Safety concerns ruled out live fires inside the church hall, but they couldn't dampen Independence Day spirits.
My road trip to Philadelphia was prompted in part by this celebration of Indonesian independence from the Netherlands (declared on August 17, 1945) and in part by the absence this summer of food bazaars outside Astoria's Masjid Al-Hikmah. No further news has surfaced regarding those beloved bazaars, but I have learned of another pesta rakyat — loosely, a "party for the people" — to be held in Manhattan on Saturday, August 30. Doors open at 10:00; early arrival is a must.
Shown, from the Philadelphia pesta rakyat: ote-ote, a shrimp fritter; otak-otak, a steamed fish cake, shown labeled in common Indonesian shorthand; beef rendang; es belewah, with mango and canteloupe; nasi kuning Manado, turmeric rice topped with various accompaniments after the style of North Sulawesi; asinan, a spicy, vinegared fruit-and-vegetable salad ("asinan Phila," by all indications, was simply a mark of provenance); black rice and mung bean porridges with coconut milk.
Pesta Rakyat
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church
1719 Morris St. (at South 17th St.), Philadelphia
www.IndoUSListing.com/event/pesta-rakyat-2014.html
(The 2014 event was held on August 16)
