I had lunch at Jayakarta Indonesian and Singaporean Restaurant in Berkeley today.
The owner is from Jakarta and features Betawi-style cooking.
I ordered the gulai kambing (curried goat) with white rice. It was hot and delicious, with the bill coming to $9 for 1 person.
The decor includes wayang kulit (traditional shadow puppets), Indonesian pictures, with gamelan background music or Indonesian-language singers.
The staff speak Bahasa Indonesia to each other, but you can order in English.
I chatted with 4 Indonesian students (studying business, hospitality and architecture nearby) who said that there were about 4 Indonesian restaurants in the Bay Area, including 2 on Post Street in SF, but Jayakarta was their favorite.
A party of 10 Indonesian people arrived as I left, so the food must be authentic.
There is a selection of local Indonesian monthly papers at the door, including Kabari and Indonesian Media, and they sell $5 international phone cards for calls to Jakarta.
Jayakarta Indonesian and Singaporean Restaurant
2026 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704-1006
(510) 841-0884
Open 11 am to 10 pm every day.
