I have always wanted to explore Jakarta street food as Indonesian cuisine has a strong influence in nearby Johor and Singapore. Nasi padang, mee soto and ayam penyet are all Indonesian, just to name a few.
Recently, I had the opportunity to try out Indonesian street food thanks to Jakarta Tourism Office and Winsemius Consulting. I've been to Jakarta several times in the past on business before my blogging days but never had the chance to experience the Jakarta streets. (Always cloistered in hotels and fed hotel or conference food.)
Jakarta street hawkers have the same buzz, energy and rhythm as the colossal city. The amazing self contained push cart kitchen stalls are small and narrow so that they can weave in and out of the ebb and flow of the city's famous traffic.
Most are one-man operations.
Yet the tiny stalls can whip up delicious hot meals and homely comfort to many customers everyday. This reflects the ingenuity, resourcefulness and hardy determination of the street vendors.
The texture, aroma, flavour and colour of the dish is a window to the hawker, his customers, the city they live in and their hometown.
The variety of food served by street vendors reflect the cosmopolitan metropolis of Jakarta. Street food from every corner of the archipelago find their way to the Capital and financial centre of the vast country.
Read more in Johor Kaki Indonesian food travel blog. (Acknowledgement: I had the privilege to experience Jakarta street food for three days, sponsored by Jakarta Tourism Office and arranged by Russell Cheong of Winsemius Consulting. Thank you so much.)
I have always wanted to explore Jakarta street food as Indonesian cuisine has a strong influence in nearby Johor and Singapore. Nasi padang, mee soto and ayam penyet are all Indonesian, just to name a few.
Recently, I had the opportunity to try out Indonesian street food thanks to Jakarta Tourism Office and Winsemius Consulting. I've been to Jakarta several times in the past on business before my blogging days but never had the chance to experience the Jakarta streets. (Always cloistered in hotels and fed hotel or conference food.)
Jakarta street hawkers have the same buzz, energy and rhythm as the colossal city. The amazing self contained push cart kitchen stalls are small and narrow so that they can weave in and out of the ebb and flow of the city's famous traffic.
Most are one-man operations.
Yet the tiny stalls can whip up delicious hot meals and homely comfort to many customers everyday. This reflects the ingenuity, resourcefulness and hardy determination of the street vendors.
The texture, aroma, flavour and colour of the dish is a window to the hawker, his customers, the city they live in and their hometown.
The variety of food served by street vendors reflect the cosmopolitan metropolis of Jakarta. Street food from every corner of the archipelago find their way to the Capital and financial centre of the vast country.
Read more in Johor Kaki Indonesian food travel blog. (Acknowledgement: I had the privilege to experience Jakarta street food for three days, sponsored by Jakarta Tourism Office and arranged by Russell Cheong of Winsemius Consulting. Thank you so much.)
Whenever I visit Indonesia, I would not miss the uniquely Indonesian hidang style of nasi padang.
The playful smorgasbord of colours reminds me of a child's kaleidoscope and it is equally enchanting. The plates of colourful dishes are passed and spun around the round table, just like those ever changing colourful beads in a real kaleidoscope.
Our noses are treated to a heady twirling dance of aromas. We drool. Our minds, engaged in a silent, private battle between our urge to indulge and our resolve to watch those calories and cholesterol.
Resistance is pointless, and so, we begin.
A riot of flavours assail our taste buds. Tangy, sweet, bitter, and even different levels of spicy hot pleasure.
Hell breaks lose in foodies' heaven. But, no one is even thinking of running away.
Our tongues are massaged and pampered by contrasting textures from crispy to tender, dry to juicy, hard to soft, crunchy to mushy.
And, finally after the party - I know of few bonding meals as delicious and heart warming as hidang style nasi padang - we pay only for what we ate.
Food not eaten are returned, no questions asked - it's the tradition here :D
Read more about this charming Indonesia food heritage. (Acknowledgement: My trip to Jakarta was sponsored by Jakarta Tourism Office and organised by Russell Cheong of Winsemius Consulting. Thank you.)
Whenever I visit Indonesia, I would not miss the uniquely Indonesian hidang style of nasi padang.
The playful smorgasbord of colours reminds me of a child's kaleidoscope and it is equally enchanting. The plates of colourful dishes are passed and spun around the round table, just like those ever changing colourful beads in a real kaleidoscope.
Our noses are treated to a heady twirling dance of aromas. We drool. Our minds, engaged in a silent, private battle between our urge to indulge and our resolve to watch those calories and cholesterol.
Resistance is pointless, and so, we begin.
A riot of flavours assail our taste buds. Tangy, sweet, bitter, and even different levels of spicy hot pleasure.
Hell breaks lose in foodies' heaven. But, no one is even thinking of running away.
Our tongues are massaged and pampered by contrasting textures from crispy to tender, dry to juicy, hard to soft, crunchy to mushy.
And, finally after the party - I know of few bonding meals as delicious and heart warming as hidang style nasi padang - we pay only for what we ate.
Food not eaten are returned, no questions asked - it's the tradition here :D
Read more about this charming Indonesia food heritage. (Acknowledgement: My trip to Jakarta was sponsored by Jakarta Tourism Office and organised by Russell Cheong of Winsemius Consulting. Thank you.)
We have our char kway teow and Indonesia has kwetiau :D One of the most popular in Jakarta is Kwetiau Akang. Like our CKT, it has wok hei, lup cheong (Cantonese pork sausage), lard crackles, shrimps, taugeh, char siew, chye sim but wait, there is more. Akang's kwetiau is fried with savoury crab broth with half a dozen shelled crab claws tossed into the noodles before serving. The crab broth and claws really give Akang's kwetiau a savoury edge that only crabs could. Char kway teow fanatics - leaving Jakarta without trying Kwetiau Akang is a big mistake :D Read More.
(Acknowledgement: My trip to Jakarta was sponsored by Jakarta Tourism Office and organised by Russell Cheong of Winsemius Consulting. Thank you.)
We have our char kway teow and Indonesia has kwetiau :D One of the most popular in Jakarta is Kwetiau Akang. Like our CKT, it has wok hei, lup cheong (Cantonese pork sausage), lard crackles, shrimps, taugeh, char siew, chye sim but wait, there is more. Akang's kwetiau is fried with savoury crab broth with half a dozen shelled crab claws tossed into the noodles before serving. The crab broth and claws really give Akang's kwetiau a savoury edge that only crabs could. Char kway teow fanatics - leaving Jakarta without trying Kwetiau Akang is a big mistake :D Read More.
(Acknowledgement: My trip to Jakarta was sponsored by Jakarta Tourism Office and organised by Russell Cheong of Winsemius Consulting. Thank you.)
