A Singaporean Foodie's Guide To Jakarta In 5 Days
Julia Child always said, "People who love to eat are always the best people". Well, you and I must be the best kind, then, because food is always #1 no matter where we go.
I recently travelled to Indonesia - Jakarta, Bandung and Puncak, to be precise - for a short trip, and had the good fortune of being brought around by locals.
And lemme assure you, their food recs were top-notch. If you're ever in these 'hoods, then here's a list of good food places you must check out.
As the Indonesians would say: "Enak banget!" aka "so delish!"
JAKARTA
Kafe Betawi
This chain opened in 1992 and has been wildly popular with both locals and tourists alike. If you want to try Indonesian street food without worrying about stomach upsets, then Kafe Betawi is your go-to place. How good's the food? I can only describe it as "die-die must try everything there if you can".
Also, they have outlets in almost every mall in Indonesia, so it's easy to find one!
GrabFood
Hear me out, GrabFood delivery in Indonesia is next-level. Of course I had to try the McDonald's there and OMG I'm sold.
Throw out your idea of a typical burger combo - I'm talking about a meal that comprises well-cooked rice, crispy chicken, and scrambled eggs with chilli.
Best part: when you use GrabFood there, the delivery fee is a tenth of the one in Singapore. Perfect for when you just feel like staying in and watching Netflix.
Mall nosh
If you thought Ion Orchard was bussin, you haven't seen the malls in Indonesia. Not only are they huge, they look fit for kings, and the food choices are both plentiful and delectable.
And I never thought the day would come when I would encounter meatballs tastier than the ones sold at my favourite meepok stall in Ang Mo Kio, but this famous meatball ("bakso") chain called "Afung" has taken the Number One spot in my stomach. The meatballs are hella tasty and the salty soup just packs an "oomph" and has an umami that leaves you wanting more.
Dessert was from another famous chain called "D'Crepes" - obviously, I ate the crepe; I got their SilverQueen flavour (SilverQueen is an Indonesian chocolate). I chose the soft crepe (there's an option for the "hard" one) and it was yummy AF with a generous amount of SilverQueen chocolate in it.
Streetside grub
If you're like me and "weak", then it's best to eat this if you're staying home the next day LOL. But, hey, some things are just worth lao sai-ing for.
I had streetside mee goreng, where the stall vendor fries everything in a huge wok and piles it steaming hot onto a plate for you. The fried tofu was 10/10 - I didn't know tofu could taste that good on its own.
BANDUNG
Raja Sunda
Think zi-char but perfected in Indonesia. I'm not kidding you when I say this restaurant was my favourite place of the whole trip because of how good the food was. You can get all sorts of local fare here, and every single item will blow you away - my tummy is crying just thinking about the food.
PUNCAK
Puncak Pass Resort
This place has the best of both worlds: spectacular views and good food. The pancakes here are tok-kong to say the least - you have to get the "Hollandse Poffertjes" which are Dutch mini pancakes.
But hor, remember to take pics with the view first, because you might look too bloated after (confirm plus chop eat a lot here).
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