3.8.08

Glorious food in Jakarta

I always have a great time trying food in Jakarta, there are so many varieties and variations of the same food. For example, the soto ayam is rendered differently in Java style, Kalimantan and so on. After a few trips, I now know what I prefer. The following photos show a sampling of what I devoured this time round.

This perfectly fried fish was artistically contorted as if it was flying. The sambal kangkong was tasty and the fried tofu (with seafood in it) was piping hot.
Barbequed tiger prawns.
My favourite drink in Indon, Juice Alpukat (avocado).
I was brought to this chinese kopi-tiam equivalent, a downright unhygienic joint which would be common in Singapore right up to the late 70s. But the ambience was superb, not to mention the food.
Kway teow with everything in it, braised pork knuckles, meat, fish cake, chicken feet, a bit of sea cucumber and so much more. Did I tell you this was cheap as well?

Ended my meal with a cup of local coffee and you-tiao.
The kopitiam was surrounded by hawkers like the one above.
I saw this interesting handwritten poem on one of the pillars.
The photo above shows food partaken at a chinese porridge restaurant. Not bad, quite authentic chinese taste.
Meal at a food court in the shopping mall. Unlike in Singapore, the food court actually serves pretty good food.

One of the restaurants I like to go is called Sate Senyan. So naturally it serves sate or satay. Their version of the gado gado is very well balanced, with enough keropok, peanut sauce and vegatables.
There is fried chicken everywhere in Indon. This was good, especially with the sambal! The satay was very good as well.
Giving the satisfied look. I look fat, I realised..

Undaunted, I venture on for more food. My brother-in-law brought me to try the Thailand durians or Monthong as they are called in Indon.
Three fruits weighing about 9kg in total cost $140,700 rupiah, which is about twenty over sing dollars. Cheap! And they taste good as well. Not as fragrant as the Malaysian type, but very fleshy and sweet. I ate about five seeds and that was my dinner for that day.
The fruit was huge and creamy.

My last dinner before I flew back was at a famously popular fried kway teow stall. The photo below is not very well taken, but if you see carefully, there are two cooks, the main one is an auntie and she was continously frying kway teow, rice, bee hoon, hor fun the one hour or so I was in the shop; no stopping and no rest. The wok is fired with charcoal (see bottom left), that's why the kway teow has an intense heat which I love.


Can't wait for my next trip!

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