Fine Dinning

One morning, Ika came to work looking radiant. Her friend Linda wanted to know why she was so happy. Ika told her that last night Denny asked her out to dinner at a very exclusive restaurant. He picked her up at seven and they drove to the restaurant located in one of the high rise buildings in the city.

A doorman in uniform opened the glass door of the restaurant. He smiled and said, “Good evening!” A waiter in black and white seated them at the table in the corner. Ika looked around her. The room, big and beautifully decorated, was nearly full. In the middle of the room was a big flower arrangement on a round glass table. Ika admired the damask table cloth, the fine silverware and the crystal glasses.

Waiters and waitresses moved along silently on the thick carpet, while soft music flowed through the room. The faint sound of people using their silverware and murmurs of conversation gave the room a sophisticated atmosphere.

“Denny ordered for us,” said Ika. “What did you have?” asked Linda. “Well, for appetizers Denny had eggrolls and I had seafood avocado. Denny’s main course was New York steak and I had grilled salmon topped with a light cheese sauce. For dessert we had coffee and crepes filled with blackberries and cream.” “How was the food?” asked Linda. “It was delicious !” sighed Ika. “The dinner must have cost quite a lot,” said Linda. Ika answered, “I am sure it did, because it was such an elegant restaurant.” “What did he mean by that?” asked Linda curiously. Ika gave her a big smile and said, “Well, he proposed to me and I said, ‘yes, yes! Oh, I’m so happy!’ ”

A Clean and Snappy Place

Maggie, an American tourist and Widya, her Indonesian friend, walked through the glass doors of McDonald’s. “McDonald’s is our kind of place. A clean and snappy place…,” sang Maggie. “Actually, I’m amazed at the outfits people are wearing.” “Well, McDonald’s is the place to see and be seen,” answered her friend. “It’s quite trendy to eat at fast food places these days.” “Really?” asked her American visitor. “Well, let’s get in line to place an order,” said Widya.

“Boy, it’s crowded!” exclaimed Maggie. “Yeah, it gets like this. Maybe we should have gone to some place with a drive-thru,” replied Widya. “They have them here?” asked Maggie, surprised. “Yeah, but people haven’t gotten used to the idea of driving up to a window to get fried chicken or French fries in a paper bag,” said Widya. “Actually, this line is moving along pretty quickly,” Maggie said.

Maggie and Widya put in their orders. Two minutes later, their meals were placed on trays and they headed for an empty table. “Look at all those kids, commented Widya. “I guess there’s a birthday party going on or something.”

“Well, here goes my diet,” said Maggie, biting into her burger. “There must be a thousand calories in this greasy Big Mac alone.” “Yeah, the Indonesian government is encouraging people to eat local cuisine because they say it’s healthier,” Widya said.

“Are there any local fast food joins in Indonesia?” Maggie asked. “Well, we have Padang food,” replied Widya. “What’s that?” questioned her friend. “It’s spicy food from West Sumatera. The food is prepared in advance and you pick out what you want to eat. You can sit down and relax and get a filling meal quickly.”

“Why don’t we go to Padang restaurant tonight?” said Maggie. “Okay,” agreed Widya.