Martabak manis (Indonesian dessert pancake) is probably as perfect as desserts go. So no reason to fix that which is not broken, right?
Well, popular martabak chain Martabak Pecenongan 78 has flipped our expectations with their “upside-down” martabak.
While the base mix is still cooked in a girdle and the sweet toppings remain extravagant, the latter is slathered on the martabak’s outer crust instead of its soft inside. The dessert is folded in half on the crust side, before it’s cut into smaller portions.
(Technically, this should be called the inside-out martabak. But we digress.)
Other than the novelty factor, we’re not sure if the upside-down martabak would add to the level of our enjoyment. Would we want a martabak that’s soft on the outside and crunchy on the inside? Or would the crunchy crust just become one soggy mess after coming in contact with all the margarine (or Wijsman butter) and toppings?
These are questions food philosophers often ponder in their waking hours, and ones that we may soon have an answer for after we try this ourselves.
According to the post above, the upside-down martabak may be ordered in-store or via the major food delivery apps. One may make a special request to flip their martabak as shown above, and this applies to all base mix varieties and toppings.
Care to flip your martabak perspective?
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