You don't have to spend much time in Jakarta to realise Indonesians are crazy about food. Instead of asking how you are, it is far more common to be asked "have you eaten" or "what did you eat". With this shared passion I have happily munched my way round town and put together a chart of my top ten favourites. Today numbers 10 to 6. Watch this space for the top five...
10. Bakmi Alok
This Palembangnese open fronted restaurant, offers a simple but tasty noodle. The menu gives four choices: noodle with chicken, noodle with beef, noodle with mushroom, or noodle with chives. Clearly not a place to go if you don’t like noodle, it is actually more common to have a selection of the above; I chose chicken, mushroom and chive. The specialty is a sour mini orange that is squeezed over the noodles to give extra pizzazz. Served with customary chili and a small soup, this was a great post-badminton snack.
9. Pork Bites, Cazbar / Eastern Promise
My favorite Jakarta bars Cazbar and Eastern Promise have come up with the ultimate bar snack. In a country where pork is hard to come by, these bite sized chunks of crispy pork are extra welcome. Served with mustard and / or apple sauce they’re the perfect accompaniment to a draft Heineken, and are a regular order on any night out.
8. Leko Restaurant
Hidden away in the City Walk Mall. Leko offers an excellent “Iga penyet” (Ribs with Chili). The beef ribs are tender and meaty, and were on an excellent sambal (fresh chili sauce usually with tomato and a little garlic – an Indonesian staple). Along with some greens and rice – yum.
7. Nasi Goreng Lempar Street Stall (just outside the office)
Nasi Goreng is an Indonesian national dish of fried rice with egg, vegatables, various spices and often chicken or shrimp. The street stall version is known as “nasi goreng lempar" based on how they cook by throwing (me-lempar) the rice into the air and catching it with the cooking wok. Probably best to order a meat free version as the “meat balls” it comes with don’t resemble any meat I’ve ever seen, but otherwise the end result is fresh and delicious. If you do need a meat fix, the stall next-door grills a great chicken satay.
6. Saung Grenville
It’s about an hour’s trek to Grenville in West Jakarta, but worth the journey for Saung Grenville’s famous Black Pepper Crab. Racks of live crabs (claws bound) greet you on the restaurant’s forecourt; you can choose male or female depending on whether you like the roe; flip the crab over and tickle its belly to find the one that’s most lively. The specialty is black pepper, but you can also enjoy Padang style in a strong chili sauce. Ten minutes from rack to plate, and a messy fingers job begins as everyone hacks away to reach the juicy crab meat. Various accompaniments such as squid, or the somewhat disturbing bamboo clams, complete one of the finest seafood meals you can have in Jakarta.
10. Bakmi Alok
This Palembangnese open fronted restaurant, offers a simple but tasty noodle. The menu gives four choices: noodle with chicken, noodle with beef, noodle with mushroom, or noodle with chives. Clearly not a place to go if you don’t like noodle, it is actually more common to have a selection of the above; I chose chicken, mushroom and chive. The specialty is a sour mini orange that is squeezed over the noodles to give extra pizzazz. Served with customary chili and a small soup, this was a great post-badminton snack.
9. Pork Bites, Cazbar / Eastern Promise
My favorite Jakarta bars Cazbar and Eastern Promise have come up with the ultimate bar snack. In a country where pork is hard to come by, these bite sized chunks of crispy pork are extra welcome. Served with mustard and / or apple sauce they’re the perfect accompaniment to a draft Heineken, and are a regular order on any night out.
8. Leko Restaurant
Hidden away in the City Walk Mall. Leko offers an excellent “Iga penyet” (Ribs with Chili). The beef ribs are tender and meaty, and were on an excellent sambal (fresh chili sauce usually with tomato and a little garlic – an Indonesian staple). Along with some greens and rice – yum.
7. Nasi Goreng Lempar Street Stall (just outside the office)
Nasi Goreng is an Indonesian national dish of fried rice with egg, vegatables, various spices and often chicken or shrimp. The street stall version is known as “nasi goreng lempar" based on how they cook by throwing (me-lempar) the rice into the air and catching it with the cooking wok. Probably best to order a meat free version as the “meat balls” it comes with don’t resemble any meat I’ve ever seen, but otherwise the end result is fresh and delicious. If you do need a meat fix, the stall next-door grills a great chicken satay.
6. Saung Grenville
It’s about an hour’s trek to Grenville in West Jakarta, but worth the journey for Saung Grenville’s famous Black Pepper Crab. Racks of live crabs (claws bound) greet you on the restaurant’s forecourt; you can choose male or female depending on whether you like the roe; flip the crab over and tickle its belly to find the one that’s most lively. The specialty is black pepper, but you can also enjoy Padang style in a strong chili sauce. Ten minutes from rack to plate, and a messy fingers job begins as everyone hacks away to reach the juicy crab meat. Various accompaniments such as squid, or the somewhat disturbing bamboo clams, complete one of the finest seafood meals you can have in Jakarta.
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