It is known for its plethora of eating spots, digital printing as well as photocopy shops and beauty salons. During Ramadhan, Benhil is also one of the most sought-after places to buy iftar (breaking-of-the-fast meal) items.

How to get there

For those who are interested in visiting this place, there is a Transjakarta bus stop on Jl. Sudirman that goes to Benhil. If you are coming from Menteng, you can hop on a Transjakarta bus via the Sarinah bus stop. You also can get on a Transjakarta bus at the Blok M bus stop with Blok M – Kota as the route.

Bemo (three-wheeled public transportation vans) are still plying routes on Jl. Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta.(Tribunnews.com/File)

Benhil also has public transportation that moves along the street, among them are APB JP03, which serves the Bendungan Hilir – Roxy route, and bemo (three-wheeled public transportation van) that serves the Bendungan Hilir – Pejompongan route.

What to wear

It is suggested to wear casual, comfortable clothes if you decide to walk along Benhil, especially if you want to explore various street food vendors that open hours before iftar. Also, wear shoes since there are not many sidewalks.

What to visit

One of the renowned landmarks of Jl. Benhil is the Mintohardjo Navy Hospital (RSAL). It used to be known for its hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber that is used to help athletes recover. The hospital also offers other medical services, such as gynecology and physiotherapy.

What to do

There are beauty salons on Jl. Benhil to pamper yourself, among them are Inan Salon and Laris Love Salon. Inan is situated not too far from the border between Jl. Benhil and Jl. Penjernihan II and focuses on women’s treatment only. It is recommended to try their spa treatment with the price starting from Rp 125,000 (US$9). The salon’s operational hours start from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Inan Salon, a female-only establishment, on June 1.(JP/Wienda Parwitasari)

Meanwhile, Laris Love Salon is located not too far from Benhil Market. With services starting from Rp 30,000, it is recommended to try their blow dry treatment. The salon opens from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends.

Where to shop

Jl. Benhil is haven for street food vendors, especially several hours before iftar. There are two main spots that should be visited. The first one is an area right beside Benhil Market that sells many traditional foods, snacks and beverages. You can find various types of gorengan (fried snacks), Padang dishes, lemang ( food made from glutinous rice, coconut milk and salt, then cooked in a hollowed bamboo stick), bubur sumsum (rice porridge with palm sugar sauce), kolak pisang (sweet banana dessert) and other sweet treats. Prices start at Rp 15,000.

If you drive your own vehicle, there is sufficient parking for both cars and motorcycles.

Read also: Jakpost guide to Rawa Belong

There are two main spots that should be visited on Jl. Bendungan Hilir. The first one is an area right beside Benhil Market that sells many traditional foods, snacks and beverages.(JP/Wienda Parwitasari)

The second spot is near the 7-11 minimarket and Community Space RW 01 Benhil that provides various snacks and main dishes for iftar, among them are gorengan, dim sum, tahu gejrot (fried tofu in sweet spicy sauce), nasi uduk (steamed rice cooked in coconut milk with side dishes) and tempe mendoan (batter-fried tempeh).

A plethora of Indonesian street foods can be found on Jl. Bendungan Hilir.(JP/Wienda Parwitasari)

In addition to the aforementioned spots, you can also find street food sellers throughout Jl. Benhil. Some of them offer es buah ( fruit cocktail), Padang dishes, gorengan and other types of foods to eat during iftar.

In addition to street foods, Jl. Benhil is also known as the center of digital printing and photocopy shops. One of the shops is Bintang Sempurna that is situated not too far from Balai Warga RW 01 Benhil. It specializes in digital copy up until size of A0++, binding service and printing. 

Bintang Sempurna specializes in digital copy (JP/Wienda Parwitasari)

What to eat

Located not too far from Mintohardjo Navy Hospital, Goedkoop offers Indonesian-Dutch delicacies. Aside from providing a homey ambiance inside the café, Goedkoop also offers interesting menus, such as Patate that consists of crispy, savory potato fries, and Pannekoek with Apple & Homemade Classic Caramel Sauce. As for beverages, you should try their Frappie and coffees. The average prices start from Rp 25,000.

Mie Aceh udang at Mie Aceh Seulawah restaurant.(JP/Wienda Parwitasari)

During and after iftar, you can visit Mie Aceh Seulawah that is located across the Mintohardjo Navy Hospital. The restaurant’s popular menu, mie aceh (thick yellow noodles with curry sauce), consists of some variants, namely mie kepiting (noodles with crab) and mie udang (noodles with shrimp). It is also advised to try their roti cane (canai flatbread) whether it is sweet or savory, ayam tangkap (Aceh-style fried chicken) and sambal ganja (weed chili). The average prices start from Rp 20,000.

Tips:

• Be careful when crossing the street in Benhil, as it does not have a proper crosswalk.
• If you want to hunt for iftar street foods, it is highly recommended to come around 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. when the street is still not really packed.
• One of the popular restaurants in Benhil that sells Padang food, RM Surya, is closed this Ramadhan for renovation and will open three days after Lebaran.
• During the holy month, Mie Aceh Seulawah will open at 6 p.m. Prior to iftar, its delivery service is still available before and after 6 p.m.
• Bring some cash if you want to buy iftar street foods.
• It is highly recommended to visit Inan Salon as early as possible because the beauty spot can be full with customers in the afternoon and you cannot book your spot in advance. (kes)