I chanced upon this local treat while I was paying a visit to one of the longest standing eateries in Tanjung Pandan: Kedai Mak Jannah. A well-known establishment among the locals, it was founded in 1970 and its rising popularity since then has seen it become the go-to culinary stopover for both local and international tourists.

Its signature dish is, of course, soto Belitung, which has an appearance that is very similar to lontong sayur (rice cakes with vegetable stew in coconut milk soup) and shares more or less the same composition of ingredients.

(Read also: Nusa Kuliner app puts spotlight on Indonesia's traditional cuisines)

It consists of a bowl of flavorful coconut milk soup filled with rice cakes, rice vermicelli, potato and shredded beef and topped with fried shallots and kerupuk emping (seed crackers). Its smooth coconut milk soup combines well with the soft shredded beef, and lends a flavor that could set any tongue wagging.

Kedai Mak Jannah’s opening hours are quite short, with morning being the most hectic time of the day. For many of the city’s residents, a serving of soto Belitung has become the favorite way to start their day. The strategic location in the city center makes Kedai Mak Jannah easy to reach before they continue on with their daily activities.

While I was there, I took the opportunity to discover the history behind Kedai Mak Jannah by conversing with its affable owner Pak Ucu, who is the grandson of the shop’s founder. “My grandparents laid the foundations of this business by opening a small warung not for from here. Not long after, they moved to this current location. Back then, it was located a bit further to the back and the building itself was a lot more modest. Fortunately, the local government conducted a redevelopment of this area three years ago by building modern shops,” he said. (kes)

Explore more about Indonesian cuisine here.

 

Where: Kawasan KV Senang, Jl. Veteran, Tanjung Pandan

Opening hours: Opens daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.