If you have seen my Instagram stories during my Jakarta trip, you would know how it started off with a horrible situation which involved a 12-hour delayed flight and a lost luggage…on my birthday! I still cannot get over this aggravation. Thanks, American Airlines. Not that you cared.
What better way to get over stress, anger and frustration than pig out?
Not that I need an excuse to pig out.
Nasi Goreng
Nasi Goreng, which literally means fried rice in Indonesian was a big hit for me. Any one close to me would know that I’m not the biggest fan of fried rice as I like my rice plain and steamed. Yet when I tried Indonesia’s version from People’s Cafe in Jakarta, I was into it. Though I must say, Kosenda Hotel’s Waha Kitchen should take the credit as I had their nasi goreng first and I was hooked.
Fried enoki and tofu
Fried enoki and tofu sprinkled with chili garlic and served with sweet chili Thai sauce.
Crispy Cireng
Crispy cireng is fried tapioca flour dumpling. I was not a big fan as it did not really taste like anything unless you dip it in sauce, plus the texture was rubbery. I noticed there was a lot of fried food on the menu and they reminded me of some of the Filipino dishes I know.
Nasi Uduk Ayam Goreng
For a real Indonesian treat, the Nasi Uduk Ayam Goreng is pretty much a sampler dish. It consists of an Indonesian-style steamed rice cooked in coconut milk, served with sweet soy egg, stir fried tempeh and tofu, fried glass noodle, fried chicken wings, krupuk and lalapan. I’m a big fan of beautifully presented dishes, especially when they taste good. Also, check out the very familiar krupuk (deep fried dried starch and other ingredients, the most popular is prawn and fish), or as I know it, kropek in the Philippines. I love those things! This is making me really hungry.
Now let’s talk about my favorite part – dessert.
Es Cendol
As I naturally have a Southeast Asian palette, Es Cendol was almost nothing new to me. Es Cendol is a dark-green rice flour jelly sweet drink served with shaved ice, coconut milk, palm sugar topped with chopped jackfruit. It kind of reminded me of the Buko Pandan. This drink is obviously the modern version of Indonesia’s traditional beverage. It was refreshing. It was delicious. It was perfect for the hot Indonesian weather.
Mango Shake
Another perfect hot weather drink is the infamous mango shake. Whenever I am somewhere that offers any form of mango drink, I drink it any chance I get. It is my ultimate favorite. I grew up drinking mango shakes more than drinking water.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it and let me know your thoughts by commenting below. You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more travel adventures!
Jen is a Chicago-based traveler and creative. She is a full-time development & communications executive specializing in non-profit organizations. Originally from the East Coast, she created The Jetsetter as a place to share her travel stories and photos with friends and family. Now, it is a place for adventurers and dreamers. Its purpose is to inspire and encourage busy professionals to see the world and achieve a better work-life balance.
OMG! I started to salivate reading your post!! Everything looked delish!
I appreciate how you are honest about your review of the dishes! I really appreciate genuine posts and not to mention the great close-up food photos. That’s what really made me feel as though I might be sitting at the same table with you!
Thanks for the review. I would love to taste this Es Cendol. This drink taste sweet and savory, is it right ? I imagine this is a combination of sweet from the palm sugar and savory from the coconut milk… Now I get my mouth watering 🙂
That mango shake looks so yummy! How stressful to lose your luggage and to endure such a long delay. I’m glad you got some great food after all that. Definitely makes up for it!
Mmmm, all that fried food with rice looks so yummy! Definitely, need a meal like that after your horrible experience with delays and lost luggage…ON YOUR BDAY 🙁
What a disastrous start to your trip! Luckily the rest of it was better. All the foods there looks absolutely delicious.
AA can be a real POS! Good thing you had all that delicious comforting stuff to eat. I adore fried rice. Sooo bloody hungry now and craving exactly that!
I looooove Nasi Goreng and Es Cendol!!! Also loving Es Jeruk! It’s my go to drink when in Indonesia. <3
Glad you made it eventually 🙂 Delays and lost luggage is always frustrating. Love Nasi Goreng. Had in Malaysia and Singapore and miss it! Haven’t tried the Indonesian version yet!! Pictures making me hungry!!
I love all the variety in these dishes. I can imagine the different flavors and interest in each dish. It is really amazing. Wonderful pictures as well. I learned so much about foods I have not had the opportunity to try yet!