Sign in with Facebook- Join for free
- Sign In
Sign in with FacebookLatest Jakarta hotel reviews
4
Helpfulness
This first “restaurant tip” is not a tip, only a short introduction to Indonesian food, from somebody who likes it a lot , but is also an ignorant about “masakan Indonesia” (Indonesian cuisine). When you walk in the streets of the big cities (but also in the small villages) you will almost always see people eating, people selling food; formal meals are getting more and more used with “modern” way of life (makan pagi, breakfast, makan siang, lunch, makan malam, dinner) but many people still eat when they feel hungry, and in Indonesia, you can eat at any time!
This is why, in my opinion, Indonesian food is not a “complicated food”, it is very often small platters, little meals, simple dishes, but always tasty, strange sometimes (for the foreigner!), and of course, rice is always present!
Best food is at food stalls, as the food is always fresh, as there are always customers.
In the residential areas, you can hear the call of the “kaki lima” (five feet/legs) who pass in the streets selling food (they are specialised in one sort of dish, usually) and the residents buy food; people do not always cook at home, but buy food in the street, either from the kaki lima, or go to the food stall next door.
For breakfast, eating local, is having for instance a “bubur ayam” (chicken porridge: sticky rice, peanut based sauce with fried shallots and garlic, and fried chicken), that makes a good start for the day, with a Turkish style coffee (picture 2).
But you can also start the day with bakso, meatballs in a broth, with rice, usually (picture 3), sometimes noodles.
One of the most common word about food in Indonesia is “Masakan Padang”, Padang style cuisine or food; this is a way of cooking but also a way of serving and eating; usually the waiters bring a lot of dishes (in small plates) on your table and you eat what you want (or can!) and you pay only what you ate; here, on picture 4 it is just the beginning of serving in a small restaurant.
In a bit more upscale restaurants, the Indonesian love to beautifully display the food, and here, (picture 5) the name of the dish is a modest “nasi bali” but just a little leaf of grass makes the dish more beautiful and appetizing. . . . Bali rice, it is the name, here, but there are certainly as many ways to make Bali rice as are many cooks. . . .
Ah! The first picture: “nasi timbel”, timbel rice, a typical Sundanese dish; the rice is wrapped in the banana leaf; in front is beef meat prepared in spicy rendang style, at the back, left is tempe, fermented soy beans, and right a piece of tahu, fried bean curd, fried vegetables in the middle and beneath the cucumber and tomato pieces, the wonderful very HOT sambal, red chilli sauce.
Selamat makan ! :))) (Bon appétit!)
Written Apr 8, 2009
Address: jalanev erywhere
One of my favourite restaurants in JKT for VERY spicy food. Typical Manado (North Sulawesi) cuisine
Mid range prices. Quite good ambiance. Family restaurant
Favorite Dish: Manado food are typically more spicy than food from other part in Indonesia.
Fave menu: shreded Cakalang (Tuna) fish, Chicken Rica Rica, Panada, Fish Head soup and for dessert: Klape Tart & Ice Kacang Merah (Red Bean water ice)
Written Nov 25, 2007
Address: In Kuningan CBD (Central Business District) area
Sari Ratu is one of the original and most famous Padang restaurant. Padang is a major city on the island of Sumatra.
The taste is, as expected with most cuisine from the Indonesian archipelago, is spicy and savoury.
One of the unique feature of Padang restaurants is that they bring plates of different dishes automatically to your table. You then just pick the ones that you want to eat and they will bring whatever left untouched back. So it's like a buffet-style-on-your-table.
Sari Ratu, being a rather posh Padang restaurant, is great as it is a lot more hygeinic than the roadside Padang restaurants. They have also proved themselves to be very consistent throughout the years - I was never dissapointed.
They are located in various upscale malls in Jakarta like Plaza Senayan, Pondok Indah Mall and Plaza Indonesia.
Favorite Dish: There are so many good dishes from the Padang cuisine. Their beef rendang (spicy marinaded beef), Fried chicken with green chili sauce and Roasted Fish are always delightful.
Written Aug 3, 2007
Address: Various - see website under 'outlets'
Website: http://www.sariratu.com/
Helpfulness
I can't remember the first time I ate Bakmi Gajah Mada, it must have been more than 20 years ago.
They sell Chinese-style noodle but with a lot of Indonesian influence (for example how the soup is served in a separate bowl). I kid you not, it is probably the best noodle in the country. Next to noodle they also have other item like fried rice.
What you must have to complement the noodle is their "Pangsit Goreng" which is a very tasty fried wonton.
Their original restaurant is located at Gajah Mada road, but they also have branches now in numerous shopping centers such as Pondok Indah Mall, Puri Indah Mall and Mall Kelapa Gading
Written Aug 2, 2007
Address: Jl. Gajah Mada No.92
Phone: (62)(21) 633-4689
Es teler 77 has been around a long time, I think I had them for the first time about 15 years ago. They started selling a typical Indonesian dessert, the "Es Teler" which is a sweet dessert made from chunks of avocado, coconut, jack fruit, crushed ice in a sweet syrup made with coconut milk and sweet condensed milk.
Now they also sell many food items that are all typical Indonesian 'road side' dishes. Their "mie bakso" (noodle soup with meat balls) and "nasi goreng" (fried rice) are very good.
They can be found at the food courts of Jakarta's shopping malls. For a complete list of location please refer to their website - click on "Cabang" (branches).
Written Aug 2, 2007
Address: Various - see website under menu 'Cabang'
Website: http://www.esteler77.com
This restaurant is famous for their fried fish and how they display it (see pictures). The restaurant has two floors. Second floor has the AC, while the first floor doesn't. It was in the evening when we went there, so we didn't really need the AC room.
The service and the surroundings is good. You can have a pretty big group of people there, and it would not be a problem.
Favorite Dish: Fried & grilled fish. Their chili sauce (sambal terasi). Peanut sauce salad (karedok). Mix the sambal terasi with the sweet soy sauce for the dipping sauce for the fish.
Written Dec 26, 2006
Address: Jl Batu Tulis Raya No 45-47
Phone: +62 21 3459992
Food is good. There are plenty of food to choose from. This restaurant is serving an authentic Padang cuisine. At this kind of restaurant, you don't order the food from the menu. They actually take out every dishes they have on the table, and you just choose and pick what you want to eat. At the end of the meal, the server will come and calculate how much food you've eaten. They usually count it by how many empty plates, or how many pieces left on a plate.
This is one of my favorite authentic Indonesian food. If you havent tried it, I'd recommend to give it a try.
Favorite Dish: Ayam pop (the chicken pop), fish with the padang sauce, the cow brain, steamed vegetables with green chili
Updated Dec 26, 2006
Address: Alkateri, Pondok Indah, Jakarta
Helpfulness
This is one of the newest place to eat in South Jakarta.
Located at the opposite of Hotel Grand Kemang, you can find various types of Local and International Dishes.
The concept is like an open air food court . This place may host many events during the weekends.
You do not have to bring lots of cash because price ranges are quiet affordable in this place. Some of the stalls open for 24 hours, so you can just pop-in at anytime.
My recommendation in this place would be the spagheti tek-tek. varieties of pastas with Indonesian taste. Yummy!
Favorite Dish: Spagheti Tek Tek & Roti Bakar Edi.
=I just love them!=
Updated Nov 28, 2006
Address: Kemang - Jakarta Selatan
Helpfulness
This is the Pool Bar that also serves meals & snacks . The tropical surroundings of the pool area make it a great place for a quick bite to eat day or night. There is a choice of Indonesian and western food. Its open Mon to Fri from 10am til 11pm & longer on weekends.
Favorite Dish: We had a hamburger that was grilled on an open barbeque plus some tasty samosa triangles. There is quite a selection of different meals & cocktails to choose from. Food was nice & hot and the dricks were icy cold which is very important to us.
Written Mar 11, 2006
Address: 7th floor of Ciputra Hotel Jakarta
Phone: 62-21-5660-640
Website: www.hotelciputra.com
Helpfulness
Rather authentic Javanese food with lots of interesting items on the menu. Some items in the menu are influenced by chinese or dutch food. Atmosphere is very friendly and the antique decor is interesting.
This happens to be one of our current president's (Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, no relation) favourite resturants. The photo was taken in May 2005 when we happened to be having dinner at the same time.
Favorite Dish: Osengan koyor (fried beef fat), Selat Lidah (ox-tongue soup), Rujak Cingur (Hot ox-nose salad), Tahu hotplate siram kepiting (Hot Plate Tofu with Crab sauce), Kangkung Hot plate (Hot Plate Kangkung/Morningglory). There are less exotic fare as well: fried rice, noodles, hot-plate tofu etc. all quite excellent.
Updated Jan 22, 2006
Address: Mal Pondok Indah I, 2nd Floor (top floor), Jakarta
Phone: (021) 750 6953
Sponsored Links
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Jakarta Jakarta
7 Reviews and 149 Opinions Mandarin Oriental is one of Jakarta's original luxury hotels; and remains to be one of its best. ...
The Dharmawangsa Jakarta
7 Reviews and 75 Opinions I loved staying at this hotel. Even though you can tell that it's not the newest property it is...
Hotel Mulia Senayan Jakarta
14 Reviews and 411 Opinions My family was planning to have a new year's eve here in Hotel Mulia, so we went there and I've once...
Indonesian tips and photos posted by real travelers and Jakarta locals.
Write a ReviewRather authentic Javanese food with lots of interesting items on the menu. Some items in the menu are influenced by chinese or dutch food. Atmosphere is very...
928 members live in Jakarta
Q: Hi, I can't find the VTers pages on JK so will have to ask here. Just looking for a heads up with arriving at Jakarta...
A: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Indonesia/Special_Capital_Region_of_Jakarta/Jakarta-1218371/TravelGuide-Jakarta.html Don't know all the answers, but the...
Read 8 Replies
1
Wonderful people in a hectic, polluted megalopolis
Twenty tree million inhabitants,. . . . and still growing. . . . or thirteen million, depends the sources and the definition of the urban area; whatever it a big, very big city, the biggest of South...
2
I truly love Jakarta with all its hustle and bustle. The variety of shopping, exciting nightlife, superb golf courses, relaxing spas and huge selection of dining experiences makes visiting a truly...
3
hmmm ... well reading about Jakarta , hearing the people talking about it....it is like the number one place in the world to avoid.-traffic jam , criminality , .... But as I am a brave person I...
4
Si Budi kecil, kuyup menggigil, menahan dingin, tanpa jas hujan. Di simpang jalan, Tugu Pancoran. Tunggu pembeli jajakan koran. Menjelang Maghrib, hujan tak reda. Si Budi murung, menghitung laba.......
5
Jakarta - Indonesia's Melting Pot
Even though I was born in Surabaya, shortly thereafter my family moved to Jakarta, so I consider myself a born and bred Jakartan :) Jakarta is a misunderstood city, thanks to the Asian financial...
Build your own Jakarta page
Sponsored Links
