Jl. Kramat Raya comes alive<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Fifty-year-old Refrizon took his four family members to Atrium
\nshopping center in Central Jakarta, to kill time before breaking
\nthe fast on Thursday and to have a special meal together at nasi
\nkapau food stalls on Jl. Kramat Raya on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The resident of Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta, never misses
\nthe chance to indulge in Minang-style delicacies and spicy food
\noffered at the roadside eateries every fasting month.<\/p>\n
The row of five food stalls along the sidewalk have been there
\nfor years, but business is at its best during Ramadhan.<\/p>\n
Dozens of diners were already seated on plastic chairs at
\nsimple wooden tables placed under plastic awnings erected in
\nfront of each of the food stalls.<\/p>\n
When the chairs run out visitors sit on plastic mats put in
\nthe front of the office buildings next to the restaurants.<\/p>\n
Although all of them sell similar West Sumatran Minang nasi
\nkapau dishes: rice dressed with curry plus optional rendang (meat
\nstewed in spices and coconut milk), chicken dishes, fish, eggs or
\nbeef jerky; competition is not tough as each has dozens of
\nregulars every day during Ramadhan.<\/p>\n
Like other diners, Refrizon and his family have something
\nsweet first to break the fast.<\/p>\n
Next to the sidewalk eateries, dozens of street vendors sell
\nMinang-style delicacies such as lemang, kolak, sarikaya, bubur
\nkampiun, lupis, karakaliang, and spicy cassava crackers krupuk
\nbalado.<\/p>\n
According to one of the vendors, Agus, 49, who has made and
\nsold the snacks for at least 20 years, the buyers do not only
\ncome from Jakarta, but also from satellite cities like Bogor,
\nDepok, Tangerang, and Bekasi.<\/p>\n
\"People from outside Jakarta buy the snacks for their families
\nat home,\" said Agus, whose lemang (glutinous rice roasted in
\nbamboo tubes), according to several people, is among the best
\nsold on Jl. Kramat Raya.<\/p>\n
His lemang is usually eaten with tape ketan hitam (fermented
\nblack glutinous rice). Agus sold one stick of lemang for Rp
\n14,000.<\/p>\n
Unlike other street vendors in the city, those on Jl. Kramat
\nRaya only operate in the afternoon. Therefore, they are not the
\ntarget of evictions by public order officers.<\/p>\n
Agus said the street vendors had been around longer than the
\nroadside eateries. But he said their presence helped the vendors
\nbecause many of their visitors bought snacks again before
\nreturning home.<\/p>\n
Refrizon who bought lemang and krupuk balado to be brought
\nhome said, it's a \"cure for our homesickness\". The food sold here
\nis the best of its kind,\" he added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jl-kramat-raya-comes-alive-1447893297",
"image": ""
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