One dish that is an ideal balanced meal for lunch is gado-gado (mixed vegetable salad with rice and peanut sauce).

Here are five gado-gado places that you should try out.

Gado-Gado Bonbin

A renowned gado-gado shop revered by Jakarta’s culinary enthusiasts, its signature dish is its gado-gado siram (mixed vegetable salad topped with roasted peanut sauce), which is served by soaking the vegetables in its velvety peanut sauce made from skinned roasted peanuts. Also worth taste testing are its cincau hitam (black grass jelly) and cendol (rice flour jelly with coconut milk and syrup).

Jl. Cikini IV, No. 5, Central Jakarta

Contact: 021 314 1539/392 5404

Open daily from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Gado-Gado Direksi

The luminaries that have dined here include Megawati and the late Gus Dur. Due to its popularity among directors and higher-ups led to its moniker Gado-Gado Direksi. Its peanut sauce is handmade by its owner and is sweet, salty, tangy and spicy.

Jl. Pintu Besar Selatan II, Pancoran Kita (behind Gloria), West Jakarta

Contact: 021 9253 1495/0812 940 8926

Open daily from 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

(Read also: 5 perfect traditional snacks for a get-together)

Gado-Gado Cemara

With two outlets under its name currently in operation – in Tanah Abang and Setiabudi One – this gado-gado place is quite esteemed because it has been in existence since 1947. One of its unique traits is the combination of cashew nuts and peanuts in its peanut sauce, which lends to a very special flavor. It serves generous gado-gado portions, so one should be enough for your lunch.

Setiabudi One Building, unit A211, Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said, Kav. 62, South Jakarta

Contact: 021 252 4383

Open daily from 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Gado-Gado Boplo

While most gado-gado shops use peanuts for the sauce, Gado-Gado Boplo uses cashew nuts instead. The vegetables that are served alongside the cashew nut sauce are half-cooked in order to maintain their fibrous texture.

Jl. Panglima Polim IX, No. 124, South Jakarta

Contact: 021 724 8334

Open daily from 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Gado-Gado Kartika

Slightly hidden, one would need to have a walkabout around the shops in Pondok Indah to find it, as it is situated further back from the main road. Besides gado-gado, its varied menu also includes ketoprak (vegetables, vermicelli noodles and tofu salad), lontong sayur (rice cakes in vegetable stew with coconut milk), opor ayam (chicken in a coconut milk stew) and an assortment of icy desserts. (kes)

Ruko Pondok Indah Plaza 2, Jl. Sekolah Duta V/BA 54, Pondok Pinang, Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta

Contact: 021 750 1555

Open daily from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Explore more Indonesian cuisines here.