Jumlah restoran Indonesia di Adelaide tidak sebanyak rumah makan yang berasal dari negara Asia lainnya. Menurut pemilik restoran De Sate, Astari Kusumawardani, jumlah restoran Indonesia yang ia temui saat tiba di Adelaide hanya ada satu dan merujuk ke target pasar kalangan atas. Hal ini nampaknya menjadi peluang dan tantangan bagi gadis kelahiran Jakarta untuk membuka restoran De Sate yang menyasar kalangan pelajar dan warga lokal sejak dua tahun lalu.
“Menjalankan usaha rumah makan cukup menantang. Terutama saat pertama kali buka. Proses dan aturannya berbeda dengan di Indonesia. Untuk mempertahankan pelanggan, terutama kalangan pelajar aad promo diskon setiap hari Selasa – Kamis. Juga loyalty card,” tambah Astari, yang akrab di panggil Ai.
Pemilik restaurant Indonesia lainnya adalah Junaidi. Ia telah membuka bisnis rumah makan Pondok Bali yang berlokasi di Pulteney street, Adelaide, sejak 17 tahun lalu. Ia mengatakan untuk mendapatkan pekerjaan di Australia tidak mudah. Proses membuka rumah makan di Australia lebih mudah dibandingkan mencari pekerjaan.
“Asalkan punya uang yang banyak dan bisa masak, kita bias urus proses buka rumah makan sendiri. Lebih gampang dibanding cari kerja,” kata Junaidi. Menurutnya, prospek rumah makan tidak secerah bisnis lain. Menanggapi kondis ini, ia berencana menarik pelanggan dengan mendekorasi ulang ruang makan dengan gimik otentik Indonesia dan menyajikan tarian Bali di beberapa acara tertentu.
Berbeda dengan Junaidi, Chef sekaligus pemilik rumah makan Indonesia Ketut’s Kitchen, Henny, mengaku agak kewalahan dalam melayani pelanggan. Ia juga menambahkan kalau restoran berlokasi di wilayah strategis kota Adelaide Utara di O’connell street ini, kedatangan banyak pelanggan terutama pada waktu akhir pekan mulai Jumat malam. Rumah makan ini baru saja buka di Adelaide pada awal April 2014.
“Pengunjung Ketut’s Kitchen lebih banyak orang asing dibanding orang Indonesia. Kebanyakan malah orang Timur Tengah. Kalau ada pelanggan yang mau sewa tempat, kita tutup restoran untuk acara mereka,” aku Henny sambil tersenyum.
Ai berharap kuliner Indonesia di Adelaide bisa semakin berkembang. Semakin banyaknya penerbangan (murah) yang menghubungkan Adelaide dengan Indonesia, membuat jarak terasa semakin dekat. Semakin banyak siswa sekolah tingkat dasar yang mengambil Bahasa Indonesia sebagai salah satu bidang pelajaran juga bisa meningkatkan awareness tentang budaya Indonesia. Ini bisa jadi pendorong bisnis kuliner di Adelaide.
The number of Indonesian restaurants in Adelaide is not as many as compared to other Asian countries. According to the owner of De Sate, Astari Kusamawardani, the number of Indonesian restaurants she encountered when first arriving in Adelaide had only one target and that was the upper class. This became an opportunity and a challenge for the girl born in Jakarta to open a restaurant targeting the students and local residents since arriving two years ago.
“ Running a restaurant is quite challenging. Especially the first time you open. The processes and rules are different to Indonesia. To retain customers, particularly students there is a promo Tuesday to Thursday. Also, a loyalty card,” added Astari, though her friends call her Ai.
Another Indonesian restaurant owner is Junaidi. He opened up the restaurant Pondok Bali located in Pulteney Street, Adelaide, and has been there for seventeen years. He said finding work in Australia is difficult. The process of opening a restaurant in Australia is easier than finding other work.
“As long as they have a lot of money and can cook, we can take care of the process for opening a restaurant. It’s easier than looking for work,” Junaidi stated. According to him, the prospect of owning a restaurant is not as bright as owning other businesses. As a response, he plans to draw customers by redecorating the dining room with authentic Indonesian gimmicks and having Indonesian and Balinese dancers present at some particular events.
In contrast with Junaidi, Chef and owner of the Indonesian restaurant Ketut’s Kitchen, Henny, admitted to being somewhat overwhelmed with serving all her customers. She added that the restaurant is located in a strategic area of North Adelaide in O’Connell Street, with the arrival of many customers, especially on weekends (starting Friday nights). This restaurant has just opened in Adelaide starting in early April 2014.
“The number of non-Indonesian visitors to Ketut’s Kitchen is more than the Indonesians. Most are actually from the Middle East. If customers want to rent the place, we close the restaurant for their event” said Henny Alfrey while smiling.
Ai hopes that Indonesian cuisine in Adelaide can be further developed. The increasing (cheap) flights from Adelaide to Indonesia, makes the distance seem closer. There’s more and more students taking basic Indonesian at school as one field of study and this also increases awareness of Indonesian culture. This could be a driving force in the culinary business in Adelaide.
