Indonesia is the 4th largest country in the world at a population of around 250 million. The country itself consists of five large islands and thousands of smaller ones which have attracted traders, pirates, and adventurers to create one of the most vibrate cuisines in the world.
Though eastern Indonesia’s “Spice Islands” received most of the attention, the country’s cuisine, as a whole, developed largely as a result of spice-seeking immigrants going as far back as the Chinese in 2000 B.C.
With thousands of islands, there are many regional specialties, but wherever you are in Indonesia most meals are based around rice. Literally meaning “fried rice”, nasi goreng is considered the national dish of Indonesia. Some other popular ingredients include tamarind, lime, shallots, ginger, galangal, turmeric, and lemongrass to give it that perfect sweet and sour. Curries are also very popular and because of the humid climate and volcanic soil, tropical fruits, vegetables and spices are found in abundance.
Now that I have worked up an appetite – where to go? Sadly if you want to taste serious Indonesian cuisine in NYC your options are limited.
For being the 4th largest country in the world I was shocked on the lack of Indonesian presence in NYC and actually the US in general. Come to find out of the Asians residing in the US only 0.4% are Indonesian which ultimately reflects the lack of Indonesian cuisine. Lucky for me and my mission however I was able to find a couple options with decent reviews – one in Queens and the other in walking distance – you can guess which one I went to.
As we made our way to Bali Nusa Indah on 47th and 9th Ave I knew I had a few goals for tonight. I wanted to sample the Nasi Goreng, Rendang Padang (essentially Beef simmered in coconut milk), and if I had extra room the Chicken Satay… and most likely the dessert too.
Wanderlust Chef 