Nasi bebek is ubiquitous in Jakarta, but among them, few became my personal favorite. This time, let’s travel to the eastern part of Jakarta for a showdown with Ibu Hamidah’s finest!

Following the trails of good food can lead you anywhere unexpected, especially with street food. Unbeknownst to many; wonderful street food can be elusive as they may appear during odd hours, tucked inside a residential area, hidden among the tenants of a chaotic traditional market, or even playing hard to get by moving around frequently.

This time, we would like to dedicate it for nasi bebek khas Madura. Originated from the island off coast of Surabaya, the people of Madura have been migrating to many places in Indonesia and drawing their fortunes from ironworks and food businesses. The latter especially has a special place in the heart of many Jakartans with the appearance of nasi bebek around the city, mostly at night.

Ibu Hamidah’s nasi bebek came from a very well-thought recipe. Firstly, it was all about the marination process and Ibu Hamidah successfully brings the flavors all inside. It was already good as it is even without any dipping sauce or other forms of accompaniments – other than good old fashioned warm and fluffy rice with serundeng on top of it.

Not just that, the duck came in very crispy and in larger size, which really worked so well for any big eaters. What’s also deeply loved by her nasi bebek fans is definitely the super fiery sambal. Savoring the duck profoundly and getting myself caught with pouring sweat actually reminds me of what Anthony Bourdain used to say, “I’m sweaty, but I’m happy!”

By serving duck, chicken, and cat fish all at once already qualifies her as an ambitious street food owner. However upon witnessing a lot of patrons coming by, that certainly means that there’s more to it than just mere looks from this humble vendor.

Be sure to drop by at Ibu Hamidah’s wonderful nasi bebek if you happen to be around Halim Perdanakusuma Airport. A bit of detour to the Pasar Mini Indah inside the residential area would reward you with an excellent and fulfilling lunch, more than you can imagined.

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NASI BEBEK KHAS MADURA BU HAMIDAH
Halal-friendly
Unsuitable for vegetarians

Address:
Pasar Mini Indah – Puskopau Lanud Halim Perdanakusuma, Jalan Maphilindo, Jakarta – Indonesia

Opening hours: Daily, 8am – 8pm

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Featured in FOODIES Mar 2016 edition