At about 7:30 a.m. on 4 January 2025, the queue at a West Sumatran restaurant in Jakarta already stretched for tens of metres. Kompas reported that many customers wanted ketupat pitalah, rice cake served with a rich coconut-based sauce and accompaniments. Ordering and reaching the meal could take about thirty minutes; when roughly 300 seats downstairs filled, diners searched upstairs for places together. The restaurant sold about 300 portions of ketupat on weekdays and 500 on weekends, while Padang-style soup rose from about 400 to 700 portions. Staff also dealt with customers who tried to jump the sequence by paying first and presenting a receipt. In a capital where this regional breakfast is uncommon, the line was not merely evidence of fashion. It was the practical allocation system for a scarce taste of home, followed immediately by a second contest for seats.