ExploFood · Asia
What to eat in Indonesia
Five dishes to try in Indonesia, the most typical first. One is vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Indonesia
Nasi goreng
Rice fried with sweet soy sauce, shallots, chilli and shrimp paste, topped with an egg.
How to have it: Eaten any time of day, from warungs to night-market carts; add krupuk crackers on the side.
Rendang
Beef slow-cooked in coconut milk and spices until dry, dark and tender.
How to have it: A Padang (Minangkabau) dish; at Padang restaurants plates are laid out and you pay for what you eat.
Sate Sate
Skewers of chicken, goat or beef grilled over charcoal with peanut or soy sauce.
How to have it: Evening carts sell them by the dozen with lontong rice cakes; try sate lilit fish skewers in Bali.
Gado-gado
Blanched vegetables, tofu, tempeh and egg in a thick peanut sauce.
How to have it: A Jakarta lunch staple at warungs; ask for it without egg if you are vegan.
Soto
Turmeric-yellow chicken or beef broth with noodles or rice, herbs and lime.
How to have it: Every region has its own; soto ayam (chicken) is the common one at breakfast and lunch stalls.
What to eat next door
Plan the trip
Questions
What food is Indonesia famous for?
Nasi goreng (rice fried with sweet soy sauce, shallots, chilli and shrimp paste, topped with an egg) comes first on our list, followed by Rendang, Sate, Gado-gado and Soto.
What is the national dish of Indonesia?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Indonesia is Nasi goreng: rice fried with sweet soy sauce, shallots, chilli and shrimp paste, topped with an egg. Eaten any time of day, from warungs to night-market carts; add krupuk crackers on the side.
Which dishes in Indonesia are vegetarian?
One of the five on this page is vegetarian as usually made: Gado-gado. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What street food should I try in Indonesia?
Sate (skewers of chicken, goat or beef grilled over charcoal with peanut or soy sauce).
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
Keep exploring
Practical · 3 min readEat your way through a country: how to find the national dishesFood is the fastest way into a place. How to find a country's signature dishes, order them well, eat safely and keep a record of what you have tried.
Planning · 4 min readHow to choose the best time to visit anywhereWeather is only one part of it. Learn how to weigh seasons, crowds, prices and events, with real examples of the best months for popular destinations.
Planning · 4 min readHow to build a travel bucket list you'll actually useTurn a long wish list into a short plan: sort places by ease, season and effort, pick your next three, and keep the list alive after every trip.- Country guidesCountry guidesBest months, weather, holidays and plugs for every country.
- Free toolWhere can I go?Every country your passport opens, sorted by how easy it is.
Tick off every dish you try in Indonesia
Explo is a free app: light up the countries you have visited, keep the dishes you have tried, and check visa rules, weather and holidays before you go.
Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.