When I think of Indonesian cuisine, I think of classic Indonesian dishes such as
nasi goreng, which is often noted as the national dish of Indonesia. Nasi goreng is a fried rice dish, which typically includes vegetables, chilli, garlic, eggs, prawns, chicken and
kecap manis. There are a number of variations of this dish, which may include beef, goat meat or salted fish.
Image Credit: Rizka Budiati (Wikimedia Commons)
Besides nasi goreng there is
gado-gado, a hearty vegetable salad with peanut sauce dressing. Typical ingredients include corn, string beans, cucumber, lettuce, boiled potatoes, boiled eggs, fried tofu, coconut sugar, chillies, lime juice and tamarind water.
Image Credit: Sakurai Midori (Wikimedia Commons)
Another typical dish is
satay; marinated and grilled sticks of chicken, goat, mutton, beef, pork and fish. This dish is usually served with a spicy peanut sauce. There are many variations on this dish which feature different meats and marinade ingredients.
Image Credit: Gunkarta (Wikimedia Commons)
Indonesian cuisine has a range of influences including Indian influences (
roti canai), Chinese influences (
egg foo young) and Dutch influences (
kue cubit). It really is a wonderfully vibrant cuisine. In Sydney, these dishes and many more can easily be found in various Indonesian cafes and restaurants in and around the city.
In this listing, we hope to list the very best Indonesian cafes and restaurants and you will also have the opportunity to contribute to this listing. I'll begin with one of
Sarah Han's recommendations and certainly one of Sydney's most popular Indonesian restaurants,
Ayam Goreng 99. Menu highlights here include various nasi rice dishes, various marinated satay sticks (lamb and chicken), curry beef rendang and fresh bakmi noodle dishes. Most main dishes are priced under $15.
Mamak is another popular establishment. This is generally a Malaysian restaurant, but there are a handful of Indonesian dishes on offer including mie goreng and chicken and beef satay. Cendol, a popular Indonesian dessert is also served here. Most of the main dishes are priced under $15.
Ubud is another great spot to discover classic Indonesian dishes such as Sapi Cah Cabe Kering (stir fried beef with hot chilli), Sate Manis Sapi (beef satay) and Ikan Goreng (deep fried whole fish with special sauce). These hot and spicy dishes are typical of Balinese style Indonesian cuisine.
Ubud, itself refers to a small town on the Indonesian island of Bali. Dessert includes the traditional Es Cendol and Ketan Hitam (Black sticky rice with coconut milk). Main dishes are priced around the $15 mark.
There are of course, many more great Indonesian establishments in Sydney, so if you know of a great cafe or restaurant which serves authentic Indonesian cuisine, please let us know about it by leaving a comment.
As always, we look forward to your feedback.
