Tag: Jakarta Walking Tour

A Cannon with Unusual Shape and Stories, Meriam Si Jagur

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Jakarta Old Town is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Jakarta. There are many things that you can see and explore there. Beside museums, there are also monuments and historical heritage, one of them is Meriam Si Jagur.

It is a big cannon that is placed across the Fatahillah Museum or Jakarta History Museum in the Old Batavia complex. The rear side of the cannon has the shape of a palm, with thumb tucked out between the index and middle finger. For some people, the shape seems a bit vulgar, but for some others, it is said that it is a symbol of luck.

In the past, it was believed that sitting on the cannon will grant fertility, so, many people who want children will sit on the cannon. This phenomenon makes the government decide to build a fence around the cannon to prevent people sitting on it.

Another unique thing about this cannon is the name, Si Jagur, it is from where it is located back then, in St. Jago de Barra, a Portuguese Fort in Macau, where the cannon was created. The cannon was made by Manoel Tovarres Bocarro and placed in Macau, before finally moved to Old Batavia by Dutch colonial empire in 16th Century. 

There is also a legend that the cannon is incarnation of a governor that was ordered to find a powerful weapon by Pajajaran King. From other source, a book by Ludovic Marquis de Beauvoir, titled Voyage Autour do Monde, the cannon was brought to the position by a great tidal wave.

If you want to know more about Si Jagur and want to see firsthand the unique and historical cannon, join us on our Jakarta Old Town tour, and we will take you to see and explore in depth the history of Jakarta and Old Batavia. So, see you around!

Enjoy Varieties of Soup in Jakarta as a Mid-Day Snack

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Usually, a variety of soto and soup in Jakarta are served to be eaten with a portion of rice. But, aside from those, there are a few dishes that can be eaten as is. These dishes often are served as snacks, but you can also choose to eat it with rice. They are bakso, bakwan malang, and tekwan.

Literal translation for bakso is meatballs, but meatballs dish in Indonesian is often served with soup broth. The popular and widely available bakso dish is made from cow meat. There are also other kinds that made from chicken, fish, or shrimp meat, but it can only be found in certain areas. Beside the meatballs itself, the dish has some additional ingredients such as bean sprouts, glass noodles, egg noodles, bean sprouts, and scallions as the topping.

Meanwhile, bakwan malang, sometimes also called bakso malang, is a signature dish from Malang, East Java area. It is as popular as ordinary bakso dish of a soup in Jakarta. It usually includes a variety of meatballs and fried food, such as meatballs, siumay, fried meatballs, fried dumplings, and tofu meatballs. Another difference is that the broth is cooked with beef bones and innards, so the texture is thicker as it contains more fat.

One other kind of soup in Jakarta is tekwan. It originated from South Sumatera, Palembang. The main ingredients are fish meatballs that are made from fish meat and tapioca flour. It is served in shrimp soup broth with a distinctive flavor. Vermicelli, julienned jicamas, green onions, celery, and black mushrooms are often included as complementary ingredients.

While both bakso and bakso malang taste more savory, tekwan has a slight sweetness that came from the fish meat and shrimp broth. Choose what will suit your preference more of an option for soup in Jakarta.

Not too hungry but not too full either? Then these three options are a perfect choice for you. Let’s join our Jakarta Walking Tour, and you might have a chance to taste these varieties of soup in Jakarta with us. 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!

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 Jakarta 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.

Es Teler, a Hint of Freshness to Awaken Your Appetite

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Es Teler, in literal translation is drunken ice, but with zero amount of alcohol in it. The word “teler” or drunken, came from a customer who commented that the ice drink made them drunk as it is too delicious. But in fact, Es Teler is a name for a variaton of fruit cocktail mixed with shaved ice. It originated from es campur or mixed ice, added with a few of new ingredients, thus, became Es Teler.

As a tropical country, there are so many variations of tropical fruit drinks in Indonesia. A few cuts of avocado, young coconut, grass jelly, and jackfruit can be found inside one portion of Es Teler serving. With added sugar, coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, and pandan leaf, it has a fragrant aroma and a sweet flavor. Its colorful appearance will awaken your appetite.

Es Teler is perfect to drink for Jakarta’s hot weather in dry season. Es Teler menu can be found in restaurants, as well as by the side of the street, sold by street peddlers in their carts. And because majority of Indonesian population are Muslim, especially around Ramadhan or the fasting month, many people are selling Es Teler as takjil or appetizer before iftar comes. It is to freshen the throat before eating a full meal.

The original creator of Es Teler, Tukiman Darmowijono was selling es campur in a small cart in some street in Jakarta in the 1970’s. After starting to sell Es Teler, his business had been grown rapidly ever since. In this present day, his stall is still standing in the heart of Jakarta, known as Es Teler Sari Mulia Asli.

With a price as affordable as IDR 23.000 or around $1.5 USD, you can have a glass of fresh and sweet Es Teler on your table. Not only Es Teler, but you can also choose to have other menu of ice fruit drinks such as avocado ice only, coconut ice only, or just a simple orange juice.

Join our Food Tour, and we will take you to experience a refreshing journey. Taste a glass of Es Teler, a drunken ice that will not make you drunk, but make you sober instead!

A Sip of Refreshing Drinks in Jakarta Amidst the Heat

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Refreshing Drinks in Jakarta are all you need to ward off the hot weather in Jakarta. Indonesia is a tropical country, which only has two seasons throughout the year, dry season and wet season. Especially in Jakarta, the weather is particularly hot during the dry season. To sooth their throat amidst the hot days, Indonesian came up with varied creations of iced drinks, therefore, iced beverages are easily found almost everywhere in Indonesia.

The most popular iced drinks are iced tea and iced coffee, as Indonesia is one of the largest producers of tea leaves and coffee beans. Most restaurants, food courts, or warteg includes iced tea and coffee on their menus. Aside from those two options, as a tropical country, there are also many kinds of iced drinks made from tropical fruits, es teler, es cendol durian, soda susu, and es kelapa are a few examples of Drinks in Jakarta.

Es teler is some kind of Indonesian fruit cocktail, it is usually consisting of avocado, coconut milk, grass jelly, jackfruit, and other fruits, added with ice. While for es kelapa, only consists of coconut meat, coconut water and ice, sometimes with sugar. Another variant of fruit drink is es cendol durian, durian fruit combined with a kind of snack made with rice flour, shaped with a sieve, mixed with sugar and coconut milk. There is also soda susu or soda gembira. Some kind of drink made from milk, red soda, and ice. Most of them have a sweet and refreshing flavor.

Not only iced drinks, hot and warm drinks are also popular as an option for Drinks in Jakarta. Hot tea and coffee are no question. In addition, there is a drink named wedang ronde. It is a product of assimilated culture from China. Wedang ronde came from Chinese traditional dessert, called tangyuan. Made from ball shaped glutinous rice, served in ginger broth. Wedang is the name for hot drinks in Java, while ronde refers to the round shape of glutinous rice balls, hence the name, wedang ronde. It is perfect to drink on rainy days or cold nights in wet seasons when it is always raining.

By only imagining Drinks in Jakarta, you can already feel the sweet and refreshing taste in your mind. Join a mouth-watering experience on our Jakarta Food Tour. Walk a little, and stop for a while for a refreshing Drinks in Jakarta to recharge your energy. Once you are ready, let’s continue our journey!

It is better than taxi

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“I like it more than taxi!”

It was my friend from Austria, Bernd, told me about what he felt when he had a ‘bajaj’ ride in Jakarta, (bajaj is a vehicle with three wheels and using gas as its fuel). He was happy when the wind coming through bajaj’s open window and had a ‘pleasant’ moment when the driver showed his driving skill, always make a quick takeovers, in every possible way, lol. Bernd is Martin’s friend. They are working together in Austria, and got a chance to come to Jakarta. I must say thanks to Martin for recommending me as a guide in Jakarta. Without him, I could not show how fun bajaj ride is, and Bernd would not know that most of the driver in Jakarta has a fabulous driving skill. 😀

Jakarta Tourist Attractions

Natural Air Con on Bajaj

Although the main street that we should pass was closed due the Jakarta Marathon event (I was not happy with this by the way –red), but I tried to take another way to go. Grabbed a taxi, and start to tell the story about Jakarta inside it, while enjoying the traffic jam. At least, I could smile when Bernd got excited when he saw one motor bike with three passengers on it, hahaa..

Our walking tour was not only about visiting some touristic places or museums, but more about sharing the story. I let him walked around local markets, taste local snacks, and discussed everything which is not the same with what usually exist in his home town. There are so many differences. That’s why I can tell him so many stories. Everything that we saw during walking tour had its own story, why and how, what and who, unlimited possibility for type of questions that can arise.

I might not have every answer, but in each question that I can’t answer, it has something to be learned about. In the end of the day, it was not Bernd who learn something about Jakarta, but it’s me who got a lesson. Thank you for sharing the stories, and someday I want to say “you bring holiday in the dark tunnel” in the right place!

 

Bernd Austria Guest Jakarta Tour Review