Kelly and I loved the food in Indonesia. I think of Indonesian as being a cousin to Thai food, in the same way that Costa Rican food is similar to Mexican food. Most of the ingredients are the same, but the preparations are slightly different.
Three of the most popular dishes in Indonesia are Mie Goreng, Nasi Goreng, and Chicken Satay. Mie Goreng is a stir fried egg noodle dish with chicken and vegetables with egg on top. It reminded us a bit of Pad Thai but without the peanuts. Nasi Goreng involves the same ingredients but is made with rice instead of noodles.
Chicken satay is made with small pieces of chicken that are placed on a skewer, cooked, and served with a peanut sauce. It is usually served with a side of rice. The photo above also features small lettuce wraps, and my sister stole a bite before I could even take a photo!
Kelly and I fell into this pattern of ordering Mie Goreng and Chicken Satay – sometimes for both lunch and dinner, and swapping plates half way through the meal. I think it is a sister thing to just automatically know you are always sharing food. I think that Kelly was also trying to make a game out of stealing food off my plate when I wasn’t looking.
Our meals – even at top hotels – we very affordable. Sometimes we paid as little as $11 USD for 2 entrees and 2 beers. While beer prices were similar to those in the US, wine and spirits are heavily taxed in Indonesia. If you love wine, you might want to shop at duty-free before you enter Indonesia.
Have you tried Indonesian food before? I like that it tends to be lighter than Thai food. If you are in Chicago, Rickshaw Republic has Mie Goreng, Nasi Goreng, and Chicken Satay on the menu.