​Monas’ official food hawker center completed, grand opening in early June

Photo: Lenggang Jakarta Facebook page

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The green open spaces around the National Monument (Monas) have long been filled with kaki limas and other street vendors illegally setting up shop inside the park, sneaking past security guards in order to hawk their wares and food to the thousands who come to visit Monas each day. 

For over a year, the government has been fighting to move the vendors out of the Monument’s open area and into a designated commercial space, but encountered strong resistance along the way. 

But it looks like order may finally be taking root in Monas, as the hawker center built especially to house food vendors has finally been completed. 

“On April 17. 2015 and we begun a trial operation. We are officially launching in early June, we’re just waiting for the schedule of the governor as he will inaugurate the event,” Joko Kundaryo, Head of the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises and Trade Cooperative (KUMKMP) told Berita Jakarta on Sunday. 

The Lenggang Jakarta Food Court is designed to be a comfortable, clean space where visitors to Monas will be able to buy food as well as souvenirs and other goods. Each of the 329 kiosks are equipped with a sink and the government says vendors have been trained and will be monitored to maintain hygiene and food safety standards.

The plan is for Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama to officiate the grand opening of the food court in early June. Hopefully this new food court will not only make Monas a more pleasant place to visit, but it will also show tourists how awesome Indonesian street food can be when made well.