Saturday, 25 December 2010

Bali Street Food: Martabak

Bali Street Food: Martabak

This is going to be the first post of many covering Bali street food available all over the island. A full list of posts is now available here - Bali Street Food

I thought I'd start off with a favourite of mine which I haven't long discovered: 'Martabak'.

'Martabak' is a thick type of pancake that is sold in many roadside stalls around Bali and ranges from 8,000 IDR to 12,000 depending on what fillings you choose.  Fillings range from cheese, banana, chocolate, peanuts, coconut and other various things you might expect to find in a pancake.  Savoury options are available but I have never really looked as pancakes for me are strictly a sweet dish!


The best places to buy one are (and you probably know this already) always the one that makes it fresh, which is generally most of them but there are a few which might try to give
you the one that has been sitting there all day!  Ask them to cook it fresh or go somewhere else.

Chocolate Martabak 
When I say 'thick pancake' I mean thick!  It's generally double the thickness of a normal pancake and is then folded over and put into a box for you to take away.  Don't try to eat a whole one in one sitting - one 'martabak' is ideal for 2 or 3 people to share but is generally too heavy to polish off alone - a friend of mine who tried said it was a 'heart-stopper'!


Of all the Indonesian street food I have tried, 'martabak' is definitely my favourite as it is generally fresh and it's pretty hard to go wrong with one.  Recommended if you are in need of a cheap, stodgy dessert! Enjoy!



Bali Street Food: Martabak