Hunger has no bedtime: Jakarta's late night eateries

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 07/04/2009 12:59 PM  |  City

The wee hours of the morning often spell disaster for the gastric demands of Jakarta's 24-hour party people and nocturnal laborers.

Intense late-night clubbing or working warrants a good meal. Of course fast-food chain restaurants provide never ending supplies of burgers and fries. However, the more adventurous might seek more variety in their dawn-culinary excursions.

"I usually go to Kemang for my late night eating," Gofar, a 24-year-old Jakartan who currently runs his own business told The Jakarta Post. "The dim sum place there is quite dependable. I go there at 4 a.m and it is still open."

His business of purchasing items for state ministries, as well as his active social life, often means he eats late.

Danar Pramesti, a singer in a reggae band, who often spends the night in the studio or on stage, said that she relied on the restaurants and hawkers on Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta, to quench her appetite after performing or recording.

"Sometimes my band and I go to restaurants in the Sarinah building to get Western food," she said, "But more often, we go to hawkers behind the Wisma Nusantara building to eat really good ayam gohyong *Chinese-style chicken dish* or sate."

The hawkers might not offer air conditioning, but she considers eating there a good bargain. "The dining experience is far from fancy. A rain might mean the end of your meal, but the food is delicious."

Sometimes Danar also goes to the street near Menteng Park in Central Jakarta, where hawkers galore offer a range of food from dumplings to hotdogs and fried rice. However, the Menteng food zone is only open until 3 a.m.

Tebet in South Jakarta, famed for its clothes shops and cafes, also has a few 24-hour hunger solutions.

"After a night out, I can always count on the Bubur Ayam Sukabumi place near my house," Mirna Aprilla, a graphic designer said, "It's cheap and generous in its servings. A favorite among my friends is the chicken broth porridge with raw egg on top."

Even though only several of her office friends live in Tebet, almost all of them know about the porridge place. "Everybody knows that place, and people from different areas go there every night," she said.

Another famous spot in Tebet is the Warmo, a 24-hour food place offering all kinds of Indonesian dishes to go with rice, Mirna said.

The settings might be humble, just a bigger version of a warteg (food places where one eats on a narrow table facing a glass display of food available), but the abundance of choices makes the place very practical, especially for those craving home-style dishes.

"I don't eat there, because I think they are not very hygienic, but most of my friends keep going back for late night meals," Mirna said. (dis)

Jakarta's 24 hour and late night eating options

South Jakarta
Bubur Ayam Sukabumi - Chicken porridge and Chinese food, the Nasi Gila (stir-fried rice) is recommended aside from the porridge. Jl. Tebet Barat Dalam II No 2. Open 24 hours
Wafa - Fried rice and grilled sandwiches filled with treats such as bananas, chocolate and cheese. Jl. Tebet Utara. Open 24 hours
Warteg Warmo - Indonesian home-style cooking. Tebet Raya Junction. Open 24 hours
Dim Sum Festival and Manzoku- Chinese and Japanese food, as the name implies. Jl. Kemang Raya - Kemang food festival. Open 24 hours

Central Jakarta
Thamrin Area - The Oh la la cafe and Hot Planet Restaurant, both serve Western food, are open 24 hours. Sarinah Building, Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta
Menteng Area - The small street near Hotel Formule1 and Menteng Park, Central Jakarta, is filled with hawkers, they are closed at around 3 a.m.
Pecenongan area - Jl. Pecenongan, Central Jakarta, is known for its abundance of Chinese food, the hawkers are open until late.

North Jakarta
Muara Angke Fish Market- Pluit, North Jakarta. Pick your own catch from the market and have it cooked the way you like it: stir fried, grilled, or deep fried. Expect to come out of the area smelling like a freshly caught crab, satisfied nonetheless. Open until around 4 a.m

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