A melting pot of diverse ethnicities, Jakarta, Indonesia’s vibrant capital, offers a dynamic food scene thanks to its rich cultural heritage and culinary diversity. From traditional street food like satay and soto ayam to trendy cafes serving a variety of global flavours, exploring Jakarta serves as a delicious culinary adventure, especially for first time visitors like this writer.
Here are 10 eateries worth checking out if you are travelling to this bustling city over one weekend.
1. Salero Jumbo Nasi Padang
First order of business when in Jakarta is to hunt for local food such as Nasi Padang. Lucky for us we found this hidden gem situated in the alley of Thamrin, just a stone’s throw away from Sarinah Mall. Salero Jumbo Nasi Padang serves delicious traditional Padang cuisine. One must try the beef rendang, masak lemak pucuk paku veggie and eggplant balado which are heavenly good. If your tolerance for spicy food is low, opt for the green sambal and maybe skip the chilli-based dishes because they are really spicy!
2. The Gade Coffee & Gold
Jakarta is filled with coffee shops serving specialty coffee and one of them is this gem located in Sarinah Mall. The Gade Coffee & Gold offers various types of Indonesian specialty coffee with Van Leening as one of its signature drinks. Made with palm sugar, we ordered the iced Van Leening latte. It was creamy and delightful, with the coffee flavour not being too overwhelming. Some of our drinks were also served with wooden coasters engraved with a catchy statement, so that was entertaining. There’s also an outdoor seating area where you can enjoy the city’s vibrant street view while sipping your cup of joe.
3. Satay Booth Pak Heri Original
A trip to Jakarta is incomplete without trying its street food, and at Jalan Sabang there are many stalls selling satay and other local dishes. The first night we were there, we sampled satay Madura and satay Taichan (both chicken and beef) from Pak Bobby satay stall and instantly fell in love with them. They were grilled to perfection yet still tender on the inside. The former was slathered in thick and yummy peanut sauce, while the latter was more on the salty, spicy and sour side minus the soy sauce or peanut sauce flavour. The second night, we tried soto ayam and goat satay from the Pak Heri stall, and they were lip-smacking. The soto broth was full of flavour, meanwhile the goat satay marinated in soy sauce seasoning was tender and juicy.
4. Cafe Batavia
When visiting Kota Tua Jakarta, one should seize the opportunity for a historical dining experience at Cafe Batavia. This 19th-century restaurant exudes luxurious, nostalgic charm with its colonial-style interior and vintage memorabilia from past decades. Serving local, fusion and Western dishes, we ordered its signature dish, the flavourful Nasi Goreng Roa. It’s a fusion of seaweed fried rice with sambal roa, and it was quite spicy yet still delicious. Another dish that is worth ordering, especially if you are craving something exotic, opt for the Bistik Lidah Harmonie – a beef tongue steak that’s tender and melts in your mouth.
5. Cap Roti Buaya
When you hear the name, one might think that they are sandwiches with exotic crocodile meat. However, it’s nothing like that at all. They are actually bread in crocodile shape! Creative and totally Instagrammable. Located at M Bloc Space, this hidden Cap Roti Buaya bakery offers savoury and sweet fillings for their crocodile-shaped breads. We bought the small bread with garlic butter filling, and although it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, we were a bit disappointed that it didn’t really resemble a crocodile. Luckily, we also bought a medium-sized bread (I think) with Nutella nougat filling, and this one finally looked like a crocodile.
Did you know that roti buaya plays a central role in Betawi culture? Especially in wedding ceremonies, where the groom presents the bread to the bride as a symbol of commitment.
6. .Temu
.Temu (Titik Temu), which translates to ‘meeting point’ in English, is a minimalist coffee shop with a hidden entrance in M Bloc Space. Originating in Bali, this famed coffee shop offers a range of coffee beverages, local and fusion meals, and pastries. It was pouring when we got there, so we ordered a couple bowls of .Temu Mie Ayam with a bowl of soup on the side. It was seriously tasty, making it the perfect comfort food for a rainy day. Despite the cold weather, we ordered Es Latte Gula Aren, which was rich and creamy, and a cup of yummy affogato. There are also balcony and backyard areas if you prefer outdoor sitting.
7. The Halal Guys
If you ever wanted to try the viral New York street food in The United States, well you can do that in Jakarta instead. With three branches in the city, we checked out the one in Senayan City and the menu looks similar to the one in New York. We ordered the Combo Platter (beef and chicken with rice, salad and pita bread) and the Combo Sandwich (beef and chicken with pita bread and salad), topped with generous BBQ and white sauce. As for the hot sauce, we asked for it separately fearing that it might be too spicy. Although the meat tasted like kebab meat and was a bit dry, the white and bbq sauces added extra flavour to the dishes. We skipped on the hot sauce because it was super spicy.
Did you know that Indonesia is the only country in Southeast Asia with The Halal Guys franchise?
8. Wicked Pies
We stumbled upon this handcrafted pie kiosk by accident while shopping at Grand Indonesia. As a pie lover, I couldn’t resist myself from sampling them. Out of the seven flavours they have, we picked Forbidden – an apple pie with salted caramel sauce, and King’s Will – a steak and cheese pie, to go. The pies smelled so heavenly after they took them out from the oven. Although we only managed to eat them the next morning, they were still delicious. The highlight was their apple pie with salted caramel sauce, which was sinfully delectable, while King’s Will was a yummy savoury pie.
9. Sejiwa Coffee
Bandung’s renowned coffee joint at Lucy Curated Compound (LCC) Aditiyawarman with its cosy vibes, large outdoor seating area, surrounded by greenery, makes it a perfect place to just chill over the weekend. In addition to their coffee drinks, Sejiwa Coffee also serves all day breakfast selections, local and western dishes, and pastries. We tried their signature Es Kopi Jiwa, which was made with espresso, its own Sejiwa blend, brown sugar and fresh milk. It was pretty good, not creamy but milky, and the coffee flavour wasn’t too strong. However, I preferred their iced Brown Sugar Brulee Milk instead. It was milky and with just the right amount of sweetness to it. Kind of similar to a boba drink but without the boba.
10. A Fung Baso Sapi Asli
Situated near the entrance gate of Terminal 2 at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, A Fung Baso Sapi Asli is famous for its mouthwatering beef baso dishes. We made a quick stop here for lunch and their yummy Baso Tahu Bihun (beef bakso with mee hoon and tofu) was just the comfort food we needed before our departure to KL. The portion was huge and so were the meatballs. As for the delicious broth, it was light and full of flavour. We also ordered Mie Goreng Sapi, which was tasty, and came in a huge portion with generous beef slices and vegetables.
Of course, Jakarta has so much more to offer when it comes to gastronomical experiences in this city, but we reckon these ten foodie destinations will tide you over for a while before your next trip! If you’re going to Jakarta anytime soon, do enjoy all that it has to offer, and don’t let the macets (traffic jam) bog you down.
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