A hot bowl of meatballs before catching the next train or bus to return home after a long day at work is often a treat for weary commuters. In the past, information on decent food available near stations or bus stops might be spread verbally among coworkers or fellow passengers. But in the digital era where social media presence is everything, sharing these gems is now as easy as posting on Instagram.

Although there are smartphone applications for food hunters that provide information on places to eat, Instagram account @darihalte_kehalte stands out by providing information on culinary options located near public transportation stops such as Transjakarta bus stops and MRT, LRT and commuter line railway stations.

The account, which had its first post in early March, has raked in more than 7,000 followers, mostly posting photos of food complete with location information on the popular photo-sharing app.

One post included Nasi Uduk Abah Chentet, a modest diner serving Betawi-style nasi uduk (coconut milk and steamed rice with side dishes) located in Bendungan Hilir in Central Jakarta. “For those whose office is in the Jl. Sudirman area, you should try Nasi Uduk Abah Chentet. It’s about 400 meters from Bendungan Hilir Transjakarta Bus Stop,” the caption reads.

Freelancer Juan Adrian, 34, recently tried special Yogyakarta dish gudeg (jackfruit stew) from the Gudeg Bu Tinah restaurant near Gondangdia commuter line station in Central Jakarta after looking at Instagram stories shared on the account. After following the account for a while as an alternative reference to find places to hang out and eat, Juan is no longer just a passive follower having sent several recommendations to @darihalte_kehalte himself. Followers can snap their food and include the information on location to their Instagram stories by tagging @darihalte_kehalte, which will then repost it on its stories.

Juan, who is a frequent Transjakarta rider, praised the account, calling it informative, as it not only shared information on food and nice places but also linked it with transit stops to facilitate commuters. “It also encourages us to take public transportation. So, there are two objectives accomplished, eating good food and using public transportation,” he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Civil servant Fransisca Sinambela, 28, also finds the account helpful. Commuting every working day from the satellite city of Depok, West Java, Fransisca said she regularly took commuter line trains followed by a Transjakarta bus to her office in South Jakarta. “It lets us know that there are a lot of choices near stations or bus stops,” Fransisca said.

She recently tried Kopi Tuang coffee shop in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, which was located near the Blok M shopping area and MRT station.

The account is run by 39-year-old freelance social media strategist Prabowo who had the inspiration for creating @darihalte_kehalte after sharing a meal on his own personal Instagram account one day back in December. At that time, he got to an event by riding a Transjakarta bus. On his way back, before getting on the bus again he visited a nearby restaurant serving bakmi (noodle soup), snapped the photo and posted it on his Instagram. One of his followers commented and asked about the location of the noodle place.

“I forgot where it was. My friend then suggested that I make an account to post eating places that I have visited so other people can also visit them,” Prabowo told the Post.

He was also inspired by a copy of Travel Leisure SEA magazine that he brought when visiting Bangkok in 2007. One of the articles in the magazine showcased hotspots near Bangkok Metro stations.

However, as he acknowledged that foodies with Instagram accounts are rife in the city, he knew that he needed to make his account stand out among the crowd.

“Therefore, I started to post about eating places near Transjakarta bus stops,” Prabowo said.

The account @darihalte_kehalte was finally born on March 2. As that time was also near to the opening of the MRT, Prabowo decided to add restaurants, cafes and street food places near MRT and commuter line stations, as well as those near bus stops.

Prabowo claimed he kept the account independent by focusing on independently owned and small businesses.

“We focus on small and independent stalls and we also refrain from posting those places that are inside malls,” he said.

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