Eating and Reading in Jakarta

I spend a lot time reading at eating places in Jakarta. These days I would even consider myself fortunate that I do not have a taste for expensive or Western food--I don't have to worry about eating at places that could be potential terrorist targets.

Though the best food in Jakarta can be found at many roadside hawker stalls, eating at these places could be a hassle as you are constantly harrassed by an endless stream of pengamins (street musicians) and asongans (street vendors peddling everything from locally-made Sutra condoms to English-Indonesian dictionaries to fake Mont Blanc pens).

This is especially so at Peconangan--a popular eating street near Kota (Chinatown) where one can find everything from sate babi to sup bak-kut to kodok goreng. One needs to have lots of 500 rupiah coins handy to feed and steer these persistent street serenaders away.

Whenever I'm eating alone and need to do some reading before and after my meal, I would choose a local restaurant that's not too crowded and have well-lighted tables. Bakmi Gang Kelinci at Jalan Sabang is one such place. Ocassionally I also eat and read at Ayam Goreng Priangan, often indulging myself in a good cup of kopi tubruk after a satisfying Sundanese meal.

My usual place for nasi padang is Sederhana which is arguably the most popular "chain" of nasi padang restaurants in Jakarta. Even though a typical nasi padang restaurant is usually very busy, I could still manage some reading there as they are quite comfortable and very well lighted; not to mention the fact that they also serve a very good glass of jus alpukat (avocado juice).

Sometimes I also read at Warung Si Boy, right in front of my hotel, while enjoying a good bowl of Indomie rebus with teh hangat tawar. Costs me only 3,500 rupiah. Sometimes Si Boy's pretty sister would strike up a friendly conversation with me (Dari mana? Jepang?). Fortunately, there are not many pengamins there but one occassionally encounters a scary-looking banci (transvestite or pondan) jingling noisily by your side with a tambourine made from bottle-caps. A 500 rupiah coin will shoo him/her away.

I am not a very good judge of food as I am usually too engrossed in the book that I'm reading (not a recommended habit as one might end up swallowing things that one shouldn't), but I find Laksmi Patmunjak's Jakarta: Good Food Guide, the best reference for street-side food in Jakarta.

People always question me whether Jakarta is a safe place to go to, let alone live in. All I can say is: I have good food, good books and good friends here for company--what more could one ask for?

Bon appetit!