Similar to previous years, this year, the annual event of Jakarta Fashion & Food Festival (JFFF) also has the attractive, fun culinary event with main theme of Kampoeng Tempo Doeloe, which is currently happening in La Piazza, Kelapa Gading, Jakarta. The event has been going on since May 9th and will end on June 1st, opens everyday with free entry. 
One of the most attractive points from this event is the theme, which brings the guests back to the old days of Jakarta, with designed atmosphere, ambiances and decorations that resemble the situations of old traditional markets in the past, including the replica of the main gate of Pasar Gambir (Gambir market) circa 1920. Sorry I don’t have decent picture of that gate, but if you go there, it’s hard not to notice as it is the main entrance from the street. Why Pasar Gambir? Well, in fact, Pasar Gambir is actually the root or origin of what we know as Jakarta Fair or Pekan Raya Jakarta. Interesting, isn’t it?
This year, the event is held in much larger areas than previous years, taking almost 1 hectare of field fulfilled by hundreds of food stands which serve wide selections of local cuisine. Personally, I really love this kind of event with so many variety that I can try so no matter how far it is, I would try to go and visit. My visit was on a weekday and I totally missed the opening hours information before I came so it was too early, as a result I went somewhere else to have my lunch first and came back there with quite a full tummy. Bad move, I know. In the end, I just bought some lighter meals and snacks, but the feeling was great because the event was very fun and I could introduce more about rich Indonesian culture (and my childhood food!) to Mr. K who also had so much fun there! 🙂 
So, because photos speak thousand words, hope these can give you all the images of the awesomeness!

In the middle of the area, there is a separated building where the Wine & Cheese Expo is being held. After being in the hot outdoor area, it is a good thing to be able to come here and enjoy some cold air-conditionered room for a while. In this building, there are some tenants selling cheese and other dairy products (even macarons and many other things!) and of course, wines, mostly with expo (promotion) prices, so it won’t hurt to take a look! 

Like I said above, there are hundreds stands spread all over the area so I bet you can imagine how many food you can choose. Growing up in Indonesia doesn’t make me an expert, but going to this kind of events always do something good for me. There are so many selections of heavy meals like rice, noodle and friends, but there are also snacks and all the glory of local desserts! 

Cilok/Cimol IDR 11K
Both cilok and cimol are popular snacks originated from West Java, made from Tapioca starch (tepung kanji) then served with peanut sauce, sweet soy sauce and chili sauce. Both of these snacks are very addictive because of the taste and chewy textures that make you crave for more!

Cireng IDR 12K
Cireng is another version of West Java’s popular tapioca starch snack, fried version. This is usually eaten just like that, but in case we want more flavor, the abang gorengan sometimes gives us the peanut sauce and friends in separated plastic bag.

Es Doger IDR 11K
Whenever I think about es doger, my mind will go to the beautiful pink mixed ice drink that I first knew back in school. With main ingredients of coconut slices, pacar cina, avocado, fermented cassava (tape), black glutinous rice, and added with condensed milk, this mixed ice drink is undoubtedly colorful. However, after I came back, I just realized how I miss the good old days when things were considered cheap and a big cup of this only costed IDR 2K that time!

Serabi Notosuman IDR 5K each
One of the highlights in my visit this time was the Serabi Notosuman, a very popular (or should I say, “legendary”?) serabi in Indonesia. Originally comes from Solo, Central Java, Serabi Notosuman is a must try when you visit Solo, just eat the fresh one or buy some to bring back home for gift. Firstly founded in 1920s, the serabi is one of the most original existing serabi ever. And although I feel ashamed that I had never tried this before until yesterday, I am so glad I had this opportunity this time. The serabi looks very similar to kue ape, but because it’s made using thick coconut milk, the taste is crazily rich and flavorful. Each serabi is rolled inside banana wrap, ensuring the freshness, softness, and adding extra fragrance. This comes in 2 flavors: original and chocolate.

Another attractive and interesting stand is the shop that sells all kinds of snacks, candies/sweets and basically everything from my childhood period. As a 80s baby, I feel lucky that I grew up with so many interesting stuffs rather than gadgets and such, so seeing all these things just instantly brought back some memories! Remember the cigarette candy (permen rokok)? Or red and green candy that can be shaped into so many things from flowers to roosters? Sooo nostalgic!

Buah Lontar IDR 12K & Air Lontar IDR 10K
Local festival is never complete without this cart selling buah lontar. I remember when I was a kid, I used to buy this so often, because I love seeing how the seller “carve” the fruit open. From that big, round fruit, usually the edible fruits are quite small in size and if we’re lucky, the fruits are juicy and contains lots of fluid inside. Some of the carts I found in the past were located outdoor under direct sunlight, so if I bought the ones that were already put inside plastic bags, usually they were already dry and hard. These ones were still fresh and juicy, so lucky! While the fruits were nice and naturally sweet, the air lontar was horrible: too sweet and already smelly.

Kerak Telor Bebek IDR 20K
Kerak Telor is a popular Batavia food that is made using glutinous rice as the main ingredient. Mixed with eggs (here you can choose chicken or duck eggs), it becomes something like wrap, then cooked with seasonings and others, voila, you’ve got a meal. In Jakarta, it’s not difficult to find this food, as some of the stalls usually sell this around evening near Kemayoran area.

Es Durian Special Besar IDR 30K
I never can resist durian so I just had to buy this. Iko Gantinyo is a famous durian ice shop from Padang, West Sumatera. What is interesting about their durian ice is that they put many other toppings too, such as nata de coco, grass jelly, etc. I bought the special one in big size, and it is put in a big plastic container with lid. The difference between the regular and special one is the additional scoops of ice cream. The container itself is quite big but the contents were not full when I opened it. The ice creams were strawberry and frankly speaking, I never can understand the concept of durian and other ice cream flavors combined into one. The durian was not much, and honestly, I wasn’t really happy with this. Next time, I will probably try this in the restaurant (they have branch in Gading Serpong), maybe it is better.

Gulali Harum Manis IDR 7K each
I was so glad that this was also available for sale during this event. The red and green candy that I used to buy for only IDR 0.1K or 100 friggin’ rupiah was there too!! God, these are sooooooo nostalgic and I won’t forget the happy face of my nephew when he saw this =)

Oh yes, the event is held outdoor so I suggest wearing something light and comfortable because you’ll get sweaty easily. Although there was no direct sunlight whatsoever during my visit, it was painfully hot and humid. 
Overall, a very nice event that brings so much nostalgia and also culinary experiences. Didn’t get to try most of the heavier meals but most all of them I already tried in the original places like Sate Blora, Es Podeng Blok S, and so on. We also tried some of the nostalgic childhood ice sticks like Es Goyang (IDR 10K) and Es Potong Unyil (IDR 10K) but didn’t take photos. 
Enjoy while it lasts and thank you for holding this event!!
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Kampoeng Tempo Doeloe
Jakarta Fashion & Food Festival 2014
La Piazza Mall, Kelapa Gading
Jakarta Utara
Opening Hours: 
Mon-Thu 16.00 – 23.00, Fri-Sun 11.00 – 23.00 (May 9th – June 1st, 2014)