They say you have not entirely experienced a place to its fullest potential if you have not tried its local food. While our capital city – a melting pot of cultures – is not short of lavish restaurants, street food remains one of the best ways to truly taste Indonesia’s diverse and versatile culinary scene. You can find street food carts, vendors and small shops at almost every corner of this congested city so to make things simpler, we’ve narrowed down our top 14 picks of street foods that are an absolute must-try while at the metropolitan.
1. Nasi Goreng
A national obsession, nasi goreng is a major player in the Indonesian street food scene. Literally means “fried rice”, you would be hard-pressed not to find a pushcart or street vendor serving a type of nasi goreng in almost every corner of the city. It’s flavor and looks is worlds apart from the Chinese-style fried rice found throughout the rest of the world – for starters, nasi goreng is typically cooked with eggs, meat, vegetables, and soya sauce seasoning and contains a light blend of chili and other local spices. There is a huge variety of nasi goreng to choose from as different regions prepare it differently. Some of the most popular ones include nasi goreng ayam (chicken fried rice), nasi goreng kambing (lamb fried rice), nasi goreng ikan asin (salted fish fried rice) and nasi goreng gila (“crazy” fried rice made from a mixture of sausages, scrambled egg, meatballs, leeks, onion, cakwe and other condiments).
2. Sate (satay)
One of Indonesia’s most renowned national delicacies sold by street vendors everywhere is known as saté (satay). It is a dish consisting of chunks of dice-sized and seasoned meats (such as lamb, beef, chicken, fish, prawns and occasionally vegetables) on bamboo skewers, which are grilled over charcoal or wood fire. The archipelago’s diverse culture has resulted to a variety of saté dishes to try – such as saté Padang and Taichan, but the most popular one is typically served with a spicy peanut sauce and compressed rice cakes (lontong) as well as pickled onions, carrots, and cucumbers on the side. If you’re feeling adventurous, try other variants of saté made of kidney, intestine, liver, and cubes of coagulated chicken blood.
3. Gado-Gado
Photo: Primarasa
Gado-Gado, which literally means ‘mix-mix’, is Indonesia’s version of salad sold throughout Jakarta on mobile street food carts. The dish consists of fresh slightly boiled, blanched or steamed vegetables such as potatoes, bean sprouts, corn, spinach, string beans, cabbage, and bitter gourd, with fried tofu and tempeh. The dish can also be served with hard-boiled eggs and compressed rice cake (lontong). These components are all coated in a thick and creamy peanut sauce and garnished with deep fried shallots. Gado gado can make a great light meal, or a snack, and is popular among vegans.
4. Ketoprak
Photo: Masak Apa Hari Ini?
Another popular, staple street food that is a must-try is ketoprak. Resembling gado-gado in its use of peanut sauce as dressing, ketoprak’s components differ slightly. This legendary street food is made of fried tofu chunks, rice vermicelli, sliced cabbage, cucumber, and bean sprout as well as a choice of lontong (Indonesian compressed rice cake) and boiled eggs on the side. It is then garnished with Indonesian crackers and fried shallots. When ordering ketoprak, you can specify the dish’s spicy level according to each individual.
5. Gorengan
Gorengan, which literally means ‘fried food’, is a staple and one of the most desired snacks in the entire country. Seasoned, battered and then deep-fried, you can opt for different bases from banana to cassava, to tofu (with or without filling), yam and/or tempeh (fermented soybean). Many locals eat this bite-sized food with small bird’s eye green chilies (cabai rawit) to add spiciness. These pushcarts are spread across many roads in Jakarta and almost impossible to miss.
6. Soto
Soto is Indonesia’s traditional soup, which mainly comprises of broth, vermicelli noodles and vegetables, and the meats most commonly used are beef, chicken or lamb. Nearly every region of Indonesia has their own version of soto, such as soto Madura (from East Java), soto Padang (from West Sumatra), soto Bandung (from West Java), soto Banjar (from South Kalimantan), and coto Makassar (from South Sulawesi). While the broth of most soto dishes is clear, soto Betawi, which is native to Jakarta, uses coconut milk. Steamed rice and other condiments such as fried shallot, emping crackers, and lime juice are enjoyed together with the soup.
7. Bakso
Bakso is Indonesia’s version of meatballs, typically served in a hearty broth with vermicelli, rice or yellow noodles, then garnished with fried shallots. While the most popular kinds of bakso are made from ground beef, you can also find those made from chicken, fish or shrimp. Some vendors also serve fried bakso with their delicious soup instead. To add a kick to the dish, add sambal, or Indonesian chili paste to the broth.
8. Bubur Ayam
One of the most go-to meals found in many street vendors and pushcarts in the region is bubur ayam or chicken congee in English. Usually, opt as a breakfast dish, this simple rice congee is served with shredded chicken and condiments such as chopped celery, fried scallion, peanuts, shallots as well as preserved salted vegetables, and sometimes cakwe (youtiao or Chinese fried churros). Some bubur dishes also come with yellow curry gravy and sambal on the side.
9. Bakmi Ayam
Influenced by Hokkien Chinese immigrants from way back when Indonesians have developed a taste for a wide-variety of noodle-based dishes. One of the most popular ones is bakmie ayam, a simple soupy noodle dish served with marinated minced chicken, side condiments such as fried shallots and sambal. Another popular cooking-style for bakmie ayam is wok-fried with chicken breast and vegetables. Most pushcarts serve either one of the versions but to get both kinds to look for bigger street vendors or shops instead.
10. Sop Kaki Kambing
This is another popular soup dish that is simply a must-try for all mutton lovers. Sop Kaki Kambing, which literally means goat feet soup, is a classic broth made of mutton brewed for hours and flavored with spices such as coriander, fennel, cumin, star anise, and cinnamon. The dish is commonly served at small street shops and is served with rice and pickles.
11. Kerak Telor
Kerak telor, which means ‘egg crust’, is considered as one of the city’s culinary heritage. It is an omelet-like dish made from a combination of either duck or chicken eggs and glutinous rice, slowly cooked on charcoal, giving it its crispy exterior. The delectable dish is then topped with a scrumptious serving of crunchy dried shrimps, fried shallots and shredded coconut, served hot on top of the paper. Most people recommend using duck eggs as it gives the dish a richer and fattier taste as compared to chicken eggs. On a side note, kerak telor is not as ubiquitous as its fellow street food because it can only be found in certain spots that are iconic in Jakarta like Monas, Kota Tua, and PRJ.
12. Roti Bakar
Roti bakar is one of the most popular breakfasts or dessert options of the region. Just as its name, roti bakar is a kind of sandwich that is charcoal grilled then generously topped with chocolate sprinkles, shredded cheese, and condensed milk. Its earthy, smokey flavor combined with the sweet serenity of chocolate, milk, and cheese is just to die for! Aside from the original topping, roti bakar also comes with a variety of other toppings such as strawberry, banana, and pineapple. If you are opting to have roti bakar as a dessert, be sure to not fill yourself up at dinner – you will need the space!
13. Martabak
There are two types of this dish – sweet and savory. The sweet one is martabak manis, an Indonesian dessert that resembles a pancake, and comes either in a thin or thick crust. The classic version of this dish usually involves stuffing the pancake crust with chocolate sprinkles, Nutella, cheese, condensed milk, and nuts. However, martabak manis have now evolved to all sort of unique flavors to choose from including green tea, Toblerone, Ovomaltine, red velvet and more.
The savory version of martabak resembles a deep-fried “omelet” made from either chicken or duck eggs and comes either plain or with meat – chicken or beef – filling. The small, crispy little martabak squares are best served with pickled cucumbers and bird’s eye chili on the side.
14. Es Campur
Es Campur is a must-have especially to cool off during Jakarta’s most unpredictable heatwaves. This frozen dessert, which means ‘mixed ice’ is literally made of finely shaved blocks of ice mixed with an assortment of treats such as grass jelly, jack fruit, avocado, and coconut. The bowl of ice is then drizzled with colored sugar syrup and condensed milk. What a sweet cooling treat indeed!
