A rich variety of breakfast in Jakarta might seem unusual for international tourists, as instead of bread or salad, we start the morning by eating something heavy, most of them are rice dishes or made with rice. From white rice, yellow rice, or even porridge, we have all.
We introduce you to the first option of breakfast in Jakarta, which is nasi uduk. Although the appearance is similar to the original white rice, this type of dish has a very different taste. Despite the same texture, it has a dominant savory flavor. This flavor came from the coconut milk that is used in steaming the rice. For nasi uduk Jakarta, it usually served with some side dishes as fried noodle, eggs, tempeh, or peanuts.
The second choice of breakfast in Jakarta is nasi kuning. As the name suggests, kuning means yellow in Indonesian. So, it is rice with yellow color. It also tastes different from original rice, but less savory than nasi uduk. The taste mainly comes from spices, such as turmeric that color the rice. It is also served with some side dishes such as eggs, tempeh, tofu, and peanuts.
The third choice of breakfast in Jakarta is lontong sayur. Lontong is a tube-shaped rice cake that is made from rice, wrapped inside banana leaf, and then steamed. When served, it is usually cut into few slices, added into a thick broth rich of spices. Just a reminder, since this dish came from Sumatera Barat, where the locals prefer their dish to be spicy, be prepared for the spiciness. If you have a weak stomach, don’t choose it to be an opening to your meals.
A quite different type of breakfast in Jakarta is mie ayam, or chicken noodle. Although it looks fulfilling to be eaten in the morning, finding Jakartans eating it for breakfast near the office before getting ready to work is such a common sight. It is different than instant noodles that is sold in minimarket or streetside stalls.
The noodles and ingredients are usually handmade. The noodles are made from wheat flour. With chopped chicken meat marinated in sweet soy sauce, mie ayam is such a perfect choice to fill your stomach quickly. There are more, but stay tuned for part II!