Bubur ayam or chicken porridge may be one of the oldest street foods you can find and this famous hawker on Jalan Barito will definitely satiate your cravings for this wonderful delight.
In typical Indonesian residential areas, the faint sound of a bowl being tapped repeatedly with a spoon from afar is the tell tale signal of a hawker trying to draw attention of the neighborhood to buy its goods. The hawker’s type may vary, but bubur ayam hawkers usually reign over the mornings.
As a kid when I heard that sound, I would usually go out of our house quickly with my mom to call over our favorite porridge hawker and then she buy me bowl of hot and delicious bubur ayam for one hundred rupiahs only. As I come to my senses, it was a really ancient history, as nowadays bubur ayam may cost around Rp. 6,000 or more in Jakarta. So please don’t guess the year, ok?
Although chicken porridge is considered as rather generic compared to other street foods, it retains a high number of fans and is a staple especially for breakfast. However, during our regular hunt for great street foods one early evening, we stumbled upon Bubur Ayam Special Barito that just opened its tent. Bubur Barito, people often call, is open for business until late at night to cater a casual yet hearty dinner for Jakartans who often get stuck in traffic around Blok M or Gandaria on their way down to the South.
It has been around for twelve years, Pak Agus the owner, remains modest and runs the shop hands on. He puts up a tent upon the pavement like other typical semi-permanent hawkers and after many years of lucrative business, he has taken up more space to cater to more people. ‘I have also prepared a permanent place nearby here in case we really need to move for some reasons’, Pak Agus assumed me that Bubur Barito will always be there for everyone without excuse.
Well, he has all the good reason to be proud with his business. It’s always full from the moment he opens around 4pm. As for the differences, instead of shredded chicken, he dices the meat to make it more fulfilling and replaces the kerupuk with plenty of cheese sticks on every bowl that he serves. I also prefer to have a raw egg to be mixed with my usual dose of bubur ayam. How about that for early dinner!
So, the early birds get the best from Bubur Barito and you don’t want to be left behind by other hungry Jakartans because of this. Be sure to ask about anything you need from Pak Agus because he’s standing by there to ensure the best for his customers.
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BUBUR AYAM SPECIAL BARITO
Halal-friendly
Unsuitable for vegetarians
Address: Jalan Barito (opposite of Taman Langsat), Jakarta – Indonesia
Opening hours: Everyday, 3 pm – 11 pm
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Featured in THE FOODIE MAGAZINE February 2014 edition
Download it for free here via SCOOP!
Photos by: Dennie Benedict
RIAN FARISA 