Jakarta, Indonesia

The teeming, sprawling metropolis of Jakarta is known as the Big Durian. Like its pungent regional fruit, the city is an acquired taste, an initially daunting but gradually addictive juxtaposition of slums and skyscrapers, congested freeways and cozy neighborhoods, international aspirations and local Javanese charm. The capital of the world’s fourth-most populous country, Jakarta, with more than 10 million, is made up of people, cultures and cuisines as diverse as Indonesia itself. While over a decade of monetary crisis has cramped the style of Jakarta’s upper crust, they nonetheless join with a substantial community of foreign-educated and expatriate young professionals to fuel a thriving range of bars, clubs, restaurants and shops.

As is the case with most Southeast Asian cities, shopping in Jakarta is a mixture of traditional outdoor markets and massive modern malls that can encompass an entire city block. The malls serve as calm, air-conditioned oases from the tropical heat and urban bustle, as well as enclaves of Western amenities and brands. The most prestigious of Jakarta’s many malls is Plaza Senayan, at Jalan Asia Afrika No. 8, Gelora Bung Karno Senayan. Opened in 1996, Plaza Senayan remains the prime location for international names such as Dior, Prada and Hugo Boss. The children of Jakarta’s wealthy congregate at Plaza Senayan’s shops, restaurants and cafes, and the escalators are crammed with giggling, well-coiffed teens tightly clutching their Louis Vuitton bags in one hand and bored but handsome boyfriends in the other. Jakarta’s other premier mall is Plaza Indonesia, which encompasses a more democratic range of shops. Its compound, located at Jalan M.H. Thamrin No. 28-30, is bookended by a Hyatt and the Japanese department store Sogo. Established in the late Eighties, Plaza Indonesia also contains a range of international luxury brands, including Zegna, Gucci and Ferragamo, but its upper floors are given over to sportier foreign as well as Indonesian options, and the substantial food court in the basement is crowded with hungry shoppers at all hours of the day.

Dining in Jakarta remains dominated by stalls that cram the roadside, offering traditional fare such as nasi goreng and satay, but there are plenty of alternatives for the less adventurous. One favorite spot is Café Batavia, named for Jakarta’s moniker under the Dutch colonists and located in the heart of the historic old district of Kota at Taman Fatahillah. Café Batavia re-creates Roaring Twenties, Art Deco glamour in a historic building dating from the early 19th century, and it serves up Continental favorites along with an extensive list of cocktails. Since opening in 1993, Café Batavia has twice made Newsweek International’s list of the world’s best bars. The chic Cinnabar, at Plaza Gani Djemat, Jalan Imam Bonjol No. 76-78, offers a more modern appeal, with its fusion menu, trendy drinks and a sexy red decor. Owned by Jakarta socialite Dian Purba, it is the destination of choice for her fellow trendsetters.