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A delicate 'soto ceker' to end the night
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'Soto ceker' (chicken feet soup) at Soto Ceker Pak Gendut. (Good Indonesian Food/File)
J
akartans from all walks of life should be more than familiar with Soto Ceker Pak Gendut. Most people come here because it is open until the wee hours—from 6 p.m. until 3 a.m. The opportunity to sample a warm and flavorful soup at midnight is a temptation that is simply too difficult to resist, which explains why this place gets even more crowded after the sun checks out for the day.
Despite its legion of fans, Soto Ceker Pak Gendut has been located under a couple of tents at a street corner off Jl. Sabang in Central Jakarta since it first opened for business in the 1990s. Its success has led to the opening of two other branches in the capital.
I can still count the number of the times I’ve been to this place on one hand, despite its celebrated status. It’s not the food that’s keeping me from going there; it’s the packed area that I need to go through to reach it. This is why I went crazy the last time I ate there.
(Read also: Top Soto Betawi picks you shouldn't miss)
I opted for a bowl of its soto ceker (chicken feet soup) and an additional soto ranjau (chicken bone soup) along with a plate of steamed rice. Before I devoured them, I reminisced about my first visit here, when I thought that soto ranjau was a soto filled with “ranjau” (“booby traps”) such as red-hot chilies. Suffice to say, I was definitely wrong.
The soto ranjau here tastes way better than any other of its kind, with the chicken bones still covered with quite a great deal of meat. Soto Ceker Pak Gendut excels in its soto soup, which enhances every element inside it with a burst of flavors. And then there is the chicken feet in its soto ceker that are succulent and soft in texture.
It’s time to get off your sofa and make your way to Jl. Sabang for a taste or two of Pak Gendut’s signature dishes. (kes)
Jl. H. Agus Salim, Central Jakarta
Open daily from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Rp 20,000 (US$1.50) per person
Explore more Indonesian cuisines here.
