NIHI Sumba has launched Hawker Legends, a curated culinary series celebrating Indonesia’s legendary street food custodians through authentic, culturally grounded dining experiences at the resort.
We love seeing experiences like this come to life.
One of Indonesia’s, and the world’s, most iconic resorts, NIHI Sumba has just introduced Hawker Legends, a curated culinary series that brings some of the country’s most respected street food custodians into the resort setting.
Rather than reinventing or reimagining street food, Hawker Legends is rooted in preservation. The series honours humble, original comfort food that has remained unchanged and deeply woven into everyday life for generations, focusing on authenticity, consistency, and cultural meaning.
The series launches from April 9 to 11 with Soto Betawi H. Ma’ruf, one of Jakarta’s most storied culinary institutions. Founded in 1940, Soto Betawi H. Ma’ruf is known for its delicately savoury broth made with a blend of coconut milk and cow’s milk. The recipe has remained unchanged for decades, guided by a simple principle: authenticity over excess.
Now represented by third-generation custodian Mufti Ma’ruf, the dish has become more than just food for many Jakarta locals. It’s something people return to before leaving town, after long absences, or when they want to reconnect with home. In this way, Soto Betawi H. Ma’ruf has remained quietly embedded in the rhythm of everyday life.
Hawker Legends at NIHI Sumba is developed in partnership with Kevindra Soemantri, a gastronomy experience strategist, author, restaurateur, and host of Netflix’s Street Food: Asia. As curator and advisor, Kevindra shapes the series from concept through to execution, ensuring each activation is grounded in research, cultural context, and lived relevance.
As the inaugural activation, Hawker Legends sets a clear direction for what follows at NIHI Sumba. It allows street food to be experienced on its own terms, not as nostalgia or spectacle, but as living craft shaped by people, place, and time. For guests, it becomes another layer of discovery at the resort, offering depth, context, and meaning through food.
During the residency, all in-house guests staying at NIHI Sumba will be able to experience the Hawker Legends activation and enjoy the featured dishes as part of the resort’s dining offerings.If you’re curious about what it’s like to stay at this stunning resort, you can also check out our recent stay at NIHI Sumba here
More information on Hawker Legends at NIHI Sumba can be found at nihi.com/hawker-legends.
