The blend of Chinese and indigenous cultures from colonial days is thriving
A RETRO TREND is definitely 'in' among Indonesian urban youths these days. It isn't the swinging 1960s or the trashy 1980s style but something older. The taste of Peranakan Chinese - the mix of Chinese and indigenous cultures that thrived during the Dutch colonial era - is making a comeback.
In recent years, cafes, restaurants and hotels with the nostalgia chic have been booming in Jakarta and other cities and towns.
Dapur Babah, or Babah's Kitchen, opened last year and specialises in the cuisines of Javanese-Chinese Peranakan families. Located in refurbished colonial shophouses on Jakarta's Jalan Veteran, the restaurant is elegantly furnished with the antique collection of its owner Anhar Setjadibrata.
These pieces include reclaimed teak furniture, signboard advertising of Hap Liong Tailor (once the tenant of the shop houses), photos of sugar baron Oei Tiong Ham and his favourite concubine, as well as stone statues of Chinese, Hindu and Buddhist gods.
Close by, the two-storey Kedai Tiga Nyonya serves a Peranakan menu amid the nostalgic decor of the early 20th century Batavia, as Jakarta was known during the Dutch period.
Bakoel Koffie cafe franchise has become a favourite hang-out in Jakarta. Siblings Hendra and Syenny Widjaja - Peranakan Chinese and descendants of the legendary Warung Tinggi coffee manufacturer - instil their heritage into the cafes.