TASTE TEST: The 5 most recommended bakso in Jakarta

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia has a traditional meatball dish called bakso. It is so popular that even US President Barack Obama ate them during his visit to the country last month.

Bakso is a soup containing noodles, broth, and of course meatballs – although the meatballs are varied. Some are made of beef, others are made of chicken, fish, or even pork, a rare meat preference in the majority Muslim nation. Different versions of bakso are also garnished with various ingredients like tofu, hard boiled eggs, vegetables, or wontons. 

In this video, Rappler tries the five most highly recommended beef bakso in Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital. 

1. Bakso JWR

The founder of Bakso JWR started selling meatballs in 1989. Since then, Bakso JWR has been one of the most widespread bakso chains in Jakarta. They have 10 stalls in Jakarta and 4 in Tangerang.

It costs just 27,000 rupiah or $2 for a serving, which consists of 3 small meatballs, 1 big meatball, and noodles. The meatballs are quite tasty but the broth is a little too salty.

2. Bakso Titoti

Bakso Titoti offers authentic Wonogiri meatballs, from a city in Central Java which is very popular for their meatballs. The founder, Mr. Slamet Triyanto, first opened Bakso Titoti in the 1990s and now has more than 10 restaurants across Jakarta and Central Java.

It costs 25,000 rupiah or $1.80 for the special bakso dish, which consists of 2 big meatballs, 2 small meatballs, tofu, beef knuckles, and noodles. It tastes good, but it is nothing extraordinary.

3. Bakso Akiaw 99

Bakso Akiaw 99 originally comes from Medan, North Sumatera. They offer a unique menu that is not usually offered by other bakso stalls, such as kwetiau (flat noodles) and sliced beef.

This one is the most expensive of the bakso options on this list. It cost 50,000 rupiah or $3.75 for a serving of bakso and noodles. It’s pricier, but they have the most tasty beef meatballs compared to the others.

4. Bakso Nikki

Bakso Nikki is located in crowded Tebet in South Jakarta. Their small restaurant is always fully packed during lunch and dinner, because its price is cheap but the meatballs are extremely tasty. It only costs 14,000 rupiah or $1 per portion, which consists of four small meatballs, noodles, and beef knuckles.

5. Bakso Kumis

Bakso Kumis is one of the most iconic bakso meals in Jakarta. It is located in a foodcourt area in Blok S, South Jakarta. The founder started selling bakso with a cart in the 1970s, but the place in Blok S was just opened in the 1990s.

Here we put the seasoning ourselves so the soup, so the taste depends on our preference. They only sell a tennis ball-sized meatballs, which are tasty and chewy. —Rappler.com