Jakarta's food scene is enormous and wildly diverse. Jalan Jaksa has restaurants and street stalls catering to travelers, but venture into the side streets for more authentic Indonesian cooking. Padang restaurants, where dishes are brought communally to the table and you pay only for what you eat, are a Jakarta institution -- Natrabu and Sari Bundo are two of the best chains.
Beyond Indonesian food, the city has excellent Korean, Thai, Indian, and Japanese restaurants. The food courts in the big shopping malls are a reliable and cheap option. Street vendors selling satay, nasi goreng, and bakmi goreng are everywhere, and once your stomach adjusts, some of the best eating in Jakarta happens at roadside stalls.