Here we run through a mouth-watering array of broth-soaked noodles,
fiery curries, banana-wrapped fish and vegetable salads with sweet
peanut dressing. Most of the recommended restaurants are in Jakarta or Medan, a
magnet for Indonesians from all over the archipelago, who naturally
brought their cuisine with them.
The king of condiments -- a foodstuff all to itself.
1. Sambal
While technically more of a condiment, the chili-based sauce known as sambal is a staple at all Indonesian tables.
Dishes are not complete unless they have a hearty dollop of the
stuff, a combination of chilies, sharp fermented shrimp paste, tangy
lime juice, sugar and salt all pounded up with mortar and pestle.
So beloved is sambal, some restaurants have made it their main
attraction, with options that include young mango, mushroom and durian.
Try the sambal at Pedas Abis (Waroeng Spesial Sambal; Jl.RM.Said
No.39 Solo) or fresh sambal mata at Le Seminyak (Pacific Place, level 5;
+62 (0)21 5140 0610)
Most underrated part of great satay? The stick.
2. Satay
These tasty meat skewers cook up over coals so hot they need fans to waft the smoke away.
Whether it’s chicken, goat, mutton or rabbit, the scrappy morsels get
marinated in turmeric, barbecued and then bathed in a hearty dose of
peanut sauce.
Other nations now lay claim to sate, but Indonesians consider it a
national dish conceived by street vendors and popularized by Arab
traders.
Each vendor seeks distinction, but "sate madura" –- served with rice
cakes (ketupat) and diced cucumber and onion -– is distinguished by its
boat-shaped street carts.
For legendary satay that dates to the 1950s, try Sate Ragusa (Jl.
Veteran 1 No. 10) and cleanse the palate after with Ragusa’s signature
spaghetti ice cream.
We're not always sure what's in it, but we're always sure we'll want more.
3. Bakso
A favorite among students, this savory meatball noodle soup gained
international fame when U.S. President Barack Obama remembered it as one
of his favorites during a visit to Jakarta last November.
It takes on many forms; meatballs –- springy or rubbery, the size of
golf balls or bigger -– are made from chicken, beef, pork or some
amorphous combination of them all. Sold mostly from pushcarts called
kaki lima
, bakso comes garnished with fried shallots, boiled egg and wontons.
For an authentic experience, grab a plastic stool near any
sidewalk bakso stand or slurp away indoors at Bakso Lapangan Tembak
Senayan, near Senayan City Mall.
Street comfort food.
4. Soto
This traditional meat soup comprises a broth and ingredients that vary across the archipelago.
Common street versions are made of a simple, clear soup flavored with
chicken, goat or beef. In Jakarta, home of the indigenous Betawi, soto
Betawi garners fame with its sweet, creamy, coconut-milk base.
Top it with crispy shallots and fried garlic, and as much or little sambal as your taste buds can take.
For stylish street food in air-conditioned bliss hit up Kafe
Betawi (Jl. MH. Thamrin No. 1, Grand Indonesia; +62 (0)21 2358 0501). Or
for an East Javanese version, try Soto Madura (Jl. Juanda No.16).
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If you think this one should be the top pick, you're not alone.
5. Nasi goreng
Considered Indonesia’s national dish, this take on Asian fried rice
is often made with sweet, thick soy sauce called kecap (pronounced
ketchup) and garnished with acar
, pickled cucumber and carrots.
To add an element of fun to your dining experience, try nasi gila
(literally :crazy rice") and see how many different kinds of meat you
can find buried among the grains –- yes, those are hot dog slices.
Reccomended in Rumah Makan Sempakata in Medan.
A favorite mix of taste and healthy ingredients.
6. Gado-gado
Literally “mix-mix,” the term gado-gado is often used to describe
situations that are all mixed up -– Jakarta, for instance, is a
gado-gado city.
As a food, however, it is one of Indonesia’s best-known dishes,
essentially a vegetable salad bathed in the country’s classic peanut
sauce.
At its base are boiled long beans, spinach, potato, corn, egg and bean sprouts coupled with cucumber, tofu and tempe.
Gado-gado gets sweeter as you travel eastward through Indonesia
-- but Jakartans swear by the cashew sauce at Gado-Gado Boplo (Jalan
Panglima Polim 4; +62 (0)21 724 8334).
Because who doesn't love rice topped with melinjo nut crackers?
7. Nasi uduk
A perennial favorite among native Betawi, the meal revolves around
rice cooked in coconut milk and includes a pinwheel of various meat and
vegetable accoutrements.
It almost always includes fried chicken, boiled eggs and
tempe(soybean cake) with anchovies and is topped with emping (melinjo
nut crackers).
It’s cheap, fast and popular among lunchtime crowds.
Nearly four decades old and still going strong Nasi Uduk Babe
Saman (Kebon Kacang 9; +62 (0)21 314 1842) packs in everyone from
students to celebrities morning, noon and night.
Back off, Singapore. This one is ours.
8. Nasi padang
Singaporeans may say they can’t live without it, but nasi padang,
named after its birth city in Sumatra, is 100 percent Indonesian.
Chose from among more than a dozen dishes -- goopy curries with
floating fish heads or rubbery cow’s feet -- stacked up on your table.
“It always looks sodead,” a friend once said.
Indeed, otak (brain) leaves little to the imagination. Chuck away the
cutlery and dig in with your hands then wash the spice away with a
sweet iced tea.
Try out any Sederhana or head for Garuda Nasi Padang; Jl. Gajah Mada, Medan, Sumatra.
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IFC could be a worthy rival for KFC.
9. Ayam goreng
The key to Indonesian fried chicken is the use of small village
birds, whose freedom to run around the yard makes them tastier than the
big chunks of meat at KFC.
Variations on that chain have cropped up across the country -- rumor
has it that Wong Solo was founded by a polygamist, so franchisees must
have multiple wives.
For a famed old recipe try Ayam Goreng Nyona Suharti (Jl. Kapten Tendean No. 13; +62 (0)21 525 4595).
Carb load, Indonesian style.
10. Bakmie goreng
Noodles compete with rice for carbohydrate of choice in Indonesia,
ranging from broad and flat (kwetiau) to scrawny vermicelli (bihun).
The best are bakmie -- pencil-thin and, in this case, fried with egg,
meat and vegetables. Vendors add their own special spices for
distinction, but the iconic Bakmie Gajah Mada garners a cult following.
More modern outlets now make noodles from spinach and beets.
Bakmie Gang Mangga (Jl. Kemurnian IV/0) gives
diners an in to the cool hangouts in the old city, but only after 5 p.m.
For an earlier version, try Bakmie GM on Jl. Sunda No.9 (+62 021 390
3018).
The greatest fruit stew in the world.
11. Gudeg
Fit for a sultan it may not be, but gudeg is certainly the signature
of the royal city of Yogyakarta. The sweet jackfruit stew is boiled for
hours in coconut milk and palm sugar, making the fruit so soft and
tender it falls apart with little chewing.
Other spices are thrown into the mix but teak leaves give it a brown
coloring. Like nasi uduk, it is served with rice, boiled egg, chicken
and crispy, fried beef skin.
Adem Ayem (Jl. Slamet Riyadi No. 342) in Solo is a landmark, and for good reason.
Dark soup. Colorful past.
12. Rawon
A beef stew from East Java that goes heavy on the keluak nut to give it a nutty flavor and a deep, black color.
The soup base also mingles with garlic, shallots, ginger, turmeric and red chili to make it nice and spicy.
The most famous variant, Rawon Setan (literally Devil’s soup) is found in Surabaya (Jl. Embong Malang).
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The noble catfish knows no cultural boundaries.
13. Pecel lele
The sight of fried catfish may surprise first-time diners since it looks almost the same as it does living -- eyeballs and all.
Served with rice and red and green sambal, this is simple street fare
that fills the belly, which may be why it’s a standout across Jakarta.
If you want to go native, head to Bakmie GM near Sarinah Mall and
look for the “Pecel Lele” banner that shields diners from the street as
they dig into the sweet, grilled meat.
A Ramadan necessity.
14. Opor ayam
Small diners, called warungs, now sell this traditional dish of
braised chicken in coconut milk on a daily basis. Still, it remains a
staple on tables around the end of Ramadan, when it’s served with packed
rice cakes (
ketupat).
A little like a mild, slightly chalky curry with less prep time
required, it’s filled with Indonesia’s signature spices -- garlic,
ginger, cumin and coriander.
To see how mom makes it, check out Ibu Endang Warung (Jl. Cipete Raya opposite Epilogue).
In search of the perfect noodle dish? Stop here.
15. Mie ayam
For this dish, bakmie is boiled in stock and topped with succulent slices of gravy-braised chicken.
Chives and sambal add extra flavor -- but if it’s done right little
else is needed. Unlike most Indonesian cuisine, where the secret is in
the sauce, the clue to a good mie ayam is the perfect al dente noodle.
Bakmie Orpha (Jl. Malaka II No. 25; +62(0)21 691 2450), a hole in
the wall in west Jakarta, draws Ferrari-owning clientele for its
deceivingly tasty mie and wontons.
He'll look better in a few hours.
16. Babi guling
Pork is uncommon in this Muslim majority nation, but we had to
include roast suckling pig given the near hysteria it generates on the
Hindu island of Bali.
The Balinese respect their food and lavish attention on its
preparation. Before spit-roasting the pig they bath it in coconut water
and rub it with chili, turmeric, garlic and ginger to ensure succulence.
See why people fly from Jakarta to scarf the crispy skinned pork
at Warung Ibu Oka (Jl Suweta, Ubud), but be sure to get there before 3
p.m.
Gulai comes in many styles. We prefer yellow.
17. Gulai
Gulai is the common name for curry dishes, namely those from north Sumatra.
Indonesian curries have regional variations that depend on the types
of meat and fish available -- though gulai almost always incorporates
cinnamon. Opor and rendang can be considered gulais, but better to try
out the rainbow of other options.
For a tangy fish-head curry, try Pagi-Sore, a national franchise that hails from Sumatra (Jl. Pondok No. 143, Padang).
Consensus builder.
18. Bubur ayam
From blue-collar workers to government ministers, almost everyone
starts their day with this rice gruel, a savory porridge served with soy
sauce, fried shallots, shredded chicken, beans and crackers.
Outside Java variations can include corn, cassava and fish, while a
sweeter version -- for those who prefer not to start their day with a
blast of chili -- is made with mung beans.
Bubur ayam is also popular in the wee hours of the morning. Join the late-night revelers at Bubur Ayam Mang Oyo, Jl. Sulanjana (near Gasibu), Bandung.
The best thing about rush hour.
19. Bakpao
Jakarta gridlock may be a blessing for the bakpao market.
Vendors often line busy roads during rush hour to offer these fluffy
meat-filled buns to hungry passersby in need of a snack. Sweet offerings
include chocolate and green bean, indicated by a colored dot on top.
No need to go in search of them, they’ll find you.
Old spice. Fresh taste.
20. Asinan sayur
When palates crave the opposite of Javanese sweetness, this pickled vegetable salad offers reprieve.
The secret is in the dressing, a thin peanut sauce swirled with palm
sugar to offset the salty snap of preserved mustard leaf, carrot,
cabbage and cucumber. The krupuk cracker crunch comes from a yellow disc
made with egg noodles.
Yaya has been serving up bowls of Asinan for 22 years outside the iconic Ragusa Ice Cream shop (Jl. Veteran 1 No. 10.) He also makes a mean dried-squid salad called juhi.
You will eat your river weed and you will like it. Seriously.
21. Cah kangkung
Otherwise known as water spinach, a common river weed, kangkung gets
stir fried with sweet soybean sauce, huge slices of garlic, bird’s-eye
chili and shrimp paste to take it from a poor man’s food to something
with a kick.
Because it grows well in any kind of soil, it is a common ingredient
in dishes throughout Asia. Here the cah indicates its Chinese origins.
Try it along with gurame at Santika, Jl. Bendungan Hilir across from the market.
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You can get your tuna out of a can -- or you can eat it the right way.
22. Pepes ikan
Pepes signifies the steaming of food in banana leaves, which gives it
an earthy flavor that works well with the rich Manadonese spices (woku)
it’s coupled with.
When matched with tuna the result is a dense, fiery dish that holds its distinct flavors, but should be eaten gingerly.
Beautika (Jl. Hang Lekir No. 1; +62 (0)21 722 6683) does it best
by dousing it in chili and placing pepper icons on the menu – the
three-pepper maximum has serious attitude.
Douse it in vinegar, chili and sugar sauce, and it'll get eaten.
23. Pempek
According to lore, the name pempek refers to the old Chinese man who
first produced these fish and tapioca cakes from Palembang in South
Sumatra.
Now a Palembang specialty, pempek or empek-empek comes in a variety of shapes and sizes.
The most famed, kapal selam, literally submarine, contains a chicken
egg and is rumored to be the most nutritious form of the spongy dough
balls, which are sprinkled with shrimp powder and served withcuka, a
dark dipping sauce made from vinegar, chili and sugar.
Try Pempek Wak Ayah Lemak at Kebon Sirih, Palembang.
Never judge a perkadel by its cover.
24. Perkadel
So simple it’s often overlooked, Perkadel’s unassuming appearance belies its flavorful punch.
A distant relative of Dutch minced-meat frikandel, these croquettes
are either potato based and filled with beef or made from corn (perkadel
jagung).
In Bandung, crowds line up late night in seedy alleyways to snack on potato fritters made soft from frying in hot oil.
For a fluffier version filled with Balinese spices try Le Semenyak (Pacific Place, level 5; +62 (0)21 5140 0610).
You can make it without lard. But why bother?
25. Martabak
Think of a spongy, thick crepe made with 10 times the lard and you’ll be somewhat close to imaging martabak.
The sweet version looks more like a pancake filled with gooey
chocolate, peanuts or cheese, while the savory one is made from crispy
pulled pastry like filo that is flattened in a wok as egg and minced
meats are rapidly folded in.
Served with pickled cucumber and a sweet and sour vinegar.
Martabak Ayah; Jl TWK Mohd Daudsyah, Banda Aceh.
From West Java with love -- as well as melinjo, bilimbi and chayote.
26. Sayur asem
This clear, refreshing soup derived from tamarind pairs well with
fried food since it’s stocked with vegetables and some of Indonesia’s
most interesting ingredients: melinjo, bilimbi, chayote.
A very close relative called sayur lodeh is made with coconut milk and has a sweeter flavor.
Counterintuitively, this West Javanese dish is great at Warung Surabaya (Jl. DR. Abdul Rachman Saleh).
A little bit of Australia sometimes finds its way into the bowl.
27. Sop buntut
Revitalized by the chef at Hotel Borabodor in 1973 after a food and
beverage staffer saw a government minister eating a bowl on the street,
oxtail soup is loved by Indonesians from all classes.
The high-end version -- now the domain of Indonesia’s diplomatic
corps -- uses imported Australian beef, 7,000 kilograms a month to be
precise, and comes complete with steamed rice, pickles, lime and sambal.
For a less pretentious outlet, try Sop Buntut Bogor Café (Pacific Place Mall, level 5; +62 (0)21 5797 3238).
Not theatrical, but dramatic nonetheless.
28. Ketoprak
Not to be confused with the theatrical drama of the same name that
re-enacts Javanese legends, this Ketoprak is made from vermicelli, tofu,
packed rice cake and bean sprouts.
It rounds out the quintet of pestle-and-mortar-based dishes that
include gado-gado and pecel, and is a simple street dish that tastes
mostly of peanuts and spice but is chockfull of carbohydrates.
Any street vendor will do, but to stave off a funny tummy try Gado-Gado Kartika (Jl. Pinang Emas III; +62 (0)21 750 8846).
If it's red, you'll eat it. Think about it.
29. Balado terong
The color of this dish is enough to set taste buds going.
Nothing more than grilled purple eggplant topped with heaps of chili sauce made from dried shrimp paste (
balacan), it calls for a substantial portion of rice to even out the fire-engine flavor.
Enjoy the low-light ambiance at Seribu Rasa (Jl. Haji Agus Salim 128; +62 (0)21 392 8892), which delights in the use of balacan.
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A crunchy start to the day.
30. Lontong sayur
Boiled for hours in coconut leaf casings,the glutinous packed rice
cake known as lontong is one of the best vehicles for pairing with thick
peanut sauces and curries.
It serves as the base for this savory morning favorite, a
coconut-milk curry made with young papaya, soy-braised tofu and
hard-boiled eggs.
Crushed up krupuk add a little crunch to get you going.
Pak Sule draws a crowd to his street stand outside the ANZ building on Jl. Gatot Subroto before 10 a.m.
Don't try this at home.
31. Rendang
Perhaps Padang’s most famed curry, rendang is not an everyday food since it takes time and skill to make.
Its secret is in the gravy, which wraps around the beef for hours until, ideally, it’s splendidly tender.
A dried version, which can be kept for months (like jerky) is reserved for honored guests and important celebrations.
If you stop by Sederhana (Jl. Gandaria Tengah III No. 23; +62 (0)21 725 0172) for Padang, you can’t let this plate pass you by.
Reason number 467 to love tofu.
32. Tahu gerjrot
These clouds of golden, fried tofu look like little packages behind the windows of the boxes from which they are sold.
Tofu is a poor man’s snack, but that also makes it prevalent. Keep an
eye out for the vendors who cart stacks of the fluffy fried tofufrom
devices slung across their shoulders.
For a version steeped in sweet soy sauce and chili and served in a
pestle and mortar, head to Menteng Plaza (Jl. HOS Cokrominoto).
Pairs well with Norway.
33. Sop kambing
If Indonesia ever got cold enough to necessitate a winter stew sop kambing would be even more popular.
A robust soup with a yellow broth full of celery, tomato, and great
chunks of goat meat, this dish could make the Campbell’s soup man
quiver. Be warned if you have high blood pressure since the dish will
heat you up.
Ginger, lime leaf, candlenut and spring onion give it peppery smell that adds to its refreshingly earthy flavor.
Try Sop Kaki Kambing (Jl. Kendal) nestled in among a stretch of roadside eateries.
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For bicycle vendors, it's bread and butter.
34. Siomay
Think of it as Indonesia’s version of dim sum -- traditional steamed fish dumplings known in China as shaomai.
A complete portion comes with a steamed potato, cabbage, egg, and
bitter gourd, and is served with a boiled peanut sauce similar to
gado-gado.
Perhaps Indonesia’s most ubiquitous traveling street food, the best
way to dine on siomay is from a bicycle vendor, who carts his large
steamer around on the back of his bike.
For the less health-inclined, an alternative to siomay is batagor, which is fried instead of steamed.
Siomay Pak Lili at Jl. Geger Kalong Girang, Bandung.
The best things in life are the simplest.
35. Ikan bakar
Grilled fish, plain and simple. But in a country with more than 17,000 islands, fish is bound to feature prominently.
While squid and prawns have a place in Indonesian cuisine, ikan bakar
gets a far better showing for a fleshy texture that is great for
dipping.
It is usually marinated in the typical trove of spices and served with a soy and chili-based sauce.
Try the gurame, a Sundanese star, at Ikan Bakar Cianjur (Jl. Cipete Raya No. 35; +62 (0)21 7590 0222).
The all-purpose papaya comes through again.
36. Daun papaya
Papaya is one of the fastest growing trees in Southeast Asia, and its bitter leaves are great for sautéing.
This dish is common in Manado, but regional variations have made it
popular among the leaf-and-seed-eating crowd, a big bunch in Indonesia.
For a crisp version head to Bumbu Desa (Jl. Suryo No. 38; +62 (0)21 720 1244).
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So good, you'll customize your forks for it.
37. Otak-otak
Another famed fish cake from Palembang, otak-otak has a more charming
appearance, since it’s wrapped in banana leaves before being grilled
over charcoal.
Indigenous Sumatrans eat it with red chili mixed with fermented soy
sauce, but in Jakarta it is served with Java’s ubiquitous peanut sauce.
Pick a few small parcels up from any bicycle vendor, or dine in
style at Harum Manis (Jl. Mas Mansyur No. 26; +62 (0)21 5794 1727),
where the delicate fish flavor goes down well with Indonesian-styled ice
cream.
Tricky to prepare. Easy to eat.
38. Bebek goreng
Ducks are common companions to rice fields around Indonesia, but they can be difficult to prepare for consumption.
Too often fried duck comes as a mass of tiny bones and overly fried
oily meat. That doesn’t make it any less worthy of the top 40, though.
At the dramatic Dapur Babah (
Jl. Veteran no. 18-19, Jakarta; +62 (0)21 385 5653), duck comes marinated in galangal sauce and topped with shredded ginger.
For a less fussy version, check out Bebek Bengil (Jl. Hanoman, Bali; +62 (0)361 975 489).
Fry it, and they will come.
39. Gorengan
Literally “fried foods,”gorengan are the most prolific snacks in all of Indonesia.
Street carts typically offer crispy golden nuggets of tempe, cassava
and tofu, as well as fried bananas, sweet potatoes, vegetables fritters
made from shredded carrot, cabbage and bean sprouts and fermented
soybean cakes.
Stop by any kaki lima and walk away with an oil-stained news-wrapping topped with a handful of green chili.
The reason they invented "to go."
40. Indomie
If you had to name one food Indonesians couldn’t live without, it
would have to be one that is easy to transport, since they’re often on
the go.
That makes instant-noodle Indomie beloved by all. Sold at grocery
stores, village mom and pop shops and even from the basket of bicycles,
Indomie calls for nothing more than hot water and a packet of
chemical-induced flavoring before it’s ready to fill one’s tummy.
Found: everywhere. Taste: unforgettable.
41.Tempe
The most stunning taste of Indonesia!, the crispy and spicy taste and perfect if you combine it with
Sambal at the first list.
Found: Everywhere