My mom’s house, where I stay while I am in Jakarta, is under renovation. Waking up with a super noisy drill is not a pleasant thing. It just ruins my mood and made me think that day was one of those days. Not the best day of my life..

As I arrived in Grand Indonesia, one of (too many) malls in Jakarta, to sit down in a cafe and do some work, I remembered one of my favourite things.

I call it a hidden gem.

***
I recalled.
The first time I found it, I was walking by myself on a street in Kebun Kacang. Probably one and a half year ago, when I was working at a company, which has offices at The Plaza, Plaza Indonesia. Btw, Plaza Indonesia and Grand Indonesia are right next to each other, they are like 5 minutes walking distance from each other.

***

Asereje ja de je
De jebe tu de jebe
Sebi nuova majabi
Ande bugui ande gididipi

Aserejé song is playing and a middle aged man is slightly dancing at the back of a small stall. The rhythm of the song speaks happiness.

I am smiling. And then giggling. This is one of my best day. I am such a Gemini.

The hidden gem of mine is a small stall in Kebun Kacang street that was owned by a middle aged man, Bang Ato. He worked 17 years in the hospitality sector. He even worked overseas, in Saudi Arabia. He decided to stop working for big hotels and open his own business. A small stall that sells juices and other drinks, but mainly juices. The stall is called Juice Aba.

Selling juice is pretty easy in Jakarta. The humid and hot weather makes people crave for fresh and cold drink. Naming your juices with quirky names is clever though. Mixing this fruit and that fruit, which aren’t popular combinations also works great. Indonesia as a tropical country is blessed with plentiful choices of fruits. Bang Ato knows it all.

juice aba bang atoBang Ato danceJuice Aba Kebun Kacangmenu of juice abaMango blossom

Juices by Bang Ato speak happiness.
Two of my favourite are Banana Republic and Mango Blossom.

This post is written as part of thematic post for the Travel Bloggers Indonesia community about Fruit Day (July 1, 2014). Don’t forget to check out articles from other members of TBI (in random order):
– Menjadi Kere(n) Karena Buah Thailand by Titiw
– Padahal Cuma Mangga by Bobby
– Target: Kebun Coklat by Indri
– Mengenal Buah Tropis di Pulau Oahu by Adlien
– Buah Kasih Sayang Ibu by Danan

Have a try to find the Juice Aba if you hang out around Grand Indonesia mall and let me know your favourite.