Plecing Kangkung (water spinach salad)

Originating from the island of Lombok (also where ayam Taliwang comes from), plecing kangkung is a vegetable based salad made with water morning glory, which is topped in a spicy chili and shrimp paste sambal.

When I ate plecing kangkung, I immediately loved it because the water morning glory was still fresh and crisp, while the sambal on top was spicy, with a nice balance of shrimpy saltiness from the shrimp paste. It goes really well with rice and grilled chicken.

Where: In Jakarta I had it at Ayam Taliwang Rinjani. Address: Jalan Pesanggrahan Raya No. 50, Puri Indah, Jakarta; Open hours: 10 am – 10 pm daily; Prices: I ate 3 chickens for 165,000 IDR ($12.39) plus this salad.

Nasi Uduk (coconut rice)

When I took my first bite of nasi uduk, a fragrantly type of cooked rice, I could immediately taste the rich coconut milk and a wonderful cardamom flavor.

Nasi uduk is similar to nasi lemak, rice that’s cooked with a variety of aromatics like lemongrass, pandan leaves and dry spices like coriander seed, bay leaves, sometimes cardamom, and finally the all important coconut milk. The result is a rich and savory, plus hearty and flavorful, rice. There are a variety of different recipes for nasi uduk, also depending on the region of Indonesia you’re in. You can eat nasi uduk accompanied by a variety of different curries and Indonesian foods, but it’s also very common in Jakarta to eat along with simple fried chicken and sambal chili sauce.

Where: Nasi Uduk Zainal Fanani (also known as Nasi Uduk Kebon Kacang) serves Betawi style nasi uduk. Address: Jalan Kebon Kacang 8 No. 5, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta; Open hours: 10 am – 12 am midnight daily; Prices: 75,000 IDR ($5.74) for 2;