Hotel restaurants an inviting spot to break the fast

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While many Jakartans head straight home or to cafes to break the fast during Ramadhan, some are happy to experience their first sustenance of the day at restaurants of leading hotels.

For the past two holy months, entrepreneur Reni Sutiyoso has occasionally broken the fast on weekends at Mulia Senayan Jakarta and Shangri-La hotels in the capital.

“Their locations are downtown, so my husband and I can catch up with friends easily. Besides, the menu is more varied than restaurants and we can order any kind of dish we want,” she told The Jakarta Post by phone recently.

While the 32-year-old daughter of former governor Sutiyoso loves local foods, breaking the fast at hotels gives her the opportunity to sample foreign dishes, such as Turkish kebab.

Architect and painter Ivy Baskara has her break-fasting meal at home on weekdays to allow her to conduct the tarawih (evening prayer) afterward. But on weekends she considers hotels an attractive option to meet girlfriends for arisan (social gatherings) or to gather all the family together.

“It is an opportunity for my family to meet other relatives whom we rarely meet and at the same we can enjoy a wide range of delicious food,” said the 45-year-old.

Each year, she ends up choosing between the Shangri-La and the Mulia, among other hotels, because they have several restaurants with varied menus.

“My favorite is Padang food but unfortunately I usually cannot find that at hotels. So I eat local, Japanese, Indian and Chinese food.”

She said during the first week of the fast, she normally could not control what she ate during the breaking-of-the-fast because her body was still adjusting to changes in her eating patterns.

“So, I eat all kinds of food until my stomach feels too full. But when the month is about to end, I only break the fast with Japanese food.”

Many hotels in Jakarta, Bandung and other major cities offer special Ramadhan packages for guests during the month to break the fast with family, friends or colleagues.

At Sari Pan Pacific Hotel Jakarta, from July 20 to Aug. 18, guests can enjoy the breaking-of-the-fast dinner buffet at Fiesta Restaurant for Rp 188,000++ per person, with dishes including nasi lemak (fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk), rujak (assorted fruit served in peanut sauce), laksa (curry soup with rice cake), fish chili curry and many more.

The Lobby Lounge also provides tajil (snacks and drinks consumed to break the fast) for Rp 75,000++ per portion.

At the hotel’s Sari Delicatessen Pastry and Butchery, there will be an assortment of seasonal cookies and cakes on offer for Rp 70,000 net per portion. Hampers are available at Rp 950,000 net for genuine hampers, Rp 1.5 million for adorable hampers and Rp 2.5 million for memorable hampers.

BBQ hampers consisting of chicken and beef grilled sausages, beef chorizo sausages, chicken and beef grilled steak, corn, potato salad and garlic bread baguettes are also available for Rp 800,000 net.

At Gran Mahakam Hotel, Le Gran Café will be preparing a wide range of tajil, including bubur sumsum (coconut rice pudding with palm sugar syrup) for Rp 258,000++ per adult and Rp 158,000++ per child from July 18 to Aug. 18.

Guests can also experience the breaking of the fast with a selection of various traditional tajil, dates, cookies, coffee and tea for a special price at the Hotel grandkemang.

For corporate clients, the hotel is offering a special Ramadhan meeting package for business functions held between July 19 and Aug. 2.