Raffles 1887
RAFFLES READS
Jakarta on a plate
In the tangle of narrow streets and alleyways that criss-cross the Indonesian capital lies a delicious world of fun and flavour. Raffles 1887 takes a stroll in the company of native-born Chef Lukman Hakim to discover how humble Indonesian street food is inspiring both the hungry traveller and the 5-star chef
STREET food has a long tradition in Indonesia and in the crowded streets and narrow alleyways of Jakarta you will find some of the tastiest examples in the country. Officially, there are around 56,000 street vendors in the city – unofficially, there are a great many more than that – and the colourful array of authentic dishes reflects the many different flavours of Indonesian cooking. Street food is part of Jakarta’s heritage and is a great source of pride.
They say that if you want to understand the culture of a place, you have to taste it,” says Lukman Hakim, Executive Sous Chef of Arts Café by Raffles at Raffles Jakarta. “Wherever I cook, I make sure I get to know the local street food and incorporate those flavours into my own cuisines.
"The fun part is that you’ll be eating whatever they feel like making that day"
Start your culinary adventure in Oud Batavia/Kota Tua Jakarta (Jakarta Old Town) or Pecenongan Street where some of the vendors have been operating since the 1970s. It’s best to choose hot food you can see cooking, and don’t expect a set menu: whether you buy from street hawkers with gerobaks (food carts), small family warungs (kiosks or small shops) or local speciality restaurants, the fun part is that you’ll be eating whatever they feel like making that day, wonderfully unconstrained by any barriers to creativity.
Chef Lukman was born in Bandung in West Java province. “Like most Indonesians I grew up eating simple fried tahu (tofu) and tempeh (bean cake) and a lot of street vendors in Jakarta sell both, raw and ready-to-eat. My parents always used to tell me that tempeh was good for the body. In the last five years it has become a staple of health-conscious cuisines around the world, so always listen to your parents!”
Other specialities to look out for include nasi goreng, a fried rice dish cooked with pieces of meat and vegetables; gado-gado, an Indonesian salad of raw or cooked vegetables, eggs, potatoes, fried tahu and tempeh with a peanut sauce dressing; Indonesian satay; and soto, a traditional Indonesian soup – all cooked, of course, using locally sourced ingredients.
"You will certainly spot street food influences in Chef Lukman’s own cooking at Raffles"
“My all-time favourite street food in Jakarta,” says Chef Lukman, “is nasi padang – steamed rice with jackfruit curry, eggs with chilli sauce, green chilli relish, and a choice of meat – and martabak manis, a kind of stuffed pancake. I could eat both every day and never get bored.”
You will certainly spot street food influences in Chef Lukman’s own cooking at Raffles. “I incorporate local flavours and locally inspired dishes into my weekly rotating menu at Arts Café by Raffles,” he says. “I believe that food, like music, is a universal language and capturing Jakarta’s street food experience and serving it at our own dining tables makes me very happy.”
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