Pasar Santa

So you’re bored of the typical mall restaurants and feeling a little bit more adventurous. You don’t mind breaking a sweat to explore the narrow alleys of food stalls just to break your weekend dining routine. The Fat Corner recommends you to take a trip down to Pasar Santa – located very close to Wolter Monginsidi road (aka Korean food haven).

The once quiet traditional market is slowly turning into one of the most talked about food destination in town. Meandering through the market’s traditional grocery shops and making your way to the top most floor, you’ll be invited by a maze of hip food stalls that are mostly run by youngsters.

The first stall in Pasar Santa that came under the social media limelight was ABCD (A Bunch of Caffeine Dealers) coffee, which was sadly closed when we visited!

We managed to cover 4 visit-worthy food stalls:

• D.O.G

The newest hangout place in Jakarta for all the trendy kids and the hipsters (along with wannabe hipsters, you know who you are) would not be complete without the presence of a somewhat modernized version of a familiar dish.

At Pasar Santa, D.O.G does exactly that. There is no way you could miss this hot dog stall since it would be the first thing that you see if you take the stairs up.

The other reason why you wouldn’t miss it is because of the freakishly long queue of people getting their hot dog fix!

I don’t know whether it’s just my luck but when I was there on a Saturday at around 3 PM, even after queuing up to place my order I still have to wait for another 30 minutes (no typos there, half an hour) before my dog was ready.

Waiting for the dog when you’re hungry feels somewhat like when you’re stuck in Jakarta’s rush hour traffic on a rainy Friday while holding your pee; yep, THAT bad.

Is it worth the wait? The dog does look amazing. Why hello sexy.

They serve the humble hot dog on mysterious black buns and they serve it with caramelized onions as well as beef bacon before topping it off with what I believe to be a mix of cheese and mustard sauce.  On a positive note, the hot dog overall is actually pretty delish and the sausage is grilled properly.

Is it mind-blowingly good? Unfortunately this is one of the cases where the visual presentation is better than the actual taste of the food.

In my humble opinion, I don’t think their hot dogs are exceptional. The beef bacon is a bit too overcooked and the sauce isn’t spectacular; which begs the question: would I be coming back for more? Maybe, if I don’t have to wait for more than 30 minutes to eat a hot dog.

• Labruletory

I have to admit the “Crème de la crème” neon sign was what lured me in. I ordered the original crème brulee which was flame torched right in front of me.

They also have alternative flavors such as Nutella which I thought would totally kill the subtle vanilla taste of the dessert.

Turns out the original flavor was vanilla-less; pure cream and egg. Maybe the Nutella would be a wiser choice.

• Bear & Co.

One of the reason why there is a queue at this coffee stall is because the owner/barista takes the effort and time to explain the brewing methods of his drinks while preparing them. Another reason would be due to the fact that the coffee is good, of course.

We ordered the signature coffee here: Nitro Cold Brew coffee. We were supposed to take gulps not sips to fully appreciate its taste. I’m pretty foreign to cold brews but Bear & Co could mark the start of my cold brew addiction. The coffee smell is less strong compared to your typical Iced Americano and there is large amount of bubbles/nitrogen trapped in the coffee, leaving a very interesting beer-like sensation on the palette.

Following the crowd, we also ordered Bear & Co’s lemon iced tea. The taste is very unique unlike other lemon iced tea I’ve tasted. The owner did a taste test before serving as the lime’s acidity varies from one to another. A very refreshing beverage in the sweltering heat of Pasar Santa!

• Papricano Mexican Cantina

Also another stall that you wouldn’t miss because of its long queue is Papricano Mexican Cantina. I was amused by how creatively they’ve decorated the stall (despite the budget) and how they managed to function with 4 people squeezed in what looked like a 1 x 3 meter space.

The Horchata was a nice refreshment given it’s so difficult to find one in other Mexican restaurants of Jakarta. However, compared to those you find overseas this one’s pretty average.

The hard taco, on the other hand, could be my favorite eat at Pasar Santa. In this case, the taste is definitely better than the presentation. They are served with either beef or chicken meat (we had both) alongside generous amount of cheese, fresh shredded cabbage, cilantro and a dash of very tasty seasoning.

A must-try!

Be there early because the food is normally sold out by 6pm.

What a genius use of a space that has been empty for years! Overall, Pasar Santa’s food itself is hit and miss. Their coffee stalls should fare better.

Note: We suggest that you park your car outside the market and take a short walk to Pasar Santa as the parking lots are very limited and are normally packed when the food stalls are open for business.

 

Food: |***  |          Ambience: |**    |         Price: |$$    |

Opening hours: The stalls may open at different hours on different days. Follow their instagram accounts (@pasarsanta @labruletory @bearandcoffee @papricano_mexicancantina  @abcd_coffee)

Location: Jl. Cipaku I (Petogogan, Kebayoran Baru), Jakarta Selatan, DKI Jakarta 12170

Telephone: 021 723 2199

Posted by PrincessFiona & NotPrinceCharming