Wahteg is made of two-floor shophouse: the first floor is for food showcases and non-smoking guests seats; second floor is a full sitting area for non-smoking and smoking guests. To separate these two types of visitors, there is a double door that prevent smoke goes outside. Every floor of Wahteg is also equipped with air conditioner and Wi-Fi.
Yes, the obligatory Wi-Fi. Seems like Wahteg intends to grant every warteg lovers’ wish: a comfortable and connected mealtime.
The menu is pretty much warteg-like: tempe orek (sweet-sour tempe), fried noodle, smashed potato, variants of sauteed veggies, stir-fried squids, and fried fish and chicken.
However, all Wahteg’s dishes are not special. They can be found in other 30,000 wartegs around Jakarta, and most likely throughout Indonesia. Wahteg doesn't have any signature dish that makes their guests long to eat at it again. It is quite contradictory with its slogan boasting “making you yearn to visit and eat again.”
On a different counter, Wahteg also offers the endangered and legendary Limun Oriental Cap Nyonya Siluet. Hats off to Wahteg for their effort in bringing this beverage from miles away. But I doubt if any of the millennial visitors know this drink. But to think that Wahteg sells this legendary drink while their target markets most likely won’t buy it pretty much tells me the big Wahteg’s dedication in making their restaurant authentic.
My plate was crowded with traditional sauteed squid, stir-fried bean sprout, prawn bakwan, sambal, and rice. For their taste, I should say there is no significant difference between Wahteg and the good old basic warteg. The price is a little higher than normal warteg, but still affordable for workers and students.
With its ambience, Wahteg definitely elevates the humble warteg above mere “cheap food”. It is warteg nearly done right. For warteg sceptics and also warteg devotees, Wahteg is a good place to rebuild good relationship with warteg or perhaps the long lost one.
As a closing, here’s what my partner the photographer said about Wahteg: “Wahteg is first on my list when I am hungry. But when I crave for Tegal food, I prefer the take-out from warteg.”
