Being a home for 268 million people, Indonesia is known for its vast cultural diversity. Each region has its own distinctive traditions and specialties, including food. One of the most well-known cultural foods in Indonesia is Padang food, originating in Padang, West Sumatera. With its rich and bold flavors, Padang food will never disappoint you. Aside from the fact that it is very delicious, you can also find Padang restaurants everywhere in Jakarta. Without further ado, this is your guide to Padang food.
How to order in Padang restaurants
Finding Padang restaurants is easy, since it is very distinctive with its clear glass window in the front of the restaurant, showcasing their choice of foods to the people walking by. This guide to Padang food wouldn’t be complete without explaining to you how to order the food because a lot of people do get confused the first time around. So here are two ways to order the food:
- First, they will hand you a plate of rice and you will choose your side dishes by pointing through the glass window. Then, you will take the plate to the table and eat it. If you want to take away the food, this technique can work for you too. Do not be surprised, they usually use banana leaf and paper to wrap the food.
- Second, you can head straight to the table in the restaurant and sit calmly. The waiters will bring you plates of food- ranging from 12 to 20 choices of side dishes. Worry not, you will not have to eat them all. You will only have to pay for the dishes you chose to eat.
Why don’t you try using some Bahasa phrases you’ve learned? Or if you aren’t that confident yet, try taking Bahasa language courses in Jakarta to further improve your skills. Imagine how impressed locals will be!
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Choices of food
Although there are hundreds of different tenants ranging from the cheapest to the most expensive ones, Padang restaurants usually serve similar kinds of dishes. Don’t worry about the quality of the food served at many Padang restaurants because all the ingredients are freshly bought from local traditional markets every morning. As a beginner, it’s best to go to recommended Padang restaurants instead of ones on the road side.
Rendang
Rendang is the most well-known dish and the main choice in Padang restaurants. Cooked with garlic, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, and braised in coconut milk, the dish is basically a rich Padang-style beef curry. Back in the day, rendang used to be made with buffalo meat. As time goes by, people use beef to cook rendang. In the process of cooking, they tend to use some chilies, so don’t be surprised if your mouth starts burning a little. As the spice intensifies, you will instantly fall in love with the taste of the fork-tender flavorful beef.
Tunjang
Tunjang is a dish made of beef ankle cooked with coconut gravy. When you’re eating it, you will instantly notice the chewy texture of the food. The process of cooking tunjang will take several hours to ensure the perfect texture of the dish. Furthermore, you can add chili sauce to accompany this dish to enrich the taste.
Ayam Bakar
Ayam Bakar is basically a Padang-style grilled chicken. However, you will find the taste and aroma of Padang’s Ayam Bakar distinctive. In the grilling process, they use coconut shells and charcoal. This technique and the mixture of herbs and spices used in the dish creates an appetizing aroma. If you prefer fried chicken, you can choose Ayam pop instead. It is kind of similar to fried chicken but it’s skinless and it’s more tender than regular fried chicken.
Telur Dadar Padang
Telur Dadar Padang is a modified omelet. It is thicker than the ordinary omelet and the taste is quite distinctive since it uses numerous herbs and spices in it- from grated coconut, onion, chili, garlic celery, rice flour, candlenut, and many more. You can also find the texture different from the ordinary omelet- telur dadar padang has more texture because it contains more vegetables inside.
Sayur Nangka
Sayur nangka is an option for those who wants to add a dose of vegetables into their meal, balancing the other heavy foods on the plate. This dish takes large chunks of juicy jackfruit mixed with a spice blend and coconut milk to make the perfect jackfruit curry. It’s a combination of sweet and spicy, therefore it would make your meal taste even more fresh.
Living in Indonesia without eating Padang foods wouldn’t feel complete. Now you have learned some selections of the dishes in Padang restaurants, hit the street and look for restaurants with a clear glass window and a pile of tempting food behind it that lures you inside.
Padang restaurants in Jakarta
If you want to look up for Padang restaurants in Jakarta, here are our top recommendations:
Restoran Garuda
Address : Jl. H. Agus Salim No.59, RW.1, Kb. Sirih, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10340
Phone Number : +6221 3142466
Price Range : 120.000 for two people
Opening Hours : Open 24 hours
Pagi Sore
Address : Jl. Cemp. Putih No.A5, RT.7/RW.6, Cemp. Putih Tim., Kec. Cemp. Putih, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10510
Phone Number : +6221 4266000
Price Range : 200.000 for two people
Opening Hours : 10.00 – 22.00 (Monday – Sunday)
Sari Ratu
Address : Plaza Indonesia Lantai LB, Jalan M.H. Thamrin No.28-30, RT.9/RW.5, Gondangdia, Menteng, RT.9/RW.5, Gondangdia, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10350
Phone Number : +6221 3107534
Price Range : 120.000 for two people
Opening Hours :10.00 – 22.00 (Monday – Sunday)
Restoran Sederhana
Address : Jl. Matraman Raya No.51, RT.1/RW.3, Palmeriam, Kec. Matraman, Kota Jakarta Timur, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 13140
Phone Number : +6221 8583021
Price Range : 160.000 for two people
Opening Hours : 09.00 – 20.00 (Monday – Sunday)
Padang Merdeka
Address : Jl. Lada No.1, RT.4/RW.6, Pinangsia, Kec. Taman Sari, Kota Jakarta Barat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 11110
Phone Number : +6221 22692291
Price Range : 200.000 for two people
Opening Hours : 10.00 – 22.00 (Monday – Sunday)
Was this information helpful? We hope that this guide to Padang food will interest you in trying these dishes for yourself. Moreover, we suggest that you search around for some local Indonesian dessert drinks to finish off your meal!
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