[English] Indonesian Traditional Desserts Seller in Jalan Margonda Depok

I recently visited an Indonesian traditional sweet porridge seller in Jalan Margonda Depok, West Java, and was blown away by the variety and quality of the rice puddings and sweet porridge offered at an affordable price. I tried various flavors, including the Bubur Sumsum Original, Bubur Sumsum Pandan, Bubur Mutiara, and more. Each dish was a unique and delicious experience, making it a must-visit for all dessert lovers!

I found this street seller on the way to the Pondok Cina Train Station with friends towards Kota Tua Jakarta (Jakarta Old City). Around 5 pm, when I was walking on the new Margonda sidewalk, I saw this seller, located in Jalan Margonda, Depok, in front of Lawson convenience store near the T-junction toward the Pondok Cina Train Station.

I was blown away by the unique setup of this Indonesian sweet porridge seller. Their simple wooden cart, known as a gerobak, was filled with shining pots of delectable porridges and was an absolute feast for the eyes. And the most eye-catching part was that their cart was plastered with many colorful photos of the menu literally all over the place, creating an eye-catching display that truly stood out. 😂 It was truly amazing to see such a simple setup make such a significant impact.

I was so happy to find this street seller, and I unconsciously stopped my walk and looked at the seller as they started to open the stall. I was like, “When did this seller open the stall here? I’ve never seen it before.” Understandably, I’m not a commuter who passes here every day. Even though sometimes, I walk this street, usually in the morning or noon when this seller has yet to open.

As I kept looking at the seller, the customers started approaching the stall. Seems like this seller has pretty good loyal customers already. Ah, I wanted to buy and try it right away, but I had to postpone it, maybe later when I return. Hopefully, the seller still had some left for me.

—- a Few hours later —-

Luckily, the seller was still there when I returned from Kota Tua Jakarta around 9.30 pm. They still had some porridges left.

I saw around four people still queueing. While waiting for my turn, I looked at their menu, which was a lot, and the price was also affordable.

This seller is not only selling Indonesian rice puddings (Bubur Sumsum) but also Mung Bean Sweet Porridge (Bubur Kacang Hijau), Glutinous Rice Flour Sweet Porridge (Bubur Candil), Tapioca pearls sweet porridge (Bubur Mutiara), Red kidney beans (Kacang Merah), Black glutinous rice porridge (Bubur Ketan Hitam), Cassava Thai porridge (Singkong Thai Ala-Ala), Kolak and many more.

Then, it came to the most challenging part, what should I order? hahaha.

I wanted to try all the variants, but buying them one by one would be expensive and too much to eat. Luckily, I discovered a complete menu that offered multiple variations in one package. I ultimately decided to purchase this menu, “Sumsum Komplit Premium,” allowing me to sample all the varieties without overloading myself.

This was how it looked like, it had 7 variants.

Food Description:

1. Starting from the top left, we had the Bubur Sumsum Original, a traditional Indonesian rice pudding flavored with a sweet sauce made from coconut or palm sugar. This dish had a distinctly sweet taste. 
2. Moving on to the top middle, the green Bubur Sumsum Pandan offered a welcome contrast with its slightly salty flavor profile. 
3. To the top right, we had the Bubur Mutiara, a sweet porridge made with tapioca pearls, boasting a delicately sweet taste.
4. Next, the bottom right presented the Bubur Candil, a sweet porridge made with glutinous rice flour that had a chewy texture to complement its sweet taste. 
5. The yellow porridge was sweet cassava porridge with a sticky texture that enhanced its sweet flavor. 
6. The Red Kidney Bean porridge was also sweet in taste.
7. Last but not least, we had the Bubur Ketan Hitam on the bottom left. This black glutinous rice porridge boasted a sweet taste and a creamy texture similar to rice.

If you are a fan of soft and velvety food like porridge, you will like this dish. Again, the sweetness dominates the flavors, but the green variant was a pleasant departure with its savory notes. To balance the sweetness of the porridge, adding coconut milk brought a rich and savory flavor with a hint of saltiness, creating a harmonious blend of flavors. Personally, I have a soft spot for this porridge as it brings back fond memories of my childhood in Central Java, where I was introduced to this dish.

If you’re looking for a delicious and fresh treat, head to the sweet porridge seller in Jalan Margonda Depok. They only open in the evenings, starting from 5 PM, to make sure every bowl of sweet porridge is warm and made to perfection. Whether you stop by in the late afternoon or in the evening, you’ll be greeted by the delicious freshly made porridge and a range of flavors to choose from.