Jakarta, IO – Quick! What’s the first dish you think of when you hear the words “Purwakarta, West Java”? Maranggi satay, the sheathmaker’s satay? Yup, it’s a delicacy native to the City of Pensioners! This time, I’m taking you on my journey to taste one of Purwakarta’s most famous maranggi satay, Satai Maranggi Hj. Yetty (“Lady Hajj Yetty’s maranggi satay”). Her place is located in Jalan Raya Cibungur, Bungursari District of, Purwakarta Regency. It’s a maranggi satay highway, lined with stall after stall hawking the famous dish, so you won’t be starved for choice (pun intended)!
Satai Maranggi Hj. Yetty Cibungur has a large parking area as well as dining space, so you can bring many family members or friends at one sitting. Just take your seat at any free table, and one of the quick-footed, quick-witted members of the staff will give you your menu and order list. Just write down your order, hand it back, and that’s that! Furthermore, the staff also actively walk around carrying the house dishes and a selection of drinks: all types of ices, gado-gado salad, fried foods. If you see anything you like, just take it off their hands, and they will make a note of the item on your bill.
Yum! Savory sweet maranggi satay
It doesn’t take long before they serve your maranggi satay order. The staff are so efficient that they won’t let you starve long. Satai Maranggi Hj. Yetty’s satay lineup includes beef, goat, mutton, and chicken satays. I especially recommend the goat satay if you go there: it’s absolutely tender, it doesn’t stink at all – many people even thought that it’s beef instead!
As for me, I ordered a portion (10 skewers) of chicken maranggi satay at IDR 5,000.00 each. The large, plump, brown satay pieces lined up beautifully along their pale golden bamboo skewers, contrasting beautifully with the pristine white plate they are served on. It’s so beautiful it’s crazy! The drool-inducing, divinely fragrant satay is accompanied by the delightful house samba, comprised of tomato slices, lime juice, and ground cabai rawit. For lunch that day, I chose lontong rice cakes as the main carbohydrate base instead of the usual white rice. Mm, this combo is a perfect blend of tenderness, and spiciness, sweetness, and savor!