Bandung Breakfast : Roti Gempol

One of my friend once asked : “Did you ever went to a restaurant, or a diner you’ve been willing to go for such a long time and then you’ll find the food to be disappointing?”

Of course I did! From an expensive stuffed chicken breast in Kayu Manis (listed to be #1 restaurant in Sanur, Bali) to a cheap Takoyaki I found beside a bookstore in Bandung. They’re all terrible. I just didn’t seem to have a mood to write ’em up in my blog. Ugh. Remembering those foods really annoys me. But I think I’ll start writing my bad experience up as well so there will be less people misguided, like me.

So, this morning, I went looking for a diner which serves breakfast – bread mostly, named Roti Gempol. It’s like one of the most popular diner which serves good toast, one of the best you could find in Bandung, so they said.

After walking for around half an hour, I finally found it! The location is slightly hidden in a traditional market. And they only have several tiny tables for us to dine in. I didn’t get one since it was too crowded. People even smoke inside the store and I feel terrible for that.

But anyway, Roti Gempol has been there since 1958! They made homemade bread which is quite good. The wheat bread is as soft and fluffy as the loaves I usually found at a grocery store. Who says wheat bread has to be dry and tasteless anyway, right? 😉 But, I also found it to be not ‘heavy’ enough to be a whole wheat bread. I mean, they don’t put enough wheat in it. I can’t taste the oat. Too bad.

The must order item here in Roti Gempol from what I heard is whole wheat toast with fried egg, cheese, and ham (but they substitute the ham with smoke beef instead)
plus a bottle of Addictea (a local brand of milk tea. I had thai milk tea).

So, this is what I had this morning.

Since I didn’t get a table for me to dine in, I decided to take it back home and preheat it before I eat ’em all. And this is what it looks like. There are fried egg, smoke beef, some cream cheese or garlic cream cheese spread – I can’t really tell since they only put a tiny amount of it. It’s too dry for me.

Anyway, about the egg and the smoke beef. They already prepared a pile of fried egg & smoke beef so when we make an order, they take a slice of that fried egg & smoke beef. and put it on top of our toast. The smoke beef is even fried together with the egg. So they stick together. And then they just kind of preheat it.

I don’t like my smoke beef to blend with my egg together that way. I like it the right way, not this fast way.

Anyway, they also sell another kind of food here. The one I notice is this traditional doughnut. Look so fluffy and soft!

So, that’s pretty much sums up my morning today. I wish you a great breakfast and an even greater weekend. Good morning!

*** I didn’t mean to judge. This is just my personal taste and I know there are a lot of people out there who’s addicted to Roti Gempol. Don’t be hesitate to take a try. You might like it as the others do. Cheers!

Roti Gempol
Jalan Gempol Wetan No.14 , Bandung
Price : Rp 5.000 – Rp.45.000
Small Addictea : Rp 10.000
Small Wheat Toast with Beef, Egg, and Cheese : Rp 17.000