Not going to be a very long post here, just a fun idea I thought of that people may or may not find useful.
Either way, I think it’s a nice repository to store my food finds, so I can always go back to the list whenever I’m bored and in need of some good food. Bonus points if they’re actually affordable.
King Pansit (Palmerah)
I first came to know about this gem from my writer friend, Yarii. When she posted a picture of super delicious-looking noodle dish on her Instagram Story, I just had to ask where did she get it. To my delight, the place is only several hundred meters away from my office, so I ordered it immediately using GrabFood the very next day.
I ordered their Bakmi Pok Komplit, which includes the noodles (you can pick between the curly kind or the thick kind—I personally prefer curly noodles), braised pork toppings, crunchy pork cracklings, wonton, and meatballs. Yes—as the name suggests, this dish contains pork.
Upon arrival, there is also this small plastic filled with salty, super thick broth that is different from the soup. I don’t actually know what to do with it, but I just assumed that it’s part of the noodle’s seasoning, and that they put it in a separate container to avoid getting the noodles soggy. So I just did what I thought was right, and poured it over the noodles before eating.
The noodle is on the saltier side of the spectrum when it comes to flavor, but I’m definitely not complaining. I don’t always crave for noodles, especially in the morning. But this King Pansit is becoming more and more worthy of earning a place in my top 10 noodle places in Jakarta.
Roti Kampoeng (Kebon Jeruk)
Despite its name, I never actually ordered any bread from the place. Since the place is just right around the corner, my colleagues and I always ordered their donuts—usually in the late afternoon. For a place that has “roti” as its name, they sure have an impressive selections of donuts.
My favorites so far are the cheese, chocolate rice, and chocolate glaze toppings. But the peanuts and oreo glaze are also slowly becoming my favorites. The donuts are pillowy soft and not too greasy. The sugary sweet toppings give a much needed wake up slap in the late afternoon after having our energies drained post-consecutive con calls with stakeholders.
Oh did I say that the donuts are ridiculously affordable? The prices range from 3,000 to 4,500 IDR a piece. And for the price, I think ordering these donuts is a no-brainer. Do keep in mind that they don’t have the prettiest, thoughtful packaging in the world, though. Especially if you’re ordering a lot of glazed donuts—I guarantee the glaze toppings will smear everywhere inside the box.
Martabak Manis 888 (Pesanggrahan)
Who needs healthy food when you can get martabak? As an avid fan of martabak myself, I try my hardest to limit my consumption. This means I will refuse any kind of martabak unless: a) I’m super hungry and it’s the only food available in the vicinity, or b) It’s super delicious it would be a sin to not take a bite.
Martabak 888, in this case, falls into category b).
What else can I say? It comes with all the great things a martabak manis can bring to the table: perfectly cooked batter—the cake is not too dense or too airy—crispy outer edges, evenly buttered (or should I say margarined?) innards, complete with your toppings of choice.
My personal favorite is cokelat kacang wijen (chocolate rice, crushed peanuts, and sesame seeds). There’s just no beating this classic.
I never order any fancy, experimental, or the so-called “modern” toppings from Martabak 888, because they clearly don’t need them. Martabak 888 knows how to make good martabak, and they do exactly that. At this point in time I have my go-to martabak places in almost every corner of Jakarta, and Martabak 888 is definitely my go-to order in the neighborhood.
Where to find
Goodreads | GPU | Gramedia Digital | Grobmart
Alicia Lidwina 2020
Alicia Lidwina 