Pondok Laguna Restaurant

Jakarta - Flew SQ 959 with Joe and it was a good flight into Jakarta. Since it was a short flight about 1hr 35 minutes - the head sets were not given out. So, I watched a Korean movie and read off the English sub-titles - "Once upon a time". Whilst watching, I was intermittently interrupted by a loud and rude laughter coming from a passenger sitting across me. He brought his own headsets and was laughing so loudly that other passengers were turning to see who this idiot was....I was not able to finish the movie.

I stayed at Le Meridien Hotel - a very nice hotel in central Jakarta around US$110 (excludes breakfast). Breakfast is about US$10.

The afternoon was spent preparing for the workshop of which only 10 attended. There was a major street protest and it affected the attendance so having 10 was not that bad. It was held at a service office (Marquue) directly opposite Le Meridien Hotel (very convenient).

After the workshop, we went to have dinner at my old time favourite Pondok Laguna restaurant. There was no intention of going there but because Yudi lost his way to the intented restaurant and we passed by Pondok Laguna restaurant - I told them not to waste time and just have our dinner there. Furthermore, the food is so good and is one of my favourite restaurant.

Searching..

JAKARTA - There are lots of security checks entering buildings and hotels - for both people and cars. Cars are checked on their undercarriage, boot, passengers and bonnet too - and the security personnel were polite. Every time, I go back to Le Meridien Hotel - there is a metal detector that I need to pass through. It can be troublesome but it is the high crime that worries me the most.

Even my Indonesian partners advise me never to walk on the streets alone at night or even daytime, it can be very dangerous. Obviously, I don't see many foreigners walking around too. If you intend to go from building to building take a bluebird or silverbird taxi.

Lunch was @ The Buffet - it was all you can eat for just Rp 55,000 (about S$10). It is extremely cheap with a similiar restaurant would cost at least 3-4 times as much. The food was not to my liking - either too oily, too sweet. There was not one dish that I really like but I was in good company and that matters.

Dinner was @ Pepper Lunch - at Plaza Indonesia. Pepper Lunch also has branches in Singapore but I have never tried it. You had to queue and a number tag was given. We did not know what this big number tag was for - 75 - until the waiter brought us to the table no. 75. Aha! The food is good and the beef is very tender...the meal for 2 cost about Rp128,000 (S$22.50). That is quite reasonable.

Plaza Indonesia is a posh shopping centre comparable to the Paragon @ Orchard in Singapore. Lots of high-end fashion brands have boutique shops catering to the super rich Indonesians. Don't intend to spend shopping money we adjourned to Grand Hyatt Hotel which is adjacent to this shopping centre. Grand Hyatt Hotel is beautiful hotel and of course the lobby is grand - we had drinks at the Burgundy bar and had my usual Baileys on the rocks.

Tomorrow will be Indonesia's 62nd Independence day - it will be a public holiday but I will be on my way back to Singapore.