Indonesia Eating and Dringking 2

Indonesia - Food and Drink
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Rice is the staple food of Indonesia and no main course ever lacks a serving of hot steaming rice.
The Indonesians are also known for their love of spices and sauces that often accompany the
main dish or the street side snacks. If you are looking to enjoy Indonesian cuisine here are some
possible places to rouse your taste buds.
Where to eat while in Indonesia
Indonesian local cuisine can be sampled from any part of a town or city. You can be standing on
the streets or seated in a roadside restaurant. The same tantalizing delicacies will be served but at
different prices.
Kaki Limas are the cheapest food joints in Indonesia. These are normally mobile hawkers in
three-wheeled carts peddling food through streets or stationed at strategic points like bus stations.
A Kaki Lima usually serves one type of food, and a signature dish by most of these vendors is
Mee Bakso.
During the night, the Kaki Limas will congregate around night markets to sell food. Indonesians
are generally evening people and most of them gather together to eat at the night markets. The
Kaki Lima vendor will take your order and cook the food on the spot; hence why they focus only
on making one dish so they save time. To get the most out of the local cuisine, try to sample food
from different food vendors.
As well as the Kaki Limas there are the Warung. These are street or roadside food shacks
decorated with a few tables surrounded by chairs. Warung restaurants are one of the cheapest
places to have a quick bite. Everything costs less than a dollar, thus you can sample many
delicacies at once.
Then there are the Rumah Makan, which are an upgrade on the Warung in size and décor.
Rumah Makan are restaurants with more seating space and a more comfortable ambience. If you
want to sample a wider array of Indonesian local delicacies, the Rumah Makan is the place to be.
You will even get a menu to guide you on what to order.
Indonesia also has a number of established restaurants located in the big cities. Here you can
expect the environment to be more professional. You will still be served the top local cuisines
cooked by the best chefs. However, the prices of food in the big restaurants are often several
times more expensive than those of the smaller street restaurants. Also, expect to see a VAT tax
of 21% on your bill when you dine in the modern restaurants.
The best local Indonesian foods
From locally made condiments to a full course meal, expect your taste buds to be wowed by
Indonesian culinary prowess. Whether you are standing next to a Kaki Lima or waiting for your
order in a cozy Rumah Makan, ensure you try out some of these famous delicacies.
For the soup lover, Soto is a tantalizing dish served with veggies or meat. Soto is mainly meat
broth whose ingredients will vary depending on where you are on the island. Soto from Jakarta is
considered to be the most authentic, spruced with a dash of sweet coconut milk. The meat is then
topped with crunchy shallots or the aroma of fried garlic. Soto from the streets will include
different flavors such as goat, chicken, and beef.
Another soup variant you should sample is Bakso. This is a noodle soup topped with tasty
meatballs. The meatballs can be made from beef, chicken, pork or a mixture of all three. Bakso is
commonly served in the streets by Kaki Lima and will include boiled eggs, fried crispy shallots,
or wontons as garnish.
Nasi Goring is the signature rice meal enjoyed by most Indonesians. This refers to fried rice
accompanied with a thick sauce made from soy locally known as Kecap. Nasi Goring can be
garnished with pickled cucumbers, acar, or crispy carrots. The ingredients used in Nasi Goring
will also vary from one location to another; nevertheless, the flavors are unique.
Nasi Uduk is another rice delicacy that expats often enjoy. This is mainly rice boiled in coconut
milk and accompanied with a meat or vegetable dish. In the streets, Nasi Uduk is commonly
flavored with fried chicken, soybean cake (tempe), or boiled eggs. You can also add some
melinjo nutcrackers for a crunchier taste.
Indonesians also love to indulge in light snacks before enjoying a full course meal later on. One
of the relished street snacks is aromatic skewers known as Satay. Satay is made from chicken,
mutton, goat, or rabbit meat. They are skewered over hot burning coals and frequently fanned to
prevent them from charring. A Satay tastes better when marinated in turmeric, roasted, and then
garnished with peanut sauce.
Drinks in Indonesia
As a rule of thumb, always avoid drinking tap water. Tap water in Indonesia is poorly treated and
often contains traces of disease-causing bacteria or viruses. Only drink boiled water or bottled
water sold in the streets.
Indonesians love coffee. Indonesian coffee is considered one of the best in Asia and is often
flavored with lots of sugar and condensed milk.
Alcohol is not a commonly sold drink as the local culture is heavily influenced by Islam.
Nevertheless, you can still enjoy a cold beer in some of the non-Islamic towns of Indonesia.
Two locally brewed beer brands are Anker and Bintang. These are served in most of the Chinese
restaurants and the big modern hotels. Spirits are not consumed locally and many of the brands
are considered illegal. Thus, you should be careful when buying spirits.
For those who do not mind locally brewed beer, Tuak, Arak, and Sopi are three local brews to
sample. Tuak is made from palm wine sap and often bears a milky white hue. Arak is a local
wine made from rice, which may take a while to get used to. Sopi is the distilled version of Tuak
and is highly intoxicating; it causes delusions when consumed heavily.
Indonesians are friendly people who will not mind sharing a meal with a friendly foreigner.
Eating is done either with your fingers, a spoon, or a fork. When eating with your fingers, always
use the right hand only. In addition, do not eat everything. Leaving a little food on your plate, or
drink in your bottle, is considered courteous.

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Indonesia - Food and Drink

Home > Country Guides > Indonesia

Where to eat while in Indonesia

The best local Indonesian foods

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