Mr. Minto, a Chef on the Pavement

Life is sometimes like a wheel. There are times when we’re on top and times when we’re at the bottom. Mr. Minto or Cak Minto is a good example (Cak Javanese for “Mr.”). He used to be a chef at a very famous restaurant at Manggarai, East Jakarta, but the economic crisis in 1998 , forced him to cook on the sidewalk of Jalan Jaksa. Now, he owns of a food stall that serves menus such as “pecel ayam”, “pecel lele”, fried gold fish, and “kambing guling”; Serving between 9am to 9pm. A blue tent, a gas burner, and ten plastic chairs are his investments

To find the location of the food stall is not difficult because it’s near the Karya Bahana Hotel.

Because he is selling on the sidewalk, customers will have to be ready for the heat. Cak Minto does not provide air conditioner. Despite that, he takes very well care of the cleanness of his food stall. Cak Minto is committed to always consider his customers as everything.

With his experience as a chef, it is not surprising that his cooking is very good. The “pecel lele”, for example, is a dish consisting of catfish that is fried until it is dry, making the bones soft. As for vegetable, Cak Minto uses slices of cucumbers, cabbages, and celery. The dish will taste better when eaten with the “terasi” soy sauce. Talking about soy sauce, Cak Minto makes it with mixes of red and white garlic, terasi; in a mortar and then crushed with a pestle.

The food is served quiet uniquely because the fried catfish or chicken is placed in a cobek, which is a small traditional plate from East Java. And more, Customers get a free warm glass of tea.

Usually the dish is eaten using our bare right hand, therefore your fingers must be able to carry rice, and then putting it into your mouth, also to tear the meat. But if your unwilling to use your hand, Cak Minto has provided spoons and forks for you.

The average price of the menus are about 5,000 Indonesian Rupiahs (IDR, this is about 50 Cents). Just come directly to the Cak Minto food stall. Reserving a seat is not possible.

The “kambing guling” is served only by special order for special occasions, such as weddings. The price is expensive, one “kambing guling” will cost you 1 million IDR (about 1,000 Dollars). If you’re interested to order the “kambing guling”, call (021) 7793856.

Cak Minto comes from Surabaya. Cak Minto says that tourists who have tried his cooking, loved it. He also says that the reason tourists come Indonesia is to visit tourist sites, and taste his cooking which represents the city of Surabaya.

Cak Minto is selling on the sidewalk, but his politness makes his cooking tastes like any other executive restaurant.

Cak Minto Food Stall

The Atmosphere in Cak Minto Food Stall

Cak Minto

“Pecel lele”