtration is the way to go – for the health of the planet, our bodies, and our bank accounts.

Using a water filter makes people more independent; you no longer depend on the delivery of gallons for your drinking water.

What’s the story behind Econesia?

Econesia’s mission is to reduce plastic waste which, as we’re all aware by now, is one of the planet’s most pressing environmental problems.

When I visited Bali for the first time last year, I spent a lot of my time surfing. It was during those times that I noticed first-hand the enormous amount of plastic litter, both in the water and on the beaches. It was very upsetting to see that these once pristine shorelines were now deprived of their beauty because of plastic waste.

I thought about organising beach clean-ups but then realised this would only be treating the symptoms of the problem, while the core of the issue – the over-consumption of singleuse plastic – would still remain. I did some research on the numbers and found that authorities have to remove 100 tons of plastic waste from Bali’s beaches every day! I thought it was such a ridiculously huge amount of plastic; things can’t go on like this. There must be a better way of dealing with the issue.

This is exactly what Econesia does. Instead of “solving” the problem at the surface by cleaning up the plastic waste, we aim to tackle the issue at source by preventing the use of avoidable plastics in the first place. That line of thought is how Econesia was born.

We can proudly say that we’ve prevented the use of two million plastic bottles this year.

How have we achieved this? By installing high-quality water filters in hotels and restaurants that previously provided water to their guests in single-use plastic bottles.

Econesia’s filters skip the single-use bottle and offer mineral-rich, filtered water in reusable glass bottles instead.

It’s our goal to become a widely known company for water filtration and zero-waste living in Indonesia.

What makes Econesia special compared to other water filter products in the market?

We have made sure that our water filters are of the highest quality and are user-friendly at the same time. Other filter companies often provide emergency filters. These filters aren’t always able to get rid of all the impurities in the water and they also require a lot of maintenance.

We have also tested the water that’s provided in gallon bottles from the big companies multiple times. The water from

these companies often has either a really high concentration of total dissolved solids (TDS) or a really low concentration of TDS. The TDS is a measure of all the dissolved inorganic and organic substances present in a liquid. According to the WHO, a high TDS is undesirable and can lead to health issues, while very low TDS is also not recommended as that water would be depleted of its essential minerals and often has a very flat taste. Our water filters contain a TDS-controller, which allows us to accurately determine the desired amount of minerals left in the filtered water.

What’s the technology used?

Econesia’s filters use a purification system with reverse osmosis (RO) and ultrafiltration (UF), removing dissolved impurities such as chemical substances, viral bacteria, and salts to provide 100 percent pure drinking

water. Normal RO purifiers remove dissolved impurities but also remove the essential minerals, which makes the water unsuitable for drinking.

The TDS controller in our water filter makes sure that the essential natural minerals remain in the water. These minerals contribute to healthy skin, hair, and teeth.

We use a four-step filtration process: water passes through a sediment filter, a carbon filter, a reverse osmosis system, and finally through an ultrafiltration membrane.

Can you describe the filtration process?

You can watch the filtration process via this link https://youtu.be/cy0NoG9I_U0

HOW THE FILTER WORKS

Econesia is described as “the first complete drinking water solution in Indonesia for your hotel, business, and home”. How are the offers for hotels, businesses, and homes different from one another?

Foremost, Econesia’s filter is low-cost, low maintenance, and high quality. Other options are either high maintenance or high cost and have varying quality results.

For hotels and businesses, we additionally offer customised, reusable glass bottles and crates and we train the staff with videos and on-site training about how to work with the bottles safely and conveniently. For businesses, hotels, and homes we provide a one-year quality guarantee. Every six months, we come by for a water-quality check-up.

How does Econesia reduce costs and make it enjoyable to consume water?

Are there other benefits using Econesia?

Our water filter is available for a special discounted price right now. Instead of its usual price of Rp4.5 million, the system is now available for Rp3.5 million. You can also lease one per month for Rp350,000 for 12 months. On average, a restaurant in Bali uses about 500 litres of drinking water per week. This results in a total expense of Rp1.79 million per month an Rp17,000 per 19-litre bottle. With our water filter, these costs can be drastically reduced to Rp350,000 per month and, with time, they can drop even further to almost zero.

Everyone has become somewhat of a germaphobe these days with the global pandemic going on. Is it still challenging to attract more people to consuming filtered water?

On the contrary! I think that our filters can actually help in this situation since they work really well at getting rid of pathogens too.

Because of some bad experiences with other filters, we’ve noticed that some people are somewhat hesitant to drink filtered water.

However, we believe it’s only a matter of time until people become more used to drinking filtered water as the quality of the filters is great. Using a water filter also makes people more independent; you no longer depend on the delivery of gallons for your drinking water.

Why do you think water filtration is the way to go?

Clean water is becoming increasingly scarce in Indonesia. Factors that contribute to this process are the lack of governmental intervention, poor sanitation since most homes aren’t connected to a sewage system, and increased saltwater due to the overdrawing of groundwater leading to saltwater entering the water table. As the population grows, the pressure on groundwater sources only increases. Water prices are another good reason. Water companies tend to overcharge for their water, especially in the dry season. Indonesians then have no other option but to drink polluted water.

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Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

How did you get involved with Econesia, Maarten?

When I approached Enviu, they were just expanding Econesia in Jakarta. I was ready for something new and joining Econesia’s mission to tackle plastic pollution sounded like a dream come true. I love to explore new cultures and foreign countries – I was searching to do something more meaningful.

My girlfriend and I decided to go for it. She quit her job in Austin, Texas, to pursue her career as a graphic designer and eventually came with me to Indonesia.

With an affordable water filtration system, you empower people to have their own water source, making them independent from the big private companies and it also reduces the amount of groundwater we use.

Is there a reason for Econesia targeting Indonesia?

Indonesia is the world’s second biggest contributor to marine plastic pollution.

This means that targeting the issue here can achieve a meaningful impact; it reduces plastic consumption at the source and prevents it from leaking into the environment.

The country is also the world’s fourth most populous country and many people’s livelihoods here depend on tourism, which in the past years has been significantly affected by the plastic waste crisis. In addition, a considerable number of Indonesians lack adequate access to affordable drinking water.

Since being part of Enviu, which believes in an economy serving people and the planet to address social and environmental issues, why and how did the partnership come about?

My partnership with Enviu came about because of my volunteer work as a treasurer for the Marma Foundation. I’d been working as a financial consultant for a year but I felt like I could do something more purposeful with my time. Through the Marma Foundation, I got in touch with Enviu. Their work really resonated with me, creating viable business models that not only serve the people but also the planet. These kinds of businesses are really what the world needs more of.

If someone is interested in purchasing an Econesia product, where can they check them out?

Do you have a cleaning tip?

People can reach to us on WhatsApp +62 812 1133 1513 to have a brief call about their specific situation and the possible installation of the filter.

You can also purchase your water filter online on Tokopedia www.tokopedia.com/ econesia?source=universe&st=product or our personal website www.econesia.id. Stay up to date with our activities on Instagram @econesia_id.

It was one of the craziest things I’ve ever done, leaving my stable job and life in Amsterdam and moving to the other side of the world. I definitely don’t regret it, we’re very happy here. The Balinese culture is very rich, the people are so friendly, and of course, the island is very beautiful. There’s also a big expat community in Bali with a lot of young people working remotely. I feel very lucky to be here right now amid a pandemic.

This year, you moved to Indonesia; planned to be based in Jakarta but relocated to Bali instead. How do you find Bali amidst the new normal?

Yes, the original plan was to be located in Jakarta, but when COVID-19 spread globally around March this year, my girlfriend and I decided to move to Bali. We literally were able to catch the last flight before the airport shut down!

I had visited Bali before and I love it. I’m living in Canggu and often go for a morning surf session. Life here is still pretty normal for me, though it’s much quieter! Something I don't really mind, to be honest. Canggu can be crazy, especially during the high season.

But, of course, I sympathise with the locals since most of them really depend on tourism and with the airport closed, many are struggling to make ends meet. Hopefully, Bali will reopen their borders again soon so everything can return to normal.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I’ve recently switched to a plant-based lifestyle and it’s been great. I feel healthy, have more energy, and really think that consuming no or fewer animal products is one of the best things you can do for animals, the environment, and your own health.

If you’d like to learn more about this, you can find me on Instagram @the.nature. nutritionist.

What’s your favourite Indonesian food and beverage you’ve had so far.

Balinese curry, Jackfruit rendang, and jamu.

My least favourite is soursop.

Thank you for your time, Maarten! Stay safe and healthy.

BUNAKEN OASIS DIVE RESORT TO REOPEN IN DECEMBER All of us here at Bunaken Oasis Dive Resort & Spa are excited to announce that we are reopening for guests from December 1, 2020. Because of restrictions to international travel, we’re only able to welcome guests from within Indonesia, but we are sure that there are lots of people across the country who would welcome an escape from the difficulties of COVID-19, and the chance to immerse themselves in luxury at Indonesia’s Leading Dive Resort.

What awaits you at Bunaken Oasis? Huge, luxuriously-appointed cottages with sumptuous bathrooms and just about every convenience you’ll want; a gourmet restaurant offering mouth-watering a la carte menus at breakfast, lunch and dinner; a multi-level cocktail bar with several individual terraces where you can unwind under the stars with your loved one, family or friends; a purpose-built Spa offering a full range of treatments from our highly-qualified therapists; a Dive Centre with a full range of equipment for hire (including video and still cameras), and a spacious, well-equipped camera room.

We’ve also been really busy since we waved goodbye to our last guests in March: we have • undertaken an extensive program of refurbishment: cottages, restaurant, Spa, Dive Centre and boats are now better than ever • strengthened the management team by making some new appointments to ensure that the service you’ll enjoy remains absolutely world-class • added a new boat to our fleet – we now have six dedicated dive boats - which means that you’re guaranteed to have plenty of space onboard (even on our very largest boats, there’ll be a maximum of six guests)

In short, we’ve undertaken an audit of what we offer, and we’ve asked ourselves a simple question: can we make it any better? Wherever we identified something that could be improved, we’ve improved it!

An obvious concern for guests is what we’re doing to minimise the threat from COVID-19. In short, we’ve taken the advice from the World Health Organisation, the Indonesian government, PADI, TDI and SSI, and the Divers Alert Network (DAN), and we’ve integrated their recommendations into every aspect of our operation, from greeting you at the airport through to wishing you farewell.

While you’re with us, you can enjoy the reassurance that comes from staying on an uncrowded resort where you’ll be able to socially distance as much as you want. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in one of our private pick-up cars at the airport, diving from one of our spacious dive boats, dining in our large, opensided restaurant, or changing the lens on your underwater camera in our vast camera room: you’ll always have the space you need to feel comfortable!

If you feel the urge to escape from the difficulties of 2020 (and who doesn’t?), why not consider spending some time with us at Bunaken Oasis. In a time of great uncertainty, we can guarantee you the warmest of welcomes to a worldclass resort.

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food and drink

Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

Pizzeria: Jakarta’s First Specialised Pizza Restaurant is Back turmeric, and sambal dabu-dabu,” explained Chef Andry. He’s also not shying away from incorporating more variants of toppings.

He said he wants to create a pizza dish with wagyu and caviar, but not right now during COVID-19.

BY MIRELLA PANDJAITAN

B

ack in the 1990s, other pizza outlets were still scarce in Jakarta. It was a challenge to get authentic Western cuisine for Indonesians and foreigners at that time. Under one of the international hotel chains (present-day The Sultan Hotel and Residence) in Senayan, Central Jakarta, the hotel opened Pizzeria, an authentic Italian restaurant serving crispy, thin Italian pizzas accompanied by live music. It was an absolute favourite for guests staying at the hotel or whoever wished to drop by and get their taste buds treated to this appetising Italian delight.

Fast forward to August 9, 2020, The Sultan Hotel and Residence reintroduced Pizzeria.

Boy was this ecstatically received! The hotel is attempting to lift the glory of Pizzeria afresh.Many people who have visited this restaurant in the past feel nostalgic revisiting it; they're delighted and thankful to the hotel for reopening Pizzeria. The pizzas taste the same as they did years ago, plus with many innovations in the menu now.

Set outdoors at the hotel’s main tower compound, right at the Kudus Garden behind the Kudus Hall and newly-renovated infinity pool, you’ll walk to a garden with an irresistible water fountain in its centre.

Pizzeria specifically has only outdoor seating which adheres to health protocols and physical distancing seating arrangement since people tend to be more comfortable and feel safer dining outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This garden is compact. Surrounding the water fountain are wooden tables and chairs I’d someday like to have in my backyard for meals when the weather is nice and sunny, as well as a beach-like umbrella to shade each table, placed in a circle surrounding the water fountain that intersects the passageway to the Sultan Residence and ten o’clock direction to one of GBK’s gate. Each table has a candle as the area is only supported by dimmed lights as the sun sets – very romantic, very intimate amidst this green open space that gives off resort vibes.

Mandatory temperature checks are done upon your arrival. A hand wash station and hand sanitisers are available to be made use of before sitting. And since this is outdoors in a garden, in Indonesia, lots of mosquitoes roam around so please beware of nasty itches.

Mosquito repellents are provided though, just ask the waiter.

“So far, we’ve been making 20 pizzas per day,” he continued. The four best selling pizzas are The Carnivore (tomato sauce with bolognese beef ragout, beef pepperoni, beef sausage, and mozzarella cheese), the melting cheesy goodness Quattro Formaggi (tomato sauce and four types of cheeses: cheddar, blue cheese, ricotta, and mozzarella), the vegetarian-friendly Vegetariane (eggplant, zucchini, capsicums, onion, champignon mushroom, and mozzarella cheese), and the Mediterranean inspired Seafood Marinara (tomato sauce, mixed assorted seafood, and mozzarella cheese). Other pizzas available are the classic Margherita (tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and basil) and Barbecue Chicken (barbecue sauce, roast saffron chicken garlic, onion, mozzarella cheese, and fresh coriander leaf).

Yet Pizzeria’s kinds of pasta are highly rated as well. The pasta portions are huge, perfect to share or as the ultimate indulgence for that hungry person. The best-sellers are classics: Linguine Carbonara (linguine,

The food, well, if you’re keen to have authentic pizzas and kinds of pasta not from a fast food joint, then Pizzeria is it. Pizzeria serves rustic Italian pizzas. Recipes are originally Italian, which Chef Andry learned from his previous culinary endeavour before taking charge in this restaurant. Therefore, the pizzas served are crispy and thin.

Chef Andry Stefanus did his research thoroughly. The menu, available on glossed paper or accessed through a QR scan code, is based on the former Pizzeria. The pizza itself is made from a special dough mixture, topped off according to the ordered variant of pizza, and then placed into an oven running on a temperature of 250 degrees Celsius. “We have a special oven that is this hot to get the best crispy, thin quality pizza,” said Chef Andry.

smoked beef and egg yolk with cream and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese), Spaghetti Bolognaise (spaghetti with beef ragout and tomato sauce), and Fettuccini Fruti di Mare (fettuccine with assorted seafood and tomato sauce). Others include Spaghetti Pollo Fritto (spaghetti Aglio olio, cherry tomatoes, and crispy chicken) and the vegetarian-friendly Penne Vegetariane (penne with zucchini, eggplant, champignon mushroom, coriander leaf, and tomato). All kinds of pasta are topped off with a side of parmesan cheese so you can go wild with it.

Trying all of those highly recommended pizzas and kinds of pasta, each was created authentically without any Indonesian-Esque f lavours added. Sometimes, we just want a legit Italian pizza and/or pasta tracking back to its authentic roots. My tastebuds were thrilled. The meaty Carnivore Pizza, Spaghetti Bolognaise, and Linguine Carbonara had an adequate amount of meats resulting in each bite of balanced carbs and proteins in thick sauces of cheesy goodness.

The vegetarian and seafood options were still cheesy but tasted lighter as the toppings were nothing but vegetables or an array of seafood – again, balanced. And as for the quadruple cheese pizza, make sure to have it while it’s fresh out of the oven to get the melting sensation.

Have a side of salad or soup while you’re at it. Then end off your dinner with the adored chocolate fudge cake or apple pie, both come with vanilla ice cream on the side. Again, the desserts’ portions can be shared – if you’re not up to having a sugar overdose, but personally speaking, the desserts weren’t too sweet. To wash down these Italian delights, opt for a bottle or glass of white or red wine, beers, juices, hot or cold coffee and tea, mineral water, soft drinks, and spirits by glass.

CARBONARA

He also innovates with local flavours like the sambal dabu-dabu, a type of hot and spicy condiment commonly found in Manado cuisine, on Indonesia’s Independence Day, August 17. “Based on the Indonesian theme, we served this special sambal dabu-dabu pizza which had tomato, grilled chicken,

SEAFOOD PIZZA

Operation Hours: Thursday to Saturday (6-9 pm) Jl. Gatot Subroto, Gelora, Central Jakarta Tel: +6221 5703600 (Hotline) Website: www.sultanjakarta.com Instagram: @thesultanhoteljkt

Don’t expect a hefty cost for dinner. The price range is below Rp100,000 per dish during the pandemic. “People should eat good food without having to spend a fortune during this eerie time. Enjoy a sumptuous dinner date or dinner out with your family and/or friends while listening to a live DJ playing music from the 80s to the 2000s – depending on the crowd of customers present at that night,” said Chef Andry.

Only birthdays have been celebrated since Pizzeria’s opening. Not many events have been held, but these are always welcome while adhering to the new normal health protocols. Speaking of which, Pizzeria was unfortunately closed during the tight largescale social restrictions (PSBB), even for delivery and takeaway. But since PSBB has loosened up, allowing restaurants and cafes to offer dine-in service within a 50 percent capacity once again, Pizzeria is happy to welcome Italian food connoisseurs back for dinner from Thursday to Saturday.

Are you excited to dine in at a restaurant again? Let Pizzeria at The Sultan Hotel and Residence be your next culinary expedition.

End of Financial Year 2020 is Coming: A Guide to Indonesia’s Tax and Payroll Compliance It may be a cliche, but when it comes to doing business in Indonesia or anywhere else in the world, this adage will always be true and relevant: fulfilling tax and payroll obligations to ensure compliance is a part of running a business. Every business in Indonesia, regardless of size and type, has the obligation to register for tax, pay for the compulsory taxes, submit tax reports and file tax returns, and withhold the personal income tax of employees, among other things.

There are many types of taxes in Indonesia, but the most common ones that business owners need to pay attention to are the corporate income tax (CIT) and value-added tax (VAT). Depending on the business classification, activity and location, tax requirements and rates may be different between businesses.

SANCTIONS AND PENALTIES FOR TAX NON-COMPLIANCE IN INDONESIA

Cases of non-compliance in Indonesia can be classified into non-severe and severe, and sanctions and penalties incur accordingly. For example, for a late tax payment companies will be subject to a monthly surcharge of 2 percent. For late tax reporting, depending on the tax type, companies will be fined between Rp100,000 and Rp1 million. Incomplete, late issuance, non-conforming issuance or non-issuance of the VAT invoice will be subject to a surcharge of 2 percent.

Serious tax infringements in Indonesia include providing wrong information for tax returns and not submitting tax returns, which may result in imprisonment of between three and 12 months or a fine of 200 percent of the underpaid tax. Cases of fraud, embezzlement and improper bookkeeping can result in a maximum of six-year imprisonment or a surcharge of 200-600 percent of the actual payments.

PAYROLL COMPLIANCE IN INDONESIA

Companies that employ workers in Indonesia are required to withhold the income taxes of their employees, whether they are local or foreign nationals. By the end of the year, employers will provide employees with their annual tax returns, which are to be submitted to the tax authority no later than March 31 of the following year.

In Indonesia, the income of everyone is subject to a basic tax allowance. Up to the minimum amount, the taxable income is not subject to tax. If the taxable income is higher than the basic tax allowance, they will have to pay for their income tax. As a rule of thumb, the higher a taxable income is, the higher amount they will have to pay to fulfil their tax obligations.

All tax residents, including foreign nationals, should register for the National Taxpayer Identity Card (NPWP). Those without the NPWP are subject to an additional 20 percent charge on their income tax withholding.

The following tax rates can be used as the basic guidance for income tax calculation in Indonesia: • The first Rp50 million: 5 percent • The next Rp200 million: 15 percent • The next Rp250 million: 25 percent • The next amount over Rp500 million: 30 percent In addition to the income tax deduction, there are several things to consider when it comes to payroll calculation in Indonesia: • Minimum salary: the amount varies between regions in Indonesia • Work hours: 40 hours is usually the standard number of work hours within a week (Monday to Friday) for employees in Indonesia • Overtime work: each employee is limited to three hours overtime per day. The overtime time rate is 1/173 of the monthly salary of an employee • Allowance: a religious holiday allowance (THR) must be given to all employees. This allowance is an extra income that needs to be separated from the monthly salary. It is usually given either before Eid al-Fitr or Christmas.

• Mandatory insurances: All employees, including foreign nationals who have worked and resided in Indonesia for more than six months, are required to participate in the BPJS Employment Program in Indonesia. This program consists of a healthcare BPJS and a social security BPJS.

BETTER BE SAFE THAN SORRY: OUTSOURCE TO A PROFESSIONAL

Ensuring 100 percent compliance with matters related to tax and payroll is a must when doing business in Indonesia. Otherwise, as mentioned above, your business is at risk of being sanctioned or penalised due to non-compliance.

As a business owner, it may be challenging to understand all of the tax and payroll regulations in Indonesia, not to mention keeping updated with the latest changes at all times. Outsourcing tax, accounting and payroll to a professional will be a smart decision. To understand more about how business process outsourcing can help you and your business, have an expert consultation with us: https:// go.cekindo.com/taxcompliance-indonesiaexpat.

As part of InCorp Group in Singapore, Cekindo offers a suite of tax and payroll consultation and outsourcing services. Get rid of those burdens and have peace of mind while running a business in Indonesia with full compliance.

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+62 21 3006 1585

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Indonesia Expat Indonesia Expat2020 Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

observations

Panned and Deliver

BY SIMON PITCHFORTH

C

ome hell, high water (coming soon to an ankledeep thoroughfare near you folks), global pandemics, lockdowns, and large-scale social restrictions, people will always need to chow down, preferably accompanied by a bottle of overpriced vino and some hot Netflix action. However, with restaurants and warungs closed and ojeks being forbidden to carry passengers for much of this year, food deliveries have now become de rigueur.

On the field of battle, Go-Jek’s Go-Food and Grab’s GrabFood (who needs hyphens anyway?) have been slugging it out for market share and burning through eye-watering amounts of venture capital in the process. Indeed, online food deliveries across Southeast Asia as a whole were set to total some US$13 billion by the end of this year, and that prediction was made before the coronavirus hit the fan.

Both Go-Food and GrabFood have proved highly successful since their inception, primarily because, unlike previous failed business models such as Food Panda, these new services don’t require any fussy integration between their applications and Jakarta’s thousands of restaurants. Instead, drivers pay for food orders out of their own pockets and are subsequently reimbursed by customers upon delivery. It’s not a perfect system but, in general, it works pretty well and the model has developed to the point that literally thousands of restaurants have now uploaded their menus to these two competing applications.

Indeed, there may be a positive advantage to this new system for cafes and eateries that meet certain criteria. For example, my local pizza place, which, coincidentally enough, is called Pizza Place (what an imagination these people have) purveys some of the best pizzas I’ve ever eaten in Jakarta, however, the restaurant itself only seats about six people. Nevertheless, there is always a jostling, green-jacketed queue of Go/Grab drivers waiting at the counter.

Essentially then, smaller places in which there’s barely room to swing a very diminutive cat can grow their businesses almost entirely on the back of app-based deliveries and presumably save a packet on rent at the same time. Combine all of this with a pandemic that has seen food deliveries rise

Lockdown and subsequent economic meltdown do seem to have sharpened those motorscooter delivery skills. fivefold, then maybe things aren’t so bad for smaller players in the restaurant industry after all, especially if this really does represent a new normal.

A vicious price war has been waged in recent years between the Grab and Go platforms though and thus it seems only prudent and proper to award your driver with a nice tip on top of the ludicrously low price that is stated within your application of choice. It should also be noted though that paying via OVO or via the applications’ online-payment systems can prove cheaper and more hygienic. It is also possible to order food for the drivers themselves, many of whom are suffering a tough time during the current economic apocalypse.

Customers should enjoy the current low delivery charges while they last though, as rumours of an impending Grab/Go-Jek merger abound as Go-Jek shareholders push for such a deal.

The resulting monopoly would no doubt bring peace of mind to said shareholders, however, hungry stakeholders may beg to differ. Well, that’s late tech-monopoly capitalism for you.

How long either of these companies can survive individually is indeed a fair question. As already touched upon, they’ve been burning through venture capital at an alarming rate in an ongoing price war and god knows when the profits will ultimately start to roll in. Maybe the aforementioned merger will come to pass or, alternatively, one of these two firms may crash and burn and an untouchable business dodecahedrona-corn will start to jack up the prices.

Grab is currently worth around US$14 billion while Go-Jek is worth around US$10 billion and presumably, at some point, these titans of the public highways will want to go public, however, long-term profitability will have to be a more solid proposition first. And food deliveries, along with the e-wallet model that has driven China’s mega-platform Alibaba into the stratosphere, are seen as key here.

In line with the new normal, contactless delivery are the new buzzwords and if you’re a cautious citizen then you can get your driver to place your food at a safe distance of two metres and leave the cash in an envelope like some clandestine drug drop. I’m not sure how effective such a delivery protocol will

be, but probably an improvement on the Perspex screens that ojek drivers have now strapped to their backs for when they are actually carrying passengers and which, in terms of the transmission of known pathogens, are probably about as useful as a crocheted condom. So when your driver rocks up having ridden all the way from Bogor from the one restaurant in West Java that sells your favourite fried rice topped with fricasseed bats’ eyelids, either do the contactless-delivery thing or remember to mask up.

All this is assuming that your driver can find you in the first place, however. Things do seem to be improving of late and it is now comparatively rare for my temper to start to fray like the strap of an overused Grab helmet as my hapless food deliverer proves incapable of straying within a 1 km radius of my humble abode and phones up several times asking for directions. This, of course, despite having a state-of-the-art GPS app guiding him or her towards my ravenous cakehole. As I said though, lockdown and subsequent economic meltdown do seem to have sharpened those motor-scooter delivery skills as a huge groundswell of drivers battle for orders due to the carrying of passengers having been off-limits for weeks on end.

During the first of Jakarta’s semi-lockdowns, my significant other squeeze and I took the opportunity to have meals delivered from a different restaurant every day and were gratified by a very high hit rate of Indonesian treats that also included the odd foray into international cuisine. Apart from the odd rare misfire, such as the sambal that caused my teeth to start melting and my digestive tract to commence its own China Syndrome reactor-core meltdown, the Indonesian capital has genuinely proved to be an odyssey of budget culinary delights.

So, as the COVID-19 cases continue to spike alarmingly in Jakarta and as the rainy season also sweeps in with its attendant sicknesses, turning the capital into some latterday Death in Venice scenario, I’d advise battening down the hatches, firing up your handsomely specced handset and getting your nosebag delivered for the time being.

Stay safe.

Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

immigration

The New e-Visa – Your Questions Answered!

The e-Visa in Indonesia is finally here! LetsMoveIndonesia investigates what this means, why it was implemented, how this affects new applications and answers some of your most common questions!

The new e-Visa means that the visa is processed online and now the applicant simply receives an email with the authorisation to enter the country. Simple, cost-effective and much more bearable for the applicant.

At the time of writing the e-Visa applies to all visa types.

To understand the benefit of the e-Visa, you first need to understand how the previous system worked. For those that have obtained visas to Indonesia before, you will all understand how unnecessarily time consuming the process was, but for those yet to experience the process, it went a little like this: 1. Apply for visa approval from the Indonesian immigration authorities.

2. Go to an Indonesian Embassy overseas to collect your visa, wait a few days for the Embassy to process the visa, then finally, you can enter the country.

This process was time-consuming and spurred a variety of extra costs, such as hotels, additional travel, flights, spending money, and additional agent costs to expedite the process.

refundable. Please note that if you have made any mistakes your application will be rejected and your money will be forfeited – therefore, it is vitally important you ensure every single document is correct. If you are unsure – use an agent.

Do I need a sponsor for the e-Visa?

You need a sponsor for the visa, whether it is a company, spouse or family member.

Is this a permanent change or temporary?

The Indonesian government has commenced the system testing of electronic visa applications and it looks like this new system is still in the experimental stage while looking at further developments.

BY GARY JOY

Introducing the E-Visa In response to several countries who have already implemented the Electronic Visa (e-Visa), Indonesia launched its new version in October 2020 to help ease the visa process and to mitigate the further risk of COVID-19 contamination by simplifying the process.

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Do I still need to pay Indonesian embassy fees?

Since this system has been implemented, you no longer need to pay fees at the Indonesian Embassy, because by having an electronic visa, you can now travel directly to Indonesia.

However, there are fees that appear in advance while the Sponsor is processing the visa approval for you. US$50 is payable for Visit Visa applications and US$150 is charged on applying for Temporary Stay Visas.

An important note, technically after your Sponsor has made an online application, they will receive a billing statement, whether it is US$50 or US$150, which is valid for seven calendar days only. Once you have settled, the payment is non-

If I am making an application overseas, how do I pay the Indonesian government official fees?

Currently, there is no online payment method, it needs to be done in person manually. Therefore, an agent, friend, colleague or family member will need to assist you.

What additional documentation do I need to prepare when entering Indonesia with an e-Visa?

1. Health insurance, travel insurance or statement letter advising responsibility for hospital treatment costs if infected by COVID-19.

2. Invitation letter for business visas from inviting sponsor.

3. Willingness statement letter to quarantine.

4. Negative COVID-19 PCR test result dated within three days.

Can I apply for a visa without using an agent?

Yes, you can. If you have a sponsor, all supporting documentation and a lot of patience.

Have a question or need a reliable agent to help you visit Indonesia? Then contact Indonesia’s Most Trusted Agency – LetsMoveIndonesia! T: +622130029727 | E: info@ letsmoveindonesia.com or check out their website www. letsmoveindonesia.com

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sleepover

Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

Staycation Mission: Master the Art of Doing Nothing at The Alana Sentul outside to have my meal by the semi-resortstyle pool. I noticed that three gazebos on the edge of the pool were empty. Unfortunately, food and beverages aren’t allowed in the gazebos. Either way, I sat down on the bean bag, in awe of the beautiful day – away from the big city.

Alana means beautiful. Throughout the hotel, it’s visible that the design concept had to do with an ethnic, traditional touch in a minimalistic style. It sure looked beautifully fashionable with the Javanese flower carvings in brown and marble hues as well as batik motif subtly placed everywhere.

BY MIRELLA PANDJAITAN

I

f you’re too bored with Jakarta and its antics, why not escape the city for an hour to Sentul City? Located in Bogor district, Sentul City is still impacted by largescale social restrictions (PSBB). The big plus is: whatever regulations are imposed in DKI Jakarta do not affect businesses in Sentul City. When the capital was under tight PSBB, dining in at restaurants, cafes, and hotels in this region was permitted while following strict health protocols and having an earlier closing time.

guests to go cashless and contactless to ensure the health and safety of all guests and staff.

To do so, mention the name you've booked your room under and the booking code. Your digital signature will be made before check-in.

Depending on whether you’re staying at Alana for the weekend, the front desk staff will ask your preferred breakfast time since only a maximum of 150 people are allowed within a set period: early morning at 6-8:30am or later at 8:30-10am. You won’t be asked if any of the slots are fully booked.

Those of you who have never been to Sentul should take this opportunity to explore.

Check out Sentul City Cultural Park (Taman Budaya Sentul City), Fantasia Sentul Nature Tourism Park, Jungleland Sentul, Pasar Ah Pong, Sentulfresh School Education Farm, Koneng South City Village, Bidadari Waterfall, Eco Park Sentul City, Kencana Waterfall, Epic Outbound, and Leuwi Hejo.

These are some of the highly recommended attractions in the area.

I arrived just before noon. A mandatory temperature check before entering the Green Canyon Restaurant on the ground floor was done. I then proceeded to wash my hands at a sink nearby. The chefs were seen setting up the lunch buffet for the day. The Alana Hotel is one of the few hotels in the region that provides buffet-style meals during lunch. Of course, sticking to the new normal era, chefs wearing face masks and gloves will serve the food from behind a glass barrier. You can always ask for the restaurant’s menu, but the buffet menu changes daily. I was presented with an array of Indonesian and Asian delights – yes please - to an endless amount of dessert.

Avoid the terrible traffic on Jagorawi Toll Road after exploring Sentul on a day trip – take a staycation at The Alana Hotel and Conference Centre in Sentul City instead! If you’re not about seeking adventure but are anticipating to chill at the pool until dinner time, eat dinner accompanied by hit and after hit overlooking Sentul City’s skyline at night, and then laze around the room, this hotel is your best bet.

Staycations are all of a buzz in 2020. It’s a great idea to escape your nest for a relaxing time. Hotels are open to welcome guests for a memorable, relaxing staycation. Just for one night; you don’t have to think about making your bed the next morning, endless options of food for breakfast, all access to the swimming pool and gym, and no cleaning! You can opt for more nights but sometimes, even spending just one night can make a huge difference to your mood and spiralling mind. The global pandemic has affected us in some ways, for better or worse.

Take the Jagorawi toll exit to Sentul City from Jakarta. Within ten minutes, you’ll arrive at The Alana Hotel. The hotel is encouraging

Green Canyon Restaurant’s specialties are roti bakar crispy or crispy toast, Bogor-style oxtail soup with bakso and tofu, then signature drinks such as palm sugar cappuccino and coffee varieties from Toraja, Gayo, Bali, Sumatra, Bandung, West Java, and more.

Dishes can be ordered via GoFood during the new normal, but only limited options are available for delivery.

There’s seating both indoors and outdoors.

It was a bright, cloudless day. Naturally, I sat

The Alana Hotel is the perfect place for leisure and business. It's a one-stop place for everyone. Weekdays are business, weekends are vacations – or staycations. Government institutions and corporate firms can book residential full board meetings, including staying at the hotel and three meals a day for all participants. I happened to have my staycation on a Thursday, so my lunch was amongst government individuals having their lunch break by the pool.

A total of 270 rooms are available, comprising three room types: deluxe, suite, and presidential suite. There are 15 meeting rooms all named after gems like sapphire, diamond, jasper, and ruby to name a few, which accommodate ten to 200 people.

There’s a spa – currently not open until further PSBB announcements – and a gym that presents a luscious green view while you’re running on the treadmill.

Don’t worry about your kids – they’ll be well-occupied. Kids’ Club activities’ centre is on the fifth floor. Enjoy a night with your little ones on Saturday nights by watching movies, attend a cooking class on Sundays, or enjoy some light bites by the pool while they play with the giant foams in the kids’ pool.

Usually, on World Children's Day, the hotel holds a festival for kids, including in-house guests and walk-ins, filled with origami and painting competitions.

Sad to say, no events have occurred during the new normal. Pre-COVID, private concerts performed by local bands and singers were held once a month. Indonesian band, D'Masiv, performed at the pool area in January 2020.

Confession: I was on a mission to be a sloth and master the art of doing nothing. I spent the rest of my day laying on the bed, watching an action movie starring Paul Walker on HBO as it started to rain outside.

Luckily the rain stopped; time for me to sit outdoors at Vertikal Sky Lounge for a treat.

Nights at this rooftop lounge consist of tasty Western, Asian, and Indonesian meals, with serenades by tunes performed by a live band or played by a DJ. Even non-hotel guests stop by for dinner, classic international and Alana’s signature cocktails – crowding the idyllic space on weekends.

I tried a berry inspired mocktail, a very filling salad, a bowl of soto ayam, steak with grilled baby potatoes and vegetables, and finally a decadent fruity panna cotta. News is, a private lounge where the chef serves directly to a maximum of five people like a butler service will be introduced this October.

Dinner overlooking the misty Sentul City night was over. It was time to call it night – with a warm bubble bath, of course. My body felt worn out from doing nothing; I rested well at last.

Breakfast the next morning at Green Canyon Restaurant had me excited because there was lontong sayur: Indonesian rice cakes with vegetable stew in coconut milk.

Classic breakfast foods such as eggs cooked according to your preference, waff les, pancakes, pastries, and nasi goreng were also provided. The restaurant commonly offers traditional local food such as market snacks - jajanan pasar - lontong sayur, nasi uduk, and indomie.

I still had time before check out. I made use of my Friday morning to have an early dip. It was quite cold as the sun was mostly covered by clouds. The pool was filled with families laughing and having a blast, I suspect they’re having staycations as well. I, too, had a blast.

The Alana Hotel immediately tightened and added health protocols as soon as COVID-19 hit. Safety was well assured throughout the hotel. For instance, there are touchless buttons in elevators. The hotel is even certified as a World Travel and Tourism Safe Travels hotel, where employees follow rapid tests every month.

Staycation Mission: ACCOMPLISHED!

Jl. Ir H Juanda No.76, Sentul, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia T: +622184280888 W: www.alanahotels.com Instagram: @thealanasentul

SNA media club column

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Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

Five Recipes Worth a Try in Quarantine

N

ow more than ever, we’re seeking refuge in our own homes in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we navigate through these hard times, it’s important that we’re still feeding ourselves well. Cooking a home-made meal for your family is always a fulfilling activity. In fact, some people say that the simple comforts of cooking will cure all the sadness of today and tomorrow.

Here are five quarantine-friendly recipes you can cook at home. With minimal ingredients, short cooking times, and easy to follow recipes, we’re sure you won’t mess this up and will impress your family.

Ingredients: • 1.5 cups all-purpose flour • One teaspoon of baking soda • Half teaspoon of salt • One cup of white sugar • Two large, beaten eggs • Quarter cup of melted butter • Three medium, mashed bananas

COOKIEANDKATE.COM

1. BANANA BREAD To start, here’s a recipe for banana bread.

A moist bread made with a few ingredients and short baking time is the perfect recipe for this quarantine. Here’s a moist recipe from Allrecipes.com.

2. RAM-DONS Do you have a few packs of instant noodles laying around in your kitchen cupboards?

Although Ram-Dons aren’t the most universally available meal to make, as far as minimal-ingredient cooking goes, it’s pretty high up on the list. It can also be made versatile if you have any type of protein such as steak, tofu, chicken, or eggs. You can make yourself a makeshift gourmet meal with those and additional ingredients such as some greens, herbs, and other bits – it’ll take your recipe up a notch. Here’s a beef recipe version from foodisafourletterword.com.

FOODISAFOURLETTERWORD.COM

Method: • Grease and flour two 7x3 inch loaf pans.

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius.

• In one bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, salt, and sugar. Mix in the slightly beaten eggs, melted butter, and mashed bananas.

• Stir in nuts if desired. Pour into the prepared pans.

• Bake at 175 degrees Celsius for one hour, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Ingredients: • One packet of Chapagetti (instant noodles made by Nongshim) • One packet of Neoguri (instant noodles made by Nongshim) • 12 oz sirloin or ribeye steak • Half a teaspoon of salt • Quarter teaspoon of ground black pepper • One teaspoon of vegetable oil • One tablespoon of salted butter Method: • Use a blade tenderiser and push the needles through the whole steak. Cut into 2cm cubes then season with half a teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of ground black pepper. Place the oil into a cast iron pan on high heat. Add the steak and let it sit for a minute. Add the butter and continue to brown all sides of the steak until it’s done to your liking.

• While cooking the steak, fill a pot with five cups of water. Once boiled, add the two packets of vegetable mix and noodles. Boil for three minutes, stir the noodles. Reserve cup of the cooking water and drain the noodles. Pour the reserved water and add the oil packet and two soup base packets.

Stir well. Add the noodles and stir until the sauce starts to thicken. Turn off the heat, add the steak and toss to combine.

FIFTEENSPATULAS.COM

WELLPLATED.COM

3. CREPES Crepes are one of the most essential and versatile recipes every home cook should know. If you’ve never made them, it’s time to see what you’ve been missing with this easy five-ingredient recipe. This recipe is the perfect blank canvas for any sweet and savoury filling you can think of, from mushroom and cheese to strawberries and Nutella. Here’s a quick recipe from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients: • 1 cup of all-purpose flour • Two eggs • Half cup of milk • Half cup of water • Quarter teaspoon of salt • Two tablespoons melted butter Method: • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.

• Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

• Cook the crepe for about two minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot. (www.allrecipes.com/recipe/16383/ basic-crepes)

4. MAC N CHEESE BITES Have you been devouring the boxed mac n cheese this past week? Why not step up your mac n cheese game and make mac n cheese bites? This is a six-ingredient recipe crammed into small muffins pans. They’re perfect as a filling snack when you’re too lazy to make a whole meal. Here’s a favourite recipe from fifteenspatulas.com.

Ingredients: • 8 oz macaroni • Two tablespoons of salted butter • Quarter tablespoon of paprika - use smoked paprika if you have it • Two tablespoons of flour • Half a cup of whole milk • 8 oz grated mature cheddar cheese • Chopped chives or scallions for garnish • Butter for greasing the pan Method: • After you’ve grated your cheddar, melt a few tablespoons of butter with some paprika in a big pot.

• Add flour to make a roux, then whisk in some milk, al dente macaroni, and your cheese.

• Cram big handfuls of the macaroni into the cups of a mini muffin pan and get ready to put them into the oven.

• Bake them until they’re bubbly and gooey, and top them with some snipped chives or chopped scallion greens: • Let them cool for about ten minutes before attempting to take them out of the pan, then serve promptly while warm.

• Four large flour tortillas • Half a cup of shredded cheddar • One ripe, sliced avocado • Hot sauce for serving DELISH.COM

5. CHEESY BACON BREAKFAST BURRITO Breakfast burritos are essential during quarantine. It’s a quick and easy recipe that can be done in just under 15 minutes. Filled with sizzling bacon, smoky eggs, gooey cheese, fresh avocado, and topped with cheese, these breakfast burritos are not only delicious but also perfect any time of day. Here's the most ravishing recipe from delish.com.

Ingredients: • Eight slices of bacon • One packet of frozen hash browns • Eight large eggs • 1/3 cup of milk • Four tablespoons of butter • Salt • Freshly ground black pepper

Method: • In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy - about 8 minutes per batch. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and pour off half the fat.

• Cook the hash browns according to packet directions in the bacon fat and transfer to a plate.

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Wipe out the skillet, place over medium heat, and melt the butter. When the butter is just starting to foam, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the beaten eggs. Using a rubber spatula, stir occasionally until soft curds form. Season with salt and pepper.

• Assemble burritos: In the centre of each tortilla, layer hash browns, scrambled eggs, cheese, two slices of bacon, and sliced avocado. Fold in the two sides and roll up tightly. Serve with hot sauce.

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meet the expat

Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

Beverage Making with Marek Vojcarcik Beverage creation is similar to art in many ways. Ideas can come from daily experiences.

Some particular ingredients can trigger the creative process too.

I’ve found my happy place in Kemang Jaya apartment complex with a great green area and a peaceful neighbourhood.

You have extensive experience in Asia. How is Indonesia special?

In the past few years, I’ve travelled extensively around the Asia Pacific region. With multiple jobs, I’ve managed to see most Asian countries either as a business traveller or a tourist. Before I moved to Indonesia, I visited this beautiful country multiple times. I’m interested in its local culture and diversity, from cities to more rural areas. Indonesia is a unique country with very colourful cultures and amazing leisure travel destinations. As a diver, I greatly enjoy Indonesia with its amazing dive spots and biodiversity. Also as a motorbike rider, there’s nothing better than cruising the roads and discovering more remote places, small villages, and communities.

What are you busy with these days?

Besides running an establishment full-time, which takes up most of my week, I have recently started exploring the possibilities of

S

lovakian born and raised; Marek Vojcarcik has always been amazed

by Asia. His time in the hospitality industry has taken him travelling and creating connections with everyone he meets, professionally and otherwise. Indonesia Expat had the opportunity to discuss the art of beverages, Marek’s involvement in one of Indonesia’s biggest lifestyle companies – ISMAYA, and his role as the General Manager of A/A Bar in Gunawarman since March 2020.

Marek, please tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Slovakia. Prior to Jakarta, I’ve lived in Thailand, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. I moved to Jakarta in May 2019.

I’m 32 years old and have been an expat for the past eight years. I enjoy lots of sports and recently got immersed in the F45 “cult” in its Kemang studio. I’m a professional diver as well as passionate motorbike rider and traveller. I used to play ice hockey and hope to get into it again in Jakarta.

What are the circumstances around your arrival in Indonesia? Why did you choose to settle here?

I was fortunate to get in touch with the ISMAYA group last year and at that time I was looking for opportunities around the region. I got offered the position of Group Beverage General Manager for the entire group and I accepted this great opportunity to join the fast-paced and growing company.

investments into the production of beverages and exploring the countryside. It was quite difficult to travel anywhere during PSBB, hence I got into sports and cooking. If I’m not working, you’ll find me in the gym or on adventures around Jakarta.

What made you go into the hospitality industry in the first place?

I’ve always enjoyed talking to people and hospitality gave me a lot of good friendships.

It’s very demanding, but it’s also a rewarding industry. It’s one of the few industries that can take me to many countries, where I’d have never thought I’d travel to in the first place.

Not to mention all the crazy stories I’ve been a part of while running bars, restaurants, or brands.

You describe yourself as “a wellseasoned hospitality veteran”.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned?

That’s a question which can be answered in many ways. I think the biggest takehome would be learning soft skills and genuinely understanding people. Hospitality professionals spend most of the time at work, so I had to learn how to spend quality time off work.

It taught me how to be selective with the people and the places I spend my time as well as how to make genuine friends while travelling. There’s a big difference in travelling if you know someone who works in hospitality.

Nothing better than coming to a bar as a guest and leaving as a friend. Our job is to make you feel like there’s always someone who knows what you like to drink or eat, while genuinely sharing conversations, and calls you by your name. It creates a bond and happy memories for everyone involved.

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Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

What were you focusing on as the Group Beverage General Manager of ISMAYA? In that position, I was focused on the opening of outlets, from the design of bars to menu development and vendor relationships. I was involved in all the new openings as well as festivals organised by the company pre-COVID. As well as helping the training department to develop new courses and engage with owners to develop new opportunities for the company. Nowadays, I’m full-time engaged as the general manager of a speakeasy bar called A/A in Gunawarman, South Jakarta.

You started working at A/A Bar in March 2020, just as the coronavirus pandemic hit Indonesia. How has your experience managing the bar been?

We opened again at the end of June and, so far, the business is picking up slowly but steadily. We all understand that people are scared to go out and be around crowds, however, we’re making sure that all social distancing and safety protocols are not just on paper but actually carried out. It’s a time in our lives that no one was ready for. I’m happy I get to work with an amazing team in A/A and we have our regulars who support us through these difficult times.

The large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) impacted food and beverage businesses nationwide. What special PSBB programs, during the tight period and transitional period, do A/A offer?

We do, of course, have a data tracking system, which would be used in the situation of there being any positive cases at the outlet. Luckily, this hasn’t been used yet.

Besides those mandatory procedures, we’ve introduced Indomie treats for everyone at the end of the evening. I believe this small gesture gives our guests a pleasant end of the night.

After a well-spent evening full of cocktails, a small bowl of Indomie is definitely a good treat. Not to mention, who doesn't like Indomie Goreng? As well, PSBB gave me time to look into new cocktail concepts, which we are currently working on. A new menu will be launched once the dust settles a little bit.

Speaking of programs, what were the key elements you used for ISMAYA’s beverage programs across eight lifestyle and four restaurant brands?

Each brand is unique and aims for different guest profiles. My job was to assess the target market and work closely with the marketing team to create new beverage concepts, which would be innovative yet easy to digest for consumers. The portfolio of brands was very wide, from day to day affordable brands to high-end premium outlets.

With the constant regulation of restaurants and cafes permitted to allow a dine-in experience, how has this impacted you?

Every food and beverage outlet is facing challenges. In my field, I’d say the biggest challenge is the lack of support from the government for imported goods, especially spirits and wines. I hope one day we’ll be able to offer more diverse product portfolios for

our guests. Indonesia deserves more quality spirits, wine, and beer on the market.

How does one ensure to get the ISMAYA experience at home?

ISMAYA is a very creative group, which seeks multiple ways of doing business. During PSBB, the Gourmet Shop and Bottle Shop was developed to diversify income for the company online. Guests can enjoy hasslefree, quality meals which are easy to prepare at home. Other than that, an online festival experience for 2020 was also offered.

We wanted to bring a little bit of lifestyle to our guests’ homes. With the motto “Creating a good life”, we’re doing all that we can to make sure people can live their lives wellfed and entertained at home during these difficult times. Of course, we offer takeaway menus for all brands, from sushi and pizza to high-end steaks as well.

What are your inspirations behind the beverages you create?

Beverage creation is similar to art in many ways. Ideas can come from daily experiences.

Some particular ingredients can trigger the creative process too. Once there’s an idea, I elaborate and brainstorm how to modify this to the local taste and presentation. I like ideas which are unique, but easy to understand and digest for most people. Once the beverage recipe is done, the presentation process starts by looking at how to package this idea in a very pleasant way.

Tell us about your favourite beverage you’ve ever made. How about the best beverage that’s been served to you?

I try to stay away from the word “favourite”, as each recipe was created for guests. I do enjoy making anything as long as it brings happiness and good feelings for the person who enjoys that particular beverage. As for the beverage which was served to me, I would definitely say it was Krug Rose 1988 in Krug Maison, Reims, France. It wasn’t a cocktail, however, that particular experience was a combination of travel, taste, and company. It was a remarkable trip.

Would you like to share a beverage recipe that everyone can make at home?

There are plenty of simple recipes I could recommend, but I’ll share my favourite Martini recipe which is easy to make at home and is delicious.

Mix in a mixing glass – or you can use your French press at home - 45ml of Belvedere vodka with 15ml of Sherry wine. I personally use Lustau Amontillado Sherry which has a bold and nutty flavour. Stir it for at least 15 seconds with quality ice. Remember, ice is like fire for chefs, one of the most important ingredients is the ice itself. Strain it into a well-chilled Martini Glass and you’re all set!

It’s a very cold and flavourful cocktail, great before any meal or after a long day at work.

You can always come to A/A bar and ask me to make it for you, I’ll be more than happy to have a good chat with a Martini in hand.

Pleasure to chat with you, Marek! Stay safe and healthy.

food security

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Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

Food for Thought Kenneth Yeung masticates a moody forkful of rotten food.

BY KENNETH YEUNG

S

trolling around West Jakarta last week¸ I encountered an obese woman begging for money, purportedly for food, while her scrawny infant girl suckled sweetened condensed milk from a plastic tube, which was then thrown to the ground, while a nearby cat dined on a discarded meal of chicken and rice. All the while, there was a tremendous stench of rotten food from an adjacent fruit and vegetable market.

Welcome to Indonesia, one of the world’s biggest food wasters, despite suffering a declining number of farmers and low investment in horticulture. The country also has the twin problems of obesity and stunting (infants suffering impaired growth and development due to poor nutrition and a lack of clean water, hygiene and sanitation).

Local health officials claim that progress is being made to combat malnutrition and stunting. But coronavirus and climate change are now pushing 270 million people worldwide to the brink of famine. That’s according to the United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP), which will need more than this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to help tackle rising food insecurity.

So how bad is the outlook in Indonesia? In terms of food waste, malnutrition, stunting, obesity and smallholder agriculture, the situation is terrible. But in terms of people being on the brink of starvation, Indonesia doesn’t rank among the world’s 50 hungriest countries (although neighbouring Timor Leste is near the top of the list).

Waste Not Indonesia is the world’s second-largest food waster, throwing away about 300 kilograms of food per person per year, according to some oft-regurgitated data from the Economist Intelligence Unit. (Topping the list of food wasters is Saudi Arabia.) Indonesia is throwing away about 13 million tons of food a year – enough to feed 28 million people.

Up to about a third of the food produced in Indonesia is wasted – despite some bigname supermarkets thoughtfully keeping plastic-wrapped fruit and vegetables on the shelves, even when the rot and mould become impossible to ignore.

Why does so much food get wasted? The official reasons are twofold: first, logistical problems in supply chains (getting food from producing areas to urban centres); and second, inadequate cold storage capacity (well below the required capacity of about two million tons).

Another reason is that some middle and higher-income people buy or cook more food than can be eaten by their household before it spoils. Many Indonesians think nothing of throwing large amounts of unfinished food into the trash, where it will be appreciated by marauding cats and/or rats, before contributing to the fetid stench emanating from waterways and rubbish dumps.

The solutions should be simple: invest much more in cold storage facilities (especially at traditional markets), eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks in food transport networks, a campaign against flagrant food waste, and start using organic kitchen scraps as compost and animal feed.

Aging Farmers Indonesia faces the challenge of feeding 3.5 percent of the world’s population with only 1.28 percent of the global arable land.

Compare that to Australia, which has only 0.33 percent of the world’s people but 3 percent of its arable land.

Fortunately, Indonesia is blessed by some of the most fertile soil on the planet, high annual rainfall and abundant fisheries resources.

Indonesia is ranked fourth in the world in terms of agricultural production value – but that’s including palm oil, forestry, and fisheries.

Up to about a third of the food produced in Indonesia is wasted – despite some bigname supermarkets thoughtfully keeping plastic-wrapped fruit and vegetables on the shelves, even when the rot and mould become impossible to ignore.

The country faces tough challenges in achieving self-sufficiency in basic foods.

About 32 percent of Indonesian land is used for agriculture, but farms are gradually disappearing, being replaced by commercial plantations (our great friend, palm oil, accounting for much of this) and industrial, urban and tourism (hello Bali, Lombok and Labuan Bajo) development.

Some 29 percent of the Indonesian labour force is involved in agriculture, but the number of farmers is declining because their incomes are so low. Some smallholder farmers are lucky to make Rp30,000 a day, so they have to take side-jobs as scavengers or construction workers. Only the owners of vast commercial estates tend to make good profits, whereas the average smallholder farm size is just 0.6 hectares – hardly enough to keep a farmer above the poverty line.

More than 60 percent of Indonesia’s farmers are aged 45 or above, as young rural people opt for more lucrative career options. Farmers and fishermen (or ‘fisher-folk’, if you prefer

a gender-neutral pronoun) tend to be looked down on or even infantilised for being poor, poorly educated, and worst of all: having sunburned skin. Farmers and fishermen should be championed as heroes for producing the nation’s food. And skin-whitening products, laden with our cherished friend palm oil, should be banned for perpetuating the racist notion that light skin is better than dark skin.

Sadly, when you enter a Jakarta minimart, it’s usually easier to buy a skin-whitening product or a ready-to-eat, plastic-wrapped “sausage”, rather than a piece of fresh fruit.

Many people, when sating their hunger, will choose processed snack-foods composed of sugar, f lavour enhancers, palm oil and artificial ingredients. It’s usually cheaper and more convenient to purchase this addictive, processed muck or deep-fried gunk, rather than some healthy fruit or vegetables.

Indonesia could achieve self-sufficiency in rice and various fruit and vegetables through better agriculture policies. The government is presently developing a 164,000-hectare food estate in Central Kalimantan, primarily to grow more rice, amid fears that coronavirus will cause food shortages. Environmentalists have questioned the wisdom of trying to develop rice paddies in acidic peat swamps.

There have also been calls to reduce the nation’s dependence on daily servings of rice by diversifying the national diet.

Obesity, Stunting & Smoking More than 20 percent of Indonesians are obese because they are not eating properly and not exercising sufficiently. This is all the worse when we consider that nearly one in three Indonesian children suffers from stunting, which can cause neurological problems, leading to learning disorders, creating a vicious circle in which lowest-income people remain trapped in poverty.

The government needs to intervene by improving access to clean water, promoting hygiene and nutrition. Pregnant women should consume iron-rich foods and mothers should breastfeed their babies for at least six months, rather than believing that switching to processed milk formula products will make infants grow smarter and taller.

Worst of all is when households squander income on cigarettes, rather than buying nutritious food. The government must do more to stop people from smoking. It should cease swallowing the tobacco lobby’s mantra that reducing smoking will cause millions of job losses. No. If the tobacco companies really cared, they would shut down their factories, and use their vast profits to retrain their workers to produce something more useful than addictive drugs.

Rather than obese women begging amid rotting food because their husbands waste money on cigarettes, Indonesia would be better off improving sanitation and infrastructure, and raising the respectability of farming as an occupation.

Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

culinary

19

With Vincent Nigita, Eating Pastries in Bali Has Never Been So Chic

BY ERIC BUVELOT

V

incent Nigita is a young French pastry chef who’s intent on bringing Bali one step further towards culinary excellence. Having already started a pastry shop in December 2019 in the trendy Canggu district, this young entrepreneur has now opened a Dessert Bar right on top of it.

Both places bear the name “Vincent Nigita Pâtisserie” and are supposed to rock the place like never before.

Don’t be mistaken, we’re not here in the usual bakery-pastry shop like the many outlets that have flourished on every Bali street corner over the last ten years, fulfilling the need for croissants or baguettes of the average Western residents.

We are into something far more sophisticated, which reflects the search for perfection by this 29-year-old originating from Bordeaux and raised in the culinary capital of France: Lyon.

To give you an idea, when he’s talking about the famous éclair, don’t expect the regular chocolate or coffee ones. Look, instead, for some experimental berry ones!

The same goes for the world-famed and archetypal macarons. When Vincent Nigita works on them, you can bet he is going to come up with some innovative tastes, using, for example, local Indonesian fruits to create a completely new range of delicacies with combined flavours.

Hence the Dessert Bar project, construction, decoration, and final touches for which have been completed in the last few months. This new, trendy place in town will offer the perfect playground for gourmets in Bali, with

a three-step menu; two sweet dishes for one savoury, with a price tag of Rp390,000. As the coronavirus still takes its toll on Bali’s economy, the Dessert Bar is currently open only every Friday from 7pm to 1am.

“The keywords for the Dessert Bar are experience, slowness, emotion, and discovery.

I want it to be an absolute and unforgettable involvement starting from the outside. For instance, when you leave your car with the valet, you’ll have it washed by the time you dine. All details matter, even the restroom, and the music in the stairs or the cutlery,” Vincent Nigita explains with passion.

He adds: “The menu; it’s me, my life, my discoveries, my tastes, my spices, my ingredients. All the emotions I’ve felt in the many countries I’ve visited.” The a la carte menu will offer eight different signature desserts, each of them with a suggested pairing with a cocktail. These will be renewed by “chapter” roughly every three months, he mentions.

The pastry shop has already found its customers in the local Western residents and also the ever-curious crowd of wealthy Jakartans who spend their weekends on the Islands of the Gods. Indonesians discovered fine chocolate some time ago and then tasty sorbets and gelatos, Vincent Nigita is betting on the fact that the country is now ready for his R&D type of sophisticated pastries.

When I say I aim to involve my customers in an experience, I mean it. The courses will be dressed in front of them and I’ve already told my pastry chefs to speak with them, to share their passion,” he details.

When asked why he chose Bali to start a new career in his own name, he answers that he has listened to his heart. Well, one would have thought that New York, Paris, or even Dubai would have been a better bet to impose his brand on the world scene, but no, this is going to be Bali. “I’ve received many offers to open somewhere else,” he asserts.

dream of his: travelling the world. In the end, his travels led him to Singapore and then Bali, where he decided with some friends and family members to set up a tearoom in Ubud.

Unfortunately, the endeavour turned sour, leaving him on an island he had fallen in love with but with no professional prospects.

Not for long though, as Vincent Nigita soon started the catering company “Event with Taste” and another venture under the name “Coco In” which specialised in developing fruit syrups based on local products for hotels.

This young pastry genius has acquired a famous pedigree in a short time. After training in a pastry school for almost four years at a young age, he started his professional career in the ski resort of Courchevel in France, where he learned the ropes.

“My ambition is to be featured in the best of international gastronomy guides, therefore bringing the name of Bali to the top of the list and helping people to discover new things.

Victim of a snowboarding accident that left him in a wheelchair for eight months, he took the opportunity to write his first recipe book. Having recovered, he then moved back to Lyon where he joined the famous, one Michelin star restaurant of Cours des Loges Hotel. His wish was to meet with the prestigious chef, Pierre Gagnaire, in Paris.

He did this soon after, but instead of working in the Parisian restaurant of the famous French chef, Vincent Nigita was sent to his other venue in London, named Sketch, where he stayed for two and half years. From a young age, Vincent Nigita had always dreamed of one particular palace: the George V, in Paris, which he finally joined in 2009 thanks to the help of Pierre Gagnaire.

Having resigned in 2012 after the George V restaurant finally got a third Michelin star, Vincent Nigita decided to fulfil another

He worked w ith several other restaurants and companies, among them renowned delicatessen importer “Classic Fine Foods”, until he finally decided to launch his own brand under his name in this Canggu hotspot.

“Originally, it wasn’t my intention to open under my own name but the marketing strategists I hired wished it so and convinced me, so here we are,” he explains. Vincent Nigita already employs about 25 staff, including three pastry chefs he had already inoculated with his virus of creativity and perfection.

The young chef concludes with the formula that guides the whole project: understated, elegant, and exclusive… Bon appétit!

Vincent Nigita Pâtisserie Jl. Tegal Sari #5, Canggu, Bali 8036 Open every day from 10 am to 10pm Dessert Bar open only on Fridays from 7pm to 1am

local cuisine

20

Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

Secrets to Indonesian Cooking

BY MIRELLA PANDJAITAN

T

ravelling to a new area means exploring; nature, the culture, and most importantly, the food. Indonesia is known to be home to 1,300 ethnic groups. There’s Padangnese, Sundanese, Betawinese, Balinese, Javanese, and so many more. Not to mention, Indonesia is home to huge varieties of spices. Imagine all of the food inspiring the delectable delicacies Indonesia has today.

and kafir lime leaves. Within the Indonesian spice base are some dried spices following regions. Aceh, Jambi, Padang, and Maluku - known as a spice island - are just some of the regions with the most complex usage of spices.

William tries to combat this confusion with his one-seasoning program, applicable for various dishes. For example, Rawon seasoning doesn’t merely have to be made into a bowl of hot, nutty meat soup. It can be added into fried rice and pepes, a cooking method using a banana leaf to wrap the food, steamed or grilled on charcoal.

Making your own Indonesian, home-cooked meals is quite troublesome, confusing, and at times challenging. Where to start? Indonesia culinary expert and Gastronomy Consultant William Wongso can get you kicked off.

Just a few months ago. William was featured on National Geographic’s Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted as Gordon’s mentor to cook the famous and esteemed rendang Padang, or West Sumatran caramelised beef curry. “Complex yet harmonious,” is how Gordon described rendang Padang to William. It’s complex because of the 15 types of fresh, aromatic, and dried spices present. One by one, Gordon sniffed the spices, commenting how strange the scents are but that to his surprise, the remarkable amount of elements and profiles can turn out to be so harmonious.

William, 73, didn’t dive into the culinary industry as others did by attending culinary school. He learned everything he knows firsthand. He used to study communications and worked in a radio station in Surabaya prior to opening his bakery in 1977. This was when the course of his life changed.

He still didn’t attend culinary school but decided to learn hands-on from experts in Europe.

“I didn't have the opportunity to go for the academic route.

I opened the bakery so there was no way I would leave my business,” he pointed out.

WILLIAM WONGSO

Expats in Indonesia can learn Indonesian cooking in specialised places. Those who have returned to their countries are often faced with difficulties. “I started teaching expats, both in Indonesia and abroad, under the program Indonesia Spice Up the World. Expats are introduced to ready-made spices from Indonesia and other spices to apply in their cooking,” he explained.

He spent almost every year of the early 1980s travelling around Europe for four months, collecting culinary-based knowledge and essentially, tasting. William believes tasting is number one – great exposure to all kinds of meals.

“In Germany, I tasted all kinds of bread, from industrial to artisan, before I started my training so that I could know the taste factors and profiles. This helped me acknowledge different breads and their textures, flavours, aromas, and other aspects, in advance,” he explained.

It’s been at least 20 years since William dived into Indonesian cuisine after learning Western, Japanese, and a bit of Chinese and Korean cooking. While travelling around the world, it hit him: every country, every city, he’s been to tries preserving their food culture for the next generation. “It’s different in Indonesia. Everybody takes the food culture for granted – no offence,” he stated. “I'm Indonesian and I love Indonesian cuisine. I want to preserve it. I’d also like this country to preserve its heritage for the next generation.”

The new generation is noticeably having trouble learning to cook, especially Indonesian cuisine because it's not easy to learn directly from the foods’ origins. Learning can be hefty. To William, being comfortable in the kitchen won’t be accomplished until one learns the authenticity and taste of the food right on the spot of where the food originates. “As I always say, you can Google everything but you can't Google taste. How can you learn cooking from Google? The taste won't come out,” he noted. Anyone keen to learn cooking should travel, spend some time, and meet the right people at the food’s origin, which is often too demanding. “A chef has to be an all-rounder; a conductor, a creator, knowledgeable, and have great communication and management skills. It’s not a matter of just having cooking experience,” he explained.

William teaches the basic spices which introduce three colours: red, white, and yellow spice bases. Incorporating these three colours can easily turn to an array of local delights.

“We have to teach their mindset and let them understand the application of an Indonesian spice base,” he added. Always have red, white, and yellow as a spice base, plus sweet soy sauce and dried spices such as pepper, cardamom, cumin, caraway, cloves, and nutmeg in the pantry. specialties according to the region; West, Central, DI Yogyakarta, and East. Again, William suggests that beginners learn from experts and do a lot of tasting. Googling recipes is great too, but keep in mind the practical aspect because one should understand the temperature and timing.

Travels during this eerie time are not everyone’s preference.

William advised looking for the ready-made spice mixes available in grocery stores. Choose one which has the best quality. “Getting those ready-made spices actually cuts time and effort to search for spices. Imagine buying the wrong ones or creating waste because of buying too much,” he said. This reverse technique allows a beginner to test out cooking with minimal errors. After noticing that they enjoy cooking, they could start learning how to prepare dishes from scratch.

The idea of spices confuses newbies. Said William, there are dried spices like oregano and nutmeg; fresh spices like chilli, garlic, and ginger; and then aromatic spices like lemongrass

New cooks could start learning kue lumpur, or mud cake, because they are similar to pancakes, with which most people are familiar. Use egg white or pumpkin for the filling, then use palm sugar, coconut cream, and pandan leaves for the sauce.

Kolak is another simple dessert worth trying to make. “Expats, in particular, aren’t too familiar cooking with coconut cream and palm sugar. These two desserts can help broaden their food knowledge,” he enthused. As to main dishes, William said there is plenty to start; satay, rendang, and fish to name a few.

William is used to constant travel every year. In 2019, he spent 60 percent of his time travelling, teaching, and tasting. But nowadays, he relies on online classes and webinars. “I can travel to three continents in a day now,” he joked.

A food tour specifically made for expats in Jakarta was set up because he noticed that there’s less tendency for them to let their tastebuds explore and taste different kinds of spices.

Furthermore, Eat Smart Indonesia is another program he created with an old partner in Wisconsin, US that brings 12 foodies to indulge in Indonesia. “June was supposed to be the second but it's postponed for now due to COVID-19,” he said.

For US$4,900 including domestic transport, flights, food, and accommodation, these foodies will be in food heaven travelling to Jakarta, Medan, Bali, and Lombok.

To say Indonesian food is incorrect. According to William, Indonesian cuisine comprises regional cooking that’s very indigenous in all aspects influenced by local cultural beliefs, the economy, geographic location, and history. “I enjoy tasting regional cooking because every profile is different,” he said. Food cultures around the world are formed because of newcomers introducing their cultures. This is the same case as Indonesia due to Indian, Chinese, Arab, Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Japanese settlers over the centuries. What exactly are the secrets to Indonesian cooking? William gushed, “There are no secrets; you have to learn from the experts because it's a matter of taste and ingredients.”

A newbie cook needs to have intention. Is it because you want to seriously learn or merely want to cook? It’s best to learn thoroughly but it depends on the location. For instance, in Java. This highly populated Indonesian island has different

Thailand, for example, is progressing because it exports varieties of their spices. Everyone can use ready-made seasonings and start cooking because Thai food is commonly found anywhere in the world. Indonesian flavours? Still a question mark to most people.

Now that you know the secrets to Indonesian cooking, what are you excited to whip up?

NASI TUMPENG

: @williamwongso

22

food and drink

Jakarta’s Hidden Japanese Delight, Kokuu Restaurant

BY LINA HUTCHINSON

W

alking up the narrow, wooden stairs to Kokuu, you will hear the faint noise of soft jazz music.

Kokuu restaurant, named after the Japanese word for “void”, is nothing like its moniker and is instead filled with noise and light that will flatter your senses.

The small clatters of the ceramic dishes handcrafted by the Kokuu staff themselves harmonise with the chatter of the other customers in the humble and intimate space.

As you enter Kokuu, you are greeted by the lovely staff and guided to your seat.

The long counter table overlooks the chef ’s area, where you can watch your meal being prepared throughout the night. The walls of the restaurant are covered with art including framed Japanese calligraphy around the seating areas. Above the chef ’s workplace, images and Japanese-influenced artwork are projected onto the walls.

With monthly changes to the menu marked by every full moon, there is no doubt that Kokuu offers a wide variety of mouth-watering, innovative Japanese cuisine. Kokuu’s menu is “omakase”; each plate is selected by the chef, beginning with some light fare and proceeding towards heavier dishes.

“Omakase” also means that the chef is close by to engage in conversation and create an intimate environment, emphasised in the selection of food that is served. All of the dishes that are selected replicate the flavours and warmth of home-cooked food, such as the eel donburi, which is a homey dish commonly shared amongst family members in Japanese culture.

Kokuu is a new experience for anyone, even those who are familiar with Japanese cuisine.

Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

Each plate placed in front of you has a variety of f lavours and brings something new for your palate to try. Kokuu’s menu allows for traditional Japanese f lavours to merge with experimental new ideas that pleasantly surprise you. The tempura is coated by a light batter that melts in your mouth. Inside, a beef ham adds a western twist to the traditional dish that is served without any “tentsuyu”.

The shiso leaf and mackerel tempura, on the other hand, explores further the concept of contrasting flavours and combines different elements of staple Japanese food. The minty flavour of the shiso leaf works together with the soft mackerel for a simplistic yet rich taste.

Chef Abe, the head chef at Kokuu, works in front of you while you eat, taking proper care of the fresh produce and showing off his expert knife skills with his perfectly sliced sashimi or flower garnish. Every few minutes, he stops by to check in on your meal despite his limited language skills, and offers a kind smile.

With 32 years of experience and influences from France, Italy, and Japan, Chef Abe’s love for innovative f lavours and dishes are prevalent in the meals provided. His specialty, experimental sauces, add a burst of flavour to subtle, traditional Japanese tastes. One of his amazing sauces is a light, black sesame sauce that’s wonderfully rich and can be paired with anything. Another would be his purée sauce that was presented as part of the “yakimono”.

Kokuu is a new experience for anyone, even those who are familiar with Japanese cuisine.

The dishes pair traditional and experimental f lavours from both Western and Japanese influences to create new and interesting tastes.

There are only 19 seats available, making Kokuu a reservation-only restaurant that’s open from Monday to Saturday, 6pm through to 9pm. As the restaurant is located in Face Kitchen in Senopati, the traffic is something to consider when making your reservations.

With most customers coming in from word of mouth, it is a very intimate restaurant that is comfortable and perfect for relaxing after a long day at work, or for a peaceful date night.

To make a reservation, contact Kokuu: +628116262622 or for further information, visit the Kokuu Instagram page (@ kokuujapanese).

restaurants

24

Telling Porkies

The best pork restaurants in Yogyakarta

BY JOANNE RUSHTON

P

ork isn’t the first thing most expats will miss when they come to Indonesia. Indeed, if you’re in Bali, you can get the delights of babi guling whenever you choose. For those living in other regions, juicy, tender pork isn’t so easy to come by.

Moving to a majority Muslim country, you prepare yourself for some things. You know alcohol isn’t going to be cheap and plentiful like at home. Public displays of affection are much more of a no-no. Eating pork isn’t something that immediately springs to mind as something you might actually get cravings for.

When you do find yourself hankering after some pig, Yogyakarta has some tasty options.

Welcoming people from all over Indonesia for generations has made the foodie scene in the city deliciously diverse. Find yourself needing a pork dish and you’ve got options.

Here’s our pick of three of the best restaurants serving pork dishes in different traditions across the city.

Rumah Makan Terang Mulyo Kak Mulyo moved to Yogyakarta from Semarang in 1965. Her family were Chinese migrants to the city and bought with them a wealth of recipes from home. Settling into their new home, local influences mixed with their traditional food.

Arriving in Yogya, Mulyo opened her first restaurant serving her Chinese home recipes next to the old bus station, Terminal Purawisata. The food was a hit – there’s a sizeable Chinese population in the city, along with plenty of other people happy to eat her succulent pork.

Fast forward to today and her grandson Iwan is the proud owner of RM Terang Mulyo, now located on Jalan Brigjend Katamso. The place is like an old-style eatery, with long tables and benches ready to accommodate family feasts.

If you’re still unsure of what to order, pick the special padang plate. A little bit of everything is on the plate: pork sate, vegetables, sambal, crispy pork, pork liver, babi kecap, suckling pig, and fried pig skin.

The winning recipes that have seen the business through the last half-century and three generations have changed little, although Iwan notes some things have been added over the years to keep up with changing tastes.

The roast pork is melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the textures of well-rendered fat, crispy skin, and pull-apart meat makes the barbecue pork worth a try. Give the pork sausage a try if they’ve got it in. The herbs and spices give it a kick with just a little bit of sweet that good pork can carry well.

Signature dishes include cap cay goreng, or fried mixed vegetables, and the famous pork dish is babi kecap – tender pork chunks cooked in sweet soy sauce. Also, check out babi hoisin, the flavours are very reminiscent of British Chinese food and the balance of sweet and salty is just perfect. A side of babi tepung goreng – floured and deep-fried pork – is great to dip into the sauce if you really need your pork fix.

TUAK MULANA

WARUNG BU KOMANG

Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

Babi kalobak comes with a sweet sauce and vegetables that add a nice crunch to your food. The nasi goreng babi is a winner of a dish, with deep-fried pork slices vying for your attention over the slow-cooked pork and umami notes.

It’s not all about the pork here. The menu is full of Chinese-Indonesian classics with the protein switched out for chicken or tofu, too.

The prices are great, with a pork dish less than Rp50,000 each.

Warung Bu Komang This bright and spacious Balinese restaurant was opened back in 2004 when the family moved to Yogyakarta from Bali. Located down the road from the Balinese temple, Pura Jaganata, this is perfect if you’re craving being back on the Island of the Gods.

When you do find yourself hankering after some pig, Yogyakarta has some tasty options. Welcoming people from all over Indonesia for generations has made the foodie scene in the city deliciously diverse.

There’s a little bit of chicken on the menu, but you’re here for the pork. The menu is packed with all the traditional dishes you’ll find in a babi guling joint just across the water.

Not been initiated into the wonders of Bali pork dishes? Head down to the kitchen end of the restaurant and check out what’s on offer – point and go, and be ready for a treat.

Deserving of a shout out is the soup that comes with your padang dishes. Dark yellow and aromatic, it packs a punch and is a swirl of flavours in your mouth. Take sips as you work your way through your delights to enhance the already great tastes.

Expect to pay less than Rp30,000 for a large portion of anything on the menu.

Tuak Mulana Opened in 1998 and already in its second generation, Tuak Mulana is a hidden gem of Yogyakarta. As real as street food gets, it’s a small set up on the pavement across from Panti Rapih hospital – look for the spinning disco ball and the yellow and red sign declaring “Masakan Khas Batak”.

Originally from Medan, Sumatra, the recipes are classics of the northern area of the island, all belonging to the owner who set up the stall.

Famed for their babi saksang, there’s a delightful heat to the dish as the pork melts in your mouth. Add a dash of the Sumatran green sambal to add a different spice element to your dinner.

The barbecue pork is juicy, whilst a plate of fried pork is crispy with pockets of fat that give you a textural surprise. The babi arsik is another winning dish. Made with spices and flowers you’ve probably never come across before, you get a plate with long beans and a chunk of punk in bright yellow.

The pork has been slow-cooked in all its spices and pulls to pieces. The texture is perfect with just a little bite before the meat surrenders to give up its flavours.

Give the soup a try if you’re a little more adventurous – pigs trotters in a wonderfully robust soup. Take someone braver than you to eat the feet just so you get to taste the broth that’s sure to set your tastebuds alight.

Prices come in at Rp20,000 or less per dish so fill your boots.

Rumah Makan Terang Mulyo Jl. Brigjen Katamso no. 265, Yogyakarta | T: + 628812411822 (bookings or takeaway orders) Warung Bu Komang Jl. Pura Sorowajan no. 201, Yogyakarta | T: +6281227567891 | IG: @warungbukomang TERANG MULYO

Tuak Mulana Jl. Colombo no. 3, Depok, Yogyakarta | T: +6282223114488

26

info for expats

Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

Doing Good is Always Good Business

BY ANDY BARSKI

I’m a big fan of Gary Vaynerchuk.

For those of you who don’t know who he is, he's a first-generation immigrant to the United States from Belarus who lives in New York. He worked at his father’s wine business from the age of 14 and eventually took it over in 1988. He rebranded it into The Wine Library and transformed the once small wine company into a US$60 million a year business by 2003. Pretty impressive.

Now he runs VaynerX and VaynerMedia, both highly successful communications and social media businesses employing more than 770 people and generating around US$200 million a year. In 2017, he was listed as one of Forbes' Top Social Influencers. Also pretty impressive.

He’s not everybody’s cup of tea though. He’s not shy to speak his mind and he's no stranger to using profanities – lots of them – he’s a straight-shooting New Yorker after all. Some critics complain that he lacks management skills and he's more like a snake oil salesman than a reliable businessman. Others have blasted him as the “most dangerous man on the internet”. That's pretty debatable.

But what he says resonates with me, especially as it relates to content creation and the concepts of care and kindness in business.

Why? Because he believes that doing the right thing is always the right thing.

Seven Stones Indonesia For us at Seven Stones Indonesia we also believe that first, you do good, then you do well. We believe in the power of a positive

mindset. We believe in helping our clients, partners and communities create a better world and to focus on what matters most to them. We deliver solutions, peace of mind and we help businesses grow, which is why we encourage our partners to use these extraordinary times to determine what can be done more efficiently and to best prepare for the future.

Empower Sessions We’ve just finished our first public Empower Session in our new offices in Bali. We wanted to share what we know about new visa regulations to encourage businesses, particularly those focused on hospitality, to look at alternative ways to attract guests and help breathe some life into Bali's struggling economy, which as you know is overly dependent on tourism.

In a nutshell, we let people know that under the latest visa regulations there was the opportunity to legally sponsor guests under their PT PMA or a PT PMDN to come to Bali.

We showed them how they could do this for themselves, without an agent and without us. We’re pleased to report that it was a great success!

We Believe in Helping People Sure, we can help if people want us to and so can more traditional agents, but we thought it was important to share what we knew because it was the right thing to do. We figured the more people who know about this and the more people that do this, the more people will come back to Bali and stay in villas, boutique resorts and hotels.

And the more people that stay the quicker Bali's economy can rebound from this truly unprecedented global knee-jerk that seems to

have locked the world down and walked away with the key.

It’s true that this is the chance some of the people that attended our Empower Session will come to us and ask us to help walk them through the process of either setting up a company or to look after their visa applications. But the ethos behind us taking this approach and sharing what we’ve learned isn’t because we want to make a fast buck.

It’s because we genuinely believe in helping people. We believe working together, sharing what we know and finding positive solutions is far more beneficial for far more people. For us, this is a good example of how doing good is certainly good for business.

And We're Not Alone Deloitte recently published their annual survey on business’s preparedness for a connected era, in which they reason that “a new form of capitalism seems to be emerging, one that considers a broader group of stakeholders and measures societal impact alongside financial performance. In August 2019, the CEOs of nearly 200 multinational corporations signed a statement issued by the Business Roundtable, publicly pledging to lead their companies for the benefit of customers, employees, suppliers, and communities in addition to shareholders.”

Forbes summarised the report quoting a range of multi-national C-Suite Executives.

One of these was Sarah Kennedy, who's the VP, Global Marketing at Adobe Experience Cloud – a collection of integrated online marketing and Web analytics products

by Adobe Inc. Anyone who’s ever used Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash and Acrobat Reader is using Adobe… and I’m guessing that’s quite a few people.

Anyway, according to Forbes, she agrees that having a genuine social agenda is intimately linked to your businesses health and growth.

“The companies that will excel long-term,” she says, “are the ones that know it’s not just about shareholder value. It’s also about focusing on the customer and employee experience, and how those, in turn, contribute to society.”

Be the Change you Want to See Deloitte Global CEO, Punit Renjen, sums it up nicely. He says, “we’re in a new era where shifting societal attitudes have made it imperative for businesses to place societal responsibility at the heart of their strategies.

Business readiness now demands leaders understand this expanded responsibility and deliver solutions not just for business growth but also for societal progression.”

In our own small way, we’re doing this. Right now we’re running our Empower Sessions three times a week, but were already talking about doing them every day and perhaps in two sessions – every day! We love the energy it brings to our office. We love the engagement and the words of thanks. We love how our team has stepped up to the plate. And that’s why, like Gary Vee and a whole bunch of other entrepreneurs, we believe that doing good is always good business!

If your business needs some help and positive advice on how you can tap into this growing trend, let us know. We’d love to help!

Send an email to: hello@sevenstonesindonesia.com

Sources: Deloitte, Forbes, Gary Vaynerchuk, Seven Stones Indonesia

28

Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

JAKARTA

Holiday Inn and Suites Jakarta Gajah Mada Reopens

BALI

Holiday Inn and Suites Jakarta Gajah Mada is reopening with an enhanced experience by redefining cleanliness and supporting guests’ wellbeing throughout their stay. With the launch of IHG Clean Promise, guests are assured that their rooms are up to IHG’s high standards. Deep cleaning with hospital-grade disinfectants in the reception, guest rooms, public spaces and facilities, as well as food and beverage outlets are part of IHG Way of Clean.

To welcome guests back, the hotel has a special rate valid for booking until November 30, 2020 and stay until May 31, 2021. Price starts from Rp600,000 nett per room per night with inclusions of one night’s stay in a spacious 40sqm standard room, 50 percent discount on an additional room per booking, additional Rp15,000 for second-night stay, breakfast for two, complimentary extra bed inclusive of breakfast for one, early check-in at 10am, late check out until 5pm, discount voucher valued at Rp250,000 for a future stay, 30 percent discount for food and beverage (excluding alcohol), and free parking.

There’s also a special promo for Buy 1 Get 1 Free on all bakery and sliced pastry as well as 25 percent discount for all cakes until November 31, 2020, and free delivery within 5km from the hotel with a minimum purchase of Rp200,000. Guests can also opt for the Work From Hotel (WFH) promotion. Guest rooms can be rented as a working space for six hours for Rp300,000 nett, available until May 31, 2020.

Contact +622129776800 ext. 1326, WhatApp Business +6281197611827 or email to reservation.jktgm@ihg.com for reservations or further information.

YOGYAKARTA

Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa Participates at IFRA Exhibition 2020

Charming Collaboration between Izakaya by OKU x Aperitif Taking place at Apéritif in Ubud, this exclusive collaboration united two of Bali’s favourite restaurants. Apéritif welcomed the highly acclaimed Izakaya

by OKU on a delectable gastronomic journey by involving a talented chef from each restaurant: Chef Nic Vanderbeeken from Apéritif and Chef Deni Koswara from Izakaya by OKU. Chef Nic led the Apéritif team to deliver an enchanting, not to be rushed, dining experience specifically designed to be savoured. This event with Izakaya by OKU attested to his penchant for cross-cultural collaborations, presenting Japanese cuisine as part of the restaurant’s cuisine of the world.

Through this collaboration, the two chefs showcased a delectable eight-course dinner. Some of the chefs' signature dishes, including Izakaya by OKU’s OKU Karaage, Karasumi Pasta, Truffle Gyu Don and Ishi Zen, as well as Aperitif's Tsukemono, Tofu, Opu Fish, and Matcha highlighted the affair, showcasing their unrivalled skills.

“Chef Nic and his team at Apéritif have been a great force to work with. It is an amazing opportunity for us, and we are grateful that we have the chance to introduce Izakaya by OKU to Ubud’s dining scene. It was a spectacular evening. People loved the experience and we are very happy to see their enthusiasm,” conveyed Chef Deni.

Visit www.kempinski.com/bali for more information.

Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa intends to expand the spa business with a holistic and traditional Javanese concept to investors in the digital 18th IFRA (International Franchise, Licence & Business Concept Expo and Conference) 2020. The participation is in hopes of sharing knowledge and development in the spa industry. Moreover, Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa will continue to develop with original palace recipes palace and the developments of this modern era to create public awareness on the noble values of Javanese culture.

Inspired by the Water Palace ‘Taman Sari’ in Yogyakarta, Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa grows as a spa with a wellness spa category Javanese traditional culture and “solus per aqua” ideology; “care by using water”, authentic Indonesian natural care products combined with spa equipment high tech. This is the brainchild of DR. BRA. Mooryati Soedibyo, founder of PT. Mustika Ratu Tbk, a company that produces traditional herbal medicine and cosmetics using natural ingredients in Indonesia.

The development of this franchise business began with the construction of the Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa in Sheraton Mustika, Yogyakarta and continued to Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa in Jakarta, which was followed with business expansion in Riau, Palembang, Anyer, Makassar, Cianjur, and several cities in Indonesia. Expansion is also planned to be overseas in Malaysia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Whistler in Canada.

Visit www.tamasariroyalheritagespa.com for more information.

29

Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

BOGOR

Mad Cow Vimala Hills Reopens Mad Cow Vimala Hills reopened its dining room on Wednesday, October 21, 2020. The lively atmosphere for a fun dining time with loved ones and mouthwatering dishes of timeless recipes using ingenious techniques incorporating regional taste, farm-fresh products and local sustainably sourced ingredients make Mad Cow Vimala Hills the perfect choice. Pullman Ciawi Vimala Hills Resort Spa & Convention, therefore, has developed measures and practices to ensure diners have a safe and healthy quality time.

No one leaves hungry from Mad Cow. MAD GRILL features meticulously curated beef into unmatched flavours and textures. The reopening exclusive offer includes US Sirloin Steak Combo priced at Rp250,000++ and Meltique Sirloin Combo priced at Rp360,000++ as well as the Maddie Double Skewer, a twin grilled and marinated trio meat (beef, chicken, and lamb) for Rp400,000++. All come with two hearty soups of the day, fresh salad, and fries.

Also, the diverse menu offers something for everyone; freshly made salads and starters, delectable soup selections, homemade pasta, handcrafted burgers, and the enticing Premium and Asian Favourites. Complete your dining experience with tea, uniquely blended coffee drinks, and the rejuvenating array of nonalcoholic drinks from hand-crafted seasonal mocktails made with premium fruit mixes, syrup, and carefully sourced herbs to hand-squeezed juices.

Operation hours: Wednesday-Saturday at 6-10pm and Saturday-Sunday 124pm.

Reserve your seat by calling +62 (251) 830 6888, +62 (857) 1027 3504 or email your inquiries to H9061-RE@accor.com. For maximum experience, spend the rest of your time at the resort by booking on pullman-ciawi-vimalahills.com.

How to Cope with COVID-19? Can I still See My Doctor?

COVID-19 Testing? Health Certificates?

A lot of information is available on COVID-19. For those of us who are living in Jakarta or elsewhere in Indonesia it is important to stay as healthy as possible. GOOD PRACTICE provides information on COVID-19 on line. We have organised Health Talks and Webinars for International schools and Embassies. Send us an email if you want to know more.

GOOD PRACTICE is open as usual. We provide house calls and we also provide COVID-19 testing (we can also come to your house for testing). HEALTH CERTIFICATES can be provided by GOOD PRACTICE.

GOOD PRACTICE PROVIDES NON INFECTIOUS STERILE CONSULTATION HOURS. Are your vaccinations still up to date? Did you get a FLU vaccination?

How are your other conditions controlled? If you are suffering from hypertension or diabetes for instance, you have to make sure those conditions are managed well. Please make sure you have your regular check-ups and that your supply of medication is sufficient. You can even consider an immune boost, which we can also provide at GOOD PRACTICE. Identify a clinic that you can turn too with your concerns. A clinic that can advise you about your symptoms. Now it is especially important that the communication between your good self and a trusted medical practitioner is well understood.

So what to do if you have any symptoms? Talk to a trusted medical practitioner. Also if you consider that you need COVID-19 testing, you should talk to a medical practitioner. Please note that we offer both PCR swabs and Rapid COVID-19 tests and serological antibody testing.

Dr Steven Graaff,MD,MRCGP, the founder of Good Practice Clinic is a graduate of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Before completing his formal training in General Practice in the UK, he worked in several hospitals, occupational health and general practice in the Netherlands and the UK. As a medical professional with international experience,Steven decided to start his own clinic – Good Practice, in Jakarta

HOUSE CALLS ARE PROVIDED FOR EVERY CONDITION INCLUDING VACCINATIONS AND CHILDHOOD IMMUNISATIONS.

Best of all is that you now can have a consultation with anyone of our medical team from whatever location. We have introduced TELECONSULTATIONS. Via an app, GP Now, you can connect with us directly.

Just send GOOD PRACTICE a simple email to info@goodpractice. co.id and we will send you the link.

Basically you let us know what time you would like to consult a doctor and we will appear on line at the desired time. If any medication needs to be provided, we will arrange this to be sent out to you.

GOOD PRACTICE can help you with all the above. We now also provide you with direct contact to our medical practitioners from any location in this world!

It is important that you identify a clinic that you are comfortable with. GOOD PRACTICE has patients from 71 countries (Jamaica and Namibia have been added to our list). Our all English speaking team implements international guidelines. We provide highly personalised care. Try us!

Jl. Bangka Raya #106B Jakarta 12730 Tel. +62-21-7183140 info@goodpractice.co.id

www.goodpractice.co.id

30

Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

Expat Advertiser JAKARTA Automotive

Mitsubishi Xpander ultimate(Automatic) looking for lease take over. Current lease is till June 2021. Mileage done: 2,200km. All servicing done by leasing company. For more details on lease pls contact +628131696 1802 (Av r i l) avril82@gmail.com

Serviced Office • Virtual Office • Meeting Facilities • Company Incorporation Located in Kuningan Business District, integrated with shopping mall and residential enable you for a more convenient and easier way of doing business in Jakarta. With flexible lease terms, ready to use office suites, immediate office setup, daily receptionist and maintenance services, 88 Service Office leaves you free to run your businenss without the day to day hassles of managing a conventional office space. "At 88 Service Office, we enable you to focus on your core business with friendly professionalism and affordability flexibility."

Jl. Raya Casablanca Kav88 | Phone: 021-29631688 Email: sales@88office.co.id | Web: www.88office.co.id

2011 Hyundai H1. US$5,000.

Diplomatic vehicle. This reliable and well-maintained car has plenty of space for the family to stretch out while stuck in Jakarta traffic! It seats nine and includes USB, CD and DVD players. It is automatic, with a petrol engine and 82,000kms. Please contact me at megan_sims@yahoo.com Diplomatic Car for sale. Toyota Fortuner 2.7 GA Model Jeep.

Year: 2008 – only 114,000km Colour: Silver Metallic. Plate number: CD 60-10 Asking price: US$7,250 (negotiable). I am selling the car because I am already leaving Indonesia now instead of in 2022. I have only used the car for 8 months. The car is well maintained and just had new tires when I bought it. Further details and pictures please contact: louisbeijer@msn. com (Call: +31611377063) Toyota Rush. Price: Rp74 m i l l i o n .We l l - m a i n t a i n e d d iplom a t ic v e h ic le .

All scheduled maintenance, including regular oil and filter changes done in an authorized Toyota center. Maintenance re c ord s a nd me cha n ic a l inspections available. Owned by our family for the last five years, we are non-smokers. No frame damage, no mechanical issues. Low gas consumption.

Perfect and comfortable family car in Jakarta. Year: 2008.

Tra nsm ission: Aut omat ic .

Engine size: 1.5 litres. Mileage: 66,045 km. Fuel type: Petrol.

Color: Black. Number of doors: 5 WA: +33671128376 (Kadri), Email:kadri.khodeli@ protonmail.com

We are a little family with 1 young girl (age almost 4) currently looking for a part time tutor, preferably living around Taman Rasuna, Epicentrum, Kuningan, Tebet, Kasablanka etc. We have a maid so no cleaning or cooking etc involved.

Seeking someone to teach writing, play games etc. This would suit a college graduate, preferably in education, with f luency in English required.

Working hours 10 am – 3 pm Monday to Friday, half-day on Saturday, and off on Sunday and public holidays. Also, no need to work during lebaran is off. Salary negotiable according to qualifications. If interested pls contact Whatsapp only +6281319699369.

Project assistant wanted for the project Study Bridge Indonesia at Goethe Institute Indonesia www.goethe.de/ins/id/id/ueb/ kar.html Services Personal trainer available for South Jakarta area. We can train outdoor, indoor or at your house or apartment.

Train by professional and speaking English coach. For questions or request can contact +628118846283.

Fitness Trainer- Covid19 Free! I can come to your Gym Complex or to your home gym. 15 years experience. NSCA Certified.

Fitness First for 7 years, now freelance. Strength Training, Flexibility, Posture Alignment, Senior/ Youth Fitness, etc.

Good English and Indonesian.

Pandemic? No problem! Time to get in shape at your home gym.

Nunung +628119555806.

Qualified French and Bahasa Indonesia teacher online for expatriate and international school students with IB DP and IGCSE curriculum. Contact Novi +62816704370.

Property

Kitchen set and 1 (one) cooker hood. Unfurnished. Rent price: Rp400 million per year. Contact: +6281398475590 (Okta) House for rent by the owner, it's completely renovated. It is suitable for private home or Work from Home ( WFH ). Jl. Jaya Mandala, Patra Jasa, South Jakarta. Size 1.740 sqm, 5 beds, 4 Baths,1 Main House,1 Granny House, Pool, Garage 4 cars, Carport 2 cars, cozy atmosphere, Good fresh air circulation, Close Embassy Australia, Kuningan and of f ice building and Mall Kokas & LOTTE. Access to toll ring roads.

C ont a c t: +6285811353237 or +62218298402. Email: bakpiaoke@hotmail.com

House for rent @ Kemang.

2 f loor. 800 m 2. 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom, kitchen, 2 maid bedroom, 1 maid bathroom, 1 storage room, s.pool. Rent price: Rp250 million per year. Contact: +6281398475590 (Okta)

Jobs Available ACS Jakarta, Indonesia, a prestigious IB World School, is looking for an experienced Primary English Language teacher, starting asap and a Primary Global Perspective teacher, star ting in Dec. Minimum 5 years teaching experience. Educators who are currently residing in Jakarta are much preferred. Our school is currently on full eLearning.

If you are interested to join us, please email to info@acsjakarta. sch.id

2 houses for sale in Kebon Jeruk (West Jakarta). 5 minutes access to Jl. Panjang, Strategic location. Close to Permata Hijau and TOLL road gate. Walking distance to McDonald’s, Holy cow, Pizza Hut and The Harvest.

2 Houses for Rp3.8 billion (negotiable). Nearby Binus University. Each house has its own certificate hak milik. Very good location for investment.

Land: one house is 86 m2 and one house 87m 2. For details please contact the owner at +6281290070037 (WA only).

Verde Two is an award-winning development by PT. Farpoint, a part of Gunung Sewu Group.

With 8,600 sqm dedicated for only two towers: Monteverde and Terraverde, in a total of 312 exclusive residential units.

Ready To Move In Units: Two bedrooms and three bedrooms are available. For lease inquiry or private viewing please contact: info@verdetwo.com IG: verdetwo

Beautiful house for rent at Ampera. Land 647m2. Building 550m2. Electric power from PLN of 33,000Watts. 1 (one) master bedroom. 2 (two) children room.

1 (one) guess bedroom. 2 (two) family room. 1 (one) swimming pool size 13.7x6m. 10 (ten) AC.

For r ent C a sa Gr a nde Apartment, South Jakarta. 5 minutes to Kuningan SCBD, 10 minutes to Tanah Abang & Sudirman. This 76m2 unit is on the 8th f loor with 2 bedroom+ 2 bathrooms, balcony with a waterpark view, and also has a service/laundry room with a maid's toilet. Full furnished, gym, pool, playground, lobby

31

Indonesia Expat Issue 266 | 4 November – 1 December 2020

Send your classifieds to: info@ indonesiaexpat.biz Next Deadline: November 25, 2020

lounge, basement carpark, with private access to Kota Kasablanka Mall. Price is 15million IDR/month with minimum 6 month rent period.

Interested? WhatsApp +6281285909292.

Personal Looking for a part-time tutor to support my 8-year-old daughter with home-schooling. Must be able to speak and read English.

Please WA me (Hayley) on +6281113109531.

We are currently seeking a part-time Indonesian tutor, to assist with my son's online virtual schooling. My son will be starting grade 2 via virtual online schooling. We require a local Indonesian preferably female to sit with him whilst he learns and then help him with his homework. You will need to speak English and have an understanding of grade2 curriculum. If interested please contact us. +6282125461077.

For Sale

Washing Machine 2in1 for Sale Not much used, almost brand new. Rp8 million. Washing Machine 2in1 for Sale, WA: +628119696986.

Pondok Indah Golf membership for rent. If anybody is interested to rent our Pondok Indah Golf Course membership, please email me at simplypleasure2@ g m a i l.c om , O r WA t o +628121057083.

Full-size pool table for sale immediately: Rp2 million. full-size Pool table for sale with the sticks. It is 2 years old.

Interested please email me on roshini.bakshi@gmail.com.

DIY Fashion Hair Dye at Home with Manicshopid —an onlinebased imported fashion colours hair products for every trendseekers in Indonesia. Available in Shopee Tokopedia. CP: Jessica +6281381375554.

Household Staff Seeking a Reliable Live-in Nanny to Start Immediately. Nanny for a 1.5-year-old. Responsibilities include Full-time supervision of child, feeding, bathing, educational play, outside time, speaking English to the child, putting the child down for a nap, etc... Monday - Saturday (Noon), 5 Million/month with overtime available (30k per hour or 200k per day). A small dog at the residence. Location: Puri Bintaro. Must be co-vid free, test required prior to start date (paid by employee). WA: +62 +628119933086 .

Looking for an amazing cook, cleaner, babysit ter who is amazingly loyal and trustworthy? I can’t recommend Wati highly enough. Wati worked with us for 4 years, and she was with her previous employer for 7 years. Wati would arrive promptly in the morning and not leave until everything this was completed, no matter how hard I would encourage her to go home. Wati has worked for a number of expat families and can cook Vietnamese, Indian, Italian, Indonesian plus lots of western dishes. Her duties with us included: cooking, shopping, babysitting, organising the household with water, gas and more, cleaning. Wati is incredibly loyal, trustworthy, private and professional. She is available ASAP. I have more information and references please contact Felicity on WA: +61413894445 or email felicityspurrett@gmail. com for references.

We will be moving out of Jakarta end of October and our amazing driver will be available. Rohim has worked with us for 3 years and many expat families before us. He has always come to work on time, driven safely and found out the quickest ways to reach places. He has a basic knowledge of English and we have never had problems with communication Highly recommended. Feel free to connect for further details his number is +6281389504313.

For more information please contact: mahajan.deepika@ gmail.com We are an Indian family living in Kuwait. We have two kids also.

Looking for a very good lady who speaks English, and wants to stay with us like our sister, and to take care and play with our kids and take care of our house like cleaning and cooking. We can offer her Rp3 million and if she is really good I am ready to pay Rp3.5 million. Also food and accommodation free. Visa and Air ticket also free of charge.

Every two years she can travel for a 2-month vacation. and we will provide an air ticket. Please let me know if anyone interested they can Whatsapp me +96590007636 or email saqsinha@ gmail.com

Personal classifieds = FREE Property and other commercial classifieds = PAID (50 words = Rp100,000 | 50 words + image = Rp250,000)

Ibu Hermin has been a great maid and sometimes nanny over the 2,5 year with us.

She has been living out, kept the f lat clean and tidy and sometimes takes care of our two daughters (5 and 3 years old). Hermin is respectful of privacy, honest, hard working and accommodating.

I wholeheartedly recommend her to any family. Ibu Hermin prefers to work in the Cipete Area. She has a good English level. She prefers being off Saturday and Monday and can live in or live out. Please get in touch with her directly: +62 8131926-5816 if you are interested and I am also available for references: nicolasetvirginia@ gmail.com

BALI Jobs Available L ook ing for a Nanny Babysitter for an Australian family. You MUST have parenting experiences and be loving and caring. All food, accommodation, travel, Visa cost and living expenses are covered. You will be traveling with the family so must be flexible. Salary is $500-$700 per month. Great position! Suitable for grandmas, so spread the word. WhatsApp +61411737739 or +6281353388878.

Looking for Office manager and Salesperson, 2 employees, need for growing Candidasa area east Bali chocolate company, salary based on experience. Email CV to info@sorgachocolate.com Head Chefs (minimum 6 years experience). Assistant Chefs (minimum 4 years experience).

Pastry Chef (experience in wedding cakes). Kitchen Hands.

Bartenders (minimum 4 years experience). Waiters. Last Hurrah are recruiting for their restaurant & bar opening in Canggu! We need the following positions f illed: Applicants must have the experience outlined above, be local, speak f luent English, be available for interview next week. All applications please send CV to Veronica at vn@lasthurrahbali. com We are hiring Business Sales Executive. Due to continued expansion Mirah Property Group have two immediate vacancies for the position of Business Sales Executive based at our busy office in Kerobokan.

The successful candidates must meet the following criteria: well presented, highly motivated, reliable, expert in building client relationships, high level of written and spoken English, good computer skills, able to provide excellent levels of customer service. Previous experience in business to business or real estate sales is required. We are able to offer a basic salary, rewarding commission package and

excellent working conditions.

Please apply in writing with your CV, Covering Letter and recent photograph to h r @ m i r a h p r o p e r t y. c o m .

This position is open to both Indone sia n cit i zens a nd Expatriates.

Rascal Republic is seeking ou t an Administrative Assistant with exceptional organizational, problem-solving and communication skills, who is based in Bali, Indonesia. In order to be considered for this position, please email your CV with three references to samaralombok2020@gmail. com.

Property Leasehold 30 years. Unfurnished (no furnitures). House size 100 sq. Land size 1000 sqm. Located North Ubud, near pyramids of chi about 10 minutes to central Ubud by scooter. The house adalah lots of light, No Mold. Large garden, by the river, open view, no block. Still have potential to add or build more rooms, or still possible to renovate the house. Electricity 4,400Watt. Water PDAM. The

house studio type with 2 beds.

Shower with hot water, internet connection. Price for leasehold 30 years in US$159,000.

Guaranteed can extend. Interest please WA +6281918379428 Villa Loboda available for rent yearly. It's lovely villa with 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, private pool, open living room, open kitchen, garden, free Wi-Fi, AC, carport for car and scooters, perfect Location at Umalas.

Close to the famous places, all amenities, restaurants, shops, beaches and Seminyak nightlife.

Walking distance to many Restaurants and Shop. Gojek and Grab (Transportation online) allowed at this location.

Price is Rp135 million/year.

WhatsApp: +628123846070 Villa for rent at Perenenan.

Land size : 300sqm. Building size : 100sqm. 2 Bedrooms.

2 Bathrooms. Open/Closed Dining Room. Open/Closed Living Room. Private Pool : 12x3. Electricity: 5,500Watt.

Parking area. Property is furnished. Price: Rp180 million per year or Rp15 million per month. For further information +6281246607787.

Villa for rent at Batu Belig. Land size : 200sqm. 3 Bedrooms. 3 bathrooms. Open living area.

Open kitchen area. Private Pool.

Small garden. 2 storey. Parking area. Rp200 million per year.

Contact : +6281246607787.

Beautiful Villa for rental yearly in Berawa with rooftop. Land size 2are, 3 bedrooms (1 master ensuite and 2 bedroom shared 1 bathroom). Price Rp 155 million /year. Contact +628123846070.

Bali Boutique Hotel Resort for sale. Freehold on 25.5 are and set in tropical gardens on the oceanfront. only 1.5 hours drive from the airport along the north-east coast. Resort guests are mainly from Austra lia , Singapore, Europe, A merica and Canada. Throughout the year we have yoga retreats, birthdays, weddings and private guests. Our ratings with booking.com and Tripadvisor are very high together with all our staff. for further details please contact: Peter (intiplus@ yahoo.com)