Warung Bali Pak Gede — Restaurant in Jakarta

(This is review is purely based on experience, not expertise)

Living in Jakarta in this day and age has changed the way I view "cheap food"; it is either not so cheap or it is just not good enough. Then my paths crossed with Warung Nasi Bali Pak Gede. It gives me hope again, cheap food can be good food.

I have heard some good things about Warung Nasi Bali Pak Gede for quite sometime from my girlfriend who lives nearby the place. She observed that the customers would start queuing from the outside of the warung, especially during lunchtime.

What else would that indicate if it was not for the fact that the food there is highly sought after?

Then I dared myself to try it.

On another day, I made time after work to go here for the first time. The place itself is small. The feeling of being constricted might arise when queuing for order since the people who have made theirs were also sitting nearby the queue. With that many people in a confined space, also with the addition of smoke that came out of the satay grill, this is the closest that you can get to a communal sauna.

However, I could not be bothered by that kind of stuff; I am here only for the food and the food only!

There are only three menus offered here. The cheapest being the Nasi Campur Ayam, then there is the Nasi Campur Sapi, and the best of both worlds: Nasi Campur Ayam dan Sapi.

The very first purchase that I went for was the Nasi Campur Ayam as a takeaway order.

What is inside that wrapped jumble of excitement?

The Nasi Campur Ayam has so much at its disposal.

They'll give you an abundance of a mixed white-red rice. The amount that you usually get from a nasi padang bungkus.

The proteins consist of a partial chicken thigh cooked in (presumably) coconut milk. The similar kind that you get from gudeg but spicier and the "kuah santan" has been dried out. Very tender despite the small size of the chicken. The presence of sate buntal and sate ayam bumbu plecing makes up for the lack of chicken though. You'll also get some ayam suwir to compensate that.

Every chicken items there were great, not a single item was dry. However, the one that won my heart would be the sate ayam bumbu plecing or whatever that is. I believe that it has been marinated for quite a long time which explains its tenderness, and the spillover from the sauce has made the entire dish much better.

The combination of these chicken-based items with sambal matah and another sambal that is substantially hotter than the former, along with diced long beans, fried peanuts for texture, half a hard-boiled egg for protein-maxing, and topped off with a couple of deep-fried chicken skin were the perfect emulation of the traditional Balinese Rice experience but with halal ingredients.

I was taken aback by it, astounded with the fact that the dish costed me only a mere Rp30,000.

I started to tell friends and families alike about Warung Nasi Pak Gede and they share the same sentiment as I do, which feels great!

The next time I went here, I ordered the complete set menu (Nasi Campur Ayam dan Sapi). Find it out yourself for only how much you should add to the initial Rp30,000 for you to get a very juicy pieces of smoked beef, akin to the popular se'i sapi. You will be surprised.

I recommend all of you to try out the chicken and beef experience for the ultimate value for money.

It is hard to shrug off the tempation to eat from this humble food establishment, even if you have been there just once.

When you are just passing through the Haji Nawi MRT Station towards the Lebak Bulus end station, Warung Nasi Bali Pak Gede will be there at the corner of your eye, telling you to come back once more.

Thank you, and God bless you, Pak Gede😭🫶

(I could not be bothered to take good pictures of the dish, was to busy...

A charming warung in the heart of the Jakarta city offers an authentic taste of Balinese cuisine with its signature dish: Nasi Campur Bali.

Food: The Nasi Campur is a delightful medley of traditional Balinese flavors, featuring red rice, urab (vegetable salad with grated coconut), a perfectly fried piece of chicken, half a slice of boiled egg with sambal matah, crispy chicken skin, shredded chicken in a rich yellow sauce, a generously sized chicken satay skewer, and the highlight of the dish: languan satay. The plate is crowned with a generous serving of sambal embe, which adds an extra layer of aromatic spice. Each component is masterfully seasoned, delivering a vibrant burst of flavor from the very first bite, even as a balinese person, I still recognize this dish originally from Bali. Importantly, the dish is entirely Halal, making it accessible to a wide range of diners.

Place: The warung's first branch, located in Fatmawati, provides a modest yet welcoming dining area that can accommodate approximately 20–30 guests. Basic amenities such as a toilet and a washbasin are available, ensuring convenience for visitors.

Service: The service is efficient, with an average waiting time of just 5–10 minutes, even during peak hours. The staff are attentive and maintain a friendly demeanor.

Price: The pricing is exceptionally reasonable given its location in a bustling metropolitan area. A serving of Nasi Campur is priced at IDR 32,000, while beverages such as iced tea and mineral water cost IDR 12,000 and IDR 6,000, respectively. The quality and portion size make the meal excellent...

1 Aug 2024 I had lunch of nasi campur Bali komplit ayam + sapi with ice tea.

A low-key looking restaurant with a really tasty menu. I swear, as a Medanese & a cook, their seasoning & sambal spiciness-level were spot on for Indonesian taste. None was serve hot, even the rice was lukewarm, as I assume everything was prepared way ahead of time prior to the restaurant opening hour.

They have limited menu and no printed menu at all. I was asked to check the menu on the Go Food app for the complete list. Basically, they serve HALAL nasi campur Bali (typical Indonesian rice plate, where there's rice, a fried chicken, a Balinese chicken-coconut satay lilit, an Indonesian chicken satay, half a hard-boiled egg garnished with sambal matah, some sliced cucumber, spicy long-bean stir fry, crispy fried chicken skins, very spicy sambal, some shredded spiced chicken, and in my order was also some very tender seasoned beef sirloin). For drinks, it's either hot or iced sweet tea or bottled water.

As with the limited menu, they have a very limited seating for only about 24 people at the same time. They were also often sold out just before or around 12 PM, because they also do online orders (by app). Be prepared for long waiting time, both to be seated and for your order to come out.

But all in all, I will surely come back for dining in as the atmosphere was the rare kind to be found...