The Story Behind
It was christened with its moniker not just for the sake of it. Founder Bapak Ruhman started selling his fried rice back in the 1980s right in front of the entrance to the MPR residence area in Fatmawati – hence the name Nasi Goreng MPR. However, Nasi Goreng MPR had to relocate several times after they were turfed out, leading to confusion for its customers. Now, though, you can find it in front of the Philips shop before SMA Cendrawasih. Pak Ruhman’s son – who has inherited the business from his father – informed me that this was its fourth spot ever since the shop’s inception.

Simple yet Tasty Nasi Goreng
Now, I may have said shop, but don’t you go and imagine Nasi Goreng MPR to be this huge tented warung with a snaking long queue of customers waiting for their fried rice. Nasi Goreng MPR is actually just a pushcart equipped with a table and a no-frills tent, along with a signboard that says “MPR” to indicate its location to potential punters. For a dish as renowned as Nasi Goreng MPR, I was slightly worried as not one other customer was present at the time of my visit. My concerns disappeared right after I was told that most of the toppings that I wanted were finished when I went up to place my order. Even the rice was almost kaput, with just a quarter of the rice receptacle still left for me to consume. This shows that the majority of its customers prefer not to dine in.

Also Read: 
Colourfully Delectable Nasi Goreng Warna-Warni
Padang’s Much Celebrated Nasi Goreng

Finally, I settled on a plate of its Nasi Goreng Bakso Sosis (meatball-and-sausage fried rice) and a glass of Es Jeruk (orange juice). Its fried rice, topped with a fried egg, was utterly appetising. It took me only a glance to know that it was not oily like its equivalents; even the fried egg was dry. Based on its deliciousness, it really deserves its reputation of being one of the most celebrated Nasi Goreng around. The spices did not dominate the overall flavour of the dish, yet it was still adequately savoury. And in a blink of an eye, I had gobbled down my plate of Nasi Goreng Bakso Sosis and gone were the growls that were previously sung by my hungry tummy.

Jl. Fatmawati (in front of toko Philips),
South Jakarta
T: 0858 8890 7745
Open daily from 7pm-11pm
Rp.30,000/US$2.20 per person

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For The Martabak!
I discovered that this was the location of the famous Martabak AA. Established in 1982, the moniker Martabak AA was derived from the names of the two owners: A Siang (Surya) and A Kiu (Sulaiman). Although not as popular in the past, it has seen a steady rise in the number of customers visiting the place. Now, Martabak AA can sell around 500-600 boxes of Martabak (stuffed pancake) and finish up six to seven crates of eggs in a day.

Customers are able to witness the making of each Martabak with their own eyes – from the crafting of its stuffing and its dough to its cooking process, all the way until it is placed inside a box. This unique aspect was devised so that punters can see for themselves the ingredients used and be convinced of the quality of its Martabak. Unfortunately, although there are tables and benches present, customers are not advised to dine in. Besides lacking in the cutlery department, the seating area is generally used by its army of customers to wait for their Martabak. However, you could have a go at the Mie Yamin (sweet noodles) and Siomay (dumplings) joints to the left and right of Martabak AA respectively as you bide your time until your Martabak is ready.

Simple Selections
Despite the multitude of Martabak places around, Martabak AA is still held closely to its loyal punters’ hearts. For the youth of today, its menu may not be as colourful as its more modern equivalents and their all-the-rage selection of Martabak choices, such as Oreo, Nutella, Toblerone, red velvet or mozzarella, but it does not mean so much to its long-standing customers who have grown accustomed to its Martabak.

Also Read: Delightful Sensation of The Legendary Martabak Kubang
The long queue that I encountered when I went there did not dampen my spirits. I opted for its Martabak Telur Daging Sapi (fried flatbread stuffed with egg and beef). It is quite pricey compared to your common Martabak Telur, which piqued my curiosity even further. Once it was ready, I opened the box and in an instant, my mouth was watering. So thick and stuffed to the brim, its savouriness shone once I took a bite; the crunchy onion and the large chunky beef were a delight to chew. It became a new experience in eating Martabak for me.

You can also read this article at The Jakarta Post: Introducing Martabak AA, a much-celebrated ‘martabak’ joint in South Jakarta

Jl. Minangkabau No. 29, Pasar Manggis,
Setiabudi, South Jakarta
T: 0856 194 6364
Open daily from 2pm-12am
Rp.60,000/$4.50 per person

The post Jakarta: Martabak AA appeared first on Good Indonesian Food.

An old eatery that is loved by many
Coto Ranggong has been around for quite a while now. Founded in 1965, it is not too spacious and could only hold to about 20 customers. There are signs of wear and tear on the building that makes it look a bit dilapidated in some way. Perhaps it is due to the location of the kitchen that is placed in the forepart of the eatery.

I arrived at Coto Ranggong at around 9am, and luckily, it was not packed at the time. A friend of mine who is a local informed me beforehand that it tends to be crowded during breakfast time. Phew. I was free to choose where I wanted to sit, despite the limited choices available. I ordered its Coto with a mixture of beef and beef lungs, although there were other choices on offer, such as beef liver and beef tripe.

Traditional cooking methods
As my food was being prepared, I bided my time by taking a look at its kitchen. The shop still uses a traditional wood-fired oven that causes the walls and ceiling of the place to go dark in colour due to the smoke that comes out of it. It is quite interesting to see food being made traditionally in a world where almost every aspect of our lives, including cooking, involves advanced technology.

Not long after, my food was ready. Served in a small bowl, the soup looked rather familiar – bearing a striking resemblance to a type of Coto Makassar that I have seen before. Without a moment of hesitation, I dove straight in. A slurp of its soup revealed a flavour that ignited beautiful memories of my childhood; when I first had a taste of this dish. The beef and beef lungs were tender in texture, adding a different kind of deliciousness to every bite.

Also Read: A tasty bowl of Coto Makassar in Jakarta

Leaving aside the sentimental bond that I experienced from it, this shop’s Coto Makassar delivers a strong and unique flavour. Its well-cooked soup and the flavoursome beef and beef lungs showcase the main reason why this place has managed to carry on and is much loved by many for decades.

This article is available at The Jakarta Post: Coto Ranggong, A delicious eatery that harks back to the past

Jl. Ranggong No. 13,
Makassar
Open daily from 6am-5.30pm
Rp.30,000/US$2.30 per person

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Nasi Kuning Riburane is one of the most successful Nasi Kuning eatery in town. Founded in 1980, it used to be located within the vicinity of the RRI Makassar office area, whose employees used to form the bulk of the joint’s customer base. Its delicious menu saw the place gaining more followers and news of its Nasi Kuning spread like wildfire to the point where even visitors from out of town started to stop by and sample its signature dish.

With the increasing number of punters it was facing, the owner of Nasi Kuning Riburane opted to relocate to a more spacious venue. However, rather than opening a new place, the owner decided to work together with another shop and it now occupies the foremost part of said joint. Although it always opens at 5am, its closing time would vary depending on the amount of Nasi Kuning it has left. Normally, it would run out of Nasi Kuning by 12pm.

In the early morning, a long queue could be seen waiting for their chance to devour its Nasi Kuning. Composition-wise, the Nasi Kuning here has a lot going for it, which includes Empal (fried beef), Rendang Sapi (spicy beef simmered in coconut milk), Paru Goreng (fried lungs), Telur (egg), and Sayur Labu Siam (chayote cooked in coconut milk). The hefty price you would have to pay is understandable, considering the smorgasbord of side dishes accompanying its Nasi Kuning.

Both the Empal and Rendang Sapi are very tender in texture and delicious; the former offering a hint of sweetness in its taste akin to those you could find in Jakarta. The Nasi Kuning is impeccably cooked, lending a velvety touch that would caress one’s palate when devoured. And then there is the provided sambal that is simultaneously tasty and very spicy – the perfect appetite booster to help you in finishing off your Nasi Kuning.

You can also read this article at The Jakarta Post: Introducing Makassar’s famous Nasi Kuning Riburane

Jl. Riburane No. 11,
Makassar
Open daily from 5am-12pm (will close earlier when out of supplies)
Rp.35,000/US$2.65 for a small portion
Rp.40,000/US$3 for a large portion

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