F

ood lovers seeking to cruise into mall restaurants in the city will have a lengthy opportunity to try out many delicacies at cheaper prices, during the Enjoy Jakarta Food Festival 2009, which runs from July 4 to Aug. 4.

The event, launched by Governor Fauzi Bowo at the Grand Indonesia Shopping Mall on Saturday, is part of a series of events to mark the 482nd anniversary of Jakarta's founding.

"As many as 100 restaurants will offer various discounts in the big malls in the city, like Senayan City, Taman Anggrek, Kelapa Gading and Grand Indonesia," Arie Budiman, head of the Jakarta Culture and Tourism Agency, said Saturday.

He added the event was expected to attract domestic and foreign tourists, as well as local residents, since it was being held during the school holidays.

Those with BCA and Bank Mega credit cards will be treated to discounts of between 15 and 50 percent in various forms, including direct discounts and buy-two-for-one offers.

"It won't only be cardholders that get the discounts," Arie said.

"We've encouraged the restaurants to give discounts to others as well, and half of the restaurants agreed to do so."

He added the restaurants would be marked out by Enjoy Jakarta Food Festival banners, so diners could look for discounts.

Teges Prita Soraya, a senior manager of marketing communication at Grand Indonesia, said 28 food and beverage outlets in the mall would participate in the event.

"The food courts aren't included, because most of them don't accept credit card payment, and they only make a small profit margin," she said.

Arie admitted the event was limited to relatively expensive restaurants. He said the city, however, had many other events featuring smaller eateries.

"Soon there will be a culinary tourism event in the Old Town, in which street vendors will participate," he said.

During the opening of the festival, some chefs demonstrated how to cook kerak telor or Betawi omelet, one of the indigenous foods of the city.

Vindex Tengker, chairman of the Association of Indonesian Culinary Professionals, said he would demonstrate how to make the snack by using a gas cooker, as part of efforts to make the dish less daunting to those trying to make it at home. The original kerak telor is cooked on a charcoal stove.