Guide

Trying to list top 5 best Indonesian food is not easy, and I realised that most of our favourites are Javanese dishes, but it makes sense, we have spent most of our time on Java when being in Indonesia, as most of our friends live there, and we absolutely love Java and still have so much to explore on this Island alone.

Indonesian food is amazing! I could go to Indonesia just to eat. Saying Indonesian food includes a lot of different food tho. All regions, all cities, have their own cuisine and speciality. Whenever I go somewhere in Indonesia and talk to my Indonesian friends about it, they tell me what to eat in that place. Food is very important in Indonesia and you will never have to go hungry!

Between the two of us, these were the top 5 Indonesian dishes we agreed upon:

1. Bakso

We both absolutely love this simple noodle soup with meatballs – it’s both of ours favourite Indonesian dish! The best Bakso, you will find on the street. I’ve only seen it once in a restaurant, and it wasn’t very good. It’s a central Javaneese food, so the really amazing ones, you will find in Central Java, around Yogyakarta. M favourite Bakso place is in Mendut (see blog post about it here LINK!). It’s not a spicy dish in itself, but at all Bakso stalls there will be sambal (chili), which you are supposed to add in the soup to your liking as well as kecap manis (sweet soy sauce). So if you find yourself in central Java make sure to try Bakso at a street stall, it’s super cheap and yummy!

Bakso at it’s best at street stall Pak Min Wonogiri in Mendut.

2. Tongseng

Tongseng has been a favourite of mine from my first trip to Indonesia. It was the first street food I tried at a stall outside my work in Jakarta. From that moment I was sold on street food in Indonesia and Tongseng! Again, this is a central Javanese dish, from Solo I think, and also a soup. Tongseng is made with a coconut milk base and traditionally with goat or lamb, but in most places you can choose chicken instead. I prefer it with lamb, while Sam usually goes for the chicken. It’s also super spicy and so rich in flavour! The best Tongseng you will definitely find at the street, and as with Bakso, you won’t find many restaurants serving it, and if they do it won’t be as good as on the street. Trust me!

A beautiful bowl of Tongseng!

3. Ayam taliwang

All chicken in Indonesia is pretty fantastic, but Ayam Taliwang is one of Sam’s favourite dishes. A very spicy chicken dish with loads of chili on top, originally from Lombok. This is more of a restaurant or warung dish rather than something you will find in street stalls.

Not a traditional Ayam Taliwang, but still really good!

4. Sate

You won’t be able to travel to Indonesia without seeing sate stands. On Bali or in Manado they will most likely serve pork, chicken or fish, on Java and Lombok you will instead find beef, chicken and fish sates. This is the ultimate street food. You can find it anywhere and it will probably be great anywhere.

Chicken sate at Sate Taichan Senayan in Yogyakarta.

5. Nasi uduk

Nasi Uduk is not really a dish in itself, it’s rice cooked in coconut milk and spices. But you will see Nasi Uduk Komplit at many restaurants, where you will get chicken, tempe etc. and Nasi Uduk. It’s originally from Jakarta, but you will find it across Indonesia. I absolutely love this super fragrant rice. I’m a rice person in general, and love rice – but Nasi Uduk is playing in it’s own league of rices.

6. Extra: Sambals

Sambal is basically a sauce based on chili. There are so many different types of sambal, and all regions, cities, places have their own local version. We love trying different types of Sambals when we travel in Indonesia. My favourite sambal is Colo Colo – from Maluku, I haven’t seen it in many places outside Maluku. Should be served with fish, but works as good with chicken! We could probably make a whole blog post about sambals alone, but we will spare you that, for now.

Three different types of sambal at restaurant Bebek Bengil, in Jakarta.

So difficult to choose just 5 dishes.. there are so many other great dishes, I mean just all the pork and duck dishes you find on Bali, or the super spicy kitchen of Manado. Mmm…

When you think of Borobudur you think about the temple. It is a truly magnificent temple for sure, beautiful and definitely worth a visit. It’s also quite romantic, and where Sam proposed to me. Make sure to do the sunrise tour if you come, it is very beautiful! Even if it might be full of people, it’s still definitely worth it!

Sunrise from Borobudur temple

Sunrise at Borobudur temple

Most tourists just go to their hotels for a night and do the sunrise tour of the temple, but I definitely think this area is worth staying in for longer. But there is so much more to this area than the temple. It’s actually one of my favourite areas in Indonesia, with loads of greenery and small villages to explore, and extremely friendly people. 

Earlier this year, we stayed in this area for a week. We did do a lot of relaxing by the pool as well during this time, as we needed some rest, but we did explore quite a bit as well. I’ve been to Borobudur twice now, but for Sam it was the first time. The first time I was there, I did what most people are doing, 1 night at a hotel, the sunrise tour of Borobudur, a horse carriage ride around the closest village of Borobudur temple and then left. But I really felt like I wanted to come back to this place. I saw so much beauty during this trip so I was very happy to come back and spend some more time. 

What to Do in Borobudur off the Beaten Track

This area is so beautiful, the nature, the people – it’s all a but magical. Don’t be afraid to venture out from the hotel areas into the villages. My favourite thing to do is just to stroll through the village around the temples, walk on the small back streets. You will meet people who will talk to you and it’s super easy to interact with anyone you meet. They might not speak English but gestures and a few words in Bahasa will help. When we did this we ran into all sort of things happening, like a little local festival, some nice coffee places etc.

You can also rent a bicycle at some places and bike around the villages. Don’t do this midday like we did… it’s going to be too hot and you will burn. I managed to burn my hands for the first time in my life.

Also check out the small temple, Mendut. Many tourist do this on their way to and from Borobudur. It’s super small, just one room with a huge Buddha in it. But it is quite pretty.

Inside Mendut temple

Where to Eat Like a Local, Borobudur off the Beaten Path

We had some of the best food we’ve ever had in Indonesia here, especially Bakso and Tongseng (see our blog post about Indonesian food for more info). There places are all close to the Mendut Temple, for exact location see our Indonesia travel page.

Bakso & Mie Ayam Pak Min Wonogiri

This little street stall styled Bakso place is where we had lunch everyday. It’s the best Bakso I’ve tried to so far in Indonesia and it will only set you back around 0,60Euro for a portion. Don’t be scared by the very rough interior, we ate there plenty of times without having any issues with our tummies. The staff doesn’t speak English but are super helpful and friendly.

Interior of Pak Min

Amazing Bakso!

Rumah Makan Sate Dan Tongseng Mbak Ning

Possibly the best Tongseng in the area! It’s a very local restaurant, but again, don’t be scared by the look from it. The food is well prepared and the Sate is made on order. It’s very cheap and you won’t leave hungry!

Making Sate

Nak Djadi

This place serves Tongseng and Sate. The man running it is super friendly and came up to check we had a good time and enjoyed the food, which we did! This place looks a little bit nicer than some of the other places on this street and if I don’t remember wrong it was also a little bit more expensive than Mbak Ning for example. However, this does not mean much, as for a Westerner it is still very cheap.

As with many places, the best thing to do is just to walk around and see what you stumble upon. That’s how we like to travel, and when we do that – that’s when we have the best days! Rather than trying to plan everything. 

Where to Stay near Borobudur

There are loads of options of where to stay around Borobudur for all budgets. Try to choose an option in one of the villages to get a more real feel how it is to live here. We stayed at Amata Resort Borobudur, which was great! A midrange option, with great value for money. We really enjoyed our time there and the staff was super friendly and helpful.

The pool at Amata Resort Borobudur

We had some really amazing food in Yogyakarta, and will share them with you in this guide of where to eat in Yogyakarta. We also ate at some random street food stalls, which we cannot remember the name of. But they all had really good food. In general, I would say that street food in Yogyakarta is safe to eat. But follow your instinct, and the locals.

Travel Tip – Never walk past a bunch of people queuing up for street food. ALWAYS take a look at whats being cooked up, use your eyes and your nose. If  it looks good and smells good and 50 other people are ordering it and sat around eating it, it’s probably going to be not only OK to eat, but one of the best dishes you’ll experience on your travel.

There are a few dishes you should definitely try that are typical from Yogyakarta. One of them being Gudeg. Gudeg is a coconut milk based stew with Jackfruit in it. It also has palm sugar in it, and I find it a bit too sweet. It’s hard to describe the taste of this, you will just need to try it! You will find places that serves Gudeg all of the city, so just pick one.

Waroeng SS

On the South side of Yogya we found Waroeng SS Special Sambal, purely by chance as it was just round the corner from our hotel. You can choose to sit around a table or down on the floor. If you choose the raised floor, make sure to take off your shoes. Service is fast, so grab an ice-tea straight away and get comfy with the menu.

A happy Sam at Waroeng SS

There is a HUGE range of Sambals here (33 in all I think). The menu is, traditional Indonesian, which is a bit like a tapas menu, just lots of stuff either grilled, fried or steamed. The staff speak great English and can help you with what you order. We found that ordering about 4 sambals and another 8 main dishes with a portion of steamed rice would be enough (well for us). But you can just keep ordering if you are still hungry for more.

This place is renowned for their Special Sambals, so be adventurous. There are hundreds if not thousands of sambal recipes in Indonesia, some are famous in their own right like colo colo (pronounced Chollo Chollo), from Maluku, which is intense Sweet Soy sauce called Ketjap with fresh Indonesian chilies, traditionally served with fish.

All the yummy food and sambals at Waroeng SS

Read more about sambals and Indonesian food in the blog post “Best Indonesian food“.

Sate Taichan Senayan Yogya

Just down the road from Waroeng SS is Sate Taichan Senayan Yogya set up on the sidewalk with two sate grills and about 10 staff working service, delivering food and drinks. It cost 18k IDR or about €1 for 10 Sate Sticks and Thai Tea for 5k IDR or about €0.30.

Chicken sates and amazing spicy sambal at Sate Taichan Senayan Yogya

We also found this place by accident. When walking around we saw all these locals queuing up, and decided we had to check it out. We were the only non Indonesians, and got many smiles when we ordered in broken Bahasa mixed with English and sat down. The sates was amazing, by far the best chicken sates either of us has had in Indonesia so far.

Sitting area at Sate Taichan Senayan Yogya

I have no clue if this was a pop up thing or if it’s always there, but if you walk pass it make sure to stop for some sates.

Yogyakarta, Yogya, or Jogja (Kärt barn har många namn*) is a cool laid back city. We only spent two nights in Yogyakarta, and didn’t hit any of the main tourist attraction. So our guide will not feature any of these, but more off the beaten track things to do in Yogyakarta. It’s quite small and easily accessible by foot. If you like to get a bit lost, like we do, just start walking in a random direction, or towards a simple destination like a coffee house or ATM and you will find something interesting.

Most people only stay a night or two in Yogya, like we did, to head out to Borobudur temple and/or Merapi volcano. But you could definitely stay for longer in Yogyakarta and have loads of things to do and see.

*Swedish expression, roughly translated to “Loved child has many names”.

Graffiti Walk

You will see street are everywhere in Yogyakarta. But there is one area that has more of it. Head down to the Cemeti – Institute for Art and Society to see some great work by upcoming and well established artists. All round this area is plastered in graffiti everywhere. Follow your eyes and and don’t be afraid wander off the beaten track, into the small paths in the residential areas.

Street art in a small alley way in a residential area

Street art in Yogya

Talking With the Locals

School children who interviewed us, and as a thank you we got a gift

When you walk around a city where you are obviously a tourist, the chances of being talked to are quite high. Indonesians love to get to know tourists and get a selfie with you, of course. It’s lovely, most people don’t want to actually sell you anything, they’re just interested in why you want to visit their city/country and where you’re from. Yogya, like most of Indonesia is super friendly and the locals love speaking with tourists. As it is a university city, people are, in general, really good in English as well.

However, if you are on Malioboro street, people will more likely try to sell you stuff or take you to a batik shop where they get commission. But it’s all done in a nice way, and you can always have a chat without taking the offer.

Batik Shopping

Yogyakarta is a batik heaven. There are loads of shops and galleries around the city. You will meet manypeople on the streets, especially in very touristy areas, such as Malioboro street, who wants to take you to a specific batik gallery. Most of the times, these people gets a commission if you buy something there. Which can mean that the price is a little higher than normal.

Batik heaven in Yogyakarta

There is one gallery on a back street, which does not pay out any commission to anyone, Purnomo Batik art group. It’s actually a really nice place to just go around and look at the thousands of paintings. There are also women showing you the process of how they make batik paintings, which is quite interesting. And of course, you can buy any of the paintings. The prices depends on the painter, and not the size, if you buy from a student, it’s cheaper, and if you buy from a master it will cost you more.

Both times I’ve been there, the people working there has been super friendly and nice. They have no problems showing you around and showing you different paintings, without being annoyed if you don’t buy anything in the end.

Souvenir Shopping

Jogja has loads of shops. Many of them filled with batik clothes and Indonesian souvenirs. If you want a lot of soverniers for your buck, make sure to head to Hamzah Batik on Malioboro street. The ground flood is filled with batik clothing and the upper floor only sells Indonesian souvenirs. You can walk for hours looking around and you will probably end up buying a mask or two.

Many people ask themselves “Should I visit Jakarta?”. In the end, most tourists might have a layover in Jakarta on their way to Bali, or skip Jakarta completely, just staying at the airport. Don’t! In this post I will argue why you should visit Jakarta.

Jakarta is an amazing city! I know it has a bad rep – smelly, big, non tourist friendly, bad traffic, etc.. some is true, the traffic can be bad, it can be a bit smelly, but so are most cities. Jakarta does not deserve it’s bad reputation and it is definitely worth a visit.

Yes, it can be difficult coming as a tourist to Jakarta, I will be honest, my first impression with Jakarta wasn’t great, and it took me a while to understand it and see the beauty of this city. However, this was mainly because I ended up in the wrong area and stayed on the main roads. If you know where to look and have some adventure in you, you will experience the beauty Jakarta has to offer. It is not just about malls, I do admit, there are a lot, and they’re hard to skip completely, but there is so much more to “The Big Durian”. These are some of my reasons why you should visit Jakarta:

The People

Indonesian people in general are extremely friendly, at least from my experiences. In Jakarta, they are too, but they’re not ’on you’ like on Bali for example. You don’t get hassled walking down the street. People will try to talk to you, or at least say hello. Younger people will probably want to take a selfie with you. But you’re not bothered by sellers or tour guides, just people who are genuinely interested in you. This is, for me, a big argument for why you should visit Jakarta.

The Atmosphere

Jakarta might not be architecturally beautiful, or visually beautiful.. the beauty of Jakarta lies in its people, in the atmosphere of the city. It’s difficult to explain a feeling, but it’s just such a nice feel to this city. Even if it’s huge and noisy, I never feel stressed in Jakarta, and there’s always time to exchange some polite words with people you walk by.

Walking Around

This ties in with my previous point, just walking around in Jakarta (yes you can walk in Jakarta), is such a treat! This is my absolute favourite thing to do when visiting, just choosing an area and walk around, interact with people, see life go by, eat at street stalls, just be in it, experience the different atmospheres in different areas of this huge city.

The Food

Indonesian food is great! Food in Jakarta, amazing! Especially the street food and ’Warungs’ which you can find everywhere. What’s also great about Jakarta is that you can find food from all over the country. Don’t be scared to go to local places, just use your common sense, eat where the locals are eating.
We have a special post for just food in Jakarta, check it out here.

The Diversity

Jakarta has everything. You can find 5 star hotels, restaurants and nightclubs, but also local joints. Western and asian places. There is food and accommodation fitting every wallet and there’s more to do and see than you have time for. Enjoy skybars and modern skyscrapers or get into one of the small areas tucked in between the skyscrapers and got lost in the alleys, eat at local warungs and watch life go by.

For more specific tips on what to do in Jakarta, check out this blog post.

I have been back every year since I moved from Jakarta, and planning on going back many, many more times. Not just to see my friends, but to experience more of this amazing city.

The Jakarta skyline – overlooking Thamrin

If you came this far, I guess you have some interest in visiting Jakarta, and I hope I might have convinced you why you should visit Jakarta. It really is worth a visit, just have some patience and when you start to scratch the surface, you might fall in love with this city as I have.

For anyone who knows us, or has read our other blog posts, you know that we love food and especially Indonesian food. You can find any type of food and standard of restaurant in Jakarta, from street food to 5 star restaurants. I have far from tried all restaurants in Jakarta, also new ones are popping up all the time. But in this guide to where to eat in Jakarta I have listed some of my favourite places to eat, which I usually go back to every time I’m in the city. 

Street food

Street food can be found anywhere in Jakarta, it’s hard to pinpoint these as they move around and are not always there. Therefore I won’t come with any specific tips on tips, more than follow your nose and don’t be scared of trying street food, follow the locals. There are many street food areas, everywhere where many people are passing you will find street food stalls with different types of food.

Warungs

Warungs are local restaurants, very simple. At street food stalls and warungs is where I’ve had most of my  best meals in Indonesia. In general warungs are very cheap to eat at, a little bit more expensive than street food, but still very cheap. Here are some of my favourite warungs in Jakarta:

Bakmi Cong Sim

Located in Mangga Besar, between Glodok and Thamrin is this little place. It serves Bakmi, noodles. Simple but oh so tasty! Still dreaming about these noodles.

Bakmi at Bakmi Cong Sim

Nasi Uduk Kebon Kacang Zainal Fanani

Great little local place in a small alley in Thamrin. Their specialty, Ayam Goreng (friend chicken) and Ayam Bakar (grilled chicken).

Warung Nasi Uduk Kebon Kacang Zainal Fanani in Jakarta

Warteg Gang Mangga

Located in Glodok, simple warung with many dishes to choose from. We got to walk behind the counter and point on what we wanted and got huge portions of food for a very very cheap price.

Warteg Gang Mangga in Jakarta

Warung MJS

This place in Kuningan is on the fancier end of a warung. Make sure to sit in the smoking area, as this is a lovely outside garden with a small pond and loads of colourful lights. The non-smoking are on the other hand is a boring small room inside.

At this place you point/tell them what you want when you get in and then get seated. There’s loads of choice of Indonesian food, and it’s all really delicious, make sure to order many different things, as this is how you eat in Indonesia. Almost like tapas, you order many different things and share them between you. Although, when we were there we over did it and couldn’t finish it all.

It’s a very popular place, so you might have to queue for a bit if you come in rush time, but it’s definitely worth it.

The garden at Warung MJS, Jakarta

Padang food at Restoran Garuda Sabang, Jakarta

Bebek Bengil

Sate Khas Senayan

THREE BUNS

This is the only western place that made it onto this list. I am a huge hamburger fan, and if you find yourself craving burgers in Jakarta, this place in Senopati is where to go. It’s a cool space with an industrial feel.

It’s on the more expensive side, located in a rich area with many expats visiting. However, still worth a visit and it’s not more expensive than European prices.

Livia at Three Buns in Jakarta

Three buns, Jakarta

Plataran Dharmawangsa

Restaurant Plataran Dharmawangsa, Jakarta

Who makes the best coffee in Jakarta? When you’re travelling coffee becomes a basic human necessity. You need a kick to get you up and off on the good foot.

On our recent visits to Jakarta my mission as Captain Coffee was to locate some of the best roasteries, brewers and purveyors of the dark brown elixir. Not as easy as you think considering that the island is called Java, Coffee is called Kopi and most people want to serve you a milky iced beverage.

#1 Tanamera Coffee

Modern, chilled coffee bar in the center of Jakarta, Thamrin. Guys in leather aprons have been proudly brewing coffee since 2013. They work with local Indonesian farmers to produce and roast a piquant coffee that is exquisite and distinctive. They serve all your favorite coffee combinations as well as cold brews, pastries and sandwiches.

The interior of red and black matching their branding is comfy and welcoming. Of course there is free wi-fi
Tanamera Coffee now have eight outlets throughout Indonesia. Quite possibly the best coffee in Jakarta.

At Tanamera Coffee relax in the knowledge your coffee will be good.

#2 Kopi Es Tak Kie

Before you get yourself too involved with Jakarta’s famous Chinatown or nearby “Ghost City”, get yourself down to Kopi Es Tak Kie.

Being Jakarta’s oldest coffee house they’ve perfected their brewing skills over the last 90 years (yes since 1929) and offer a no frills brew at a really good price. There are tables and chairs and there is coffee… but that’s about it. As their name suggests they make Ice Coffee, but you can ask for hot brews, with or without milk, just don’t start asking for a de-caff soy latte OK?!

#3 Coffeebeerian

Coffee AND Craft Beer?.. yes it’s possible at Coffeebeerian. It’s a simple place with a few back rooms and a few comfy sofas. All kinds of hot/cold filter brews, specialty beans and a guy who just loves to make coffee. Not fancy, nor Instagrammable but great. It’s also a nice area (Senopati) to walk around with large houses and gardens.

#4 Toko Kopi TUKU – Pasar Santa

Ok, you don’t even get a table at this place, find a place to sit down on a nearby wall. At Toko Kopi TUKU you order your coffee through a sliding glass window, you can jump the queue of Go-Jek drivers. Mostly serving Ice Coffee with a plastic sealed lid and a straw it’s hard to beat on a hot day in Jakarta. Go check out the local market, upstairs are loads of cool independent shops selling toys, records, graffiti supplies and more.

Toko Kopi Kuku is not romantic by far.. but it’s damn fine coffee!

#5 Cafe Batavia

Yes it’s expensive, yes you have to get past the crowds of students wanting interviews and selfies.. but as soon as you cross the threshold of Cafe Batavia you are transported back to the Colonial Jakarta of days gone by. Sip on your coffee and look out over the square with people riding colorful rent-a-bikes and enjoy the history.

What do you think of my best coffee in Jakarta hot spots? Let me know in the comment section below.

Many people dismiss Jakarta as a tourist destination which is such a shame as it has so much to offer the traveler, even if you’re just passing through, read our post “Why you should visit Jakarta” and our other Jakarta posts for more on this great city.

Grand interior of cafe Batavia