A few months ago, I was working on an article about Javanese cuisine in Jakarta for a particular in-flight magazine and was actually did a trial on a Javanese restaurant around Panglima Polim first. Thanks to their arrogance for not letting me taking any photographs on their not-so-cool restaurant, I decided to bail out and headed for Cipete for my last resort of my research that day. Upon encountering Masakan Rumah Bu Endang, not only did I realize that stopping first at that Panglima Polim restaurant was a mistake but also my choice to stop by here was be the best decision ever!

However, when you see Bu Endang’s restaurant facade, you’d be frowning right away. How could everyone not? Well, at least for a first-timer like me. You would witness yourself a rigidly designed building that came from probably back in 1980s and resembled more like a cheap hotel rather than a restaurant or even a home! The good thing came from the exterior is probably the parking spots which I found really helpful especially for a busy, narrow street like Cipete.

Even so, by the time you enter the restaurant, your frowns will turn into a sheer smile as you will witness how Bu Endang has made a good effort to make her restaurant homey, clean, and neat. Despite the fact that the chairs are probably of cheap food courts quality, nevertheless it blends well with all the tidiness and the celebrity photographs all over the walls of this dining room.

A very extensive Javanese and Indonesian dishes are represented well by Bu Endang here. All you can see from Java can be found here, from colonial influences on bestik lidah/ayam (Javanese interpretation of steak), Chinese on lontong cap gomeh (soupy rice cakes with many accompaniments), and even from rustic side such as brongkos (soupy bean curd dish with beef) or mangut ikan pe (fragrant smoked fish soup). I decided to combine some of these beauties with my all-time infatuation of sosis solo (a variant of spring roll filled with minced beef) and of course, the Surabaya’s pride – tahu telor petis (egg fried with bean curd and seasoned with vegetables over petis).

I had probably one my most pleasant times living on a dreamland of having the best Indonesian food vaganza in a restaurant, since you know that mostly only hawkers or home restaurants are those who can really share the intimacies with us in terms of taste and price. Well, Bu Endang serves these not too expensively and often remarked as a gracious host. Too bad I haven’t met her yet but I’d be sure to come over again and praise her directly for taking care of our cravings during our in Jakarta!

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MASAKAN RUMAH BU ENDANG

Halal-friendly
Suitable for vegetarian

Must eat: Satisfy all your cravings for rustic Javanese dishes!

Spend: IDR 40,000 – IDR 60,000 / person

Address: Jalan Cipete Raya 16C, Jakarta – Indonesia

Telp: +62.21.7663.585

Opening hours: Everyday, 10 am – 10 pm (Mon – Sat) & 8 am – 9 pm (Sun)