Starting the day with a bowl of breakfast in Jakarta, bubur ayam, is a perfect choice. Bubur ayam literally means “chicken congee” in English. While in some countries this dish is served as a food for patients, in Jakarta, it is normal to be found as a breakfast menu.
A bowl of chicken congee consists of healthy ingredients, such as shredded chicken meat, cakwe, eggs, sprinkled with fried onions and celeries. It is full of nutrition, so it will be beneficial to your body. Other than that, bubur ayam vendors usually also provide various options for the topping. It can be quail egg satay, gizzard liver satay, or chicken intestines.
Aside from various toppings, you can also add condiments based on your preferences. You can add soy sauce if you prefer savory taste, or sweet soy sauce if you have a sweet tooth. You can also adjust the spiciness by the chili sauce to pour on your bowl, and there is no extra charge for these condiments.
There is one unique trivia for bubur ayam in Indonesia. One side is “stir team”, and the other one is “as is team”, which refers to local’s preference on how to eat bubur ayam. Some people prefer to stir it before consuming, some people would rather eat it as is. It will become a heated discussion and each side will call each other a “cult”. Both are acceptable as breakfast in Jakarta.
Like any other option of breakfast in Jakarta, bubur ayam vendors are relatively easy to find around housing complexes, near office buildings and around schools every morning. With its affordable price and rich flavors, it became a popular option for locals.
However, there’s a catch. If you want to eat bubur ayam for your breakfast in Jakarta, you must wake up earlier, because usually in the afternoon, in most places it will be sold out. So, if you don’t want to miss your chance, you cannot oversleep until afternoon comes.
Curious to hunt bubur ayam in the mornings? Then come visit Jakarta and join our Jakarta Walking Tour later to discover more about Jakarta’s culture and delicacies with us. See you around!