Eating in Indonesia is a cultural adventure and one of the highlights of visiting the archipelago. While you’ll find plenty of upscale tourist restaurants and European-style lounges in Bali, breaking away to eat with the locals is fun, inexpensive, and delicious.

Don’t expect much ambiance beyond plastic chairs and slow-turning fans; the authentic eateries in Indonesia are about one thing: cheap-and-delicious food!

• First, see some famous Indonesian food to try.

Eating the Indonesian Way

Indonesian food is often served at room temperature because locals usually eat with their hands and have irregular mealtimes. If you choose to do so, use your right hand only. Eating with your left hand, the one reserved for toilet functions, is very bad form. When finished, look for the basin or bowl with lime to wash your hands.

Chopsticks are rarely available in rumah makans (eating houses). In fact, you'll only be given chopsticks for some street foods or noodle dishes. If you don’t eat with your hands, hold the spoon in your right hand and fork in the left. Food is pushed onto the spoon with the fork; don’t put the fork in your mouth.

Indonesian Food Isn’t Very Spicy

European traders once risked their lives for Indonesia’s fragrant spices. And while nutmeg, clove, cardamom, and other pleasant spices turn up in dishes, Indonesian food is rarely served spicy (hot) unless noted.

Instead, you’ll find sambal, a chili paste, on nearly every table.

Sambal comes in many different varieties, and good restaurants make their own by using family recipes. Smell the sambal before you sprinkle it on your food: some varieties such as sambal belacan are made of ground fish or shrimp and can be extremely fishy.

There are dozens of types of sambal including sweet, sour, salty, fishy, and tomato-based; all are flavorful and spicy. Dishes such as sambal tempeh are cooked in tomato-based sambal and will arrive slightly spicy.

Tip: Forgo the ubiquitous bottle of cheap, sticky-sweet sambal frequently found on tables next to the ketchup. Instead, ask for the homemade or house-special sambal. Nearly every restaurant will have some in the back whether it’s available on tables or not.

• See 10 frequently asked questions about Asian food.

Eating in Padang restaurants

Padang is the capital of West Sumatra and also the most popular style of restaurant that you will encounter in Indonesia. Locals fill Padang eateries for cheap-and-delicious food. Eating at one or many Padang restaurants is a real cultural experience while in Indonesia.

Padang food is typically prepared early in the day and served at room temperature, so arrive at breakfast or lunch for the freshest choices. You’ll be given a heaping plate of white rice and then charged per item for whatever you want to add. Meats, curries, fish, and tempeh (fermented soybean cakes) are often available. Treats are usually displayed in the window so that you can shop around; your meal can be as cheap or as elaborate as you choose. Pay at the end of your meal.

Tip: Don’t assume that because something is put on your table that it comes with the meal. You’ll be charged if you eat from the small additions in saucers, and they are moved from table to table.

• See more about enjoying Padang restaurants in Indonesia.

Street Food in Indonesia

Along with Padang restaurants, there are plenty of opportunities to sample delicious street food in Indonesia. Hawkers grilling satay, meat on skewers, fill sidewalks with delicious-smelling smoke. Street food is cheap, safe, and a great way to nibble on local offerings without committing to a big portion.

Some street food is prepared in advance. If you’re unsure about the quality or age of meat that has been sitting out, ask the hawker to put your food back on the grill to warm it or wait while they prepare a new portion.

• See more about the street food in Asia.

Meat in Indonesia

Meats in Indonesia are often served in dishes “rough chopped.” While some tourist restaurants recognize that Westerners usually prefer white meat meticulously picked from the chicken, authentic restaurants will serve every part of the chicken. Don’t always expect lean, choice pieces of meat. Both chicken and beef dishes often arrive with sharp bits of bone along with pieces of skin and fat.

For Travelers with Special Diets

• Peanuts are popular in Indonesia and most stir-fried dishes are prepared with peanut oil. People with allergies should be cautious. The Indonesian word for peanuts is kacang tanah (pronounced: kah-chahng tah-nah).

• Eggs (telur) are used as the start for many dishes, including nasi goreng (fried rice) and mie goreng (fried noodles).

• Bones and meat are often used as the base to prepare soup stock and sauces. Even vegetarian dishes such as delicious tempeh can be prepared with meat products. The Indonesian word for meat is daging (pronounced: da-ging). Vegetarians can request tidak mau daging (pronounced: tee-dak maw da-ging) which means: “I don’t want meat.”