Did you find it fun to explore what’s happening in The City every weekend? Do you always feel the need to find out about the events that are currently happening or comin’soon?

I’ve been quite MIA in terms of keeping up with the current events that are happening or will be happening in Jakarta. It’s pretty hard to keep up although sometimes I come across JKTGO ‘s Instagram post. Work’s been busy, trying to find myself slowly and dragging myself out of bed every morning just to run errands. Well, this weekend is pretty different. Surprisingly - this weekend is exceptional. There are tons of events happening and it’s hard to filter out which event to go cause well - all of them pretty much interest me. After much considerations I decided to make my two main stops at Brightspot Market & Jakarta Culinary Festival.

THE BRIGHTSPOT MARKET

I’m pretty much lost in words when I just found out that this is actually the biggest event in Jakarta [correct me if I’m wrong tho]. It’s been the ‘happening’ event in Jakarta that sells clothes, food and other hipster stuff. This year is exceptionally a big deal. I didn’t expect much and one of the reasons why I wanted to come here is because it’s not too far from where I work. Things escalated quickly when I first looked at the place. It kinda reminds me of Dover Street Market, which can be described in one word only: COOL. The first day [invitation only] was crazy crowded and I ended up browsing around for only 20 mins and decided to bounce so I didn’t see much. Came back 3 times today just to try out their food and look at their clothing booths that are available there. It’s crazy when I realize this is really a big deal! Do you know they have 400 tenants just for this event? i know, right?! There are a total of 3-4 floors and I think it’s best for you to take a look at their tenant lists and see which one you’d like to see cause if not - you’ll be pretty much lost.

I would say it’s worth it to check out this Market in District 8 (AVAILABLE UNTIL THIS SUNDAY OCT 6TH ONLY). Entrance Fee is free of charge- you just need to download the Brightspot App and Register + ‘Purchase’ Ticket. It’s better for you to DOWNLOAD it when you’re at home cause the reception there is just impossible. Another tip is to come in before 12noon to avoid the crazy crowd.

Rundowns:

1. Cold Moo: You know what this is. It’s the most hype but really good Ice Cream that (was) located in Dharmawangsa. Because they are relocating and under renovation atm, this was the main reason why I visited Brightspot Market just because I was cr… — 1. **Cold Moo:** You know what this is. It’s the most hype but really good Ice Cream that (was) located in Dharmawangsa. Because they are relocating and under renovation atm, this was the main reason why I visited Brightspot Market just because I was craving for’em. All time fav in their menu? Definitely their Banana Bread Pudding & Cookies and Cream Ice Cream!

2. Yum Cha Hauz: This is basically a Chinese Dim Sum specialty that sells Hainam rice too.It Tried their Hainam Siobak, which is sambal matah with crispy bacon and also tried their Hainam Pork Chasiu with Crispy Bacon. I gotta say, their packaging i… — 2. **Yum Cha Hauz**: This is basically a Chinese Dim Sum specialty that sells Hainam rice too.It Tried their Hainam Siobak, which is sambal matah with crispy bacon and also tried their Hainam Pork Chasiu with Crispy Bacon. I gotta say, their packaging is impressive. It seems like a simple box but when you actually open it it spread into a kind-of paper plate. The dishes were just ok but the rice was pretty bad tbh. Texture wise it’s too weird and it’s just didn’t work.

3. Honey Lane: Hmm, this is interesting. Basically, they sell soft serve yogurt and also some fresh iced tea – lemonade – etc. Their Yogurt is somehow salty but I kinda like it tho. The honey itself is fresh, which reminds me of Honeymee. For me, th… — 3. Honey Lane: Hmm, this is interesting. Basically, they sell soft serve yogurt and also some fresh iced tea – lemonade – etc. Their Yogurt is somehow salty but I kinda like it tho. The honey itself is fresh, which reminds me of Honeymee. For me, these two don’t really work well together, tastes kinda funny. Wish they sell some real soft serve vanilla ice cream cause that would be perfecto.

4. Bakmi Tiga Marga: If you haven’t heard about this Bakmi before then I think you haven’t been checking the right Instagram account, JK. I’ve seen on people’s Insta everywhere - yup, literally EVERYWHERE. I had a quite low expectation because usually I get disappointed if the place is somehow is Instagrammable or many many upscale bloggers ravin about it (Was pretty much become a marketing victim right here). I would say it’s quite good, not the best ones but it’s consider to be acceptable. They only serve their Bakmi Bakso and Pangsit Goreng. I was very disappointed with the Pangsit Goreng cause it seems like they put too much flour that makes it pretty much… tasteless.

5. Limau: With their tagline of “Nasi Jeruk at Its Finest,” I think this is a pretty go-to spot if you want to try something new. Ordered their fried chicken and the crispiness is just the right texture.

JAKARTA CULINARY FESTIVAL

For you foodie people, it’s always hard to resist this kind of event - bazaar - market - festival or you name it. I’ve known this festival a little over a year ago and tbh I visited this event 2 days in a row in 2018. I was looking at the tenants list on Instagram since a week ago and wasn’t that excited to visit - just because I thought it was just meh. No matter how hard I tried to avoid comin here, my foodie mentality is just too weak to be true so I decided to just give it a try!

As I mentioned in my Instagram Story, the tents are divided into two:

Spoon Tent: This is where all of the food and alcoholic drinks being sold. Popular tenants here include Pisang Goreng Bu Naniek, Jack & John, Gunpowder, Tahu Kriuk Yes, Gunpowder, Lawless Burger, etc. It’s basically divided into two different rooms - indoor and outdoor. There are a few of cooking demos too (check out their schedule right here). Didn’t spend too much time here because of the crowd + waiting time.
Fork Tent: DESSERT, COFFEE , PHOTO SPOTS you name it! To get to this other tent you gotta go inside the mall. This is just one long indoor hall [Across Starbucks Reserve Lobby] and it’s actually indoor. There are many different photo spots with Food + GOJEK themes that are pretty Insta-worthy cute. Popular tenants here include: Dough Lab [cray line], Tanamera Coffee, Common Grounds Coffee, Djournal Coffee, Beau Bakery, Benedict, etc. It’s one long hall and it’s actually less crowded, which was a good thing.

Overall, Jakarta Culinary Festival indeed offers much better food than Brightspot Market cause they include some of the best ones in the event. The crowd was still bearable but maybe I wasn’t able to tolerate the outdoor part of the Spoon Tent cause it was crazy hot. Food-wise was okay, expected a bit more of it but turns out it’s kindof below my expectations a bit. You can check’em out in Senayan City and it’s also available until this Sunday only!

Rundowns:

Mangkokku: Literally 'Merakyat’ but with more expensive price. I tried their beef brisket and it’s pretty good. The way they serve their rice is just perfect too, this would be a great comfort food if you’re trying to find places that sell beef bowl… — **Mangkokku:** Literally 'Merakyat’ but with more expensive price. I tried their beef brisket and it’s pretty good. The way they serve their rice is just perfect too, this would be a great comfort food if you’re trying to find places that sell beef bowl other than Yoshinoya.

Doux Cookies: Ever had a Crispy Cookies? No? Good. This should be your #1 stop to try. Altho their cookies are thin – well, actually it’s the thin texture that makes it good. It’s crispy and I guarantee you’ll to order more! I tried their almond smo… — Doux Cookies: Ever had a Crispy Cookies? No? Good. This should be your #1 stop to try. Altho their cookies are thin – well, actually it’s the thin texture that makes it good. It’s crispy and I guarantee you’ll to order more! I tried their almond smores cookies and I’m a fan!

Nomz: Can’t remember how many times I’ve passed this cafe in Grand Indonesia but never manage to stop by and try. Why? Cause a lot of people said it’s not that worth it. To be frank - I was willing to give this a try yesterday so decided to get thei… — **Nomz:** Can’t remember how many times I’ve passed this cafe in Grand Indonesia but never manage to stop by and try. Why? Cause a lot of people said it’s not that worth it. To be frank - I was willing to give this a try yesterday so decided to get their mini salted egg croissant. Guess what? Impressive. This is a different kind of croissant that’s actually super crispy!! AAAAAND now, I’m cravin for more. Gotta visit their booth asap!

Both events have their own personality that’s good and bad. If you’re more into looking at local brands or exploring new brands that are available it’s better for you to go to Brightspot Market or maybe you’re just craving for some COLDMOO ICE CREAM [line gets crazy in the afternoon]. Maybe you’re more into trying out food - wear something comfy cause you’ll definitely drenched in sweat when you’re waiting in the outdoor part of the Spoon Tent.

But again, if you got the time, why not visit both? :) Drop your comments below if you have any other event recommendations! Have a great weekend!