After CNNGo readers voted rendang the most delicious food in
the world, we thought it was time to give Indonesia's culinary credentials some
time in the limelight.
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, a magnet
for Indonesians from all over the archipelago, who naturally brought their
cuisine with them.
Also on CNNGo: World’s 50 most delicious foods
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 with cuka, a dark
dipping sauce made from vinegar, chili and sugar.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 tofu from
devices slung across their shoulders.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
