Photo: Food Fighters Facebook Page
Jakarta hipsters are a fickle bunch. Pasar Santa, the traditional market that was taken over and turned trendy by young indie entrepreneurs taking advantage of its rock bottom rents, was once hailed as the capital’s coolest creative hub when it first hit it big about a year ago. It had an amazing selection of innovative food stalls that folks would line up for to purchase their Instagram-ready treats.
But a year on, Santa has seen a serious drop off in its popularity. On a recent weekend lunchtime visit, it seemed like less than 1 in 5 of the stalls on the 1st floor were actually open. Things do pick up in the evenings, but the crowds are mostly gone and so, perhaps, is the magic. (There are other reasons why Pasar Santa might be struggling, including higher rents and atrocious traffic caused by construction on nearby Jl. Wolter Monginsidi, but that’s a whole other story.)
So today I want to tell you about a new place, called Food Fighters, that hopes to replicate Pasar Santa’s special sauce in Blok M. Located just across from Blok M Square mall, below the rooms of the Fave Hotel, it’s like Santa on a smaller, more focused scale. And I think that’s a good thing.
I had not even heard of Food Fighters before I happened to be passing by, and assumed it was some sort of video game themed restaurant at first thanks to all of the cool 8-bit art on the walls (side note: somebody really needs to build a Barcade in Jakarta). But what I found inside was actually a collection of food stalls, most of them transplants or new outlets of F&B businesses that first found fame in Pasar Santa.
Among them are several Santa mainstays that are known for producing excellent innovative grub for reasonable prices. There’s Miechino, which makes what some consider to be the best mie ayam (Rp 25k) in town. They now serve their signature mie karet (hand-pulled noodles) in a cute Chinese takeout container. It’s attached to the brand new Banhmily, which makes a tasty version of the classic Vietnamese sandwich starting at just Rp 30k.
You’ll also find Papricano, another Santa transplant serving up substantial versions of Tex-Mex treats on the cheap. One addiion to the menu is a deliciously crispy chimichanga loaded with guacamole and beef for Rp 40k. It shares its stall with Sloppy Bro, which has added a beef brisket sandwich to its offerings.
Perhaps the best thing I tried came from Zucker Waffle. Although they mostly specialize in waffles topped with colorful sweets, they also make a fried chicken and waffle sandwich (Rp 35k) – which might sound bizarre to some but I thought it was excellent (don’t worry, most of the sweetness in the dish comes from the honey mustard sauce, not the waffles themselves).
There’s a lot more on offer at Food Fighters that I haven’t had a chance to try yet, including cheesy noodles and pizza from Bonara Pasta, skewers and homestyle Nusa Tenggara Timur cuisine from Sate Bumbu Oma, black burgers from Black Jack and chicken wings from Yipiko. I will say the cold-brew coffee from Kopi Pasar I had was excellent.
So the real question is, does Food Fighters knock out Pasar Santa? It doesn’t have Santa’s indie charm, but that’s because it feels more like a proper professionally run food court. It’s a much smaller venue but since it’s all about F&B, the layout is more comfortable, with plenty of seating and tables available. Also there’s a single cashier station where you have to pay for everything – which is slightly annoying but also lets the guys in the kitchens keep their focus on the food.
If you’re looking for cheap, creative cuisine in a hip yet comfortable environment, Food Fighters fits the bill. Regardless of whether Santa can sustain itself or not, I hope more venues like Food Fighters rise up to fill the vacuum and give Jakarta’s budding restauranteurs a place to unleash their culinary kung-fu.
Food Fighters
Melawai IV No. 7 (Next to Fave Hotel Melawai)
Open everyday: 10AM – 10PM
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