Nasi uduk (rice cooked with coconut milk) has long been a favourite choice for breakfast and lunch to locals. But the prospect of having it as a supper perhaps doesn’t strike a chord with many. Surprisingly, the Kelapa Gading-based Nasi Uduk Ibu Jum is leading the charge in having this dish at any time of the day, even in the middle of the night.
As the clock ticks towards 5 in the evening during weekdays, staffs of the eatery run about behind the huge warteg-style glass display to prepare the line-up of dishes. Even though half of the dishes aren’t displayed yet, one can tell the popularity of this eatery by looking at the line of expectant crowds already forming way before its trading hours.
If you’re accustomed to eating in a warteg, the system is much alike at Nasi Uduk Bu Jum. One of the attentive staffs behind the glass display will assist you from the very start. First off, the staff will have a plate of nasi uduk or white rice ready, then move on to the next step – some call it the “touchscreen” method – where customers simply point at their preferred side dishes from the other side of the glass.
One may choose from a smorgasbord of side dishes on display, from the customary nasi uduk companions like fried chicken, thick omelette, tempe orek (sauteed tempe with sweet soy sauce) to distinctive options like baby squid, semur jengkol (stinky bean stew) and gulai kikil (beef tendon in curry sauce).
Whether you’re the type who’s comfortable with having just one side dish or the have-it-all eater, customers have the liberty to decide just as how they would at a laid-back warteg. Given the variety and, sometimes, confusing choices, one certainly wouldn’t mind returning to try everything the eatery has to offer.