Juice!

Ketapang can get pretty hot and dusty (thanks deforestation!) - Luckily, at least there is plenty of good juice places in town to help you cool off. There's plenty of Iced Tebu (sugar cane juice) being sold at the sides of the main streets during the day, and a much more varied selection of fruit juices available at cafes and restaurants throughout the day.

My favourite juice locale? The Posko Jus, on Jl. MT Haryono. The owner, A Li, has a gift at telling you exactly which fruits are ripe and what combination might be able to cure your current ailment. He has also known pretty much all the foreigners who've spent time in town, and has plenty of good drinking stories. Although the Posko has the best tasting juice, the atmosphere isn't always the best as it's on a strip of dingy stores.

To get a drink with arguably the best view of Ketapang is Country Cafe, just over the Pawan bridge on the road to Kendawangan. There are plenty of secluded seating if you want some privacy in your own little mangrove patch, or you can grab a seat on the riverside and watch the sun set on the town. Unfortunately, the juice (and food) is generally awful. You'd be better off sticking to bottled or canned drinks.

A good combination of atmosphere and taste is Cafe Delon, on Jl. Pandjaitan across from the Agus Jam hospital. The juice is only so-so, but it's the only place in town you can get fresh (microwaved) popcorn. They also have noodles, burgers and beer, often with a film or TV being projected on a big screen and sometimes even live entertainment.

Lots of the full-fledged restaurants in town also have a selection of juices available beyond just es jeruk - but they are often too watered-down or more milk than juice. One place which is a nice exception is Semarang on Jl. Suprapto. We'll revisit their food, which in general is good value, in another post.