10 Indonesia Traditional Foods
1. Sate Ayam / Sate Kambing (satay)
I’ve had a lot of different types of sate (or satay) in Southeast Asia, but there’s nothing that compares to real Indonesian sate; In my opinion you’ll find some of the absolute best sate in Asia within Indonesia. in Indonesia you’ll find many different types and varieties of sate, but two of the common versions in Jakarta at sate ayam (chicken sate) and sate kambing (goat sate).
One of the common recipes includes the meat marinated in sweet kecap manis soy sauce, before being skewered. I think is the main reason why Indonesian sate is so good, is because the skewers of meat are typically grilled on an extremely hot charcoal fire, so the meat cooks quickly, while leaving it smoky and juicy.
Where: Sate H. Romli in south Jakarta serves delicious sate ayam and sate kambing. Address: Jalan Kyai Maja No.21, Melawai, Kby. Baru, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta; Open hours: 10 am – 12 midnight daily; Prices: I paid 67,000 IDR ($4.99) for 2 plates of sate.
2. Sate Padang (Padang satay)
Sate Padang is such a unique (and delicious) type of Indonesian sate that I had to include it in this food guide as its own. Originally from Padang, a food lovers province on the west coast of Sumatra, Sate Padang seems to have a cult following among food lovers – and after I had my first plate, I completely understand why.
The skewers of meat, which often include beef pieces, beef tongue, and offal, are first marinated in a mixture of spices, then grilled over hot flaming charcoal, and finally they are often served over sliced up compressed rice cake, called ketupat, and then covered in a thick brown colored sauce, and sprinkled with crispy shallots. The result of Sate Padang is not the prettiest dish you’ll ever see, but the taste is incredible.
Where: Ajo Ramon Sate Padang is one of the most well known names in Jakarta when it comes to Sate Padang lovers, and I couldn’t believe how good it was. Address: Pasar Santa Jalan Cipaku 1 Jakarta; Open hours: 5 pm – 10 pm daily; Price: 25,000 IDR for a plate of sate and rice cakes.
3. Ayam Bakar Taliwang (grilled chicken)
Have you ever eaten three chickens by yourself in one meal? When you eat ayam bakar Taliwang, not only are the grilled chickens so good you might be able to eat three of them by yourself, but they are also very small because they either free range chickens or sometimes spring chickens.
This type of grilled chicken originates from the island of Lombok, and it’s popular with spicy grilled chicken lovers throughout Indonesia. When I saw the amount of chilies caked onto my ayam bakar Taliwang, I knew I was in for a life-changing grilled chicken experience, and it was true.
The chicken itself was so flavorful, and not too tender, but with just enough texture so that with every bite it kept releasing more chicken juices, kind of like that crazily juicy chicken I ate in Osaka. But along with just being a flavorful chicken from the start, it was beautifully spicy. Ayam Bakar Taliwang is one of the dishes you don’t want to miss if you love spicy food.
Where: In Jakarta, you can try Ayam Taliwang Rinjani, I thought it was amazing, especially the super extra pedas chicken. Address: Jalan Pesanggrahan Raya No. 50, Puri Indah, Jakarta; Open hours: 10 am – 10 pm daily; Prices: We had 3 chickens and a few side dishes for 165,000 IDR ($12.39).
4. Ikan Bakar (grilled fish)
Even after eating ikan bakar, Indonesian grilled fish, dozens of times, I still can’t get over how good it is. Grilled fish is one of my favorite things to eat around the world, but I especially love it in Indonesia. Just like many of the grilled foods in Indonesian cuisine, what I like about ikan bakar is that it’s grilled over a very hot charcoal fire and grilled quickly, giving it a really incredible flame roasted fire flavor.
There are many different types of ikan bakar, but typically the fish is butterfly cut so it lays flat, then it’s rubbed in a sambal sauce marinade, and then finally it’s grilled. Ikan bakar is then served with either kecap manis or a variety of different sambal chili sauces and rice.
Where: You’ll find ikan bakar at many roadside restaurants and seafood restaurants. A local seafood restaurant I tried was Gebang Seafood 49 Restaurant. Address: Jalan Hidup Baru, Jakarta; Open hours: 5 pm – around midnight daily; Price: My wife and I had 2 fish and other seafood dishes for 180,000 IDR ($13.77). Watch the video here.
5. Pepes (herbal packet)
Pepes is very similar to Thai aeb, but it’s the Indonesian version of an assortment of fish, meat or tofu, mixed with lots of healthy herbs and spices, wrapped in a banana leaf package, and either steamed or grilled.
Originally a Sundanese food from the Western part of Java, some of the most common versions of pepes include chicken, different types of fish, tofu, or mushrooms, mixed with shallots, garlic, chilies, turmeric, candlenut, and lemon basil. What I love so much is that the ingredients, since they are all wrapped in a banana leaf and cooked, all mesh together really well, but also the banana leaf gives an extra green essence to whatever is cooked inside.
Where: I had this pepes at a restaurant in Bogor, but you’ll find it available at most Sundanese restaurants.
6. Babi Pangang (Batak grilled pork)
On a spur of the moment decision, my wife and I decided to eat at a restaurant in Jakarta that served Batak food, from the Lake Toba region of Sumatra. One of the traditional Batak dishes, is something called babi pangang (sometimes babi panggang), which is a type of grilled or roasted pork.
From my understanding, babi pangang can refer to grilled porkmany different ways, but the version I had was nice and salty, and had the most incredible grill fire roasted flavor of just about any grilled pork I’ve ever had. And additionally, the pork itself was incredibly well marbled, not too fatty, but with a great ratio so it was still juicy and succulent.
Where: Lapo Ni Tondongta is a famous Batak restaurant in Jakarta, and the grilled pork was amazing. Address: Jalan Gelora Los A1, Senayan, Jakarta; Open hours: 10 am – 10 pm daily; Prices: I paid 88,000 IDR ($6.62) for a meal for 2 of us.
7. Ayam Goreng (fried chicken)
Is there any country in the world where fried chicken is not enjoyed?
I haven’t found one yet, and in Indonesia, due to both the deliciousness of the actual chicken (more about this below), and because fried chicken, which is known in Bahasa Indonesia as ayam goreng, is always served with sambal chili sauce to dip it in.
Ayam kampung, or village chickens, are the free range country style chickens popular in Indonesia, and often used in the making of local style Indonesian fried chicken. The chickens, while small, definitely make up for their size with their flavor. Unlike big fat chickens that can sometimes be too tender and artificially juicy, ayam kampung are the types of chickens that have a slight rubber texture to them, but with every chew comes more and more chicken country flavor – and I loved them.
For many types of Indonesian fried chicken, the chicken is not heavily breaded or battered, but it’s marinated in lots of pureed garlic and shallots, lightly battered, and deep fried to a serious golden crispiness. What I love about Indonesian fried chicken is that all that flavor gets embedded into the chicken instead of the batter. Here’s a great recipe if you want to make Indonesian fried chicken.
Where: You’ll find ayam goreng all over Jakarta but the version pictured is from Nasi Uduk Zainal Fanani. Address: Jalan Kebon Kacang 8 No. 5, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta; Open hours: 10 am – 12 am midnight daily; Prices: 75,000 IDR ($5.74) for 2; Watch the video here.
8. Bebek Goreng (fried duck)
Just like the small flavorful fried chickens in Indonesian food, bebek goreng, which is deep fried duck, is not that much different, apart from being duck. They are often very small, but you wouldn’t trade the flavor of the small country ducks for a fat one.
I will admit that the bebek goreng I ate in Jakarta was pretty intensely greasy and salty, but it would be a lie for me to say that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy every single bite all the way down to the bone. The duck was deep fried until crispy, even all the way through the skin to the meat some of it was crispy. Served with rice, an assortment of raw herbs like lemon basil (maybe to cut the grease), and not forgetting the sambal chili sauce, Indonesian bebek goreng is a true treat of a meal.
Where: Bebek Goreng H. Slamet is a legendary restaurant in Jakarta for deep fried duck, it’s greasy but delicious. There are a number of locations around Jakarta; Prices: 28,000 IDR ($2.11) per set per set.
9. Pecel Lele (fried catfish)
Deep fried catfish, known as pecel lele, is a very famous and common Indonesian street food, often served at street side restaurants and local food tents known as warungs. In Jakarta, mostly at night, if you drive around the streets you’ll see countless food stalls showcasing catfish on their banner menus.
The catfish are prepared pretty simple, just salted and sometimes rubbed with some coriander and turmeric, and then deep fried until extra crispy all the way through. The catfish I ate in Indonesia were pretty small, about the size of a sausage, so when they were deep fried they almost turned chip-like, fried solidly.
Once again, the secret of the flavor when eating pecel lele lies within the sambal that it’s always served with. You take a piece of crispy catfish, mix it with your rice, add on some sambal, and that’s a recipe for a delicious bite.
Where: Permata Mubarok 1 is a little far from central Jakarta, but a nice street food tend. Address: Komplek Permata Buana, Jalan Puri Kembangan, Puri Indah, Jakarta; Open hours: 5 pm – 10 pm daily; Prices: 125,000 IDR ($9.41) for 4 people.
10. Ikan Goreng (deep fried fish)
Along with ikan bakar (Indonesian grilled fish), ikan goreng or deep fried fish, is another common way to prepare different types of fish and seafood. There are probably hundreds of different types of fish that can be used to make ikan goreng, but one fried fish delicacy of Sundanese cuisine is fried freshwater gourami. The fish are sometimes cut in a way that exposes more of the skin to the oil, and then deep fried so the skin and outer layers of the fish are completely crispy.
If you love fish, fried fish in Indonesia, eaten along with rice and sambal, makes an absolutely delicious meal, or accompaniment to a full seafood meal.
Where: I had an amazing seafood meal at Seafood 212 Wiro Sableng. Address: Jalan Boulevard Raya Blok QA III No. 2, Kelapa Gading, Jakarta; Open hours: 11 am – 11 pm daily.
Sources : https://migrationology.com/indonesian-food/
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