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By Kelly White

In Point Breeze, Indonesian street food brings the flavors of Jakarta to a single block. I’m the first customer of the day at Hardena, what amounts to little more than a hole-in-the-wall. I wait for the bright eyes and kind face of chef Ena Widjojo. If she knows one thing, it’s that gourmands can’t keep a secret. That’s why her no-frills dining room is consistently packed with food critics and college kids looking for culture. At $5 for a heaping plate of Indonesian specialties, one should hope to be stranded on Hicks Street.

Widjojo starts me off with a mountain of rice, then crowns it with savory jackfruit stew, tender tempeh goreng, and wilted greens. As I’m feasting, I wonder at the plastic spoons on the tables. Later research unveils the Indonesian custom of eating with a spoon in the right hand and fork in the left. I also learn that the main meal is consumed midday, so my early lunch turns out to be right on.

I wander a block away and seek out Pendawa, an Indonesian grocer that stocks clove cigarettes, native products, and a rainbow of to-go meals that range from spicy curries to nasi goreng (fried rice available with a variety of meat and seafood). The place is packed and after dreamily gazing at the sweets, I understand why. I can’t decide between the Terang Bulan, a thick crepe sandwiched with chocolate, sesame seeds, nuts, and condensed milk, or a similar treat called Martabak Manis, which is a pancake stack stuffed with cheese and chocolate. Tomorrow’s breakfast will be a Javanese breeze.

Hardena
1754 S Hicks St, Philadelphia, PA 19145
215-271-9442

Pendawa
1529 Morris St, Philadelphia, PA 19145
215-755-6229