Yes, Batavia Has Its Own Black Burger

The black burger has captured culinary chatter since it went on sale on Burger king in Japan ,Foodies in Indonesia have taken notice, but some need not be jealous. Turns out Jakarta has its own version.

The black burger at Blacklisted Coffee is a pure ground Australian beef patty, with beef bacon, melted mozzarella, onion rings, tomato and lettuce laid on a homemade black bun.

The kuro burger is blackened by a bamboo wood fire, while Blacklisted’s version gets its color because the restaurant uses charcoal as food coloring to blacken the buns.

“We use edible charcoal,” said Mr. Nelwan. “All [buns] are made by our staff.”

The bun tastes very soft and sweet, and is speckled with black sesame seeds. Like the kuro version, the beef patty is brown – but Blacklisted doesn’t add squid ink or blacken its cheese.

The black burger has proven a hit because people are curious to taste something out of the ordinary, he said. And Indonesians are known food adventurists. For some, however, black food isn’t anything new. Indonesia’s own famous Rawon is a black beef stew that gets its color from the fruit of the pangium edule, or keluak, tree.

Blacklisted Coffee

Mall Puri Indah, GF Unit 71

Jalan Puri Agung, Puri Indah

Phone: 021 5823332

Lotte Shopping Avenue, Level 1

Ciputra World, Jalan Prof Dr Satrio, Karet

Phone: 021 29889166

Street Gallery Pondok Indah Mall 1, Level 2

Pondok Indah

Phone: 021 29529787

Black burger: 69,000 rupiah ($5.7)

The kuro burger is only being sold in Japan for now, so this reporter (unfortunately) can’t draw a taste comparison. But Blacklisted’s burger — tender and topped with a juicy touch from the melted mozzarella — deserves the attention.

Burger King first launched its burger for a limited time in 2012, but Mr. Nelwan says that’s not what spawned his café’s offering.

And while the black burger is the café’s signature, its real specialty is coffee. Blacklisted has more than a dozen types of different brews, which is sure to go down with Jakarta’s caffeine loving crowd.