Out and About: Jalan Sabang, Jakarta

Jalan Sabang is a street in Central Jakarta vastly known for its street food vendors dotted along its street. I heard that it used to be more crowded and packed with many more vendors and tents and stalls than it is now. Which is pretty unimaginable to me, since with its current condition, the street is jam-packed like Woodstock in the 60s. It is widened 1,5 times its former width only a year ago on traffic-jam reason and apparently it hasn’t come up as the best solution for the establishment yet. Oh, heck.

The menu the street offers varies from traditional East-Java origin Lamongan food to Middle East selections. Well, they’re basically in the list that your doctors won’t be so very happy about to find out on your regular medical check-up.

Smoke is a permanent feature there. Smoke from the crawling vehicles or from the satay vendor, you just can never tell. They intertwine together up into the sky, make their way to the passers-by, quickly absorbed into the pores of your skin and clothes, that even Chanel No. 5 can’t do anything about.

And boy do I love satay. But hey, doesn’t everybody? I think I’ve said it before, haven’t I?

One of my favourite food to taste while I’m there is Roti Canai. The darn thing is wickedly delicious. In case you want to pay some visit, the stall is located on the corner of Jalan Sabang and Djakarta Theatre. You see that big iron pot next to the satay vendor in the picture above? It belongs to the Roti Canai stall that also makes such great martabaks. Oh, the street is yumminess overload!



And oh, by the way, these are my silly friends, Rino and Bonnie. They were giggling for no obvious reasons for some time to the point that it’s quite amusing to watch them giggling. And their giggles were contagious. Rats. I think they got drunk from the Teh Botol.