TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Jakpost guide to Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto, Menteng
Connected to Jl. HR Rasuna Said in Kuningan, South Jakarta, this street provides parks where people can hang out or play sports and street food vendors that open in the evening.
Change Size
The front area of Taman Menteng in Menteng subdistrict, Central Jakarta. (JP/Wienda Parwitasari)
N
amed after the Indonesian nationalist figure, Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto is located in the Menteng subdistrict of Central Jakarta. Connected to Jl. HR Rasuna Said in Kuningan, South Jakarta, the street provides parks where people can hang out or play sports and street food vendors that open in the evening.
How to get there
Use Transjakarta’s city feeder (inner city service) Lebak Bulus – Senen route or choose Kopaja buses P20 that serve the Pasar Senen – Lebak Bulus route.
What to wear
Wear casual outfits or sportswear if you want to use the sports facilities at Taman Menteng (Menteng Park) and Taman Kodok (loosely translated as Frog Park).
What to do
Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto is home to the famous Taman Menteng. It is an open space that can be used for various activities, ranging from playing basketball to photo-shooting. It also has a special kids’ playground and prayer room.
According to tribunnews.com, Taman Menteng was built in 1921 as a soccer stadium that could accommodate 10,000 people. The locals often called it Stadion Persija after the Jakarta soccer club of that name.
Taman Menteng has greenhouses that are often used as exhibition venues and a parking building for cars as well as motorcycles. Moreover, you can find the Cemara Norfolk (Araucaria heterophylla) that was planted by Finnish Ambassador to Indonesia Paivi Hiltunen-Toivio and former Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama in 2017.
Take a walk to the back end of Taman Menteng and you will find Taman Kodok. It is much smaller than Taman Menteng, but it has a water fountain that is surrounded by date palms and park benches.
Read also: Jakpost guide to Jl. Pejompongan Raya
Still on Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto, there is Cemara 6 Gallery-Museum that was founded by feminist Indonesian poet Toeti Heraty N. Roosseno in 1993. Go upstairs and you will find a museum with a collection of 150 paintings by Indonesian painter Salim. Do note that taking photos is not allowed. The place also serves as a function hall and homestay. Those who wish to stay there should contact the gallery via e-mail.
Almost at the end of the street, there is the Italian Cultural Institute, the official Italian government agency that promotes cultural exchanges between Indonesia and Italy. The place often serves as venue for the institution’s events, such as exhibitions, film screenings and Italian-language as well as cultural courses.
What to eat
Offering a Spanish concept, Por Que No should be the hangout place with your friends whenever you are on the street. Located on the fifth floor of the De RITZ building, it has two types of rooms and, if it is not raining, you should choose the outdoor area that overlooks Jakarta’s skyline. Pork dishes and alcoholic drinks are available.
Apart from casual-dining places, Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto also provides places to sample Indonesian street food. The spicy ayam penyet (smashed fried chicken) can be found in the warung beside the De RITZ building. Go further to the small street beside Taman Menteng and you will find two lines of street-food sellers. Open in the evenings, they sell various dishes, including satay, soto, fried rice and traditional kue putu (pandan-flavored cakes). Seating is available and the prices are quite affordable. One portion of kue putu, for instance, can be bought for Rp 25,000 (US$2).
Where to shop
Banananina (https://www.banananina.co.id/) is a local reseller of fashion items, ranging from bags to accessories and shoes. Founded in 2009, its offline store is available at the ground floor of Menteng Central building. It opens from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Friday to Saturday.
Fun trivia
Jl. Besuki, which can be accessed from Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto, is the location for state elementary school SD 01 Menteng where former US president Barack Obama enrolled for elementary education for one year in 1968. According to kompas.com, Obama went back to the school in 2017.
Tips:
- Cover your face with a mask whenever you are in this area as many vehicles pass along the street.
- Some of the food establishments have parking areas and proper sidewalks.
- Some of the streets in Menteng are one-way streets, such as in front of Abdi Waluyo Hospital, therefore you need to be careful while driving around the area. (kes)
