By Richard Oh
It is situated in the street that was once part of the expansive residence of Raden Saleh, the famed 19th century naturalist painter. Its unassuming façade, with its name emblazoned in neon light red, is unequalled to most flashy restaurants’ to date in Jakarta, but it boasts the serene dignity of a presence that goes back forty years in the history of the city. It was opened in 1962 by Tirto Utomo as the temporary accommodation for guests waiting to be placed at Hotel Indonesia. Since 1970, it had been turned into a restaurant. And what a roster of celebrities and dignitaries Oasis has served. It has hosted from H.R.H Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Cliff Richard, Evander Holyfield, George and Hilary Clinton, and in 2007, the Japanese Prince Shinzo Abe and his consort.
The Oasis was once a mansion built in 1982 for the Dutch millionaire F. Brandenburg van Oltsende, owner of vast estates of tea, rubber and cinchona. As you enter into the dimly lit reception area, you’ll immediately feel the warm ambience of welcome. The maitre d’, Nyoman, greets you with a genuine smile that makes you feel like the homecoming of a long lost friend. This goes on as you go into the restaurant, appointed with fine teak beams with walls adorned with the original paintings of Hendra Goenawan, in today’s estimation each is easily worth hundreds of millions of rupiahs, and with fine ikat embroideries, masks and handcrafted wooden figurines collected from all over the country. To the right of the reception is the Topeng Bar (The Mask Bar), a small enclave with sofas whose subdued color fabrics and teak woods must have been privy to the most enchanting conversations in the history of this country. That evening, Rizal Mallarangeng was huddling in the corner with Surya Paloh, adding presumably another interesting conversation in the annals of this bar. Up a flight of stairs, I was shown the Raja function rooms, the largest of which can host up to about forty guests. As with the rest of the restaurant, the walls are hung with more Hendra Goenawan paintings and masks. In fact, the walls, with the exceptional crystal chandeliers and the backlit stained glass of a family coat of arms designed by Dutch humanist Desiderus Erasmus, are the only vocal elements that call for our attention in the restaurant. The rest of the furnishing seems pleased to welcome its guests demurely, but with majestic assurance.
Out in the back of the restaurant, a cozy patio is enclosed with flush tropical growths and here and there Grecian statues are situated, evoking a rare atmosphere of Old World elegance.
I had a brief conversation with the Executive Chef Mr. Falk, a Swiss national, who had worked for 10 years at The Hilton before joining Oasis in 1993. Mr Falk told me, a part from their famed Rijsttafel, which is served by twelve ladies tiptoeing in a row, the pride of his culinary offerings in the restaurant are: Lobster Termidor, after a dish once favored by a French king, Tornado Rossini, after the composer’s favorite choice of dinner, and the rack lamb, an innovation from Indonesian kambing guling. That night he served us four different dishes that he recommends to all Oasis’ guests: king prawns with green chilies, sate remes, pieces of hand-kneaded local beef pierced through sticks of sugar cane, Betawi oxtail soup, and breaded fish. The dessert was the restaurant’s famed banana flambé with a cup of exquisite Mandailing coffee. Throughout the sampling of the cuisines, a trio of Batak troubadours that called themselves Amores regaled us with familiar songs from North Sumatera.
I was in fact once invited to have dinner at Oasis by Onghokham, the renowned historian, but had to take a rain check because of an urgent business to attend to. Since then, Oasis has been on the back of my mind. I must thank Kafi Kurnia, the marketing maverick who is now the designated promoter of the restaurant, who extended an invitation for the unforgettable dinner. The waiters and waitresses are very gracious who make an effort to remember names of the guests. They move with Old World grace and serve with the hospitality of ancient Javanese tradition.
Oasis is that rarity in the culinary world here in Indonesia with the distinction of a historical tradition. A perfect place to host foreign guests, it is definitely a must for those who have never been there. It is a culinary landmark in the heart of the city.
No comments:
Post a Comment