Iqbal Hadromi, Founding Partner of Hadromi & Partners

 For this month’s profile, WNJ got close with Iqbal Hadromi, founding partner of Hadromi & Partners, a well established law firm in Jakarta. Asia Pacific Legal 500 has named him as one of the leading lawyers in Indonesia in the fields of banking & finance, corporate & M&A, dispute resolution, and other subject matters. With his 2 decades of experience, we asked his insights on some of the issues related to expatriate employment in Indonesia.

Can you tell us a little bit about your journey; how did Hadromi & Partners start?

I had been working for a few years in one of Indonesia’s prominent law firms, until  I decided to go on my own and establish Hadromi & Partners Law Firm in 1999—right in the midst of the South East Asian financial crisis. This monetary crisis set into motion dramatic changes in Indonesia’s political, economic as well as legal environment which was also an opportunity for us. The demand for legal services due to these dramatic changes allowed the opportunity for the firm to provide legal services to overseas and domestic clients.

What is Hadromi’s strength compared to other firms?

Our team consists of intelligent and experienced lawyers, who have in depth knowledge of Indonesian law theoretically and practically, and who are solution oriented in their approach. We have been helping national and foreign clients, both companies and individuals on their legal issues for almost 2 decades now.

For international legal work we are also supported by a network of law offices across the world, which are ready to support us in helping our clients. Domestically, we have very good relationships with Indonesian government institutions and this good relationship helps in solving various complex issues that our clients face.

Aside from that, we also consider our pricing policy competitive compared to other prominent law firms here in Indonesia.

What are your areas of expertise?

We offer a full range of legal services covering among others corporate, investment, mining & natural resources, oil & gas, finance and banking, manpower law, shipping, taxation, family law, as well as litigation.

We have grown into one of Indonesia’s more prominent and established law firm in Jakarta, offering a full range of legal services covering among others corporate, foreign investment, manpower law, taxation, finance and banking, shipping, litigation, as well as family law. We continually guide our clients through Indonesia’s complex and dynamic regulatory system and provide sound legal advice on every aspect of doing business in Indonesia.

Due to our expertise and reputation, we are recommended in Legal 500 which is an international guide and directory to legal practitioners around the world.  Our law firm is also in the recommended list of Indonesian law firms in various foreign embassies in Jakarta, as well as Indonesian embassies overseas.

How do you see the development of expatriate’s legal standing in Indonesia?

In terms of legal rights, we believe expats’ rights and obligations are well covered and protected by Indonesian law.  The trend in the past few years is that the Ministry of Manpower has made the opportunity for expats to work in Indonesia slimmer; as they have limited the job positions that expats can hold in Indonesian companies. This position is taken by the government since they would like to provide more job opportunities for local workers.

From your professional experience, what are the most common & reoccurring problems that expatriate face in Indonesia?

From our experience, the most common and reoccurring problems would be employment contract, work permit and immigration related issues, as well as mixed marriage and property ownership issues. We frequently help expats on these sort of problems.

Any legal tips or precautions for expatriates that reside in Indonesia?

Our advice for expats would be to ensure that their employment agreements are done properly and in compliance with Indonesian law, and also that they ensure that all their work permit and stay permit documentation are done properly and completely so as not to cause problems with the authorities.

 

For more information about Hadromi & Partners, visit www.hadromi.com, email info@hadromi.com or call (62-21) 520 7040

 

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A Decadent Euro-Korean Culinary Twist with Chef Edward Kwon

On Thursday, 27^th of August 2015, WhatsNewJakarta was given the opportunity to experience one of the hottest culinary act in town, as South Korean’s celebrity chef Edward Kwon, a Korean celebrity chef who has made a mission for himself to globalize Korean cuisine. Still basking in the glow of his fame for his three successful restaurants back in Seoul, authoring cook books and hosting on radio and television shows, Edward traveled to Jakarta to lend his genius expertise to host a group of guests at Shangrila’s Rosso to experience his interpretation of modern Korean cuisine.

For the first course, paired with Wolf Blass’ 2015 Yellow Label Chardonnay, Chef Kwon presented his twist to a humble Korean porridge, Tarakjuk, traditionally made out of boiling mix of finely ground rice and milk, and added with leek oil, roasted sweet potato and pine nut. A very humbling dish that neutrals the palate and prepares the digestion system. Chef Kwon later explained how this dish, despite being very simple, had a place in Korean history as one of the few foods that the king of the Joseon Dynasty preferred for his health condition.

 The set menu continues with the Hae Mul Nang Chae, a Korean-style ceviche with tiger prawns and scallops, served with fresh vegetables, the Korean-classic yellow wasabi and a minty perilla dressing, an exciting contrast for the taste buds with the strong yet complementing cut of the wasabi.

For the main course, Chef Kwon upped the ante with his take on the Kalbi steak; as opposed to the traditional heavy-marinating method of Kalbi, Kwon perfectly pan-seared the Wagyu Ribeye to a medium and dressed it with light sweet soy sauce, crunchy thinly-sliced garlic and black garlic powder,  a balanced contrast with the side of mild pureed potatoes and root vegetable. This excellent dish was wonderfully paired with the Wolf Blass 2012 Gold Label Shiraz.

As with everything good, the course also had to end although with one more impressive twist of modern Korean cuisine, as Chef Kwon closed the set with an artistic serving of of green tea chiffon cake and the refreshing fresh berries set on a bed of the grapefruit-like Yuzu, a citrus fruit originating in East Asia, topped with a sweet and crunchy nut brittle, few drops of basil and raspberry fluid gel and most importantly, a scoop of decadent black sesame ice cream.

During Chef Kwon’s visit, SATOO will also dedicate a special Korean open kitchen station on 29 August 2015 during the Korean Food Festival. Chef Kwon will make a special appearance during lunch time to present several of his creations, including a dish he specially crafted for Shangri-La Hotel, Jakarta.  The dish will be a part of SATOO’s ala carte menu and become one of the restaurant’s signature items.

The special VIP dinner can be enjoyed at Rp. 1,288,000++ per person with 50 limited seats available, while the exclusive gala dinner can be enjoyed at Rp. 988,000++ per person with 250 limited seats available.  Chef Edward Kwon’s special food station can be enjoyed as part of SATOO’s buffet, which available at  Rp. 408,000++ per person for lunch and Rp. 390,000++ per person for dinner.

For reservations and information, please call (62 21) 2939 9562 or access http://ift.tt/1MS2rxq

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Intiwhiz soon will Open 4 Hotels in 4 Cities

As a hotel chain that has developed ten hotels in several major cities in Indonesia, such as Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Semarang, Bali and Balikpapan now in the second semester of 2015, Intiwhiz will operate another four hotels in second cities in Indonesia which is Bogor, Surabaya, Makassar and Manado. The selection of this area is to cover the need for accommodation in the city’s second largest industry in Indonesia and also at the two gates of the eastern Indonesian region trading area of Makassar and Manado.

Intiwhiz International plans to open hotels in those four cities with Brand of Whiz prime Hotels which is Bogor as Whiz Prime Pajajaran Bogor that strategically located in the middle of the city of Bogor in Padjajaran Street. Surabaya as Whiz Prime Darmo Harapan, Manado as Whiz Prime Megamas Manado and Makassar as Whiz Prime Hasanuddin Makassar

For all Hotels managed by Intiwhiz International applied a tag line “Simplicity with style” to represent the hotel’s concept which is a simple hotels but still in style. Intiwhiz International also plans to open 22 hotels and will be ready in 2017, to complete 14 hotels that currently operates in several regions in Indonesia.

For more information please visit www.intiwhiz.com or call +62 21 571 0088.

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Intiwhiz to Open 4 Hotels in 4 Cities

As a hotel chain that has developed ten hotels in Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Semarang, Bali and Balikpapan, Intiwhiz will operate another four hotels in Bogor, Surabaya, Makassar and Manado by the second semester of 2015.The selection of this area is to cover the need for accommodation in the city’s second largest industry in Indonesia and also at the two gates of the eastern Indonesian region trading area of Makassar and Manado.

Intiwhiz International plans to open hotels in those four cities with Brand of Whiz prime Hotels which is Bogor as Whiz Prime Pajajaran Bogor that strategically located in the middle of the city of Bogor in Padjajaran Street. Surabaya as Whiz Prime DarmoHarapan, Manado as Whiz Prime Megamas Manado and Makassar as Whiz Prime Hasanuddin Makassar

All Hotels managed by Intiwhiz International bears the tag line “Simplicity with style” to represent the hotel’s concept of simple yet stylish hotel. Intiwhiz International also plans to open 22 hotels and will be ready in 2017, to complete 14 hotels that currently operates in several regions in Indonesia.

For more information please visit www.intiwhiz.com or call +62 21 571 0088.

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Fresh From the Grill: Weekend Barbecue at The Dharmawangsa’s Jakarta Restaurant

There’s always a surprise waiting at Dharmawangsa’s Jakarta Restaurant. This time we were informed of their latest Weekend Barbecue promo, where a wide selection of barbecue favorites is showcased alongside Jakarta’s signature buffet menus.

Upon entering in the restaurant, we were greeted by a row of neatly placed traditional–and some even hard to find—Indonesian snacks, sweets, and candied fruits. We were then ushered to the courtyard area, an alfresco setting surrounding a water fountain where diners can enjoy their food in a relaxed atmosphere and nicely lit surrounding of Dharmawangsa’s lush greenery.

Surrounding the sitting area, are where the buffet selection is served; from the regular Nasi Liwet stand; the Indian food stand consisting of few different choices of tikka, curries, and freshly baked on-the-spot naans; the sate selection including sate padang, sate kambing, and sate maranggi or beef satay; and most importantly, the display of the fresh meat and fresh seafood selection ready to hit the grill at the guests’ disposal. We decided on some squid, red snapper, lobsters, a couple of the impressive looking tenderloin and lamb chops, and informed the servers of our choice.

While waiting, a wandering duo of singer-saxophonist and guitarist serenaded us with old classic tunes, and our appetite grew as the fragrant grilling aroma filled the air as the grill masters starts to prepare the guests’ food not far from the al fresco dining area.

Not long after, our food arrived in a cast-iron plate, seafood in one, and the grilled meat in another. Served with them are little plates of hollandaise sauce, sambal matah (Balinese style raw sambal), caramelized onion, and a fragrant sambal kuning. We love the opportunity to try these different kinds of flavours to seafood and meat, which have been perfectly cooked with a nice char and grill marks. The seafood was succulent and the beef tenderloin and lamb chops were perfectly cooked to our request. For the side dish, we tried some of the grilled vegetables that were provided on the buffet side, alongside baked potato, corn and the fragrant butter rice; all could even be enjoyed on its own.

Done with our main course, we roamed to the dessert area, where we found blueberry , cherry, and apple pies, mini Crème brûlée, strawberry pavlova, homemade ice cream, and a crepe station. I found the Crème brûlée exceptionally delicious and the crepe perfectly sweetened with freshly made orange sauce. If you’re lucky, you can even catch one of the more exotic ice cream flavors like kecombrang or also known as the Torch Ginger , a very unique tasting flower which is commonly used as one of the main ingredients of the aforementioned sambal matah and a lot of Indonesian cooking.

You can enjoy the Weekend Barbecue at The Dharmawangsa’s Jakarta restaurant every Friday and Saturday evening starting at 18.00 to 22.00 at night.

For more information and reservation, call (62-21) 725 8181 or email at reservation@the-dharmawangsa.com

Jl. Brawijaya Raya No. 26, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta 12160, Indonesia

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Clean Up Jakarta

Third Annual City-Wide Cleanup to Take Place in October, With 20,000 Volunteers

On the morning of Sunday, October 18th 2015, we will see Jakarta citizens carrying out the Indonesian tradition of gotongroyong by picking up rubbish and cleaning up the capital together in the third annual ‘Clean Up Jakarta Day’. The aim of the clean-up is to educate people about the detrimental effects of littering, and in turn spark an awareness of the importance of the three Rs: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

The second Clean Up Jakarta Day took place in October 2014, where 5,000 volunteers at 27 locations around Jakarta showed up at the crack of dawn to get their hands dirty, showing that the spirit of teamwork (gotongroyong) is still very much alive. This year’s clean-up will be held on Sunday October 18^th and is set to be much bigger, with an estimated 20,000 volunteers joining together to raise awareness of Jakarta’s rubbish problems.

“Clean Up Jakarta Day plays the role of a platform for all the communities out there to join together on one special day,” says Angela Richardson, Founder and Chief Coordinator of Clean Up Jakarta Day. “Many great organizations run their own clean-ups throughout the year, and we call on them all, including schools and companies, to join forces on October 18^th with one united voice, for a cleaner Jakarta.”

Volunteers of all ages and nationalities, local and expatriate, are encouraged to join. “I thought I was the only one volunteering by myself, but it turns out many people were,” says LyanaMargareth, who volunteered in 2013 and 2014 and works as a banker in Jakarta. “It gives me hope that the community is now taking action to improve life in Jakarta.”

Another volunteer, RatnaSivitri, expressed an eye-opening experience. “I never thought I would feel so much from doing something so little.”

Each site is headed up by a Team Leader, being the point of contact to Clean Up Jakarta Day, responsible for recruiting and managing volunteers, and ensuring rubbish collected is left at the designated pick up point to be collected by DinasKebersihan DKI Jakarta.

Many schools have already signed up to this year’s event, where students are able to take part and give back to their local communities, while learning about recycling and having fun at the same time. Businesses are also key players, and this year the likes of The Body Shop Indonesia, PT Adaro Energy and Grandkemang Hotel have signed up their own sites in the heart of Jakarta, open for the public to join. Communities are also onboard: Kitabisa.com, Indorelawan, Waste4Change, Indonesia Diet KantongPlastik will be running sites in downtown Sudirman.

Rubbish on the day will be separated into bags of recyclable and non-recyclable material, and the recyclables will be donated to waste banks (bank sampah) across Jakarta. Non-recyclable rubbish will be picked up DinasKebersihan DKI Jakarta and taken to the appropriate rubbish tip. Waste from sites in Tangerang will be collected by Abu&Co., a non-governmental waste management company, who will further sort, recycle, compost and incinerate the remaining waste.

Reused sugar sacks are donated by Coca Cola Amatil and volunteers will all be wearing safety gloves sponsored by Kaercher Indonesia.

Directly after the cleaning activities, Clean Up Jakarta Day will host a Post Event for volunteers to congregate and share in their experiences. Influential keynote speakers will present on the topic of waste management and change.

Clean Up Jakarta Day is organized by Indonesia Expat, a free English bi-weekly publication in circulation since July 2009.

To volunteer and for more information, please visit http://ift.tt/1PzSTpK or email cleanupjktday@indonesiaexpat.biz. It’s gotongroyong time!

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12 Most Idyllic Island Escapes in Indonesia

With thousands of island and hundreds of sub-cultures, Indonesia is brimming with mountains to climb, seas to sail, and islands to explore. Take a break from the crowded Jakarta and get refreshed by getting lost in some of the most pristine and picture perfect places you could possibly find.  The rule at hand is the harder it is to get, the better you will be awarded. So really, it’s a win-win game for anyone in the search of adventure!

Pamper your eyes with the beautiful scenery, white sands, underwater beautiful animals, deep walls underneath the water, massive wrecks, fascinating caves and even colored beach! All you can see right in front of your eyes with a fantastic resorts and bungalows. Here are some  resort ideas for you to get lost for your next beach escape:

1. Ora Beach Resort, Maluku

Maluku has long been Indonesia’s hidden gem that blessed with extraordinary natural wonders. The forest coated volcanic mountain, perfect beaches and underwater-wonders have enchanted every eyes that has ever laid eyes on this Island of the Spice.

Hidden away in the coast of North Maluku, Ora Beach is a perfect representation of what Maluku is all about. Its sugary white sand beach and crystal clear water displays its hidden treasures with thousands of colorful fish swimming at the extensive coral reef jungle creating a phenomenal sightwith the majestic limestone hills as a background.

And the best part is, you can enjoy all of this right from the balcony of your floating bungalow at Ora Beach Resort. With cozy wooden bungalows and standard rooms as well as a restaurant, you will not have the need to leave this slice of paradise.

For more info:
Facebook: Ora Beach Resort 
Website: exoticorabeach.com
Phone: 0812-4889-6616

2. Misool Eco Resort, Raja Ampat

Misool Eco Resort is an exclusive dive resort and conservation center located in a remote island on southern Raja Ampat, Indonesia. The private resort is nestled deep in an archipelago of uninhabited islands, in the very epicenter of marine biodiversity.

The island and scuba diving sites are surrounded by own 1220 sq km (465 sq mi/300,000 acre) Marine Protected Area, and inside the 46,000 sq km Raja Ampat Shark and Manta Sanctuary which helped to create. They are located 165 km (105 miles) from the nearest port, and the nearest village is 20 km away by boat.

The resort island, Batbitim, is a true tropical hideaway, just south of the equator and fringed with powder-white beaches and pristine coral reefs. With a maximum capacity of just 32 guests and a staff-to-guest ratio of 3 to 1, we offer exclusive diving holidays, surrounded by the world’s richest reefs.

Your stay at Misool Eco Resort directly supports their numerous conservation initiatives and provides sustainable employment opportunities to local people, entirely decoupled from the extraction of marine resources.

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