There’s no denying that Jakarta is the food hub of Indonesia, catering to the nationalistic through the likes of nasi Padang, and those seeking an international culinary experiences with delightful foreign imports like burgers, French fries, and even amazing “secret” pork specialty restaurants where you can really um … pig out.
But no matter the entree, there are many who live in the capital say that martabak is the best finisher for any meal. In a nutshell, martabak is an Indonesian dessert pancake — its base mix is cooked on a round griddle, creating a crispy outer crust and a base of varying thickness which is then smothered with various sweet toppings such as chocolate sprinkles, peanuts, and cheese (yes, that one surprisingly works).
(Note: This list specifically focuses on martabak manis, or sweet martabak, as opposed to martabak telur, the savory egg-based omelette version. However, since many martabak establishments sell both, we’ll include some notable egg-ceptions in our list.)
Too many martabak sellers have sprung up in the city due to the dish’s immense popularity in recent years, so we’ll filter out the pretenders and present you with the best of these dessert specialists you can find.
Whether you’re craving something topped with sweet chocolate sprinkles, Nutella, Toblerone, peanuts or even durian toppings, our list of the best martabak sellers in Jakarta (in no particular order) has got you covered:
Martabak Pecenongan 65A
Martabak Pecenongan 65A in Pecenongan street, Central Jakarta, is credited by many martabak aficionados in Jakarta as the pioneer of premium martabak, having popularized the generous use of more expensive toppings such as Nutella and Toblerone chocolate. This “legendary” (their takeaway box says so) roadside stall then pushed many other sellers to elevate their martabak game from the usual chocolate sprinkles, peanuts and cheese combo for the enjoyment of Jakartans (though not so much for our wallets).
The lines at 65A are nowhere near what they were like a few years ago due to the emergence of many quality alternatives, but this stall remains amongst the pantheon of the martabak greats in Jakarta even to this day.
For an absolutely decadent treat, we recommend the Nutella Pisang (Nutella and banana slices) on their “Special” martabak dough, which sets you back IDR155,000.
Martabak 65A Pecenongan, Jalan Pecenongan Raya no. 65A (plus 1 more location in Jakarta)
Martabak Pecenongan 43
Also on Pecenongan street, Martabak Pecenongan 43 is a close competitor of 65A. While the latter is regarded for its innovation, 43 has played catch up and continually draws at least as many customers as their street rivals in any given night.
Moreover, many actually prefer 43 to 65A due to its consistency in putting out quality martabak despite huge orders. We won’t debate which of the two is better as they’re both where they are on merit, but if you decide to go for 43 over 65A, you should go for the martabak with Nutella and crunchy JIF peanut butter topping.
Word of warning, though, like its rival, martabaks from 43 is a little on the pricey side.
Martabak Pecenongan 43, Jalan Pecenongan no. 57 (plus 2 more locations in Jakarta)
Martabak Orins
While martabak is often too large to be consumed individually (not to mention the guilt one feels if you eat too much of the sugar-laden treat in one sitting), Martabak Orins is perhaps best known for their mini-martabaks, which are about the size of an adult human’s palm, therefore just right for one sitting.
Orins also specializes in “pizza” martabaks — while regular martabak is usually folded after being taken out of the girdle, Orins leave their martabak dough flat open with the toppings sprinkled on top. Orins is especially generous with their toppings, even on the mini-martabaks, which is great until you have to awkwardly keep the chocolate/cheddar cheese/peanuts on top of the limited dough space.
For a relatively healthier but no less delicious option at Orins, try their mini-martabak with cheddar cheese and sweet corn.
Martabak Orins, Jalan Cut Meutia no. 1 (plus 13 other locations throughout the Greater Jakarta Area)
Martabak Boss
Martabak Boss is arguably the leader of build-your-own martabak, which can, admittedly, be a confusing endeavor if you don’t know what you want to begin with.
You can begin by choosing from a wide variety of martabak dough base such as taro, durian, and red velvet, and then choose from a wide selection of premium toppings such as Nutella, Toblerone, and Green Tea KitKat or go for ordinary toppings like cheddar cheese, peanuts, and chocolate sprinkles. Whatever martabak you end up building, Boss is one of the most expensive options out there, but for good reason.
The folks at the shipping container stalls also make mean savory omelette martabaks, featuring unusual fillings such as salmon, beef steak, tuna, and even with the option of topping the omelette with chipotle and mozarella.
Martabak Boss, Food Art Menteng (plus 7 other locations in Jakarta)
Martabakku Menteng
Also in Menteng, Central Jakarta, is Martabakku Menteng. Like Martabak Boss, Martabakku Menteng specializes in innovation. One variant of their martabak that really has our approval is the martabak roll, which looks like any regular cake roll but consists of a soft and thin martabak base with the toppings rolled up inside, making them evenly spread into every bite.
While Martabakku Menteng has grown into a successful franchise, its original store on Jalan Hos Cokroaminoto remains the best of the lot. It’s essentially a shipping container stall decked out with two floors of seating space, making it a great place to hang out and enjoy freshly cooked martabak out of the girdle.
Martabakku Menteng, Jalan Hos Cokroaminoto No. 1 (plus 6 other locations in Jakarta)
Martabak San Fransisco
Martabak San Fransisco is not actually from the American city — its origin is traced to Jakarta’s neighboring city of Bandung, where Martabak San Fransisco (and martabak in general) is incredibly popular.
Now, Martabak San Fransisco is one of the best known premium martabak franchises in all of Indonesia including the Greater Jakarta Area, where 10 of their stores have opened up. Their chain in Bintaro, Tangerang Selatan, is among the best of them, consistently putting out quality martabak amid large orders daily (you’ll have to queue with a lot of motorcycle taxi food deliverers at pretty much any Martabak San Fransisco).
We’d like to think that San Fransisco’s popularity is in large part due to their generosity with their toppings. For example, if you order a Nutella martabak, they’d use up about one-third of a medium jar of Nutella on the martabak and they’ll give the rest to you.
Martabak San Fransisco, Jalan Bintaro Utama Sektor 33A no. 29 (plus 9 other locations in Jakarta)
Martabak Sinar Bulan
Martabak Sinar Bulan is best known for keeping it old school. Their relatively thin base is simply folded in half, resembling traditional martabak before the bases and toppings got thicker. As a result, the base is slightly softer to bite and easier to hold.
Martabak Sinar Bulan’s stall in Grogol, West Jakarta has been around for decades and fans have noted that they have largely stayed true to their martabak’s classic taste over the years. However, they are not against innovation, as they have incorporated some variations such as using premium toppings like Ovomaltine and KitKat, as well as creating martabak base with pandan leaves essence and coloring.
Martabak Sinar Bulan, Jalan Dokter Muwardi Raya no. 39
Martabak Gokil
Gokil is an Indonesian slang word for “crazy”, and it seems Martabak Gokil’s intention is to stand out with its crazy selection of toppings (which actually aren’t that different from some of the other premium martabak brands out there like Martabak Boss and Martabakku Menteng).
What is pretty crazy, though, is their unusual fruit toppings —mandarin slices and longan are among the items on their menu. This might be a turnoff for those who refuse to venture out of banana and strawberry as the only suitable fruit toppings on a martabak, but Martabak Gokil’s fruit martabaks are actually quite delicious they deserve a try.
For a less healthy option, Gokil’s marshmallow martabak provides an oddly satisfying mix of soft martabak base and sticky melted marshmallow. As is the case with most martabak, any kind of chocolate elevates the marshmallow even further.
Martabak Gokil, Bellagio Boutique Mall, Jalan Lingkar Mega Kuningan (plus 2 more locations in Jakarta)
Martabak Blackpool
Martabak Blackpool (no relation to the English seaside resort town) was born out of the black food coloring craze of yesteryear. Their black martabak base certainly stand out, but it’s more than just a visual gimmick.
Undoubtedly Martabak Blackpool’s best dish is the cream cheese and Oreo-topped martabak, which combines Oreo’s addictive quality with just the right amount of sweet and fluffy cream cheese.
With premium toppings like these, it’s surprising that Blackpool’s martabaks are on the cheaper side — the cream cheese and oreo martabak goes for IDR50K for a medium and IDR85K for a large (suitable for at least three people), while another of their favorites, the chocolate and marshmallow martabak, costs IDR 60K for a medium and IDR100K for a large.
Martabak Blackpool, Jalan Sultan Iskandar Muda no. 31 (plus 3 more locations in the Greater Jakarta Area)
Martabak Favourite
Martabak Favourite is regarded by many as one of the best in Jakarta. Once an unassuming small martabak stall in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, it’s now rare not to find long queues of martabak aficionados and motorcycle taxi food deliverers crowding up the small space the stall occupies.
There’s nothing gimmicky about Martabak Favourite — they mostly stick to the true and tested ingredients and toppings like chocolate sprinkles and/or cheese, but to us, it’s their soft martabak base that truly amazes, especially when fresh out of the girdle and warm.
Martabak Favourite is also very generous with margarine on their base (the Wijsman butter is a tastier, more expensive alternative), so eat their martabak in moderation to avoid any clogged arteries.
Martabak Favourite, Jalan Balai Pustaka Timur no. 24
Martabak Bandung Jaya
Another chain that pays homage to the city of Bandung, Martabak Bandung Jaya in Pluit, North Jakarta is perhaps best known for its tip-ker (thin and crispy) variant of the dessert. Where tip-ker lacks in fluffy martabak dough is made up in the delectable crunch in every bite, not to mention its relatively cheap price from IDR15K to IDR30K depending on the topping.
Martabak Bandung Jaya’s savory omelette martabaks are also to die for. They keep things simple here, filling the omelettes with a choice of either chicken or beef, but they are proof that sometimes, less is definitely more.
Martabak Bandung Jaya, Jalan Pluit Sakti no. 75
Martabak AA
Speaking of classic martabak, Martabak AA in Manggarai, South Jakarta is more than just AA-okay. It’s an old hole-in-the-wall store located on Jalan Minangkambau that’s got an unmissable white neon sign featuring a red rooster logo.
Beyond the store’s somewhat dingy facade is martabak many people swear by as the best in town. Like most old martabak establishments in the city, Martabak AA only has a selection of chocolate sprinkles, peanuts, sesame, and cheddar cheese as toppings.
Martabaks at AA won’t break the bank as no single serving exceeds IDR100K. In fact, for just IDR48K, you can come away with a martabak with a single topping.
Martabak AA, Jalan Minangkabau no. 29
Markobar
Markobar is probably the hippest martabak joint in town, its conspicuous black shipping container stall providing the right atmosphere for many foodies and food snappers to hang out. Add to that, Markobar’s renowned “8 tastes” martabak, which features eight different toppings of your choice on a pizza-style martabak, is a magnificently colorful and photogenic dessert.
With a wide of variety of toppings one can put on a martabak here, it’s a welcome surprise that the dough is neither too fluffy nor sweet, this complementing the sweetness of the toppings. The problem is, if you’re sharing an 8 tastes martabak with as many people, you probably won’t get to taste all the different toppings.
On a side note, Markobar is owned by President Joko Widodo’s son Gibran Rakabuming Raka, so if you’re a fan of the First Family, you can’t give this martabak chain a miss.
Markobar, Jalan Raden Salah Raya no. 39, Cikini (plus 2 more locations in the Greater Jakarta Area)
Hungry for more? Check out these mouth watering articles:
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