KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 — For those of you out there who love murtabak and apam balik, it’s time to explore the Indonesian versions.
At Martabak Bangka 66, you get a range of savoury martabak telur and sweet martabak manis. There’s also a crispy variant called tipker and martabak pizza, which requires pre-order.
In Indonesia, martabak is commonly found on the streets, where they peddle it from roadside stalls.
For a fluffy texture, order the Martabak Telur Bebek Jamur that uses duck egg and mushrooms.
Here, it’s different. Instead, the set-up for Martabak Bangka 66 is much more comfortable.
The space is tiny with limited tables and chairs. One can snack on the items, freshly prepared from the hot stoves or just pack it home..
They provide plastic gloves too, keeping your hands clean as you eat your order.
Martabak Manis is a huge portion that is best shared with others.
Even though the martabak telur uses a flatbread dough to encase the filling like a murtabak, the way it is cooked differs.
Once it’s folded, the parcel is shallow deep fried in hot oil on a griddle, until the whole outer layer is golden brown and crunchy.
That extra crunchy layer makes it different from the murtabak which is usually just pan fried.
The distinct nature of the Martabak Manis is the spongy honeycomb texture.
Variations of the martabak telur include plain egg, egg paired with beef (daging sapi), duck (bebek), chicken and mushrooms (jamur). Swap the chicken egg for duck egg to get a fluffier, richer taste.
The crowd favourite is the Martabak Telur Daging Sapi (RM17) with minced beef. Even the simple Martabak Telur Bebek Jamur (RM19) is satisfying with the soft, fluffy eggs and sliced mushrooms.
It’s paired with pickled vegetables and potent green bird-eye’s chillies. There’s also a dip which gives it a slight salty and sweet flavour.
Tipker is a lighter, crunchy version of the ‘martabak manis’ that makes it easier to eat solo
All this makes a light snack to share or a solo dinner.
Don’t forget dessert too. The martabak manis tends to be rather large in size compared to our local ones.
Either share it with others or take home the leftovers.
The variations for the sweet martabak is a long list. There’s the original flavour with fillings like chocolate, cheese, peanuts, corn, Oreo, Nutella, Ovomaltine and Lotus Biscoff.
Inside the eatery, cooking is done behind the counter.
One can also opt for the flavoured martabak with pandan or red velvet. If you can’t decide, there’s a combined flavour in one martabak.
The texture of the martabak manis is different with a soft, spongy texture and distinct honeycomb markings.
It’s quite rich and buttery. For me, two bites is good enough for an after dinner treat.
As it is open till late at the TT Gardens F&B Lifestyle Hub, one can grab supper here too.
This place also offers the coveted Dutch Wijsman Butter, for an extra RM10. The salted butter is said to give the martabak a rich, creamy taste.
And if you rather not overindulge, there’s Martabak Manis Tipis or Tipker. This one has crispy layers and I enjoyed every bite.
Try the chocolate cheese combination (RM16), for a savoury, sweet flavour. Addictive!
Martabak Bangka 66,
Unit 1-1, TT Gardens F&B Lifestyle Hub,
Bangunan AHP 2,
3, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad,
Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.
Open:12pm to 11pm.
Tel:012-6068708.
Instagram: @martabak_bangka_66_kl
• This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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