Martabak - Everyone's Favorite #1 : Sinar Kiat

Martabak.

I drool just by the sound of it. And I bet a name and a place come up in your mind as you read this line. Right? It appears that everyone has their personal favorite. Usually it's somewhere near the place they live. And just as interesting, more often that not there's at least one popular martabak vendor in a particular area.

With this in mind, I tweeted yesterday and ask friends in my timeline to name theirs, thus the hashtag #MartabakJuara. Within a few minutes a lot of replies came in, and the conversation lasted for almost half a day. There's one in Rawamangun, two in Pecenongan, one in Sunter, one in Muara Karang, one in Meruya, one in Cibubur, one in Tebet, one in Karawaci, and many more. In fact, I'm kinda overwhelmed by the replies, but I'm happy that at least, I can partially conclude that my hypothesis is true. And most importantly, a lot of people can relate to Martabak.

The next question is "Which martabak?"

If this were biology, I would classify them into two different genus: Martabak Manis (sweet) & Martabak Telor (savory). Each would then spread into different species variety. You'll find martabak manis durian, martabak manis pandan, martabak telor with chicken egg, martabak telor with duck egg, and other creative incarnations of toppings. But let's not go too far.

For now, let's stick with what our kind friends on Twitter have recommended. With the kind of cravings I had yesterday, I couldn't help but pick up my bestfriend and force him along to a culinary adventure to Jalan Jelambar Baru or mostly known as Borobudur. Right in front of Permata Bank there are three different martabak vendors, I hesitated as I turn on my radar. With a few Sherlock Holmes' kind of deduction, I concluded that Sinar Kiat is the #MartabakJuara that Jenzcorner was talking about.

The Bangka looking guy dressed in polo. The striking red cutting sticker on the cart. And most importantly the long queue of people. The last being the most important clue.

I leave no time to spare. Off with camera in hand, I started taking pictures. Shutter after shutter, documenting the process. Here they are as I experienced it.

Verdict

The advantage of having your friend with you is that you don't have to drive. Yes, I get to eat right away as he drove to our next destination. I must admit that the Wijsman butter made all the difference. Laid on the outer skin, it gives the buttery smell & enough oil to fuel your saliva. The choice of Kraft cheese is worth noting. Probably the only cheese that fitted well with martabak manis. On the other hand though, I find that the condensed milk does not complement the overall taste well enough. I might be biased, but it's a different kind of sweet. Still, this is one delicious martabak. I ended up finishing half of the pack by myself.

Trying it further with the chocolate martabak, I couldn't go more than two bites. The chocolate is off putting. It might be the meises or the fact that it lacked peanuts.

I would come back just for the cheese martabak or the durian, which unfortunately unavailable yesterday.

What's Next?

The quest to try and discover more martabak vendor goes on. Hopefully I will get the chance to try your favorite martabak that you have suggested. However, with all the butter, cheese, and fat juices that late in the night, pray that I'll have extra strength to do my morning jog to burn them off the next day.

In the mean time, let me know your favorite martabak in the comments below.

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Location

Martabak Sinar Kiat
Jalan Jelambar Baru (Borobudur)
Turn left after SPBU in Latumenten, vendor is right accross Permata Bank