Indonesia & Corruption: a few articles in the past few weeks

[centurion]

Pain aux chocolat .. 11 singapore dollars (7,50 euro/130.000 rupiah)
But, people in Singapore are smart not to buy these overpriced bakery stuff.

Here in Indonesia? Not so smart. They still want to be seen paying 3,50 euro for brown water.

In The Netherlands SB is having a difficult time just starting and opening branches. The coffee is not good enough. Dutch people have acquired a high quality taste for coffee since Indonesia being a Dutch colony and importing coffee.

So, very strange that Indonesians being a coffee bean country want to drink brown water for coffee.

Point however of my post is. These companies should be on the list for blaming and shaming for their outrageous high profits and low wages for their employees.

Nobody drinks Starbucks in Europe, nor eat pizza in Pizza Hut or similar. Italian espresso is a standard.

Main market for them are US and Asia, mostly SEA.

 

[Samoerai]

Nobody drinks Starbucks in Europe, nor eat pizza in Pizza Hut or similar. Italian espresso is a standard.

Indeed, maybe only the foreigners, the Millennials and GenZ kids.

 

[MamangDudul]

Also never got the Starbucks hype, most of the products are sugery drinks with coffee flavour hahaha
I go to my kopitiam around my place, best coffe around, not even 1€.

 

[Samoerai]

Also never got the Starbucks hype, most of the products are sugery drinks with coffee flavour hahaha
I go to my kopitiam around my place, best coffe around, not even 1€.

What is 'kopitiam'?

In These Traditional Neighbourhood Coffee Shops, You'll Find That Happiness Is As Simple As Coffee, Toast, and Chit Chat

Food is a fully-realised culture of its own. Its trends, icons and movements, across the world and time, inspire veneration but are also forgotten just as quickly. But when food is built around and for a community, combined with atmosphere and leaving space for variability, you might have...

blog.wego.com

 

[MamangDudul]

What is 'kopitiam'?

In These Traditional Neighbourhood Coffee Shops, You'll Find That Happiness Is As Simple As Coffee, Toast, and Chit Chat

Food is a fully-realised culture of its own. Its trends, icons and movements, across the world and time, inspire veneration but are also forgotten just as quickly. But when food is built around and for a community, combined with atmosphere and leaving space for variability, you might have...

blog.wego.com

Oh in Batam we have Kopitiam and Kedai Kopi, Kopitiam is basically the chinese name. Its more like a Riau thing I guess, in Jawa it's probably more Warung Kopi.


EDIT:

By the way, the article is actually a good description of classical kopitiams.

 

[jstar]

If you think Starbucks is just brown water, don’t try a Kopitiam*

That‘s just brown water with a lot of milk.

* Malayu Chinese coffee shop where they also serve ‘toast’ etc.

 

[MamangDudul]

If you think Starbucks is just brown water, don’t try a Kopitiam*

That‘s just brown water with a lot of milk.

* Malayu Chinese coffee shop where they also serve ‘toast’ etc.

Well, you gotta find the good ones. The one I go, the coffe is properly roasted and has a strong taste and I only take a little milk, susu kental manis, and not half a glass.
I tried a lot of places already, the ones that make a really great coffee are more rare than the ones who make just brown water with milk.
Generally the Chinese around here make a better coffee than the native people who like it even more sweet and brown.

 

[jstar]

Well, then you have the kopitiam make you a latte or even an espresso macchiato. Nobody ‘here’ but also in the Straits drinks it like that.

So for me it has been a ‘blessing’ that Starbucks became popular decades ago. Since that led to many small coffee shops (following the CASE, Copy And Steal Everything philosophy) which have democratized the prizes. So instead of paying 45K ($3,50, €3,20) you pay now 18-30K for your good quality cappuccino or espresso which is made on a top of the line Italian machine (Rocket, Bezzera, La Cimbali, …).

 

[MamangDudul]

Well, then you have the kopitiam make you a latte or even an espresso macchiato. Nobody ‘here’ but also in the Straits drinks it like that.

So for me it has been a ‘blessing’ that Starbucks became popular decades ago. Since that led to many small coffee shops (following the CASE, Copy And Steal Everything philosophy) which have democratized the prizes. So instead of paying 45K ($3,50, €3,20) you pay now 18-30K for your good quality cappuccino or espresso which is made on a top of the line Italian machine (Rocket, Bezzera, La Cimbali, …).

It's not much use to argue about taste. A Kopitiam doesn't make you classical coffee latte or espresso in the western sense. They make you Kopi hitam, susu or just with sugar or ice. And there are good and bad ones, and I prefer the taste of the good ones over Starbucks any day others might not.
If I want a classical cafe latte or espresso I go to more "sophisticated" places, who have a real machine, as you already described.

 

[MamangDudul]

It's not much use to argue about taste. A Kopitiam doesn't make you classical coffee latte or espresso in the western sense. They make you Kopi hitam, susu or just with sugar or ice. And there are good and bad ones, and I prefer the taste of the good ones over Starbucks any day others might not.
If I want a classical cafe latte or espresso I go to more "sophisticated" places, who have a real machine, as you already described.

I would argue most of them still don't make as good a coffee as the old guy who still makes the coffee for this particular kopitiam.

 

[kripik-pisang]

From what I've seen, Indonesian food is some of the most boring food in the world! Maybe it's just Bali, I don't know.

Rated number 6 in the world https://www.tasteatlas.com/best/cuisines. Where have you been eating? Tourist restaurants? Hotels?
The best places to get good food are the small warungs, even kaki lima, Or try masakan padang, frequently voted as one of the worlf's best cuisines. And if you live in Bali what about the amazingly tasty babi guling. Try Pande Egi near Gianyar, or Buk Juwik in Blahbatuh or Ibu Desak in Pejeng.

 

[jstar]

Those lists are one big joke of course. Written by ‘journalists’ who take some unclear voting results. Italian on 1? Come on, it’s nice but also extremely simple cuisine. And Indonesian cuisine does not even exist of course.

I like Padang but you must give the guy a break; if I wouldn’t be familiar with such a thing, I would also hesitate to walk in a warung where the food is in the full sun behind the window and the flies are having a feast. And the concept of putting food on the table and taking it away again (bit like desserts in Italian lunch rooms) is for a lot of people not very hygienic.

I agree there are quite some nice Guling places in Bali.

 

[kripik-pisang]

Also never got the Starbucks hype, most of the products are sugery drinks with coffee flavour hahaha
I go to my kopitiam around my place, best coffe around, not even 1€.

The "hype" is the way most American food restaurants operate. Brain washing (brain pollution) through advertising. When McGarbage moved into China they were very unsuccessful, but they didn't give up, just kept on pummelling people with advertising. Eventually it worked, and china is now on its way to zero nutrient food consumption and obesity is growing

 

[Samoerai]

I like Padang but you must give the guy a break; if I wouldn’t be familiar with such a thing, I would also hesitate to walk in a warung where the food is in the full sun behind the window and the flies are having a feast. And the concept of putting food on the table and taking it away again (bit like desserts in Italian lunch rooms) is for a lot of people not very hygienic.

That's my hesitation too!

 

[Samoerai]

Those lists are one big joke of course. Written by ‘journalists’ who take some unclear voting results. Italian on 1? Come on, it’s nice but also extremely simple cuisine. And Indonesian cuisine does not even exist of course.

I agree. French cuisine no. 8, behind Mexican cuisine? Huh?

 

[fastpitch17]

Coffee black. Strong and dark roasted. J-co over Starbucks when out and about. Best made at home without a fancy overpriced boiler machine. No cream, no foam, definitely no sugar. Only Northern Sumatra coffees with an occasional Bali Kitamañi if we want something lessor roasted. Other Bali coffees we never cared for. We avoid Toraja coffees. Just never liked the taste.

We never eat at a Pandang resto. If we for some reason have to eat at a display place, we choose Sundanese. Seem more clean and they at least will warm up your food before serving.

 

[kripik-pisang]

Those lists are one big joke of course. Written by ‘journalists’ who take some unclear voting results.

That's quite possible of, course. when we live in a world where content is created just to give the impression of knowledge to draw people in, because it makes the author money. But at least Indonesian food has at least, justifiably, been mentioned.
Malays are always saying that Indonesian dishes are Malay (such as Rendang). Because Indonesian cuisine is so much better many dishes are cooked in Malaysia.

"I would also hesitate to walk in a warung where the food is in the full sun behind the window and the flies are having a feast." Now that's strange. I've been coming to Indonesia for over 30 years (and now live here) and have never got sick from eating Padang or any similarly displayed food. (and I've eaten a lot) I have, however, got sick from eating bad fish in a tourist restaurant.

"Indonesian cuisine does not even exist of course." Of course? Of course it exists. Cuisine simply means a style of cooking and Indonesia clearly has that.

 

[Samoerai]

Indonesian cuisine does not even exist of course." Of course? Of course it exists. Cuisine simply means a style of cooking and Indonesia clearly has that.

I think Jstar meant "Indonesian" cuisine not exists. We discussed this in the other thread talking about "No Indonesian culture". Also not exists.

 

[Bob]

If you think Starbucks is just brown water, don’t try a Kopitiam*

That‘s just brown water with a lot of milk.

* Malayu Chinese coffee shop where they also serve ‘toast’ etc.

Some of them do serve quite good coffee.

 

[Balifrog]

The best places to get good food are the small warungs

That one had me spill my beer......