Jakarta’s venerable Bakmi Gondangdia Lama or Bakmi Godila restaurant soldiers on in the face of various challenges

At a glance, the green, nondescript façade of Bakmi Gondangdia Lama or Bakmi Godila belies its standing as a preeminent specialist in bakmi, along with better-known establishments like Bakmi Gajah Mada, Bakmi Naga and Bakmi Gang Kelinci.

Located in Gondangdia Lama or Old Gondangdia, a subdistrict of Central Jakarta’s leafy Menteng district from which it derived its name, its nondescript green façade would be all too easy to overlook if not for the constant coming and going of customers. Signature dishes include mie ayam pangsit (chicken noodles with boiled or fried wontons) with or without bakso (meatballs), or its variations like mie ayam yamin (chicken with sweet soy sauce) with the same toppings, and more. 

The sense of heritage remains tangible. 

Hearty meals: Pictured are a plate of fuyung hai omelette and seafood cap cay or stir fry at Bakmi Godila. (JP/Tungul Wirajuda) (JP/Tungul Wirajuda)

Keeping it in the family

“[Bakmi Godila] was founded by Toe Wah Seng and Lim Kwi Fong in 1968, and the restaurant has been run by their descendants since. Now it is managed by Chandra, their great grandson,” said Bakmi Godila spokesperson Amar Fikri Zain. “So the restaurant has been a family business for four generations.” 

Since it opened, [Bakmi Godila] has been a hip place for well-heeled youth and celebrities in Menteng and other parts of Jakarta. 

“Back then, the regular customers included Bambang Trihatmodjo and Tommy Soeharto, the sons of late President Soeharto,” Amar asserted. “More recent customers included celebrity influencers like [YouTuber] Atta Halilintar and his wife Aurel as well as [singer] Ashanti, who came here in 2021. Their social media followers then came in their wake.”

Like other diners before them, the customers went for Bakmi Godila’s signature mie ayam or chicken noodles. The noodles, whose variations include chicken noodle with fried or boiled wonton (pangsit), meatballs or bakso, as well as bihun or rice vermicelli with the same toppings, have a chewy consistency that is characteristic of well-established bakmi restaurants. The tender chicken and mushrooms provide a savory melange of tastes, while the fried pangsitholds the different flavors together.

Amar said the freshness of the ingredients and generous portion is in line with Bakmi Godila’s commitment to “maintain the consistency and quality of its food, particularly the portion, taste and other elements of staples [like chicken noodles] since [Bakmi Godila’s founding] in 1968.”

Dig in!: Bakmi Godila’s customers tuck in to their food at lunchtime. (JP/Tungul Wirajuda) (JP/Tungul Wirajuda)

Weathering challenges through consistency

Amar added that consistency is the name of Bakmi Godila’s game, as the eatery’s menu “does not really follow trends like mi gacoan, which has been taking Jakarta’s culinary scene by storm. Instead, our menu is oriented towards an older, more middle-aged clientele, including those who have come here since our founding,” said Amar. 

“At the same time, we maintained our taste and standards to introduce a more authentic taste of bakmi to younger customers.”

While Bakmi Godila deserved credit for maintaining its standards, it did not escape the effects of inflation, COVID-19 or other challenges unscathed.

“My favorite item since its opening is the chicken noodles with boiled wontons,” said longtime-regular Soekendar. 

“While the dish is still wholesome and fresh for the most part, it still fell short compared to when the eatery started off, or even a few years ago. But I still consider it my go-to place for bakmi, even though there are a lot more bakmi places to choose from today compared to the ‘60s.”

The restaurant has seen its share of adversity, including a fire in 2014 that forced the establishment to relocate to the nearby Cikini district, and more serious challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic.

 “The coronavirus did affect our business, as the lockdown kept customers who would dine in or take away from us confined to their homes. Like other restaurants, we also faced competition from home-based startups,” Amar admitted. 

“But online food-delivery services from GoJek and Grab, as well as social media apps like Instagram proved helpful. Both means helped to bring in customers, particularly those from other parts of the capital.”

But while the above-mentioned foods might be some of Bakmi Godila’s highlights, they are by no means the only items up its sleeve, among them the seafood stir fry or cap cay. The gravy balances flavors like shrimp, squid, cauliflower, mushrooms and other toppings. The latter has the right texture, while the former is fresh, if somewhat muted, in taste.    

Additionally, the fuyunghai has the right crunch; flour did not overpower the dish. The chicken also stood out enough to be tasty, without giving the omelet a gamey aftertaste. 

While one’s preferences might be relative, the appeal of Bakmi Godila’s signature dishes and the nostalgia they invoke have a way of whetting any appetite. 

“I go for the chicken noodles with boiled wonton. But Bakmi Godila is special, and not just because of the food,” said Wani, another regular diner. “[Bakmi Godila and its food] evokes old memories because it’s near my parent’s old house in Menteng.”

But regardless of where one gets their bakmi fix, it is not too much to say that Godila’s particular brand of nostalgia and chicken noodles often hit the spot.

Mie Gondangdia Lama or Bakmi Godila

Address: Jalan Rd. Soeroso no. 36 C, Jakarta

Telephone: (021)3192-6765

Opening hours: Daily from 10 am to 10 pm

Instagram: @miegondangdia68 

Twitter: @MieGondangdia