Rumah Makan Linggarjati

Jl. Balonggede No. 1

As one of the longest-established Chinese-Indonesian bakmi joints in the city (founded in 1950), a large chunk of Rumah Makan Linggarjati’s patrons perceive eating out at the shop as a culture.

While it may be a bit farfetched to say the noodles served there were cooked to perfection, they may well come quite close: soft, yet with a bite to them, with just the right level of oiliness, and toppings and sauce that are not too overwhelming for the palate.

All of this comes with a hearty yet not-too-dense broth that makes one mull over the possible delicate preparation involved in the process. One of the preferred pairings there would be the shop’s specialty es alpukat (blended avocado).

Kedai Wanmin

Jl. Semar No. 30

Kedai Wanmin may be the newest shop on this list, yet its Taiwanese dishes are definitely to-be-longed for, especially its variety of noodle dishes. A personal favorite would be its niu rou mian (beef noodle) with its rich, deep-flavored broth with jade guotie (lamb dumplings) and mala (hot sauce made from Szechuan peppercorns and chili) dips or wanmin pangsit (dumplings with mala sauce). Its slices of brisket toppings, however, could be better prepared.

Suan sa mian (spicy and sour noodle) comes second with its tangy broth and fairly-numbing-yet-pleasant aftertaste. Most of the noodle dishes here are interchangeable with rice or sweet potato glass noodles, which the shop noted as an effort to be as “authentic as possible”. Its assortment of Chinese teas is a must-try.

Bakmi Tasik Gardu Jati

Jl. Gardujati No.35

Bakmi Tasik Gardu Jati is a humble roadside cart that offers a concentrated selection of noodle dishes well into the afternoon from 5 p.m. until past midnight. The cart serves a more-than-generous serving of noodles that towers over the bowl with toppings: try mixing the noodles and toppings without spilling them.

While other places also offer babat (tripe) as toppings, it is quite puzzling how Bakmi Tasik Gardu Jati’s noodle is perceived to only be “whole” with its babat, even for those who are not keen on eating offals. I, for one, had my first taste of babat here, and I loved it despite how much I have always hated its appearance.

Mie Lezat Gang Luna

Jl. Luna No. 1

Calm and collected might be the two words that I would use to describe the noodle dishes at Mie Lezat Gang Luna. The taste is straightforward, yet it came across as rather sophisticated for a dish that is made up of such a minimum number of components.

The noodles came with just the right consistency and were fairly oily (which is a good thing, especially for the rica noodles), with a light overall feel. The shop is located in a narrow alley just off one of Bandung’s busiest streets, Jl. Jend. Sudirman.

Bakmi Jowo DU 67

Jl. Dipati Ukur No. 67

In the early 2010s, arriving customers at Bakmi Jowo DU 67 would be greeted by a row of cooks furiously working their woks over drums of blazing charcoal. These days, however, kitchen activities are pretty much separate, albeit still visible from the shop’s eastern side after the city’s sidewalk renovations in 2016.

The shop serves authentic noodle dishes, the kind that are well assimilated into Javanese culture, with a less-frills approach compared to Javanese places that are usually gimmicky. Its noodles fall on the thicker side of the girth spectrum and are served with deep smoky broth, especially when you order the once-secret/off-menu mie goreng nyemek (fried noodles with broth).

Enjoy a set of nasgitel tea (a Javanese term for hot and strong/ thick) served in a traditional Javanese clay pot.

Sigli Jaya

Jl. Tubagus Ismail No. 22

Seemingly a one-man operation (two, at times) mostly run by a lone ranger with a thick mustache hailing from the coasts of Sigli, Special Region of Aceh, Sigli Jaya has been one of the main providers of spicy noodles in the northern part of Bandung for at least the past three decades, conscientiously filling the bellies of university students staying up late in an effort to meet their assignments’ deadlines.

Its noodles are authentic to Acehnese cuisine with a deep, red, heavily spiced broth that seamlessly complements the homemade thick noodle served with a side of Acehnese pickled shallots, cucumber and fried peanuts.

A no-fuss establishment serving authentic and reasonably priced, if not cheap, Acehnese noodles.

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