The hustle and bustle of my daily routine made me feel bored. So, I needed some fresh air to clear my mind. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any public holidays left for the rest of the year. Therefore, I looked for a day-trip destination near Jakarta that could be reached easily while avoiding heavy traffic. This time, I chose Jatiluhur Reservoir, Purwakarta, West Java. The roads were well maintained and directly connected to the toll road. It took around two and a half hours to get there.
Jembatan Viral Parang Gombong
On the way to the main destination, Parang Gombong, I
stopped by a striking red bridge overlooking the emerald-with green water and
beautiful scenery. Near the bridge, there was a small parking area for visitors.
Some street food sellers such as telur gulung (rolled fried egg on a skewer),
tahu gejrot (fried tofu served with a sweet and spicy sauce) and cilok (chewy tapioca
balls with peanut sauce)
were setting up their stalls on that area. Many visitors stopped to take photos
before grabbing some local snacks from the nearby stalls. I think it is a great
way to support the local economy.
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| View from Jembatan Red Bridge Parang Gombong |
Waduk Jatiliuhur, Parang Gombong
After taking a few photos and enjoying some local
street food, we continued to Parang Gombong, one of the tourist attractions
around Waduk Jatilihur. The entrance fee was Rp20.000 per car, with an
additional parking fee of Rp5.000. The entrance gate looked a little bit poorly
maintained, and the pathway was not well maintained. The reservoir also covered
with water hyacinth,
which was quite disappointing.
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| Waduk Jatiluhur from Parang Gombong |
Sate Maranggi Bah Use
Exploring Parang Gombong made me hungry, perhaps because I arrived around lunch time. So I headed to Sate Maranggi Bah Use, one of the most famous Sate Maranggi restaurants in Purwakarta. Sate Maranggi is one of Purwakarta’s signature dishes. Before being grilled, the meat is marinated by coriander, brown sugar, and tamarind. Unlike most Indonesian satays, Sate Maranggi is usually served without peanut sauce, allowing its sweet and savoury marinade to stand out.
I usually stop by Sate Maranggi Hj Yetty whenever I’m on
my way to Bandung. This time, I wanted to try a different Sate Maranggi
restaurant. The well-known chef Renatta Moeloek once recommended Sate Maranggi
Bah Use as her favourite Sate Maranggi restaurant in Purwakarta. That’s why I decided
to give it a try.
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| Sate Maranggi Bah Use |
Overall, Sate Maranggi at Bah Use was more tender than the one at Hj Yetty. However, Bah Use is located a little farther from the toll exit and has limited parking space. Its grilling area is also much smaller than Hj Yetty’s. As a result, during peak hours the food takes longer to arrive because customer demand exceeds the restaurant’s grilling capacity.
Salbeans Park
The delicious lunch left me feeling full and sleepy. Before
heading home, we needed some caffeine to keep us awake, boost our mind,
especially my husband, who did all the driving on this trip. Alhamdulillah, we
found a highly rated café called Salbeans Park, located not far from Sate
Maranggi Bah Use. The manual brew coffee was excellent. My favourite drink,
however, was the matcha latte. It tasted great and was very affordable.
A one-day trip to Purwakarta is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of Jakarta. Unlike larger cities such as Bogor and Bandung, Purwakarta offers plenty of peaceful places to unwind without having to deal with heavy traffic.
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