indonesian food cuisine

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 

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.

For a perfect oil-slicked entrée head to Menteng Plaza (Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto), where a gaggle of kaki limas and buskers provide entertainment. 

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 so dead,” 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; 

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.