You’ve made your big move to Jakarta, and currently, you’re feeling a bit homesick. A sudden surge of cravings for your favourite snacks, beverages, and ingredients from your homeland hits. Perhaps you need to restock whatever sentimental goods you had purchased from a trip overseas too. The question is: Where can you make a grocery run that satisfies your cravings and maintains your nutritional standards?
Fortunately, certain areas of Jakarta have adopted several gateways to that question. Selective and premium quality imported goods and necessities are more conveniently found in such grocery stores scattered across the capital with high consideration of expats as well as Indonesian diasporas in mind. Let the quest of fulfilling your heavenly needs begin!
Best Supermarkets for Expats in Jakarta
Ranch Market
“It’s a Balanced Life,” states Ranch Market. Their premium quality products go hand-in-hand with that slogan, fostering customers with healthy, balanced food and lifestyle products. Targeted to the upper and upper-middle classes, customers can purchase the daily necessities on their grocery list covering fresh products such as fruits, vegetables, seafood, and meat, as well as organic, gluten-free, and dietary products.
Multiple locations: Senayan Park, Arkadia, Hublife, Ashta District 8, Lotte Ciputra World, Kemang, Oakwood, Darmawangsa, Pondok Indah, Grand Indonesia, Pondok Indah Mall 3, Lippo Mall Puri, and Pesanggrahan.
Instagram @ranchmarket99id
The FoodHall
Mostly found in notable shopping malls in Jakarta and its surrounding areas, The FoodHall is dubbed as “trusted” by many. It’s a haven for high-quality local and imported fresh produce. There’s also a diverse collection of plants to adorn your new home with!
Multiple locations: Plaza Indonesia, Grand Indonesia, Senayan City, Plaza Senayan, FX Sudirman, Kelapa Gading Mall 1 and 3, Bellezza Shopping Arcade, Lippo Mall Puri, Neo Soho, Villa Delima, Office 8, Pondok Indah Mall 2, South Quarter, TMII, MOI, PIK, and Bintaro XChange Mall 2.
Instagram @thefoodhall.id
GrandLucky
This vast supermarket is wonderful to content yourself with aisle after aisle of renowned pastries, imported snacks, and fresh quality raw meats and produce. Not only food, GrandLucky provides a range of home appliances in case you forgot to pack a pan or are simply in dire need of a freshly-scented softener. Make your way to the outlet in SCBD whenever you have the chance. The dreary stroll around the space will get you starved but on the bright side, the beloved GrandLucky Pizza outlet is sold here. Its large size and cheesiness received the appraisal of shoppers and non-shoppers alike.
Multiple locations: SCBD, Radio Dalam, Paragon, PIK @ Central Market, MOI, Harapan Indah, Ancol, and Cinere.
Instagram @GrandLuckyID
Kem Chicks
An extensive array of imported products has been an upper-middle-class treasure since 1970. Kem Chicks may have been long in the game of this specific classification, but its consistency never fails. Shoppers can find the likes of American cereals, Arghan nan bread, Hoegaarden, Australian vegetables, and European cheese among cleaning tools and ready-to-eat food made by experienced chefs among the local treats in store.
Multiple locations: Pacific Place, Kemang, and Golf Island PIK.
Instagram @kemchicks_pacificplace; @kemchicks_kemang; and @kemchicks_golfisland
Hero
Initially targeted for the Indonesian market, Hero has reeled in the capital’s expats due to its strive to continuously develop exceptional shopping experiences. Each Hero outlet provides an ample lineup of daily household products namely, food and beverages, as well as fresh produce from the best local and overseas producers.
Multiple locations: Terogong Raya, Villa Kemang, Pondok Indah Mall 1, Permata Hijau, Pakubuwono, Emerald Bintaro, and Gondangdia.
Instagram @herosupermarket
Papaya
Blok M is dubbed “The Little Tokyo of Jakarta” thus, it only makes sense for this Japanese supermarket to be a gateway of diverse, essential Japanese ingredients such as curry mixes and more. Think Japanese radish and Japanese cucumber. Even karaage-sized chicken cutlets are prepared and ready to be cooked at home! More so, Papaya presents readymade side dishes, sushi, and bento in the Sozai section to eat on the spot or from the comfort of your couch.
Jl. Melawai Raya No.28, Melawai, Jakarta Selatan.
Instagram @papaya_jakarta