An array of culinary delights is on offer in Jakarta, with varied tastes from traditional and oriental to international and experimental.

The thing about living in Jakarta, or any other big city in Indonesia for that matter, is the fact that you'€™ll never run out of places to eat, especially at night.

In most cases, stores that only open during the day will have its porches transformed into a designated street-side eatery from sun down to early morning.

If you'€™re new to the capital city and have some time to kill during the night, here are a handful of areas that are known for their culinary delights starting from sunset, places that will certainly allow you to have a whole new dining experience in the capital.

Benhil area

Bendungan Hilir, the entrance of which can be found across the street from Atma Jaya University on Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, might be your typical traditional Indonesian market during the day. But when the clock hits seven, the closed stores will almost magically transform into a hip setting, filled with stalls selling traditional cuisine, from noodles to satay.

Santiga Seafood, for example, is one of the stars of Benhil'€™s illusive eateries with mongering passengers hungry for more fish. Previously located in front of the BCA building near the street entrance, the highly sought-after eatery has since moved further south to Jl. Fatmawati. From different fishes to calamari and prawns getting fried and grilled Chinese style, the place consistently filled with more people night after night.

Yet, lazy customers looking to have a taste of Benhil should happily settle with one of the finest Satay Padang in the city, the Takana Juo, or the unforgettable Saroja Soto Mi or the ever crowded Bubur Ayam ANZ. Time and time again, these stalls exist to remind us that some of the best food can in fact be discovered on the street.

Kemang Street

For more upscale choices, the ever busy street of Kemang is certain to be even busier during the night, as the area is brimming with lights from cars lining up trying to get a place in the area. Kemang does not have your typical street stalls; instead it is swarmed with upscale restaurants striving to offer new culinary experiences for the affluent.

Join the local crowd under the woven ceiling of Queens Head or mingle with your fellow tourists at Murphy'€™s Irish Pub. And while you are at it, dare yourself to enjoy traditional cuisine served with a touch of elegance at Payon Restaurant or simply dip yourself in our old history at Colonial Cuisine and Molecular.

While these aren'€™t your typical restaurants, Kemang is definitely the place to be if you want to boost your evening with the perfect dining experience.

Reservations are certainly key to ensuring you get a spot, but it never hurt to just park the car somewhere and start walking. While dining could be a good way to pass the time in Kemang, the area is filled with not just that. Open your eyes and you will discover interesting shops and binges offering many other things from books to souvenirs.

Pasar Santa

But if you are up for some experimental flavors, the many out-of-the-box culinary items served by young entrepreneurs at Pasar Santa might as well be your path to enlightenment.

Finding the market might prove to be troublesome, as most of the minimalist decorated stalls are cozily located on the top floor of a rundown traditional market building at Kebayoran, South Jakarta. The building is quite secluded as well, which prompts first timers to ask around for directions. Though major street constructions on highways leading to it might have caused increased congestion during the day, cheeky customers coming in for the evening do tend to get what they want any other way.

The first person that will greet you upstairs will be a DOG, or the casually abbreviated Dude of Gourmet. Leading the current youth bistro trend, DOG offers not just a giant black hot dog, but a non-stereotypical idea that a team of trendy-guys wearing black aprons can actually cook like pros.

And it is only the beginning. Exploring the area will introduce you to other conceptual stores selling funky, hipster knackers. There are places such as Kicchin, whose decoration alone brings the Japanese street vendor to life, Roast Beef Gusto and their rich interpretation of busty beef Italian sandwiches, Koedapan with its way of mixing and matching popular groundbreaking snacks into one, doubling its groundbreaking effect and so on, all presented in such a manner that is not just pleasing to the eye, but also the taste buds.

Obviously, there are other areas which are known for their culinary delights throughout the city. Areas like Kelapa Gading, where, as the saying goes, all the residents stopped cooking dinner because eating out is much tastier. There is also the Melawai and Mayestic areas of Blok M, which have secret markets selling all types of traditional cookies and snacks starting very early at the ungodly hour of 3 a.m.

With all that being said, most Indonesians would agree that once you get hungry, whatever time it is, thank God you are in Jakarta, where down the street is a new food haven waiting to be discovered.

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