One of the oldest textile shops is La' Mode. Located near the entrance of the market, it was built in 1980s. It sells various fabrics for clothes and pants. The shop opens at 9:30 a.m.(JP/Wienda Parwitasari)

How to get there

Pasar Mayestik is located on Jalan Tebah, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, near Pertamina Hospital and Taman Puring flea market. The main building has parking areas from P1 to P4 and there are also parking slots available in front of the shop houses. However, the market can be crowded during lunch hours and on weekends, thus it is better to take public transportation.

Many of public buses that go past Pasar Mayestik come from the Blok M terminal. Therefore, those going from Menteng, for example, can hop on a Transjakarta bus via the Sarinah bus stop to reach the terminal. Meanwhile, those who are coming from Kemang should get on public bus Kopaja 605 that serves the Blok M – Kemang – Kampung Rambutan route or Kopaja 605A which serves the Blok M – Kemang – Ragunan route.

After that, catch Metromini S72 that serves the Blok M terminal – Mayestik – Lebak Bulus terminal route or Metromini S78 that serves the Blok M terminal – Mayestik – Kebayoran Lama route.

Furthermore, Transjakarta will operate their 13^th corridor in June and the new route will cater to the Ciledug – Tendean route where there will be a Mayestik bus stop.

Budi Mulia sells cosmetics from various brands.(JP/Wienda Parwitasari)

What to wear

Although most of the shop houses at Pasar Mayestik are air-conditioned, it is advised to wear casual and comfortable clothes, especially if you want to stroll down the market’s area and explore the main building’s basement and semi-basement floor.

What to shop for

Pasar Mayestik is a heaven for textiles and one of the oldest shops, La' Mode, built in the 1980s, has become a favorite among Indonesia's famous fashion designers. Located near the entrance of the market, it sells various local and imported fabrics. The shop opens at 9:30 a.m.

Esa Genangku (left), the old building of Esa Mokan (middle, the new building had been moved to near the entrance) and Esa Genangku Toserba (right) that sells food as well as beauty products.(JP/Wienda Parwitasari)

Other legendary shops at Pasar Mayestik are Esa Mokan that is located not too far from La' Mode, Budi Mulia that provides cosmetics from various brands and Esa Genangku that mainly sells clothes for families.

Walk a bit further and you will find Toko Buku Anggrek (Anggrek Bookstore). At first you may think it is just another new shop in the market, but it was actually built in 1973 when there was still a cinema building in its vicinity. It consists of two parts; the first one is the bookstore, which mainly sells books about religion as well as science, and the second one is a store that sells stationery with prices starting from Rp 1,000 to Rp 300,000.

Read also: Jakpost guide to Glodok

Toko Buku Anggrek consists of two parts; the first one is the bookstore, which mainly sells books about religion as well as science, and the second one is a store that sells stationery with the prices starting from Rp 1,000 to Rp 300,000.(JP/Wienda Parwitasari)

From Toko Buku Anggrek you can cross the street and get into the new Pasar Mayestik building where you can find Muslim clothes, batik and shoes starting from the ground floor (lantai dasar or D) up to the second floor. Meanwhile, the semi-basement floor mainly consists of handicrafts, cosmetics, equipment for seserahan (wedding gift packages) and household necessities. Moreover, those who want vegetables, fruits, meat, poultry and staple food (sembako) can visit the basement floor.

What to eat

Pasar Mayestik has several street vendors who “park” their mobile food stalls around the market’s main building. It is recommended to try kue cubit (small pancakes) with chocolate sprinkles or matcha flavoring and you can always ask the sellers to make it half-cooked (setengah matang) to end up with a chewier texture and melted chocolate. There are also other traditional snacks that you can try, among them are mini martabak and kue ape (crispy pancakes).

The food court on the ground floor of Pasar Mayestik's main building.(JP/Wienda Parwitasari)

The main building’s ground floor is also known as one of the culinary spots. Aside of cilok (rice flour balls on a stick with peanut sauce and various fillings), there is also Padang food, fried snacks, ice cream, kebabs and beverages. Unlike the street vendors outside the building, this culinary spot has tables and chairs available for customers. The average prices start at Rp 15,000.

Tips

• Although Pasar Mayestik closes at 6 p.m., the sellers close their outlets earlier than that.
• Beware of your belongings. Make sure you do not wear flashy jewelry.
• Some stores do not allow you to take photos, therefore it is advised to ask first whenever you want to take pictures.
• Sufficient sidewalks are available around the market’s main building, but you need to be careful as the sidewalk may not be wide enough if you decide to walk in front of the shop houses. (asw)