Food is an integral part of travel and truly immersing yourself in a different culture. Indonesia has many delicious and diverse traditional foods for travellers to enjoy, from Nasi Campur to Indonesian Beef Rendang. Generally, the locals serve Indonesian food without chilli for foreigners. Still, if you want it to be a bit spicy, you can ask for it to be “Pedas” (which means spicy in Indonesian), or you can ask for a side of Sambal (Indonesian chilli sauce, which is delicious!). If you’re heading to Indonesia, below are my top recommendations for dishes and where to find them.
Nasi Goreng
Nasi Goreng is a traditional Indonesian food made of fried rice. It consists of fried rice with a fried egg on top, usually served with sliced cucumber, prawn crackers, and your choice of protein, such as chicken or tofu. Nasi Goreng is inescapable in Indonesia, and it’s hard to find a bad-tasting Nasi Goreng.
Where to try Nasi Goreng
Street vendors and small, local Warungs (means restaurant in Indonesian). They make it fresh from scratch in front of you and charge as little as 11k Indonesian Rupiah (0.80 cents USD) for an entire dish.
Mie Goreng
Mie Goreng is a traditional Indonesian Chinese-inspired food made with fried noodles. It consists of Chinese-style wheat flour noodles, vegetables and protein (typically chicken, beef or tofu). The noodles come coated in a tasty sauce, and it comes with a fried egg on top. Like Nasi Goreng, Mie Goreng is everywhere, so you should be able to find it no matter where you travel in Indonesia.
Where to try Mie Goreng
Street vendors and small, local Warungs do it best. More prominent tourist restaurants also serve Mie Goreng, but you end up paying 10x the price for the same dish just served on fancy plates.
Nasi Campur
Do you know that one food you could eat every day and never get tired of? For me, this is Nasi Campur. The rice-based dish includes small portions of sides such as tempeh, chicken Satay, peanuts, eggs, assorted vegetables, curried chicken or tofu. It’s like the Indonesian version of Tapas; you can sample multiple small portions of Indonesian foods to see what you like. Every restaurant has its own selection of sides served with the dish.
Where to try Nasi Campur
I have two incredible yet different recommendations. The first one is Sun Sun Sun Warung in Ubud, a small yet super popular family-run restaurant. I will lay my reputation on the line and say this is one of the best meals you will have in Indonesia. Heading to Ubud? Check out my travel guide full of recommendations here.
My second recommendation is Ye-Ye’s Warung in Uluwatu, a cult classic among ex-pats and backpackers. It’s only open for lunch and on a random road, not close to any sites. It’s basically like the sandwich chain Subway, but for Nasi Campur, you can build your version of the dish, and they make it in front of you. For a full list of recommendations for Uluwatu, check out the full travel guide here.
Gado-gado
Gado-gado is the Indonesian version of a Caesar salad (but WAY better) if you’re looking for something lighter. It consists of raw or steamed assorted vegetables, eggs, tempeh and tofu (some places offer a meat variation) smothered in the most delicious peanut sauce.
Where to try Gado-gado
If you’re heading to Nusa Lembongan, run; don’t walk to Cookie Warung for the Gado-gado. It was so cheap and tasty; honestly, I did not know I could love a salad that much. For full foodie and travel recommendations for Nusa Lembongan, check out my guide here.
Sate Ayam
Sate Ayam translates literally to Chicken Satay. You may be thinking, “What’s so special about Chicken Satay? I’ve tried that before”. The Satay in Indonesia, which at local Warungs is often made fresh and from scratch, is next level. Sate Ayam includes white or fried rice, assorted vegetables and prawn crackers. Many places have meat alternatives or meats other than chicken; just please try the Satay in any form.
Where to try Sate Ayam
I’ve had a lot of amazing Sate Ayam, but there are two standouts. Warung Makan in Sidemen had some of the tastiest Satay sauce I’ve ever had, and the restaurant has stunning views of the rice terraces of Sidemen. Considering adding Sidemen to your travel itinerary? Check out my complete guide here.
Secondly, Sun Sun Warung in Ubud has phenomenal Sate Ayam, which you can order on its own or as a part of the Nasi Campur dish. To read my full recommendations for Ubud, have a look at the travel guide here.
Babi Guling
Babi Guling is a dish native to Bali and is only served at certain restaurants, usually restaurants that only serve Babi Guling and nothing else. It is a roast suckling pig dish served with steamed rice, vegetables and sambal sauce (chilli sauce). If you are someone that eats Pork, it’s a must-try dish in Bali.
Where to try Babi Guling
Oka restaurant in Ubud, if it’s good enough for Anthony Bourdain, then it’s good enough for me. Oka is a small warung in Ubud, serving only the dish at lunchtime. For more Ubud travel recommendations, have a look at the complete Ubud Travel Guide here.
Beef Rendang
Beef Rendang is a popular dish in Indonesian and Malaysian cuisines; however, it is believed to have originated in Indonesia. It is is a coconut-flavoured curry served with white rice. You can also find alternative meat variations such as chicken (Ayam Rendang), tofu, or vegetable rendang.
Where to try Indonesian Beef Rendang
Warung Enak in Amed is one of my personal favourite Rendangs. You also have the opportunity to make Beef Rendang as a part of one of the Indonesian cooking classes. Heading to Amed and need more recommendations? Have a look at the full Amed Travel Guide here.
Ayam Betutu
Ayam Betutu is a popular dish in Bali, Lombok and the Nusa islands. It consists of seasoned chicken (usually on the bone) served with steamed rice and vegetables. There is a duck variation of the dish called Bebek Betutu.
Where to try Ayam Betutu
Secret Penida restaurant and Sunset bar on Nusa Penida do an excellent Ayam Betutu. However, many other Indonesian restaurants will make a great version of the popular dish. For more Nusa Penida tips and recommendations, have a look at the complete guide here.
Pisang Goreng
A traditional Indonesian food! Pisang Goreng is fried banana fritters. You can buy them in restaurants, from street stalls or even cook them yourself as a part of one of the cooking classes.
Where to try Pisang Goreng
Street vendors and markets are best as they are made fresh in front of you. However, most tourist restaurants will offer this as a dessert.
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