A toilet-themed cafe where customers dine on meatballs floating in soup-filled latrines may not be everyone’s idea of haute cuisine, but Indonesians are flocking to become privy to the latest lavatorial trend.
Guests at the ‘Jamban Café’ sit on upright toilets around a table where food is served in squat loos.
On a recent visit to the venue, in Semarang on Java island, traditional Indonesian bakso — a type of meatball — bobbed in a murky soup in one toilet, while a second contained a brightly-coloured, alcohol-free cocktail.
For those who found the whole experience too nauseating, there was a sick bag hanging by the entrance.
Other places, such as Taiwan and Russia, are home to similar themed restaurants, but Indonesia’s modest version has a key difference — it aims to educate people about sanitation and encourage the increased use of toilets.
‘Ate out of curiosity’“I was disgusted at first, but I eventually ate some of the food out of curiosity,” said customer Mukodas, a 27-year-old who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name.
“I think the idea is pretty interesting because if you try to have a campaign without a gimmick like this, the information won’t stick.”
