Over the last weekend, I took a short 'makan' trip to neighbouring Medan in Sumatra, Indonesia. 'Makan' is malay/indonesian for eating, and that is what the trip is all about to the unofficial food capital of Indonesia.
Jetstar launched additional evening flights on some Fridays of each month (according to the flight schedule, it is not all Fridays) to Medan, and the flight departure time at 2035hrs is perfect for me to catch after a day of work. Adding the discounted fares available during Jetstar's frequent sales, it was a no-brainer to book. Return was a one-way flight via Silkair as it is the only evening departure back from MEdan, and fares are not too pricey either.
Checked in online and self-printed the boarding pass. However as my return flight was not on Jetstar, I had to proceed to the document check counter to have my documents verified.
FIDS at Terminal 1.
Jetstar uses self check-in kiosks and bag-drop.
Departure gate at C25.
22 September 2017
Jetstar Asia
3K 287
Singapore (SIN) - Medan Kualanamu (KNO)
A320
9V-JSB
Economy Class
Flight Time: 1H00M
Boarding commenced slightly late due to late aircraft arrival from the previous sector.
Aircraft was one of the oldest in the 3K fleet and had the thick-cushioned seats but with minimal legroom and recline. Cabin was clean and did not show its age though.
Seated at 17A. View from window.
Inflight magazines and sales.
It ended up a pretty full flight. Pushed back and we had a quick taxi to Rwy20C for departure.
Climbing out of SIN
Buy-on-board and duty free sales was offered with not many takers on this short flight. As with most Jetstar flights, crew were generally casual and friendly.
A short cruise later, we descended into Medan and landed on Rwy23 on schedule even though we departed late. Jetstar had padded the sector time at 1h30m though usual flight time would be around an hour.
Medan's new Kualanamu airport is huge and we taxied for quite some time to the gate.
Disembarked. Note the cool rainbow-changing coloured control tower in the background.
As there were no other international arrivals at the time, immigration and customs was rather efficient. Kualanamu airport terminal is huge and spacious, unlike many other Indonesian airport terminals.
Walked to the nearby Merdaka Walk for supper.
Supper consisted of starter dishes, Nasi Goreng and Beehoon Goreng.
Old City Hall at night
Views of Medan city from the hotel
Hotel has an infinity pool.
Brunch at Asie Bebek Beehoon (duck bee hoon). This is one of the most eat places in Medan, and the duck beehoon is really delicious! Do go early as they were sold out by 11am.
Walking around town. Apart from a few temples, mosques and historical buildings, there are not much sights in Medan city itself. Most tourists would go to Lake Toba, which we did not have enough time to do so for this trip.
Popped into Macehat Coffee, a very popular cafe in Medan.
On the weekend afternoon, the cafe was so crowded that we decided to take away instead. The signature Avocado Coffee Float and fried cassava were awesome!
Walked to nearby Bolu Meranti pastry shop to buy its famous swiss rolls and ambon. Only bought a cheese roll and an ambon, but other shoppers were buying boxes like crazy!
Dinner was Nasi Padang at Sederhana restaurant, across from Marriot.
Followed by after-dinner fruits at Ucok Durian. This is definitely the durian wonderland for the king-of-fruits lovers!
On the last day, we had brunch at Selat Panjang. Unfortunately, as the action only starts in the evening, only a few stalls were opened. However, we still had very delicious Hokkien noodles and Medanese-style chicken rice.
Tjong Ah Fie Mansion
And the famous Tip Top restaurant with a long history. Had a bite there as well.
Nice report, sir.
I frequently visit Medan, my mom's hometown. So let me suggest interesting places in Medan to "makan":
- "Soto Sinar Pagi". The favorite "soto" of my mom's family, especially my late grandpa. It's one of legend food stalls in Medan.
- "Lontong Kak Lin". Medan-style lontong curry and lontong with "pecel" sauce.
- "Tabona". A restaurant selling curry bee hoon.
- "Ondo". Offering traditional Bataknese food, such as "babi panggang" (roasted pork), "saksang" (pork dish with blood sauce).
- "Ola Kisat" Babi Panggang Karo (BPK). Selling traditional roasted pork from Tanah Karo. You can come here while on the way to Berastagi or Tongging.
- Indian-style "Mee Rebus" at Kampung Madras, Medan's "Little India". Available only at night.
- Jalan Semarang. Also night only. Here you can eat Medan's best kway teow, while my mom's family usually come here to eat "chee cheong fun".
- "Padang Sidempuan" Restaurant, selling "ikan salai" (smoked fish). It's originally from Padang Sidempuan, a city in South Tapanuli, around 400 km from Medan.
That's my must-try list of Medan foods. Someday if you visit Medan again, you can come to these restaurants.