Almost all of the famous street food in Jakarta never gets to see the daylight. It’s no surprise, given that most of the time, people associate street food with the night. Located in a narrow street close to Melawai Street, Bakmi Jhon is a nice change of setting to the usual late night street food.
Started as a street food peddler years ago, Pak Jhon used to wander the street selling Bakmi. But these days, he has the luxury of dropping by everyday, only in the afternoon, to check on his humble stall. As with any other Bakmi, Bakmi Jhon offers the familiar and uncomplicated choices of chicken meat, meatballs or both.
Still, getting one’s hands on Bakmi Jhon can be a challenge. The stall only operates from morning and is sold out way before 4pm. The open-air environment also means that patrons are exposed and vulnerable to the unpredictable weather such as the heavy rain. Plus, the limited seats will most likely be grabbed up during lunchtime. But patrons are still able to enjoy Bakmi in the comfort of their own car, granted if they’re lucky to find a spot to park in the first place.
Regardless, the fact that a modest bowl of Bakmi Jhon can garner such adoration and enthusiastic response from the patrons is quite a remarkable experience in itself.