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What to do on Transjakarta's Saturday night food tour
Jakarta residents now have something new to do on Saturday night thanks to a recently introduced culinary night tour facilitated by PT Transportasi Jakarta (Transjakarta).
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Jakartans now have access to a free culinary tour service offered by Transjakarta. (Shutterstock/-)
C
ity-owned bus operator Transjakarta launched a new route on May 20 dubbed “Art & Culinary”, which will allow Jakarta residents to enjoy free transportation to some of the most popular culinary destinations in Central Jakarta.
The route covers Monas, Balai Kota, Harmoni, Gedung Arsip, Museum Bank Indonesia, BNI 46, Sawah Besar and Pecenongan.
Available every Saturday between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m., the service is not yet available for booking, but passengers simply need to queue at any bus stop labelled "City Tour" along the route. As the buses stop at the same places as the regular city tour bus, passengers are advised to check with the bus conductor before boarding.
Presently, there are four double-decker buses in use for the program, with capacity to carry 69 passengers each. PT Transportasi Jakarta public relations Prasetia Budi told The Jakarta Post that there were plans to expand the route to other parts of the city.
Interested in trying the service? Here are some of the activities you can do on the tour:
(Read also: Five 'martabak' to try in Jakarta)
Explore traditional cuisine at Lenggang Jakarta
From the Monas 2 or Balai Kota stops, passengers can set off for Lenggang Jakarta, a culinary area near the Ikatan Restoran and Taman Indonesia (IRTI) Monas parking area.
Make sure your stomach is empty as you will find various Indonesian foods, from mie (noodles), sate (satay) and pempek (fish cakes served with vinegar and soybean sauce) to ayam taliwang (Lombok-style chicken) and gado-gado (vegetable salad with peanut sauce). In total, there are 329 vendors in the area, selling food, accessories and souvenirs.
As the sellers only accept e-money, you don't have to bring much cash with you.
Starting price: Rp 15,000 (US$1)
Enjoy a culinary trip in Kota Tua
From the bus stops at Museum Bank Indonesia or BNI 46, passengers can embark on a night tour to the oh-so-famous Kota Tua (Old Town).
Aside from enjoying the lively atmosphere, you can also try the delicacies available. Café Batavia and Kedai Seni Djakarte are among the must-visit cafes in the area thanks to their eye-catching decor.
(Read also: Embracing molecular gastronomy: A different dining perspective)
Looking for cheaper and more local options? Visit the street vendors around the site selling soto ayam (chicken soup), nasi goreng (fried rice) and ketupat sayur (rice cakes and vegetables with coconut milk).
Starting price: Rp 20,000 for street food
