Tag: Best Food in Jakarta

Enjoy A Fulfilling Breakfast in Jakarta to Start Your Day – Part I

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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!

The Secret of Sweet Taste from Indonesian Delicacies

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Have you tasted sweet martabak, es teler, and soda susu while visiting or staying in Indonesia? When you take a bite of the dishes, you might taste a nice and sweet flavor. It came from sweetened condensed milk, or susu kental manis, often abbreviated as SKM.

Sweetened condensed milk is made from cow’s milk and added with sugar. The texture is thicker and stickier than ordinary cow’s milk. SKM is often used for cooking ingredients and to add flavor in some kind of drinks.

One of the examples of SKM using in food is in martabak. While egg martabak tastes savory and it is made from eggs, meat and green onions, sweet martabak is a kind of pancake with various fillings. It is also called terang bulan in some Java areas. Usually, customers can choose what they like for the sweet martabak filling. There are wide options such as chocolate sprinkles, shredded cheese, nuts, banana and SKM.

Aside from food, SKM is also often used in drinks. A few examples of them are es teler and soda susu. Es teler is a kind of fruit cocktail served with ice. A few kinds of fruit are used as ingredients and the sweet taste came from sugar and SKM. For a more detailed explanation about es teler, please go here: https://wp.me/p5DzGJ-IX

The other type of drink that also using SKM is soda susu. It is made from clear or colored carbonated drinks, added with SKM, served with ice. It is a perfect choice to drink in hot weather. Go here if you want to know more details about soda susu: https://wp.me/p5DzGJ-J0

There are also many kinds of drinks and snacks using SKM in Indonesia, but sweet martabak, es teler, and soda susu are a few of the popular ones in Jakarta. If you join our Jakarta Food Tour, you might be able to taste them if you are curious. So, let’s join us if you have a plan to visit Jakarta. See you around!

Experience Different Tastes of Vegetable Soup in Jakarta

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A variety of Vegetable soup in Jakarta is spread widely in various parts of Jakarta. A few kinds of the dish include sayur asem, a vegetable soup with various ingredients with sour and savory broth, sayur bayam, spinach soup with clear broth, and sayur lodeh, a vegetable soup dish with coconut milk broth.

As an agricultural country, Indonesia produces many varieties of vegetables. So, it is normal to find dish creation with vegetables as main ingredients. One of them is sayur asem. Sayur asem is popular widely all over Indonesian. It has many versions from East to West, such as Sumatera, Jakarta, West Java, and Kalimantan version. The most popular version of soup in Jakarta in the capital city is sayur asem Jakarta. The vegetables that are used from ingredients such as long beans, peanuts, young jackfruit, melinjo, vegetable starfruit, chayote, tamarind, and corn.

The difference of sayur asem Jakarta from version of other areas are in thicker and richer broth as its use many kinds of Indonesian spices, which is shrimp paste, candlenuts, and chili peppers. It has a savory, sour, sweet, and a little spicy flavor.

Another kind of vegetable soup in Jakarta is sayur bayam, it is a simple dish made from spinach and clear broth, usually seasoned only with sugar, pepper, and salt. For Javanese version, it is dominant in sweet flavor. But in other areas, some people prefer it to be saltier.

As for sayur lodeh, it is a bit similar with sayur asem. Also using a few kinds of vegetables such as chayote, long beans, eggplant, bitter bean, tempeh, chili, and small corn, completed with coconut milk broth. It is rather thick if compared to the other types of soup in Jakarta and has a dominant savory and sweet flavor.

Curious about the difference flavors of soup in Jakarta? Then walk with us on Jakarta Food Tour, experience a journey to find unique and authentic taste of Jakarta. See you around!

A Unique Variety of Soup in Jakarta from the South

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As we have introduced varieties of soup in Jakarta in the previous article, now we could move on to other soups of Indonesia. Aside from Jakarta as the capital city, other provinces also offer a rich variety of soups, for example, sop pindang ikan patin (shark catfish soup) from Palembang, South Sumatera, and sop konro (beef soup) from Makassar, South Sulawesi. Both soups that come from outside Jakarta are also popular among the locals.

First, about sop pindang ikan patin. It is a soup dish using shark catfish as a main ingredient. The cooking method is also out of the ordinary, it is called “pindang”, a cooking method by boiling the fish meat in brine or acidic solutions. It is a relatively simple dish that is easy to cook using only a few ingredients such as lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, chili, and tamarind boiled in a broth. It has a savory and a hint of sour taste from the tamarind. The freshness of the soup makes it a popular soup in Jakarta.

The other type of soup is sop konro. Konro literally means cow in South Sulawesi. The main ingredient for this dish is beef ribs or other parts of cow. Meanwhile sop pindang ikan patin is a simple dish, on the other hand, konro are richer in flavor as it is using many varieties of Indonesian spices such as coriander, nutmeg, galanga, aromatic ginger, cinnamon, clove, and keluak that adds the black color in the dish.

Konro has a “dry” version, in which the beef ribs and meat are grilled, and the soup is served separately, and widely known as konro bakar. The taste of this dish is relatively richer with sweet and savory as a dominant flavor. This dish can be found in Makassar restaurant or a restaurant that sells particularly sop konro and konro bakar as a main dish.

Ready to taste a warm and delicious soup in Jakarta? Then let’s walk with us in Jakarta Food Tour to taste unique and authentic Indonesian food. See you around!

Enjoy a Tasty Experience of Soup in Jakarta

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Need something refreshing in this hot weather? Then let us introduce Soup in Jakarta. The rich flavor of the broth will bring your tasting experience on another level. While there are a dozen of soup-based type food spreading in Indonesia, we will introduce you some of Soup in Jakarta that are popular and warmly welcomed by Jakartans, which are soto lamongan, soto mie, and soto betawi.

The first kind of Soup in Jakarta is soto lamongan. “Soto” is a type of soup using a hot broth that prepared in advance poured to ingredients that is ready to be served. While “Lamongan” is where the dish came from, it is the name of a city from Central Java. It contains finely chopped chicken meat, vermicelli, cabbage, onions, and cooked with other Indonesian spices. The warm broth will refresh and supply your body with enough hydration, and the clean taste will make it easy to swallow. It is a perfect dish to eat when you have a cold.

The next Soup in Jakarta is soto mie. Soto mie originated from Bogor, West Java. So, it is often to find vendors who put up “Soto Mie Bogor” as their sign. The dish is made from noodles, beef, or other parts of cows such as its feet, tripe, and innards, depend on the request of the customers since not everyone can eat intestines, added with fresh tomatoes, vegetables, cabbage, potatoes, risoles, and poured with beef broth. This is can also easily found in various parts of Jakarta and West Java.

The last one is soto betawi, the authentic Soup in Jakarta. It is an authentic dish brought by native of Jakarta, Betawi people. The dish is known for its distinctive broth that uses a mix of fresh milk and coconut milk. Similar to soto mie, cow meat is also used as the soup filling, making it a rich and flavorful dish. You can also read about soto betawi in details here: https://t.ly/6kPT0

Now, are you ready to taste a delicious Soup in Jakarta? Then let’s join our food tour and you can have a tasty experience of warm food in Jakarta. See you around!

Refreshing Warm Food in Jakarta to Keep You Hydrated

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Indonesia is known for the hot weather during dry season; hence, it offers a lot of delicious choice of soups in different areas, especially soup in Jakarta. Climate change recently has caused the heat to increase significantly. For people who have a lot of activities outside, it will be difficult and challenging. To soothe the bodies, we need something refreshing to consume, food and drinks for example.

There are a few of popular soup in Jakarta, which are soto lamongan, contain chicken meat with broth and vegetables, soto mie, contains of noodles, beef, and vegetables, and soto betawi. To know more about soto betawi, please go here https://tinyurl.com/468v9uts . You can find any of these dishes easily around Jakarta. It is a refreshing warm food in the middle of hot weather. A glass of iced tea or iced orange would be a perfect combination for soup in Jakarta.

There is a different naming of food with broth in Jakarta, which is “sop” or soup and “soto”. Usually, it depends on where the food originated, the cooking process, and ingredients, but both are served with broth that has a rich flavor.

Aside from the variety that is mentioned above, there are also soup based food other areas aside soup in Jakarta. Sop ikan pindang patin or tilapia soup can also be found in Jakarta. This dish originated from the island of Sumatera, Palembang. The other soup is sop konro. It is a soup-based dish that uses beef ribs as its main ingredients. This dish originated from Sulawesi, Makassar.

Another type of soup in Jakarta uses vegetables as its main ingredients. It is sayur asem, a dish using various kinds of vegetables, with a sour and savory soup using tamarind, sayur bayam, spinach soup, and sayur lodeh, mainly using long beans and shredded chayote and with coconut milk broth.

Curious about the different taste of soto and soup in Jakarta? Then come to Jakarta and join our Food Tour to have rich tasting experience of Indonesian delicacy. See you around!

Es Cendol Durian, A Glass of Tropical Sensation

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Es Cendol Durian, pretty by the look, delicious by the taste. The green color of rice flour jellies, with the white color of coconut milk, in addition with the brown sugar and yellow color of durian fruit, make a beautiful combination.

By the name, Es Cendol Durian, it is certainly a cold drink, by “es”, means ice or iced drinks. It is one of the many popular iced drinks in Indonesia. The texture of cendol, or the green rice flour jellies in the drink, is soft, light and not too heavy. A perfect choice for appetizer or dessert.

Es Cendol Durian is one of the variations of es cendol created by Indonesian. The original one does not have any toppings. Today, a few a variations of es cendol came with topping options, durian fruit, tapai (fermented sweet cassava), avocado or jackfruits. Actually, the original one also served without ice before refrigeration is invited, and has a different name in Javanese, called “dawet”. Along with many inventions of technology, many varieties of iced drinks can be found easily in the world, including Indonesia.

A few cuts of durian fruits in a glass of Es Cendol Durian add more sweetness to the flavor and creamy textures. Some fact about durian, even though durian fruit is native to Indonesia, some Indonesian also not familiar with it as it smells and taste might be too strong for some people. The strong smell causing it to be forbidden to carry in some public spaces, a plane or a bus for example. So, it will be either you love it, or hate it. However, if you think you are adventurous enough to try some new taste, you can challenge yourself.

A glass of es cendol can be easily found in the city, from street peddlers or in a menu at some restaurants. The price can also vary, depending on the area they are selling. However, it will still be quite affordable as the ingredients are easy to find.

With Jakarta Food Tour, find unique and unusual delicacies that the city can offer. From savory, sweet, to spicy, you name it. Make sure to prepare comfortable clothes and shoes to walk around on a hot day in a tropical city and try the tropical taste of Es Cendol Durian with us.

Es Kelapa, A Healty Choice of “Energy Drink”

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Es Kelapa, a perfect choice to quench your thirst on a sunny day. As the largest coconut palm growing area in the world, coconut or “kelapa” is just a common ingredient in Indonesian delicacies. Not only in food, but in drinks as well. From the tree itself, coconut can be used for many functions, from the leaves and branches that can be used to create some decorations or another useful items, to the fruit and liquid that can be used in varieties of food creations.

Coconut iced drink or Es Kelapa is one of the variations of drink’s version. What’s special about Es Kelapa is the liquid came from the coconut water itself. The water already has a slightly sweet flavor, but some people may add sugar to add the sweetness. Inside the coconut water, a few pieces of coconut meat are added. The traditional Es Kelapa contains coconut water, its meat, sugar, and ice cubes. However, there are some other versions that use red syrup to add sweetness, contrasting with the white coconut meat. In some restaurants, there is sometimes also a fusion from orange juice and coconut meat.

Like the trees that can be easily seen when you land in Indonesia, Es Kelapa sellers or vendors can be easily found almost everywhere. By the roadside, in some food courts in malls, and in restaurant menus. The coconut meat has a nice chewy texture, especially if they use young coconuts. Combined with sugar and iced cubes, it is a perfect option to freshen your body in a hot weather.

Not only popular to drink in daily basis, Es Kelapa is also known as a popular appetizer for iftar, the meal taken after Maghrib prayer in Ramadhan. The number of Es Kelapa sellers will be doubled than any usual days. It says that consuming coconut water will have many benefits for the human body, hence a few energy drinks’ brands claimed to use “real” coconut water in their products to promote the benefits.

Join us in our Jakarta Food Tour, walk around a little on some corners of Jakarta, take a break to drink Es Kelapa with us, and see for yourself. A healthy choice of energy drink with less chemicals and artificial flavors.

Soda Susu, A Fizz of Colorful Happiness

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Soda Susu is not just an ordinary soda drink. It is a combination of carbonated drink and sweetened condensed milk, completed with a spoonful of iced cubes. Thanks to its sweet flavor and the freshness from ice cubes, it is also often called Soda Gembira, which means a carbonated drink that will uplift the drinker’s mood.

Soda Susu usually has a reddish color from red syrup, and the white color is from sweetened condensed milk. However, as varieties and brands of carbonated drinks are growing larger, the color sometimes will depend on the carbonated drink and the brand that the maker uses. It can be clear, red, black, or other colors.

 As a popular drink in the city, Soda Susu is easily found either in restaurants, cafes, small stalls, or at the side of the streets. It is usually sold along with mineral water, iced tea, fruit juice, and other cold drinks. It is a perfect choice for hot and sunny weather to refresh your body and mind.

If you have a sweet tooth, you will almost certainly like the taste of this drink. The sweet flavor comes not only from the carbonated drinks, but also the syrup and sweetened condensed milk. Some people might find it too sweet, but ice cubes are a great combination and will tone down the sweetness.

Just a little fact that although the name is Soda Susu, which is literally means milk soda in English, fresh milk is almost never used as ingredients, as it will not blends well with the soda. So, the milk is only referred to the sweetened condensed milk.

If you are staying in Indonesia, and in some days, you are having a bad experience or not in a good mood, try this so-called happiness soda, that said to be your instant mood booster on those gloomy days.

 Join our Jakarta Food Tour from afternoon through evening, walk around with us to taste various kinds of delicacies. Take a short break, sip a fizz of the happiness soda, Soda Susu, and we will be ready to continue our adventure.

Wedang Ronde, A Bowl of Chewy Glutinous Rice Balls That Warms Your Night and Day

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Wedang Ronde is not only pretty, but also tasty. If you are served with a bowl of Wedang Ronde, you can see colorful round balls, poured with a sweet ginger soup, sprinkled with peanuts, and a few small square cuts of white bread. It is rich in appearance and flavors. It has a sweet and slightly spicy flavor from the ginger broth, savory taste from the sticky rice ball’s fillings, and a crunchy texture from peanuts, served hot.

Wedang Ronde is originated from China, with different name, tangyuan. It is called Wedang Ronde in Javanese, in which wedang means something that is served hot, and ronde which means in a round shape, the shape of the glutinous rice balls. In Indonesia, the glutinous rice balls are colored with food coloring to make the dish more interesting in appearance and more appetizing.

Even though the original version has a few varieties of filling, sesame paste, red bean paste, or sugar cane candy, Indonesian version of Wedang Ronde filling is mostly mashed sweet peanuts. At first bite, you can feel the soft and chewy texture of the glutinous rice balls. The second you get to the filling, you can feel the crunchy and sweet taste of the peanuts inside the glutinous rice balls.

A Wedang Ronde peddler usually walks around a housing complex while clinking a bowl with a steel spoon to make their presence heard. Customers who want to buy it can call the peddler to stop by at their door. The dish can also be found on the menu of some restaurants or small food stalls by the side of the street.

Because it is always served with a hot or warm ginger soup, it is perfect to consume when the weather is cooler. On rainy days, or on cold nights for example. However, if you are craving some hot dish on a hot day, just go for it.

Join our Jakarta Food Tour with us, a best activity to do at afternoon through evening, where many kinds of street food peddler starting their business, and maybe you can find and enjoy a bowl of hot Wedang Ronde with us to warm your body when the night comes.