Shanghai Blue 1920

In the beginning of the 20th century, a vessel coming from Shanghai harbored the port of Soenda Kelapa in Batavia (now known as Jakarta ), marking the beginning of a new history.

On this vessel there was a Shanghainese sailor called Nko Mo San. His origins were not clear, but as in the case of his predecessors, the Chinese settlers who landed in the islands of Indonesia through hundreds of years earlier, Nko Mo San was ready to start a new page and find a better life. He became a construction worker, started his family in Batavia and had a son called Chan Mo Sang.

As a young man, Chan Mo Sang got married to a local woman called Siti Zaenab. Seeing the crowded Soenda Kelapa port at that time, with the little money they had, Chan Mo Sang and Siti Zaenab decided to open a little warong (warong is a very simple, rustic semi-open streetside eatery with minimal construction) at the harbor to earn their living. The little warong started by only selling tea and groceries, but because of the couple's warm familiar hospitality and great bargain prices, their customers became very loyal to them. The warong was called Shanghai Tea House – as shown by a sign hung outside of the warong facade, sponsored by one of the local cigarette companies of the time.

Soon, the warong became overcrowded with locals and foreigners alike. In evenings, the warong was the meeting place of flocks of sailors, pirates, merchants, and local girls. Everytime they earned enough money, little by little Chan Mo Sang and Siti Zaenab renovated their little warong into a nicer space. Their loyal customers were more than happy to help - everytime they returned from their sea voyages, they brought the couple something to hang or decorate their warong with. The warong continued to grow, and more services were added. It had a tailor, a shoe repairer, and a barber. Anything sailors needed help with, it could be arranged through the warong. From dusk till dawn, the warong was full with sailors, young and old, some dancing in big groups and others with their island lovers. Customers played musical instruments in turns with local bands. At times, jazz bands played romantic Shanghai songs there, bringing nostalgic memories of the Chinese sailors' home. Sometimes they played swing and chansons from the West, as well as traditional village folk songs. Drinks were always plenty, and the atmosphere was filled with loud chatters, yells and laughter. Siti Zaenab, in charge of the kitchen, was busy preparing Babah Homecooking recipes she learnt from her mother in law, as well as local homecooking Batavian dishes she knew from her own family.

Some time after the era of Chan Mo Sang and Siti Zaenab, the warong was closed down. The beneficiary of the warong saved all the building elements and all the contents of Chan Mo Sang and Siti Zaenab's original Shanghai Tea House, and stored it in a warehouse in Jakarta 's old town. Fate brought these to the owner of Tugu Hotels Group, who brought back to life the original Shanghai Tea House at Hotel Tugu Malang and the other half in Central Jakarta now – called the Warong Shanghai Blue 1920.

Chan Mo Sang and Siti Zaenab in Soenda Kelapa may no longer be there, however Warong Shanghai Blue 1920 has fully come back to life, where drinks will always be plenty, where delicious homecooking, great times, and life will be celebrated to the fullest.

Tugu Hotels Group

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