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 Soto Madura (Jl. Juanda No.16).
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.
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).
