Sop Kaki Kambing (goat leg soup)

With a similar flavor profile to Soto Betawi, but a bit more of an adventurous dish, sop kaki kambing is an Indonesian dish for meat lovers, and particularly for goat lovers. Walking into a warung that serves sop kaki kambing, it reminded me a lot of walking into a restaurant in Kenya or Tanzania that serves nyama choma. There were a couple fresh skinned goats hanging from a rafter of the tent, and little by little, the meat was sliced up, cooked, and then displayed at the front of the restaurant.

When you eat sop kaki kambing, you first have a chance to choose whatever parts of the goat you want to eat, which are already pre-cooked. I was hanging out with Ken from Cowokrakus, and we chose some goat feet, eye sockets, and goat brain. All the different goat ingredients were added to a bowl, then covered a lightly creamy and buttery soup.

Where: Sudi Mampir Restaurant; Address: Jalan Biak Jakarta; Open hours: Around 5 pm – Midnight daily; Prices: We paid 208,000 IDR ($15.52) for two bowls of lots of organs soup and sate.

Ketoprak (peanut sauce salad)

Another common Indonesian dish based on peanut sauce is ketoprak, a Jakarta originating dish that includes pieces of tofu, and rice vermicelli noodles, all flavored with sweet salty peanut sauce.

When I was in Jakarta, one day I went to one of the most well known spots in the city for ketoprak, a small little shop in the neighborhood, that stays busy from the moment they open – and they often have a long line around mealtimes. After making a batch of their special peanut sauce, they fried some tofu, chopped it on a plate with some bean sprouts, doused it in the peanut sauce, and finished it with a fried egg.

Where: Ketoprak is available all over Jakarta, but for a famous version go to Ketoprak Ciragil; Address: Jalan Ciragil II Blok Q No. 24, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta; Open hours: 9 am – 6 pm daily; Prices: 20,000 IDR ($1.49) per plate.

Sop Konro (beef ribs soup)

I ate a lot of unbelievably delicious food when I was in Jakarta, and there are so many amazing restaurants, but eating sop konro for the first time was one of those dishes that just blew me away – the combination of fall apart tender cooked meat along with fresh herbs and sambal, it was breathtaking.

Again, famously known in Indonesia as a Makassar dish from southern Sulawesi, sop konro are beef ribs which are simmered in a variety of fragrant spices includes coriander, galangal, lemongrass, cinnamon, nutmeg, and bay leaves. When you eat sop konro, the meat will literally just slide off the rib bones.

Where: Sop Konro Karebosi is a restaurant located in the Kelapa Gading are of Jakarta, that serves outstanding sop konro. They also serve konro bakar, grilled beef ribs, which were equally as stunning. Address: Jalan Boulevard Raya TA 2 No.38, Kelapa Gading, Jakarta; Open hours: 10 am – 10 pm daily.

Bakso (Indonesian meatballs)

One of the most widely available street food dishes (and in restaurants as well) and loved by nearly everyone, including President Barack Obama who grew up for some time in Jakarta, is bakso (or also known as baso), Indonesian meatballs.

There are two main versions of bakso available, one is the Chinese style and the other is the more local Indonesian style – both are delicious. The recipe for bakso typically includes minced meat mixed with some tapioca starch – and it is the tapioca starch which gives the meatballs their serious bouncy and addictive texture.

You can typically choose your choice of noodles, from thin white rice noodles, and yellow egg noodles (I’m a fan of egg noodles), and the bakso are then either served with the noodles and soup, or dry with soup on the side. This is a non spicy Indonesian dish, but there are always chilies and seasonings for you to add to your own bowl.

Where: Bakso Akiaw 99 is a popular Chinese style bakso restaurant in Jakarta. Address: Jalan Mangga Besar Raya No. 2B, Kec. Tamansari, Jakarta; Open hours: About 4 pm – 11 pm daily; Prices: I paid 93,000 IDR ($7.07) for a few bowls of meatballs and noodles.

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;

Rica-rica (Manado dish)

Just like woku, rica-rica is a popular blend of chilies and herbs that originates from Northern Sulawesi. But while the different versions of woku that I had were more turmeric heavy and usually cooked a bit soupy or watery, the versions or rica-rica I experience were more dry, like a sauce, teeming with red chilies, shallots, and tomatoes.

Rica-rica definitely has a bit of sweet and sour tasting components to it, but while being spicy, and full of chunky tomatoes at the same time. You’ll find recipes for rica-rica using different types of meat, but the most popular is ayam rica-rica, with chicken.

Where: I had a good Manado meal at Brama Kusu; Address: Jalan Panglima Polim Raya South Jakarta; Open hours: About 11 am – 8 pm daily; Prices: 167,000 IDR for my wife and I for a full meal.

Gudeg (stewed jackfruit)

Considered to be the one of the national dishes of Yogyakarta (Jogja), gudeg is young jackfruit that’s braised with palm sugar, coconut milk, bay leaves, lemongrass, and galangal, until it’s extremely tender, and blended together.

Gudeg Jogja as it’s sometimes called, is served with rice as a main dish, but accompanied with a few other common side dishes that include chicken, and curried cow skin. While I couldn’t eat gudeg very often because it’s a sweet dish, I did really enjoy the amazing texture of the young jackfruit after being cooked for so long.

Where: Nasi Gandul Bu Endang; Address: Jalan Pesanggrahan No. 14, Puri Indah, Jakarta; Open hours: 8:30 am – 10 pm daily; Prices: 148,000 IDR for 4 people, gudeg was alright, but my favorite was the rawon.

Nasi Liwet (Javanese rice)

Similar to nasi uduk, nasi liwet is a traditional Javanese style of cooking rice that includes coconut milk and chicken broth, with the fragrance of bay leaves and lemongrass. It’s common to eat nasi liwet along with a variety of side dishes and extra coconut cream.

When I was in Indonesia, Ken and Gracia from Cowokrakus invited me to experience an authentic local Sundanese nasi liwet feast at their home in Bogor, about an hour from Jakarta. The rice was extremely fragrant, and along with the coconut milk, it was also mixed with little fried fish to give it another added dimension of taste and texture. We ate off a communal banana leaf, piled with side dishes like grilled chicken, and a variety of curries, and fresh herbs and vegetables to garnish. It was one of the most memorable Indonesian meals I’ve ever had.

Where: I had this dish home cooked, but do you know of any good restaurants? I would love to hear from you in the comments section at the bottom of this post.

Gulai Daun Singkong (curry cassava leaves)

I grew up for a number of years in Congo with my parents, and one of the dishes we ate nearly everyday was cassava leaves, sometimes cooked with peanuts, and I used to love them.

So I was very glad that a common type of leaf vegetable you’ll find in Indonesian cuisine are cassava leaves. Cassava leaves are actually toxic if you eat them raw, but they are delicious when cooked, and have a slight leathery texture to them.

Where: The best curry cassava leaves I had in Jakarta was at Rumah Makan Medan Baru; Address: Jalan Krekot Bunder No. 65, Pasar Baru, Sawah Besar, Jakarta; Open hours: 9 am – 9 pm daily; Prices: Ou total bill was 406,000 IDR ($30.69) for many dishes.

Asinan (pickled vegetable salad)

Asinan is a snack that includes pickled fruits or vegetables, but in a number of different forms and styles depending on which region of Indonesia you’re in.

When I was hanging out with Hey Theresia, a local Indonesian food blogger, we stopped for a plate of Asinan Betawi, a Jakarta version of asinan. The vendor chopped up a bunch of pickled and blanched vegetables, then added on a couple of fried noodle crackers, and then doused the snack in a sweet and salty fruity tasting sauce. It was a very interesting mix, including lots of sour and salty flavors.

Where: Right outside the entrance of Ragusa Es Italia ice cream shop; Address: Kav 3-5, Komplek Pertokoan Duta Merlin, Jalan Gajah Mada, Jakarta, Indonesia (not far from the National Monument in Jakarta).

Nasi Goreng (fried rice)

If you read any Indonesian food guide or guidebook, likely one of the most famous foods they will mention is Indonesian fried rice, known better as nasi goreng. Although just wok fried rice with a host of salty seasonings, this simple hot and fresh cooked single plate meal is a popular street food throughout Indonesia.

For myself, while nasi goreng simply can’t compete with curries and more flavorful rich dishes, I do find Indonesian nasi goreng quite enjoyable from time to time, and it makes an easy cheap meal. When you find an Indonesian street food cart that sells nasi goreng, they can usually make it with whatever ingredients you see in their cabinet – vegetables, chicken, egg, and stink beans (my personal recommendation).

The rice is stir fried, often in a little margarine and oil, seasoned with crushed chili sambal and garlic and the ingredients, then mixed with kecap manis which gives the fried rice its unique Indonesian touch. You’ll seriously find nasi goreng street food cards just about everywhere you look in Jakarta and across Indonesia. My favorite version to order nasi goreng with with stink beans and a fried egg – for me it’s the ultimate fried rice.

Where: Any street food stall where you see “nasi goreng” written, and you will see it all over Indonesia. In Jakarta you can try the legendary goat fried rice at Nasi Goreng Kambing Kebon Sirih.

Pempek (fishcakes)

One of the prized Indonesian foods originating from Palembang (in the south of Sumatra), pempek is a unique type of fishcake, that’s very popular as a snack in Jakarta as well.

The recipe for the fishcakes or fish balls not only includes pureed fish, but also tapioca starch to give it a chewy bouncy texture. The pempek are then usually deep fried (although you can get them grilled as well), and served with noodles and a sauce that’s sweet, salty, and sour. I have never been a huge meatball / fishball fan, but I have to admit that pempek was pretty good. I loved the bouncy texture and the flavorful sauce they are eaten with.

Where: I had pempek at a restaurant called Pempek Palembang & Otak – Otak 161 and they have multiple locations around Jakarta; Address: Jalan Boulevard Raya Blok FW I No. 26, Kelapa Gading, Jakarta; Open hours: 11 am – 8 pm daily.

Sayur Asem (sour soup)

Sayur asem is a sour tamarind soup that reminded me a lot of Filipino sinigang or a number of southern Thai sour soups, because it was very sour from tamarind. Known as a Sundanese and Betawi dish in Western Java, sayur asem is a sour tamarind soup, sometimes prepared with meat stock or fish stock, that can include a mixture of different vegetables like corn, chayote, and water morning glory.

Living and eating in Thailand, I’m a huge lover of sour soups, and when I had my first spoonful of sayur asem, I immediately knew it was my kind of the dish. It’s one of those sour soups that makes you almost squint when you sip it because it’s so sour.

Where: Warung Mak Dower serves fantastic Betawi dishes in Jakarta. Address: Jl. Pemuda No. 72, Rawamangun, Jakarta; Open hours: 9 am – 9 pm daily; Prices: 140,800 IDR for a full spread of dishes.

Chicken porridge

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.

Bubur Ayam Mang H Oyo, Jl. Sulanjana No.30, Bandung, Jawa Barat

Sambal (chili sauce)

Although I have already mentioned sambal dozens of times in this food blog, I think due to its importance in Indonesian cuisine (and my personal love and obsession for it), it’s one of the most important components of many Indonesian meals – either in the cooking or served as a side sauce.

There are about as many different recipes or types of sambal as there are islands in Indonesia, but a classic sambal might include chilies, garlic, shallots, and other local ingredients, all puréed using a mortar and pestle. Some sambals are spicy and salty, others are more sweet, and some sambals are based upon local herbs and spices only available in that specific region.

You’ll find sambal on the table of just about every restaurant in Indonesia you eat at, and if they don’t have any available, if you ask for some, they will make a simple sambal as soon as you ask. To me, sambal is something I look forward to consuming with every Indonesian meal. And it’s not only because I’m a chili lover, but also because I think the diversity and variations of different sambals is a reflection of just how diverse Indonesia and its food are.

Where: You’ll be served sambal with just about any Indonesian food you eat in Indonesia… that’s part of the reason why I love Indonesia so much.

Balado terong

If it's red, you'll eat it. Think about it.

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.

Seribu Rasa, Jl. Haji Agus Salim No. 128, Menteng, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta; +62 21 392 8892

Soto Betawi (Jakarta soup)

Jakarta is the biggest city in Indonesia, and people who live in Jakarta come from the furthest regions and islands of the country. The food directly reflects this, and walking down the street you’ll find a restaurant serving Padang food, Manado food, snacks from Eastern Java, and the list goes on and on.

But if there’s one dish that’s one of the most famous dishes, known for being homegrown right in Jakarta, it’s soto Betawi, literally meaning, Jakarta soup. Soto in Indonesia is a type of soup, and every region of Indonesia has their own version, and Betawi are the people of Batavia, the Dutch colonial name for Jakarta.

Soto Betawi is usually prepared with beef, which is boiled with aromatic herbs like lemongrass and Indonesian bay leaves, and flavored with candlenut, galangal, garlic, and shallots, and finally often a combination of both fresh cow milk and coconut milk are added to make the soup creamy. The soup is usually served in a bowl, topped with some crispy fried shallots, and eaten with a plate of rice, and some Indonesian pickles (known as acar). Eating Soto Betawi when I was in Jakarta was one of the culinary highlights for me. It’s truly an incredible dish that you can’t miss.

Where: One of the best places in Jakarta to eat soto Betawi is Soto Betawi Haji Husein. Address: Jalan Padang Panjang No. 6C, Kel. Pasar Manggis, Jakarta; Open hours: 7 am – 2 pm from Saturday – Thursday (closed on Friday); Prices: 110,000 IDR ($8.34) for 4 bowls of soto and rice.

Siomay (dumplings)

Soimai is a popular Indonesian food snack that has roots in China, but has been transformed as an Indonesian dish. Typical vendors that sell siomay have a steamer full of different ingredients including siomay, tofu, and a variety of fishcakes and stuffed items. Siomay can either be made with fish or sometimes shrimp or pork.

The siomay are dished onto a plate, and the Indonesian flavor touch is that they are served with a sweet and savory peanut sauce and some sambal to bump up the heat.

Where: In Glodok, Jakarta’s Chinatown, you’ll find many bicycle vendors that sell hot plates of siomay. But also throughout Jakarta it’s a popular street food.

Woku (Manado soup curry)

Technically, woku is an Indonesian Sualwesi blend of different spices and herbs like chilies, lemon basil, shallots, garlic, and tomatoes, that’s usually prepared with fish or chicken, and can be the consistency of anywhere from soup to more dry. When I had my first bowl of woku, it was a bit of a life-changer, one of those dishes that’s so dramatically flavorful, there’s nothing you can do but close your eyes and enjoy it.

Woku is both spicy and heavy on the herbs with a distinct taste of lemon basil, giving the entire dish a refreshing, yet hot and spicy, sensation. After spending 3 weeks in Jakarta and eating Manado food a number of times, I can safely say woku is one of my favorites Indonesian foods.

Where: Any Mandado food restaurant will have woku. In Jakarta, I enjoyed the version at Ikan Tude Manado; Address: Jalan Blora No. 28-29, Menteng, Jakarta; Open hours: 8 am – 11 pm daily; Prices: 325,000 IDR ($24.57) for 4.