Publication Date : 29-03-2013
The izakayas in Jakarta are serving up an authentic Japanese pub experience to curious locals and homesick ex-pats
A stroll in Jl Melawai, Blok M, Jakarta, at night is vastly different from that in the daytime.
When the sun is up, most of the buildings look like average small offices and the streets themselves are quiet by Jakarta standards.
The only signs hinting that the area is often dubbed Jakarta’s Little Tokyo are those in the form of Japanese characters and unlit neon lights.
"Come back here around 8 pm and they will be crowded with Japanese people," Rahman, a parking attendant, said, adding that he often spotted local celebrities dining there as well.
Since the 1990s, Blok M has been a favourite meeting place for a melting pot of Japanese expats, ranging from Japanese-language teachers to company CEOs, in Jakarta to let loose after a long day at the office.
A popular guidebook about Indonesia published in Japan likens the area to Shibuya, a bustling nightlife spot in Tokyo.
Izakaya in Jakarta
“Japanese people tend to really trust their friends’ recommendations and guidebooks such as "Arukikata", so it's no wonder they flock to Blok M,” said Ryo Teruya, a Japanese working as a game consultant in Jakarta.
So it is that Jakarta’s Japanese expat community keeps Jl Melawai busy, particularly its izakaya establishments.
“Izakaya” is a word used by the Japanese to describe eateries that specialise in home-cooked fare and drinks. The word sums up a distinctively Japanese pub culture.
Even on weekdays, the establishments are busy, catering to workers meeting clients, celebrating successful projects, and so on.
“I always make time to go to an izakaya with my Japanese friends at least once a week. We usually spend around two to three hours drinking," said Tatsuhito Muramatsu, a startup founder.
Taichan, Kushigin and Boci Boci are several izakaya establishments in Jakarta that he has been to - his personal favorite being Boci Boci thanks to the food, beverages and interiors, featuring wide tables and tatami.
Another favorite of Tatsuhito was Ajihara, which has since moved to Kemang.
He said that izakaya establishments in Jakarta offer the same convenience and atmosphere as those in Japan.
“The food, drinks and service is so very much Japanese that it made me homesick,” he confessed.
Anton Soeharyo, who spent six years in Tokyo, concurred.
"While in college, my friends and I usually went to izakayas after classes to have a drink," he said. "There are some rituals that I learned from my Japanese friends. We can only begin the toast after all persons at the table have their hands on a glass. Then we drink it together."
After toasting, they order dishes such as edamame (boiled green soybeans), meguro (tuna), yakitori moriawase (chicken satay), yakisoba (Japanese fried noodle), gyudon (Japanese beef rice bowl) and end it with hambagu (Japanese jumbo-size hamburger).
One difference Tatsuhito noticed was that some Japanese expats brought their children with them while having dinner in izakayas in Jakarta. “In Japan, izakaya would be forbidden for persons under 20 because they serve liquor,” he said.
The reason is probably because, as steel company owner Tommy Halim said, izakaya establishments in Jakarta are still quite modest, unlike the ones in Japan.
"In Japan, people can drink until they get carried away and go dancing on the table," he said.
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