TRIPPY MILES’ 5 MUST-TRY BAKMI IN JAKARTA 2021

Jakarta has a long history of remarkable noodles or bakmi. While some bakmi restaurants are more well-known than the others, such as Bakmi GM, Bakmi Naga, and, perhaps, Bakmi Alok, you won’t be surprised to know that there are thousands of lesser-known bakmi shops out there serving some of the best noodles in Jakarta. We scoured the J-town, and we have compiled a list of the 5 essential bakmi places in Jakarta that we consider to be Food Gems.

1. Bakmi Boy Mayestik

Having operated for more than 58 years since its establishment in 1963, Bakmi Boy is arguably the best halal chicken noodles you can find in Jakarta. Consistency is key, and Bakmi Boy duly delivers that, maintaining a family recipe that spans decades. The noodles are a solid draw here, topped with shredded free-range chicken and boiled choi sim, and accompanied by a small bowl of chicken stock. You should also try their fried wontons and wonton soup while you are here.

Bakmi Boy Mayestik Pasar Mayestik—Jl. Tebah III No.5, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta (+62)21 7250358 Mon - Sat 10 AM – 5:30 PM

2. Bakmi Ayam Ahong

The place is tucked away deep into a Glodok alleyway, straight next to a small river. Only those who know, know. But don’t be discouraged by how shabby the place may look or how difficult it is to find them. After all, this is a Food Gem.

Bakmi Ayam Ahong’s main highlight is not the noodles themselves, but their pek cam kee (Hainanese-style steamed chicken). People who know the place would call them days in advance just to make sure that their phenomenal chicken is still up for grabs when they visit—sometimes even a week prior to their visit. Of course you can come here just for their bakmi ayam, but no eating experience here is complete without their signature pek cam kee, available in different sizes: ¼ a chicken, ½ a chicken, and a whole chicken. We personally always go for two whole chickens since we are big eaters (to be shared among 4 people ofc). Come here early in the morning, preferably before 9 am, to make sure you can still get their tastebud-tickling, finger-licking pek cam kee.

Bakmi Ayam Ahong Jl. Blandongan No.74B, Tambora, West Jakarta (+62)21 6345003 Mon – Sun 7 AM – 2 PM

3. Kedai Bakmi Babat Senen

We wrote an in-depth review about this place in our previous Food Gems article. They specialize in beef tripe noodles (bakmi babat) instead of chicken noodles. The scantiness of noodle shops serving delicious beef tripe noodles in Jakarta makes it impossible for us to exclude this noodle joint from this list. Check out our previous article if you want to see the three types of beef tripe they offer, each with its own unique texture and taste.

Kedai Bakmi Babat Senen

Jl. Kramat Raya No.118, Senen, Central Jakarta

(+62)21 3909640

Mon – Sun 10 AM – 4 PM

4. Bakmi Karet Foek

Bakmi Karet Foek serves thick, firm noodles as their specialty, topped with either pork or chicken, or even both. Fans of accouterments will be pleased with their spicy chili which goes incredibly well with the noodles. While their menu is full of delicious dishes, the biggest selling point here is how affordable they price their noodles. A bowl of noodles can go as low as 17k, making it the best noodle joint on this list in terms of value for money.

Bakmi Karet Foek Jl. Gading Elok Barat 3 Blok CF -1 No.1, Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta (+62)21 4522473 Tues – Sun 5.30 AM – 9 PM

5. Bakmi Copin

Following the explosion of bakmi joints in Kelapa Gading, you don’t need to look far for great noodles. We have tried virtually every bakmi shop in Kelapa Gading, and it’s hard to pick the best ones out of all these stellar noodle shops. However, one of our all-time favorites here is Bakmi Copin, serving Chewy thin egg-noodles paired with some shredded free-range chicken and boiled choi sim. The noodles, showered with aromatic chicken oil, are chock full of flavor. Amp up your bowl with some condiments and tons of green onions to round up your slurping experience. It’s a sure-fire way to kick-start your day.

Bakmi Copin Jl. Raya Klp. Hybrida RA3 No.4, Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta (+62)812-1944-405 Mon – Sun 6 AM – 2.30 PM

That's it. Those are some of our favorite noodle shops in Jakarta that we believe deserve more spotlight. For us, being a food gem means being able to serve tasty, fulfilling, yet affordable meals. Choosing only a few of the many great noodle shops out there that deserve to be on this list feels like it doesn't serve the others justice, so we plan to feature more great bakmi places in the future, especially those in the North 🍜. Stay tuned, noodlehounds :)