Dinda Mulia
BIKO Group’s Next Round Begins
From Beer Garden to new digital touchpoints, dining-led concepts and bar venues with serious food credentials, BIKO Group is shifting how Jakarta eats, drinks and gathers From the Very First Pint The year was 2010, and a simple after-work drink in Jakarta was starting to feel expensive. People wanted somewhere easy-going to let off steam,
Time Capsule: Hotel des Indes and Its Many Afterlives
Once a colonial hotel, later Duta Merlin, and now part of an MRT-linked future, this Harmoni site has moved through several urban afterlives It is not an exaggeration to say that at Harmoni, one stretch of ground has carried more than one city upon it. For much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, that ground
Turning Animals into Mirrors: HOARSE HORSE by Ida Lawrence at ISA Art Gallery
The paintings displayed at the HOARSE HORSE exhibition by Berlin-based artist Ida Lawrence do not behave like paintings. They hang, slack-backed and unstretched, as if they have shrugged off the polite posture of the gallery wall. Some are tethered with straps and rope; others carry hardware in the form of collars, leashes, and fastenings. The
A Closer Look at Jakarta Intercultural School’s Two Early Years and Elementary School Campuses Through Its Principals
Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS) welcomes NOW! Jakarta for a conversation with Jonathan “Zeb” Johnson (JJ), Principal at the Pondok Indah Elementary School campus, and Jill Bellamy (JB), Principal at the Pattimura Elementary School campus to discuss how learning, community, and student support shape the elementary experience across JIS’ two campuses. NOW! Jakarta (NJ): Could you
Made to Fit in Rattan: Bringing Tradition to Children
Milou’s rattan line is built for children and designed to complement the modern home. From strollers and high chairs to bistro sets, dollhouses, and baskets, here’s what to buy and what to look for in a Milou creation. The stroller strikes a perfect balance between charm and functionality. A curved rattan handle and a low,
The Long Life of Metropole XXI Cinema
It is hard to miss Metropole XXI when walking around Cikini, Central Jakarta. Located near the junction ofJl. Diponegoro, Jl. Pegangsaan Timur, and Jl. Proklamasi, the multipurpose building stands out with its stark-white exterior and looming tower. Its name, arranged vertically in gold lettering, immediately draws the eye. Designed by architect Liauw Goan Seng, Metropole
Anda Reserva Pondok Indah: A New Wellness Space in the Neighbourhood
Jakarta has no shortage of studios, and spas focused on balance and recovery. In the southern residential areas, however, spaces that allow people to move, rest, and recover with ease remain limited. As one of the first social wellness clubs in Jakarta, Anda Reserva Pondok Indah was conceived to answer that gap. At this wellness
Canton 108 Senayan City: Cantonese Dining Made for Sharing
From relaxed lunch with friends to Chinese New Year dinner with extended family, Canton 108 Senayan City was designed for full tables, where comforting Cantonese dishes are passed around generously, and meals always conclude with same note: ‘We should do this again soon!’ Whilst situated inside of Senayan City, the restaurant sets itself apart from
Local Scents, Global Ambitions: Inside Indonesia’s Expanding Fragrance Industry
The changing scent is unmistakable. In the past five years, Indonesia’s perfumery landscape has transformed from a somewhat obscure niche to a thriving creative industry. Fuelled by a new generation of consumers and a wave of independent brands, the archipelago is now home to one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic and fast-growing fragrance markets. Until
Societeit de Harmonie: Before Car Parks, There Was Champagne
One of these days when exploring Jakarta, you might come across Harmoni’s nonstop traffic, and see hurried civil servants coming in and out of the unassuming area of the Ministry of State Secretariat. What is now a governmental zone, used to be the epicentre of Batavia’s high society, where the grandest balls and most exclusive
Moments of Mindfulness: Slow Living Activities to Help You Unwind in Jakarta
Unless something major happens, life in Jakarta never pauses on its own. Slowing down must be a deliberate and conscious choice. Across the city, a growing number of activities now present us with an opportunity to be more mindful, offering a moment’s pause from the rush and rhythm of the everyday. From peaceful workshops to
There’s No Lack of Talent, Only Access: Be Sharp Indonesia Makes Classical Music Accessible for All
Sadly, in this day and age, classical music is still widely perceived as a privilege, most often accessed by those who can afford private lessons, personal instruments, and uninterrupted time to practise. However, in a country where still 11.8 percent of children still live below the national poverty line (Bappenas, UNICEF, 2023), classical music education
Art Through the Eyes of the Beholder: Inside Olafur Eliasson’s Immersive Exhibition in Jakarta
When entering Olafur Eliasson: Your curious journey at Museum MACAN, your vision tilts, the colour thickens, and the world outside is muted. They say that our body adjusts before our mind does, an adjustment period one can really feel when immersed in the artist’s installations. There are rooms shaped by mist, reflections, shadows, and slow-moving
