Mie Jakarta

Mie Jakarta is one of a few Indonesian Restaurants in the NYC area. Here’s a list of all others:
Bali Nusa (midtown manhattan)
Java Indonesian Rijsttafel (Brooklyn)
Upi Jaya
Asian Taste
Of course not to be bias, my mother’s cooking outweighs all of them. But, the few meals that requires the grill aka Ayam Bakar, Sate, etc. I always go to this place. Bali Nusa is too americanized and lacks the flavor it needs.

Was there last night with my girlfriend and we had a fantastic time, the food was delicious, and the service was excellent,
we had the Satey Chicken — marinated chicken kebab served with peanut sauce, this was yummy, you have to try the home made hot sauce too the one that sort of looks like hot oil sauce (that’s the one to go for)
we also had the Jakarta Beef Soup, this soup was fantastic! so flavorful that I am craving for it right now
Everything was yummy, this little spot is the place to check out when hungry for some yummy Indonesian food.

I’ve pretty much had everything on its menu and it’s by far the most authentic Indonesian restaurant in NYC. And this is coming from an Indonesian, born and raised.
My favorite on the menu is the nasi campur ayam rica. Fragrant steamed rice topped with lodeh — vegetable curry sauce, an egg, and a fried piece of chicken (you can ask for either dark or white meat) on «rica» sauce. Also comes with kerupuk (prawn crackers). The sauce is very spicy, so be sure to ask for it on the side if you can’t handle the heat.
Other favorites include the batagor, pempek, bakmi komplit, and the sup buntut.
I don’t think you can go wrong with anything on the menu.
Just go!

To say that this restaurant is unassuming would be assuming too much. Tucked away between a bar and a bodega on Whitney Avenue, it is far enough from the rest of Elmhurst on Broadway to qualify as off the beaten path.
Don’t let the décor, or should I say the lack of décor, put you off. The service is quick and friendly and every dish we ordered was good (there were 5 of us — don’t judge).
We had:
— Chicken kebab starters (Sate Ayam)
— Fried wonton (Pangsit Goreng)
— Jakarta style Batagor with wonton skin covered with fish cake, fried and served with peanut sauce.
— Beef curry (Nasi Campur Rendang) cooked in spices and coconut milk and served with rice, egg and jackfruit curry
— Oxtail soup (Sop Buntut) served with rice and egg.
— Fried Chicken (Nasi Campur Ayam Goreng) served with rice, egg and jackfruit curry.
OK you may be noticing a trend here — rice, egg and Jackfruit curry with just about everything and the ubiquitous peanut sauce — but make no mistake, it’s a wonderful accompaniment and worth scraping the plate for.
Like many of these mom and pops, its cash only, but at these prices, you won’t break the bank. I don’t think any dish was over $ 6.50. The quality of the food is in inverse proportion to the ambience and décor, and in the battle of style versus substance, your taste buds will be thankful that substance won.

Great Indonesian food! Where have you been all my life!!!
I cannot believe this, but I just went here 3 days in a row this past weekend.
1. Food is cheap
2. Food is fresh
3. Food tastes FANTASTIC
Just go get it! I personally love their noodles, but their chicken and curry rice is delicious as well!
GO TRY IT! NOW!

My bf never been to Mie Jakarta. I went here once before with someone Indonesian. I insisted that my bf had to come here especially because he loves peanut sauce.
I treated him to lunch. Be forewarned, it’s a cash only business so come prepared to whip out cold hard cash! Also Mie Jakarta looks like someone’s dinky apt in Elmhurst. It is tiny and near no décor. I dont suggest you come here thinking it’s going to be anything fancy. Just come here and eat.
We had the:
1. Sate Ayam (chicken shish kebobs with peanut sauce)
2. Batagor (fried fish cakes and tofu topped with peanut sauce)
3. Gado Gado (Indonesian style salad with peanut sauce)
Okay does our menu sound redundant with the peanut sauce? Uuuummm, yes!
But we LOVE peanut sauce!
I loved the Sate Ayam and Batagor. The Gado Gado is something my boyfriend would like better. He is into eating vegetables more than me. My boyfriend also ordered a bowl of rice to soak up ALL the peanut sauce from each plate. He came pretty close to licking the plate.
We looked up a recipe online on how to make indonesian style peanut sauce… let’s just say we decided to just go back to Mie Jakarta every time we need a peanut sauce fix!

Cash is King here!!!
Fantastic restaurant! Total whole in the wall with little to no décor, but then doesn’t every place that offers great, delicious, authentic food look like that?
Went here with an Indonesian friend so I’m not even sure if they speak English. But do not fret, the entire menu has pictures and descriptions in English so just point and they will hook you up!
Start with:
Sate Ayam: bbq chicken kabob in sweet peanut sauce… it had small bite size pieces of what they call rice cake (but it reminded me of a spanish aerpa, corn cake)…chicken is ridiculously tender and that peanut sauce just brings it up another notch.
Perkedel: minced meat mash potato cakes: golden brown on the outside and creamy and smooth in the inside is what makes this app amazing. Dip the cakes into the house made red chili hot sauce, hidden in a big mustard squeezey bottle, and your set!
Batagor: Fried fish cakes in peanut sauce: golden brown pieces of fish cake and fried tofu in that addictive homemade peanut sauce. Has a soft sponge like texture, not off putting at all and totally satisfying.
Main Event:
Sop Buntut: Oxtail soup: you can taste that this soup was made with love. Broth was rich and light at the same time. The generous portions of oxtail were soft and flavorful as well. Reminiscent of a very well made Vietnamese Phở broth just a bit better
Nasi CamPur Ikan Rica: Crispy fried whole tilapia: Head to tail fish, the way fish is SUPPOSE to be eaten! Fish was fresh, crispy and not oily at all! It is accompanied with rice comes in coconut milk and topped with sauteed jack fruit in more coconut milk: This combo wa fantastic! Ask for the hot sauce, that usually comes on top of the fish, on the side.
Nasi Campur Rendang: Spicy stewed beef. If you love hot and spicy this is for you! It’s complex with flavor, heat and soft amazing beef! Amazing!
Cannot wait to go back!!!

My daughter came home with some take out from Mie Jakarta. A small cozy little hole in the wall type of eatery, located just a few blocks from my place, and although I just had dinner in Flushing, I can’t help but have a little bit of the delicious food that she brought home.
The following day, my sister & I went shopping and convinced her to try some good Indonesian food for a change. We more or less end up going to the same Vietnamese place every time we have a lunch date.
. We ordered :
…Mie/​Bihun Komplit, Flat noodles with chicken, mushrooms, meatballs & veg. …Sop Buntut: Oxtail soup served with rice, spicy egg & chips
…Ayam Goreng Rica, Spicy fried chicken with rice topped with young jackfruit & beans cooked in coconut milk, Spicy egg & sliced cucumbers.
The food was delicious but the portions were very small. We are both big eaters and so we had to put in another order. Indonesian dishes more or less use the same condiments & spices as their Asian counterparts… their wide use of coconut milk in their dishes, pepper sauce, fish sauce makes the flavor distinct from other cuisines…
I would certainly come back here, The place was plain, small and simple, probably sits a dozen or more, 10 small tables, but clean and have an A grade. What they lack in ambiance was compensated with the pleasant people working there.

Ok. So I’ve only had Indonesian food twice, and both times it was at the same place in Hell’s Kitchen. I say this because you need to know that I have no idea what real Indonesian food is like. That said, after hearing about another close rival Indonesian spot from a coworker, I decided to google it and see what place really has the best Indonesian food in NYC. Mie Jakarta was a top contender, and after actually visiting the place, I can see why. I don’t know Indonesian food but this sure was at the top of my enjoyment list!
When you get to Mie Jakarta you’ll probably be thrown off by how extremely small and unassuming the place is. The place seriously only has like 5 tables to eat at! 4 tables for a group of no more than 4 and 1 for a group of 2. There was no beer, no wine, no alcohol. period. What there was, however, was a large menu w/​lots of pictures and dishes that I had a very hard time pronouncing. Lucky for my party, our waitress was so nice and offered some suggestions after realizing we were completely lost.
Sorry to say that I have NO IDEA what we ordered so I can’t give any suggestions but maaan was it fantastic! My taste buds were peaked w/​every bite — sweet, spicy, soupy, curry, etc… It really was good.
Too bad the place isn’t near me or I’d probably be a regular. It’s that kind of homey food that you can eat often, be full without being bored, and not break your pockets.

Have to say, after staying in Malaysia for a few years, got addicted to the food there.
Even though its an Indonesian restaurant, the food resembles pretty closely to its malay counter part.,
Had the Ayam bakar Rica, came with rice, mixed veggis and a boiled sauteed egg with chili paste on top of it.
It was so good, felt like I was back in Malaysia. After I was done with the meal, my nose got runny due to the extra chili paste I had. Man that was spicy, just the way I like it.

Came here for a second time recently. The first time I’d been here was about 2 years ago.
This time around, I started with the sate ayam — a chicken kebab with peanut sauce. It is just like the Thai chicken satay, but good nonetheless. The bakso jakarta here was good. It was a meatball soup with noodles. The meatballs were big and very tasty. I also tried a little bit of the nasi campur oporayam. It is mostly chicken curry cooked with coconut milk. Like some Indonesian dishes, it is very similar to the Malaysian nasi dishes.
It is small and does not have much atmosphere but this is a great spot for authentic Indonesian food. If you are familiar with Malaysian and Thai food, you will have an idea of what to expect here.

Holy crap. Authentic Indonesian food (the lack of the term ‘pad thai’ on the menu made my heart sing… seriously) and at reasonable prices!
Mie Jakarta is the very definition of «tiny hole in the wall» but oh, how delicious it is. We tried the beef rendang, ayam rica, perkedel kentang and ayam satay. The beef in the rendang was barely holding together and had a thick and (medium) spicy coating — hallmark of an old school, slow cooked rendang. The ayam rica had crispy skin and a spicy sambal on top. The satay was okay — peanut sauce was delicious but I thought the chicken itself was a little bland (I am used to Singaporean/​Malaysian satay so this might just be a regional difference in satay). The perkedel was potato-​y and a little crisp on the outside — a more neutral flavour but good for dipping in the extra sambal terasi we ordered. Every main dish came with keropok bawang (onion crackers) which was a good crunchy companion for the tender beef rendang.
We were so impressed by the food that we ended up ordering food for 10 – 15 people from them for a party. They did a great job of arranging the food to be all pretty-​like and the food was ready on time. Our guests absolutely loved everything (special kudos to the coconut rice! perfect accompaniment for the rendang).
Run to Mie Jakarta. Or you can take the train. I think we walked about 5m from the R stop for Elmhurst. They only take CASH — don’t forget the Benjamins… just kidding… you could feed 8 people easily for $ 100 here.
I know I have family in NYC and everything but this restaurant is one of the top 5 reasons I look forward to visiting NYC.

BYOI
Bring Your Own Indonesian.
I could not do this review much justice had it not been for my Indonesian Julia, I would not have fed myself as effectively as i did if it were not for her.
To start, this place is a hole in the wall on a street in Elmhurst slash Jackson Heights. Its on a street that you wouldnt necessarily assume to have great food. Its an old joint. The air conditioning is little to non existent. But its filled with locals. Its filled with people that know the food and come to dine on a taste of home.
Thank goodness for the menu. It was loaded with pictures. I found myself pointing to pictures like a child and saying to Julia «want».
I ordered an Es Teler to drink. A milk based beverage with coconut milk, dragon fruit, avocado and crack (im guessing). it was a deliciously sweet concoction that Phil and I referred to as strawberry quik. So amazingly good.
We ordered a bunch of plates:
Gado Gado: a wam vegetable salad with a peanut sauce on top. If every salad tasted like this, id probably really really love salad.
Pansit Goreng: chicken and shrimp wontons. I might have eaten about 5 of these. Crispy and tasty.
Perkedel: Minced Meat Potato cakes. Indonesian latkes? lol. definitely good!
Sate Ayam: MY FAVORITE Skewered chicken with peanut sauce
Soto Betawi: Veggie soup with an amazing and flavorful broth
Nasi Campur rendang: Beef Curry with rice. Succulent beef!
Nasi Campur Ayan Goreng: Spicy fried chicken.
They also allow you to bring in your own booze.
I will def come back. But I will Bring my Own Indo girl :-)

I had no clue what I was eating at this little hole in the wall Indonesian restaurant but it sure was tasty!
Seriously, if it wasn’t for Julia B arranging a group dining adventure here I would have never known this place existed. It’s just not a part of town I ever really venture out to, plus I don’t speak the language and we entrusted Julia to do all the ordering in her native tongue. Good thing we did, because we were treated to a delicious feast.
It was crazy the amount of food we received and in the end with tip and all it only came out to $ 20 a person. All I know if that we were stuffed when we walked out of here. The place itself is nothing special to look at, as it’s small and kind of dilapidated, but sometimes these tiny spots serve up such great authentic food as we found out here. Plus, it’s BYOB and you can bring your own booze.
I posted a bunch of pictures of what we shared on our table and I have no clue what anything was called but loved all the flavors and the use of curry, vegetables, and fresh ingredients in each plate. The chicken skewers, curry based soup, mince meat and potato pancakes, shrimp chips, beef in curry sauce, Indo fried chicken, and some sort of fried shrimp and chicken patties were all delicious!
So glad Julia introduced us to the food of her homeland — this was a terrific choice. Our waitress took care of us and the food came out quick and hot. It’s so good to explore different taste sensations and step out of the normal food comfort zone once in a while. Thanks Julia!
I have to say that drink I had with the chopped fruit in in tasted like Strawberry Quik and brought back memories of hitting up 7-​Eleven on drunken nights for a late night snack!

SATE AYAM! It’s like chicken kebabs loaded with delicious peanut sauce! It’s the best! I love the food at this place and the owner is extremely friendly. The place is very small so I got my meal to go. The fish cakes are great too. Everything they pack for takeout is put together very well so when you get somewhere to eat it all, its very easy to put meats and sauces together to make it fresh yourself. Thumbs up for that! For Indonesian food, this seems to be the best place to go. I will be back!

YUM YUM
2 of my Indonesian friends HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ME (ahem Julia B and Reno A). and since I lived in this neighborhood for over 15 yrs, I needed something new.
AND WHY IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO TRY THIS PLACE? ****
SATE AYAM — Huge Chicken Meat Cubes in a stick with MASSIVE Heavy Peanut sauce with a hint of spices in it. SO TENDER, So SWEET, So Yummy.
BATAGOR
BATAGOR — Fried Fish Cake with Peanut Sauce. Another SCORE!!!, It felt like there was a party inside my mouth!
Roommie ordered a regular rice dish.
NASI CAMPUR RENDANG — beef cooked with spices and coconut milk served with rice, egg, jackfruit curry. BY FAR THIS IS THE BEST BEEF RENDANG i’ve EVER HAD…
Small place, don’t bring a huge group.
*******************************CASH ONLY**********************************
**** = This neighborhood has too many good food places, can’t keep up.

I haven’t had their food, but running in on a hot day for an Es Teler is a fine idea. I wouldn’t usually associate a milky drink as refreshing, but this definitely is. It’s made of coconut milk. It’s cold and there’s jelly and bits with every sip. When you’re done, there’s chunks of jelly and avocado at the bottom, thankfully they give you a soup to scoop that avocado up.
You might think avocado is weird in there, but it’s perfect. It has a creamy neutral flavor that really works with the sweet milky taste of the drink.
I’ll have to return for the food, but you really should try this delicious beverage.

I’d really like to try something other than the Nasi Campurayam Bakar, or Grilled Chicken, but I never seem to order anything else. It’s just that good. The jackfruit and kale curry with coconut milk provides an excellent contrast to the meat. Coming from me, that’s really saying something: I’ve been known to shy away from any and all dishes containing coconut milk, but I make an exception whenever I visit Mie Jakarta. A hard boiled egg and handful of shrimp chips may seem like random additions to those unfamiliar with Indonesian cuisine, but they’re both very common, and help provide a variety of textures and flavors that round out the meal nicely.
I’ve heard people balk at the serving sizes. And it’s true, if you have an especially large appetite, then a single entrée here may not do it for you. But, at only $ 6.50 a meal, feel free to go all out and embark on an ordering spree! For what you get, the value truly can’t be beat. The food is made with love and care, and the quality of the food is incomparable to whatever else you may be able to scrounge up for the money.
The restaurant is sparse, and likely seats no more than 15. There is no ambiance to speak of. The menu is limited. None of these are bad things. On the contrary, it’s what makes this little hole in the wall endearing! The employees here can best be described as efficient, but timid. However, they always have a smile ready and the food never takes very long to make it’s way to your table.

Itching for Indonesian food, I dragged the dude (who has never had Indonesian food before!) here for dinner on a Tuesday night. Boy oh boy, we were in for a treat! I was taken back to eating on the streets of Jakarta.
Appetizers:
Sate Ayam ($ 6.50) — huge pieces of chicken perfectly grilled and the peanut sauce was thick and flavorful!
Batagor ($ 6.50) — fried fish cake with peanut sauce. Yum!
Mains:
Nasi Uduk with Rendang ($ 7) — coconut rice was subtle in flavor and the beef curry was tender. There were only 4 pieces of chunky pieces of beef so it doesn’t really fill you up. It was good but when my mum’s rendang is the bomb, every place will always lose.
Gado Gado ($ 6.50) — a large heaping dish of crunchy, crispy vegetables with lontong (rice cubes) slathered in peanut sauce. My favorite.
All the dishes were fantastic but we both agreed the sate ayam and gado gado were the highlights of dinner at this small, cosy restaurant! The server was friendly and I had fun talking to her in Indonesian.
P.S: Cash only.

A giant thank you to my Indonesian friend who introduced me to Mie Jakarta and without whom we would have no one to explain the menu and pick out our appetizers. Mie Jakarta is her go-​to place for a little taste of home. It’s one of the best Indonesian restaurants in NYC and definitely the best in Queens. It’s also a tiny restaurant that seats around 20 people at a time. So at the risk of stating the obvious, if you go at peak times there will be a wait. My friends and I went for lunch on Sunday and waited about 40 minutes to be seated.
For appetizers, we shared the BATAGOR
and the SATAY AYAM
According to my friend, both are street foods in Indonesia. The Batagor is fried tofu and fried fish cakes with a peanut sauce and shallots on top. I especially liked the fried fish cakes because they added something (sweet rice powder?) to give it a mochi-​like texture. The Satay Ayam is essentially chicken skewers seasoned with peanut sauce, also topped with shallots. The provided raw cucumber and onion slices balance out the sweetness of the peanut chicken nicely.
Mie Jakarta serves many Indonesian specialities including their Nasi Campur (mixed rice) sets, a very popular dish in Indonesian cuisine. Nasi Campur means white rice with an assortment of other side items. At Mie Jakarta the Nasi Campur has veggies and coconut sauce over the white rice, a boiled egg topped with spicy sauce, cucumber slices, and fried crisps. The Nasi Campur can be ordered regular or paired with your choice of chicken, fish, rendang, or other yummies. I ordered the NASI CAMPUR AYAM GORENG BAKAR (nasi campur with grilled chicken).
If you order chicken, you can pick dark or white meat so don’t forget to tell them which you prefer. The grilled chicken is extremely flavorful and tender. I especially love the veggies and coconut sauce over rice because it’s so creamy and savory.
If you like noodles, the MIE KOMPLIT
is a good choice. It comes in two separate bowls. One bowl has the egg noodles, seasoned chicken pieces, deep fried wontons, and veggies. The other bowl has beef balls and fish balls in a clear broth. You can eat them separately, but to eat it like an Indonesian, pour the beef ball and fish ball broth into the noodle bowl and mix it all together.
For dessert or as a drink to go with your meal, give the ESTELER a try. It is milk sweetened with condensed milk and pieces of avocado, jackfruit, and coconut. It comes with rose syrup at the bottom of the cup so that when you stir everything together the drink turns a lovely shade of pink.
My friends love this stuff!
Mie Jakarta has worked it’s way into our regular rotation because besides being a favorite of my Indonesian friend, it’s also delicious, hearty, filling, and yet affordable.
**Cash only!
***Just for kicks: