Evening is the best time to savor various North Sumatra dishes in Pasar Kaget, a market that opens nightly along Berastagi main street. Among the interesting dishes are martabak and roti canai, both of which bore heavy Indian influence. Indian are not the dominant ethnic group in the province, but they have definitely left their mark in North Sumatra culinary scene. Among several stalls selling such food is Aboy’s restaurants , named after its owner. It offers martabak telor , roti canai, and Indian-style fried rice.
For drinks, you can enjoy a glass of milk tea or try Berastagi’s favorite beverage: bandrek. It is similar to bandrek common in java, a mix of milk and ginger that warms the body, perfect remedy for the cold weather typical of a place standing 1,400 meters above sea level. Across Berastagi, bandrek is an everyday beverage and the pride of locals.
It may be a bit puzzling why a popular beverage in Java, especially West Java, ends up wiyh the same popularity in Berastagi. Local tales have it that bandrek was introduced some decades ago by a Javanese who opened the first warung (similar to café but with a simpler setup) serving bandrek. Back the, the drink is virtually unknown in Berastagi, but because bandrek suits cold climate, its popularity took off at once. Presently, almost anyone visiting the city will feel obliged to try the beverage. In fact, bandrek has become synonymous with Berastagi.
