November is the month where vegans all across the globe celebrate World Vegan Month and World Vegan Day (1 November) in order to recognize the vegan movement and its beneficial lifestyle through various activities and community events.
Some vegans host a lunch at work or organize a vegan dinner party with friends, commit to taking part in the vegan outreach in community and share their favourite vegan recipes on social media. Some even challenge friends, family members or work colleagues to go vegan for 30 days by taking the Vegan Pledge.
Veganism has become a more common lifestyle these days, as an increasing number of people aim to follow a healthy diet – this is also true for Indonesia, but compared to other countries, people are not as familiar with the concept of veganism yet. Vegetarians fare much better: there are a number of traditional dishes made of vegetables only, such as Pecel Madiun, Gado-gado and Karedok. In Jakarta in particular, there are a number vegetarian-friendly restaurants that also cater to vegans.
Many vegetarian restaurants that are located in the capital draw from a Hindu and Buddhist culinary culture. The dishes are inspired by Chinese Hindu-Indian traditional Javanese cuisine. If you don’t have time or energy to prepare a vegan meal at home, here is a list of restaurants in Jakarta where you can head to instead.
Burgreen Eatery
Burgreen is healthy restaurant that serves nutritionally balanced food with honest ingredients, which are whole-food plant based. The dishes are refined sugar free and are served in homemade cooking style.
Burgreen has four different outlets across the city, namely at Pacific Place, in Dharmawangsa, Tebet, and Pondok Indah Mall. The restaurant also aims to empower local farmers. On the menu, one can find veggie burgers, clean gluten free breakfast, and raw nourishing desserts.
Loving Hut
Loving Hut is not just a restaurant – it is a restaurant with a mission to save the planet. You can find Loving Hut in 23 different countries, including in Indonesia.
It is a place where vegetarians can enjoy various types of cuisines, from Japanese and Vietnamese to Chinese and Indonesian. Although it’s not strictly vegetarian, there are plenty of choices on the menu catering to vegetarians and vegans.
Vegetus Vegetarian
The items on Vegetus Vegetarian’s menu sound very familiar: one can find roasted pork, Indonesia’s all-time favorite rendang (beef simmered in coconut milk and spices), Ayam Bakar, or grilled fish among the dishes.
However, they are all made from vegetables, making this restaurant truly unique.
VMAD – Vegetarian Madness
VMAD serves vegetarian food, dominated by rich and tasty Indian cuisine as well as some Chinese dishes – and there restaurant even offers a couple of Indian-Chinese fusion dishes, such as gobi Manchurian (deep-fried cauliflower cooked in sauce). Located at Sarinah Thamrin, Central Jakarta, VMAD will treat you with healthy food for lunch, dinner or after your yoga session.
Dharma Kitchen
Vegetarian restaurant Dharma Kitchen has been around for 20 years, offering a variety of dishes made from selected ingredients that contain a good nutritional substance for the body such as fruits, vegetables and fiber-rich nuts. The chicken meat here is actually made from soya, while the beef imitation uses mushroom legs, and seafood consists of konnyaku powder. The restaurant serves Western, Asian and Indonesian vegetarian food as well as pastries and cake made with gluten free ingredients.
In addition to these restaurants, there is a number of outlets in the city that also offer vegan-friendly and vegetarian fare on their menus: Waytuki Vegetarian, Veggie Kitchen by tehe, La Brasserie Restaurant, Al Nafoura Lebanese Restaurant, Seasonal Tastes, Sailendra Restaurant JW Marriott, Giyanti Coffee Roastery, Namaaz Dining, and Loewy, to name a few.
