Tag: Indonesian Cuisine

Indonesian Style Salad, Gado-gado Jakarta

Posted on by

Set aside your salad, choose Gado-gado Jakarta instead. Gado-gado is derived from “digado”, or usually eaten not with rice, but with lontong (rice cake) instead. It is made from many kinds of ingredients, which contain various kinds of green vegetables, from lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, long beans, cucumber, and bitter gourd.  Also combined with tofu, corn, and tempeh, with peanut sauce as the dressing, it adds a nice combination of flavors between sweet and savory. Most of the ingredients are boiled, and you can request the level of spiciness from the vendor. The ingredients may vary according to the location.

Indonesian culinary are rich in spices, condiments, and flavors. While it is enjoyable to eat, depending on the ingredients or the cooking process, eating too much of certain food can lead to health problems, too much fried food for example, is not good for your body as we need nutritional balance. So, Gado-gado Jakarta is the right choice for you. Only one thing that you need to pay attention to. Make sure that you are not allergic to peanuts, as some people may have it and resulting in a terrible reaction, or you can confirm to us before about what you can and cannot consume during our Jakarta Food Tour.

Gado-gado Jakarta or better known as Gado-gado Betawi in some areas, can usually be found in the mornings. Gado-gado is one of Betawi cuisine, native ethnic of Jakarta. Several sources stated that the founders are from Tugu Village community, situated in North Jakarta, who were originally of Portuguese descent. There might be some different version around Java area. Gado-gado is popular among Jakartans.  Usually sold by street vendors on the side of the main roads and often sold out right before afternoon comes. However, if you want to find places that sell Gado-gado Jakarta on the normal working hours, some restaurants or warung makan may have it on the menu.

You can ask locals or search independently about these restaurants or warung makan, or feel free to make inquiries to our Happy Walkers Agents during Jakarta Food Tour. We will gladly guide and provide you with useful information about delicacies around Jakarta. Don’t hesitate anymore, come join our Jakarta Food Tour and we will gladly help you find and try not only tasty, but healthy Gado-gado Jakarta.

What is Martabak?

Posted on by

It is for you who crave about Indonesian cuisine. Martabak is one of the most popular street food in Jakarta. There is two kind of martabak, sweet martabak and savory Martabak.

Sweet Martabak is a Bangka Martabak

Sweet Martabak actually is an American pancake, but Indonesians people make it thick. Sweet martabak made from flour, fresh milk, chicken egg, sugar, and butter. We cook the batter and put topping after it cooked well. Sweet Martabak has popular name: Bangka Martabak. People believe that sweet martabak is originally coming from Bangka island, Bangka Belitung Province near South Sumatra Indonesia.

what is martabak

Nowadays, businessman/woman take martabak to a new level. They modified it and put ‘fancy’ topping such us toblerone chocholate, cheese, oreo, red velvet, ovomaltine, and so on. But for you who like original local foods, just leave those fancy topping. You can try Sweet Martabak with “Wisman” Margarine. Banana and cheese topping is our favorite choice. Yumm!

Savory Martabak is a Duck Egg Martabak

Egg Martabak made from duck egg, chicken egg, cow meat, local spices, and onion leaf. They also made Martabak skin from flour dough and the sauce from vinegar. If you buy Martabak on the street, the seller will make it directly in front of you. It is an ‘interesting show’, like this on the video (start from 02:30) :

Where to buy Martabak? All you need is…asking.

For you who stay in Jakarta, you can find martabak easily in every corner of Jakarta’s street. If you are not familiar with Jakarta, please ask security, hotel receptionist, or anyone around you. They usually know something about this. Another option, you can try to order through local motorbike taxi apps like Gofood and Grabfood. They will bring Martabak in front of your door room. Don’t know how to use the apps? Again, ask local people around you.

what is martabak

Martabak seller on the street

Local Tips when you buy Martabak by yourself

We have a tips for meat lovers. Actually, you can ask more meat to put on your Duck Egg Martabak with additional price. It will bring more texture and flavor on your Martabak. Just give Martabak seller couple bucks only for additional meat. Trust us, it works!

where to buy martabak

Interesting fact about Duck Egg Martabak : it could be your night snack or even your dinner.

Why? It because some people like to eat martabak with white rice. We can not order Martabak in small portion so local people use to buy it when there is gathering with friends or family. It could be snack for 3 – 4 person, or meals if you are going to add white rice on your plate. Who can say no to Martabak? NO ONE. Everybody like MARTABAK!

The Best Food in Jakarta

Posted on by

Since snacking with Jakarta street food become everybody’s favorite, some entrepreneur takes it to a new level. They sold it as a real meal inside mall in Jakarta, sold alongside fine dining’s menus. Let say it as Jakarta Most Favorite Meals, here are those.

1. The Best Food in Jakarta : Bakso

Beef in round shape, which called ‘meatball’ or ‘bakso’ is Jakartans favorite. Meatball is minced meat rolled into a small ball that is cooked by boiling it. Meatballs in Jakarta served in broth soup with noodles, vermicelli, bean curd, sliced celery leaves, and fried red onion. Usually, Jakartans eat meatball along with chili sauce and crackers.

city tour jakarta

Bakso in Jakarta

Where to find bakso seller?

You can find meatball easily in Jakarta. A lot of brands, meatball side dish with widely range of prices. Not only can be found at roadside stalls, mobile and street vendors, you also can found bakso served in fine restaurants inside the mall. Try to find restaurant that has bakso menu on its signboard. But well…sometimes street sellers are the best. 

2. The Best Food in Jakarta : Sate (Satay)

city tour jakarta

Goat Meat Satay in Jakarta

Satay is a dish of seasoned, skewered, and grilled meat served with soybean sauce that sprinkled with grilled chili or peanut sauce. In Jakarta, usually satay is using chops of goat meat in cube shape or chicken meat to be barbecued. As a popular Jakarta street food, satay is usually sold at night. We don’t know why, but looks like satay is a rare option to be a lunch menu for Jakartans. Don’t worry if you can’t hardly wait to eat satay in daylight, you can go to a mall and find restaurants that sold satay in any time of the day.

3. The Best Food in Jakarta : Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice)

Even though fried rice or ‘nasi goreng’ is sold in every corner of Jakarta, almost all Jakartans can cook it well with their own secret recipe. If you want to find delicious nasi goreng, don’t go to a restaurant in hotels, just go to tent stalls (warung tenda) or roadside stalls that has nasi goreng as its top menu. We think, you should try local food that is cooked by local people, not a Western master chef. For example, you might want to try ‘nasi goreng kambing’ or ‘mutton fried rice’ around Kebon Sirih, Jakarta Pusat. They served one of the best nasi goreng with mutton curry recipe in town.

city tour jakarta

Nasi Goreng

And, where is the second best nasi goreng in Jakarta? It is in your local friend’s house, ask your friend to cook nasi goreng for you. If you’re lucky, maybe you will get her or his secret recipe. 😉 So, which one of those you would like to try? Make sure you try the best food in Jakarta during your stay in Indonesia. Local herbs and spices melt in your mouth, yumm~