Restaurant Recommendation: Kafe Betawi, Jakarta

4 Aug 2020

Are you fortunate enough to be relocating to this exotic capital city of Indonesia? Congratulations and to get you off to a good start, I have a restaurant for you to try. Kafe Betawi is a chain of 20+ delightfully casual, clean and efficient eateries dotted throughout the Indonesia archipelago. As the name suggests, Kafe Betawi serves up mouthwatering Betawi cuisine which is certain to please your palate.

I think I have teased you enough, so let’s get to the good stuff. First up is Soto Betawi, probably the most iconic of all Betawi dishes. Soto means soup so you’ll find many different types of Soto but it just does not get better than this.

Now let’s check out Rawon, a thick beef soup with a dark, rich color that comes from the black Keluak nut. It’s typically served with a prawn cracker, maybe a hard-boiled egg and some bean sprouts and fried shallots. Mmmmmm.

No meal in this part of the world would be complete without some fish and Pempek fills that role nicely. This dish combines fish with tapioca in a cake-like mixture. It is then boiled or steamed and then fried to a golden tan just before being served. Pempek normally comes with diced cucumber and is served over yellow (egg) noodles.

Let’s wind up this session with my favorite – Es Doger. This is a uniquely Indonesian treat made with coconut milk and shaved ice. It’s as delicious as it is colourful. It’s often served as a dessert but can also be a beverage or a snack on its own. Don’t miss this one.