A Big Apple lunch in the Big Durian By Eilish Kidd
Publisher:The Jakarta Post - Publication Date: 23-05-2008

Riding the Grand Indonesia escalators, we came across a strange new world. The ballsy Annie refrain "Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow!" was playing over the sound system; the shop spaces had art deco facades of New York.
We stepped gingerly out onto the artificial bitumen and around a manhole cover, which hinted at the unwashed squalor; the seedy underbelly of the city. We looked for the guys and dolls. We figured there'd be a crap game somewhere. Above us were the bare steel girders that hold up New York City's "L" train.
"It's a heck of a town" we thought as went in search of a lunch spot, making a lap of the 3rd floor, taking in the sights and the surround sounds.
Then the steel girders gave way to an overhanging wisteria trellis and we caught the sunny light of Europe. There was a jolly red windmill and a concrete cherub fountain overlooking an outside view of the brickwork and irregular streets of our own Jakarta.
When we came to the Arabian section there were soft Persian carpets rolled out, and we were almost reminded of that part in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, when the fur coats transformed into snow-laden foliage.
Wherever in the world we were there was barely a soul to be seen, save for a lone security guard who, from time to time, tailed us, in the hope that we were up to some mischief. Well, that's an exaggeration, for sure enough some kids were out, and a couple of romantic policemen were taking cell phone snaps of themselves in romantic Paris, romantic Chinatown and so forth.
We thought we'd have lunch in New York at this joint called Caf* 5th Avenue, which boasts a mirrored ceiling and glossy scarlet red walls. Recently opened, it offers all manner of specials. Like "buy one, get one free" desserts, as well as--hmmm--Illy coffee!
Thumbing through the fat menu, we got right into it. Thus the snacks and starters caught our attention, though the gourmet pizzas, fish and chips and Nasi Goreng 5th Avenue looked nicely too.
A waiter came for our order, indulging us with a moment of free-wheeling mime with his buddy. This is when he realised he'd forgotten his notepad.
Well, we set in and ordered Salt and Pepper Calamari; Seafood Asparagus and Watercress Soup; also Garlic Oregano Bread and Seafood Dip; and Wild Mushroom Quiche, as well as two lattes. Now with blessed notepad in hand, the waiter jotted the lot down and headed out for the kitchen to inform resident chef, Chef Jurgen.
The soup was the first to arrive. It came as a brilliant, frothily watercress green, with wedges of herb bread that tasted homemade. Skimming the surface of the green pool of soup our spoons revealed enigmatic chunks which we soon identified as fish and calamari rings.
Though esthetically ghoulish in its combination of the seen and unseen, the soup wasn't bad, not by no means, as they say in the Big Apple. But next time we'd give the Red Spinach and Potato Soup with Spanish Sausage a shot. Sure.
The crumbed calamari rings were served vertically on a skewer stuck in half a lime and surrounded with fried mint leaves. Dat's cute. They tasted OK.
We were totally sold on the bread and dip. A mountain, we figured there was, of warm flatbread came accompanied by a pot of creamy white dip that contained strips of smoked salmon and herbs.
The mushroom quiche was also tasty, though it was less of a quiche and more of an assemblage of mushrooms in a pastry shell, bound altogether with egg and topped with salad greens and a dab of sour cream. It came with a cup of salad: greens, carrot, tomato, Spanish onion and vegetable chips. Not a Waldorf though.
Very presently the waiter returned to twist our arms. Regarding the matter of dessert. We obliged him with a spontaneous order of Banana and Honey Cake with Rose and Honey Syrup, also coming in with a scoop of rum, raisin and maple gelato; not to mention profiteroles, with scoops of Cherry and Cherry Blossom and Hazelnut gelato.
The desserts were as good as they sounded--the banana cake was a round of light sponge encrusted with sliced banana and decorated with rose syrup and shiny red currants; the profiteroles sandwiched the gelato, which was in all three flavours--chewy icy cherry chunks, maple raisin and hazelnut. Delicious. Swell.
Then we took our turn to mime--for the bill. We drew the obligatory square in the air, with aplomb and left 5th Avenue well satisfied and in fine time to catch the fountain show that is held each hour in Grand Indonesia's Entertainment District.
The centerpiece of the fountain is a gold reclining nude. It shot up jets of water infused with colored lights, dancing in patterns reminiscent of Busby Berkeley musicals. Behind, were projections of New York, the Statue of Liberty and pedestrians, as Frank Sinatra sings, "Start spreadin' the news".
"When I'm stuck in a day, that's gray, and lonely"... uh uh--we may just go again and catch some of the bizarre sights of the upper levels of Grand Indonesia. And, while there, we'll enjoy a nice helping of gelato and cake at Café 5th Avenue.
Café 5th Avenue
Grand Indonesia
West Mall Level 3A
Entertainment District
Phone: (021) 23580312
Email: cafe_5thavenue@yahoo.com

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