I still remember to this day the first moment I stepped foot in Kebon Kacang to take on its renowned Nasi Uduk (steamed rice cooked in coconut milk with side dishes). The options were multitudinous, leaving me with a pleasant dilemma. After having a crack at a few places, the only one that took my breath away was Nasi Uduk Kebon Kacang Puas Hati Ibu Tati.

According to a close relative of owner and namesake Ibu Tati, she has been dealing in Nasi Uduk since the 1970s. Initially operating out of a tent with just the one long wooden table situated right in front of the current location of its eatery, it was only at the tail-end of the 1980s that Ibu Tati transformed a one-time automobile workshop into a quite capacious restaurant to cater to her ever-growing customer base.

It wouldn’t be amiss to call Nasi Uduk Kebon Kacang Puas Hati Ibu Tati the leading light of Nasi Uduk joints in Kebon Kacang – especially by looking at the size of the crowd that fills the shop. A convenient choice for office workers to have lunch at due to its opening time of 12pm, it recently opened another outlet over in West Jakarta. Akin to any other Nasi Uduk joints, it has a smorgasbord of side dishes to choose from – including Ayam (chicken), Jeroan (tripe, cow lungs, liver, and gizzard), and tempeh and tofu.

However, you have the option to either have them fried or grilled, which differentiates it from its equivalents. The Nasi Uduk here is simply scrumptious – possessing a savouriness that stands head and shoulders above the rest of its kind. Using free-range chicken that is perfectly seasoned to produce a flavourful sweet taste, its Ayam Goreng (fried chicken) is tantalising to the bone – especially when dabbed with the refreshingly spicy sambal on offer.

Other than its appetite-building menu, this is the only Nasi Uduk place in Kebon Kacang that provides a parking lot. The lack of parking space is a typical problem for anybody who plans on driving to Kebon Kacang, so despite its limited capacity of up to five cars, at least Nasi Uduk Kebon Kacang Puas Hati Ibu Tati put in an effort.

You can also read over at The Jakarta Post: The best nasi uduk in Kebon Kacang 

Jl. Kebon Kacang 1, No. 63,
Central Jakarta
T: 021 391 9031
Open daily from 12pm-12am
Rp.30,000/US$2.80 per person