(CNN)At a poll CNN did a few years ago, our readers voted rendang the most delicious food in the world.
It's time to give Indonesia's culinary credentials some time in the limelight.
Here
we run through a mouth-watering array of broth-soaked noodles, fiery
curries, banana-wrapped fish and vegetable salads with sweet peanut
dressing.
1. Sambal
While technically more of a condiment, the chili-based sauce known as sambal is a staple at all Indonesian tables.
Dishes
aren't complete unless they've a hearty dollop of the stuff, a
combination of chilies, sharp fermented shrimp paste, tangy lime juice,
sugar and salt all pounded up with mortar and pestle.
So
beloved is sambal, some restaurants have made it their main attraction,
with options that include young mango, mushroom and durian.
Pedas Abis, Waroeng Spesial Sambal, Jl. RM. Said No.39, Solo, Surakarta
2. Satay
These tasty meat skewers cook up over coals so hot they need fans to waft the smoke away.
Whether
it's chicken, goat, mutton or rabbit, the scrappy morsels get marinated
in turmeric, barbecued and then bathed in a hearty dose of peanut
sauce.
Other nations now lay claim
to sate, but Indonesians consider it a national dish conceived by street
vendors and popularized by Arab traders.
Each
vendor seeks distinction, but "sate madura" -- served with rice cakes
(ketupat) and diced cucumber and onion -- is distinguished by its
boat-shaped street carts.
Sate
Ragusa serves legendary satay that dates to the 1950s. Its signature
spaghetti ice cream is a perfect dish to cleanse the palate after a
meal.
Sate Ragusa, Jl. Veteran 1 No. 10, Gambir, Jakarta
3. Bakso
We're not always sure what's in it, but we're always sure we'll want more.
A
favorite among students, this savory meatball noodle soup gained
international fame when U.S. President Barack Obama remembered it as one
of his favorites during a visit to Jakarta.
The
meatballs -- springy or rubbery, the size of golf balls or bigger --
are made from chicken, beef, pork or some amorphous combination of them
all.
Sold mostly from pushcarts called kaki lima, bakso comes garnished with fried shallots, boiled egg and wontons.
Bakso Lapangan Tembak Senayan, Jl. Gerbang Pemuda 1, Senayan, Jakarta
4. Soto
This traditional meat soup comprises a broth and ingredients that vary across the archipelago.
Common
street versions are made of a simple, clear soup flavored with chicken,
goat or beef. In Jakarta, home of the indigenous Betawi, soto Betawi
garners fame with its sweet, creamy, coconut-milk base.
It's usually topped with crispy shallots and fried garlic, and as much or little sambal as taste buds can take.
Kafe Betawi, No. 1, Grand Indonesia Mall, West Mall Lt. LG No. 08, Jalan MH. Thamrin No.1, Jakarta; +62 21 2358 0501
Soto Madura, Jl. Ir. H. Juanda No. 16, Gambir, Jakarta
5. Nasi goreng
Considered
Indonesia's national dish, this take on Asian fried rice is often made
with sweet, thick soy sauce called kecap (pronounced ketchup) and
garnished with acar, pickled cucumber and carrots.
To
add an element of fun to the experience, diners can try nasi gila (or
"crazy rice") and see how many different kinds of meat they can find
buried among the grains -- yes, those are hot dog slices.
Menteng Plaza, Lantai Ground, Jl. HOS. Cokroaminoto No. 79, Menteng, Jakarta
6. Gado-gado
A favorite mix of taste and healthy ingredients.
Literally
"mix-mix," the term gado-gado is often used to describe situations that
are all mixed up -- Jakarta, for instance, is a gado-gado city.
As
a food, however, it's one of Indonesia's best-known dishes, essentially
a vegetable salad bathed in the country's classic peanut sauce.
At its base are boiled long beans, spinach, potato, corn, egg and bean sprouts coupled with cucumber, tofu and tempe.
Gado-gado gets sweeter as you travel eastward through Indonesia -- but Jakartans swear by the cashew sauce at Gado-Gado Boplo.
Gado-Gado Boplo, Jl. Panglima Polim IX No. 124, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta; +62 21 724 8334
7. Nasi uduk
A
perennial favorite among native Betawi, nasi uduk is rice cooked in
coconut milk and includes a pinwheel of various meat and vegetable
accoutrements.
It almost always
includes fried chicken, boiled eggs and tempe (soybean cake) with
anchovies and is topped with emping (melinjo nut crackers).
It's cheap, fast and popular among lunchtime crowds.
Nearly
four decades old and still going strong Nasi Uduk Babe Saman packs in
everyone from students to celebrities morning, noon and night.
Nasi Uduk Babe Saman, Jalan kebon kacang 3, Jakarta; +62 21 314 1842
8. Nasi padang
Singaporeans may say they can't live without it, but nasi padang, named after its birth city in Sumatra, is 100% Indonesian.
Nasi
padang is a meal with steamed rice accompanied by more than a dozen
dishes -- goopy curries with floating fish heads or rubbery cow's feet
-- stacked up on the table.
The best way is to chuck away the cutlery and dig in with hands then wash the spice away with a sweet iced tea.
Garuda Nasi Padang, Jl. Gajah Mada no. 8, Medan, Sumatra
9. Ayam goreng
IFC could be a worthy rival for KFC.
The
key to Indonesian fried chicken is the use of small village birds,
whose freedom to run around the yard makes them tastier than the big
chunks of meat at KFC.
Variations
on that chain have cropped up across the country -- rumor has it that
one of these was founded by a polygamist, so franchisees must have
multiple wives.
Ayam Goreng Suharti, Jalan Kapten Tendean No. 13, Mampang Prapatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta; +62 21 525 4595
10. Bakmi goreng
Noodles
compete with rice for carbohydrate of choice in Indonesia, ranging from
broad and flat (kwetiau) to scrawny vermicelli (bihun).
The
best are bakmi -- pencil-thin and, in this case, fried with egg, meat
and vegetables. Vendors add their own special spices for distinction,
but the iconic Bakmi Gajah Mada garners a cult following.
More modern outlets now make noodles from spinach and beets.
Bakmi
Gang Mangga gives diners an in to the cool hangouts in the old city,
but only after 5 p.m. For an earlier version, try Bakmi GM on Jl. Sunda.
Bakmi Gang Mangga, Kemurnian IV No. 38B, Gang Mangga, Glodok, Taman Sari, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta
Bakmi GM, Jl. Sunda No. 9, Thamrin, Jakarta; +62 21 390 3018
11. Gudeg
Fit for a sultan it may not be, but gudeg is certainly the signature of the royal city of Yogyakarta.
The
sweet jackfruit stew is boiled for hours in coconut milk and palm
sugar, making the fruit so soft and tender it falls apart with little
chewing.
Other spices are thrown into the mix but teak leaves give it a brown coloring.
Like nasi uduk, it's served with rice, boiled egg, chicken and crispy, fried beef skin.
Adem Ayem, Jl. Slamet Riyadi 342, Solo
12. Rawon
Dark soup. Colorful past.
A beef stew from East Java that goes heavy on the keluak nut to give it a nutty flavor and a deep, black color.
The soup base also mingles with garlic, shallots, ginger, turmeric and red chili to make it nice and spicy.
The most famous variant is called Rawon Setan (Devil's soup) in Surabaya.
Rawon Setan, Jl. Embong Malang, Kota Surabaya, Jawa Timur
13. Pecel lele
The sight of fried catfish may surprise first-time diners since it looks almost the same as it does living.
Served
with rice and red and green sambal, this is simple street fare that
fills the belly, which may be why it's a standout across Jakarta.
Bakmi GM, Jl. Sunda no 9 Thamrin | Sarinah 3 & 4 Fl, Jakarta
14. Opor ayam
Small diners, called warungs, now sell this traditional dish of braised chicken in coconut milk on a daily basis.
Still, it remains a staple on tables around the end of Ramadan, when it's served with packed rice cakes (ketupat).
A
little like a mild, slightly chalky curry with less prep time required,
it's filled with Indonesia's signature spices -- garlic, ginger, cumin
and coriander.
Masakan Rumah Ibu Endang, Jl. Cipete Raya No. 16C, Fatmawati, Jakarta
15. Mie ayam
In search of the perfect noodle dish? Stop here.
For this dish, bakmie is boiled in stock and topped with succulent slices of gravy-braised chicken.
Chives and sambal add extra flavor -- but if it's done right little else is needed.
Unlike most Indonesian cuisine, where the secret is in the sauce, the clue to a good mie ayam is the perfect al dente noodle.
Bakmi Orpha, a hole in the wall in west Jakarta, draws Ferrari-owning clientele for its deceivingly tasty mie and wontons.
Bakmi Orpha, JL. Malaka II No. 25, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta; +62 21 691 2450
16. Babi guling
Pork
is uncommon in this Muslim majority nation, but we had to include roast
suckling pig given the near hysteria it generates on the Hindu island
of Bali.
The Balinese respect their
food and lavish attention on its preparation. Before spit-roasting the
pig they bath it in coconut water and rub it with chili, turmeric,
garlic and ginger to ensure succulence.
Babi guling fans fly from Jakarta to scarf the crispy skinned pork at Warung Ibu Oka -- but be sure to get there before 3 p.m.
Warung Ibu Oka, Jl. Suweta sidestreet, Kuta, Bali
17. Gulai
Gulai is the common name for curry dishes, namely those from north Sumatra.
Indonesian
curries have regional variations that depend on the types of meat and
fish available -- though gulai almost always incorporates cinnamon. Opor
and rendang can be considered gulais, but better to try out the rainbow
of other options.
Pagi-Sore is a national franchise serves a tangy fish-head curry.
Pagi-Sore, Jl. Pondok No. 143, Padang
18. Bubur ayam
From
blue-collar workers to government ministers, almost everyone starts
their day with this rice gruel, a savory porridge served with soy sauce,
fried shallots, shredded chicken, beans and crackers.
Outside
Java variations can include corn, cassava and fish, while a sweeter
version -- for those who prefer not to start their day with a blast of
chili -- is made with mung beans.
Bubur Ayam Mang H Oyo, Jl. Sulanjana No.30, Bandung, Jawa Barat
19. Bakpao
The best thing about rush hour.
Jakarta gridlock may be a blessing for the bakpao market.
Vendors often line busy roads during rush hour to offer these fluffy meat-filled buns to hungry passersby in need of a snack.
Sweet offerings include chocolate and green bean, indicated by a colored dot on top.
No need to go in search of them, they'll find you.
20. Asinan sayur
When palates crave the opposite of Javanese sweetness, this pickled vegetable salad offers reprieve.
The
secret is in the dressing, a thin peanut sauce swirled with palm sugar
to offset the salty snap of preserved mustard leaf, carrot, cabbage and
cucumber.
The krupuk cracker crunch comes from a yellow disc made with egg noodles.
Yaya
has been serving up bowls of Asinan for 22 years outside the iconic
Ragusa Ice Cream shop. He also makes a mean dried-squid salad called
juhi.
Outside Sate Ragusa, Jl. Veteran 1 No. 10, Gambir, Jakarta
21. Cah kangkung
Otherwise
known as water spinach, a common river weed, kangkung gets stir fried
with sweet soybean sauce, huge slices of garlic, bird's-eye chili and
shrimp paste to take it from a poor man's food to something with a kick.
Because
it grows well in any kind of soil, it is a common ingredient in dishes
throughout Asia. Here the cah indicates its Chinese origins.
Santika Baru Seafood, Jl. Bendungan Hilir Raya Kav. 36A, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta
22. Pepes ikan
You can get your tuna out of a can -- or you can eat it the right way.
Pepes
signifies the steaming of food in banana leaves, which gives it an
earthy flavor that works well with the rich Manadonese spices (woku)
it's coupled with.
When matched with tuna the result is a dense, fiery dish that holds its distinct flavors, but should be eaten gingerly.
Beautika, Jl. Hang Lekir No. 1, Kebayoran Baru; +62 21 722 6683
23. Pempek
According
to lore, the name pempek refers to the old Chinese man who first
produced these fish and tapioca cakes from Palembang in South Sumatra.
Now a Palembang specialty, pempek or empek-empek comes in a variety of shapes and sizes.
The
most famed, kapal selam, or translated as submarine, contains a chicken
egg and is rumored to be the most nutritious form of the spongy dough
balls, which are sprinkled with shrimp powder and served withcuka, a
dark dipping sauce made from vinegar, chili and sugar.
Kebon Sirih, Palembang
24. Perkadel
So simple it's often overlooked, Perkadel's unassuming appearance belies its flavorful punch.
A
distant relative of Dutch minced-meat frikandel, these croquettes are
either potato based and filled with beef or made from corn (perkadel
jagung).
In Bandung, crowds line up late night in seedy alleyways to snack on potato fritters made soft from frying in hot oil.
25. Martabak
You can make it without lard. But why bother?
Think of a spongy, thick crepe made with 10 times the lard and you'll be somewhat close to imaging martabak.
The
sweet version looks more like a pancake filled with gooey chocolate,
peanuts or cheese, while the savory one is made from crispy pulled
pastry like filo that is flattened in a wok as egg and minced meats are
rapidly folded in.
Served with pickled cucumber and a sweet and sour vinegar.
Martabak Ayah, Muhammad Daudsyah, Jl. Tgk Diblang, Kota Banda Aceh
26. Sayur asem
This
clear, refreshing soup derived from tamarind pairs well with fried food
since it's stocked with vegetables and some of Indonesia's most
interesting ingredients: melinjo, bilimbi, chayote.
A very close relative called sayur lodeh is made with coconut milk and has a sweeter flavor.
Warung Surabaya, Jl. DR. Abdul Rachman Saleh, Jakarta
27. Sop buntut
Revitalized
by the chef at Hotel Borabodor in 1973 after a food and beverage
staffer saw a government minister eating a bowl on the street, oxtail
soup is loved by Indonesians from all classes.
The
high-end version -- now the domain of Indonesia's diplomatic corps --
uses imported Australian beef, 7,000 kilograms a month to be precise,
and comes complete with steamed rice, pickles, lime and sambal.
Its less pretentious outlet Sop Buntut Bogor Cafe is now in Pacific Place Mall.
Sop Buntut Bogor Cafe, Pacific Place Mall, level 5, Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, SCBD, Jakarta; +62 21 5797 3238
28. Ketoprak
Not
to be confused with the theatrical drama of the same name that
re-enacts Javanese legends, this Ketoprak is made from vermicelli, tofu,
packed rice cake and bean sprouts.
It
rounds out the quintet of pestle-and-mortar-based dishes that include
gado-gado and pecel, and is a simple street dish that tastes mostly of
peanuts and spice but is chockfull of carbohydrates.
Any street vendors
29. Balado terong
If it's red, you'll eat it. Think about it.
The color of this dish is enough to set taste buds going.
Nothing
more than grilled purple eggplant topped with heaps of chili sauce made
from dried shrimp paste (balacan), it calls for a substantial portion
of rice to even out the fire engine flavor.
Seribu Rasa, Jl. Haji Agus Salim No. 128, Menteng, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta; +62 21 392 8892
30. Lontong sayur
Boiled
for hours in coconut leaf casings, the glutinous packed rice cake known
as lontong is one of the best vehicles for pairing with thick peanut
sauces and curries.
It serves as
the base for this savory morning favorite, a coconut-milk curry made
with young papaya, soy-braised tofu and hard-boiled eggs.
Crushed up krupuk add a little crunch to get you going.
Pak Sule's stand, outside the ANZ building on Jl. Gatot Subroto
31. Rendang
Perhaps Padang's most famed curry, rendang is not an everyday food since it takes time and skill to make.
Its secret is in the gravy, which wraps around the beef for hours until, ideally, it's splendidly tender.
A dried version, which can be kept for months (like jerky) is reserved for honored guests and important celebrations.
Restoran Sederhana, Jl. Gandaria Tengah III No. 23, Jakarta; +62 21 725 0172
32. Tahu gejrot
Reason number 467 to love tofu.
These clouds of golden, fried tofu look like little packages behind the windows of the boxes from which they are sold.
Tofu is a poor man's snack, but that also makes it prevalent.
Menteng Plaza has a version of fluffy tofu steeped in sweet soy sauce and chili and served in a pestle and mortar.
Taman Menteng, Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto, Jakarta
33. Sop kambing
If Indonesia ever got cold enough to necessitate a winter stew, sop kambing would be even more popular.
A
robust soup with a yellow broth full of celery, tomato, and great
chunks of goat meat, this dish could make the Campbell's soup man
quiver. Be warned if you have high blood pressure since the dish will
heat you up.
Ginger, lime leaf, candlenut and spring onion give it peppery smell that adds to its refreshingly earthy flavor.
Sop Kaki Kambing stands among a number of roadside street vendors, Jl. Kendal, Menteng, Jakarta
34. Siomay
Think of it as Indonesia's version of dim sum -- traditional steamed fish dumplings known in China as shaomai.
A
complete portion comes with a steamed potato, cabbage, egg, and bitter
gourd, and is served with a boiled peanut sauce similar to gado-gado.
Perhaps
Indonesia's most ubiquitous traveling street food, the best way to dine
on siomay is from a bicycle vendor, who carts his large steamer around
on the back of his bike.
For the less health-inclined, an alternative to siomay is batagor, which is fried instead of steamed.
Siomay Pak Lili, Jl. Geger Kalong Girang, Bandung
35. Ikan bakar
The best things in life are the simplest.
Grilled fish, plain and simple. But in a country with more than 17,000 islands, fish is bound to feature prominently.
While
squid and prawns have a place in Indonesian cuisine, ikan bakar gets a
far better showing for a fleshy texture that is great for dipping.
It is usually marinated in the typical trove of spices and served with a soy and chili-based sauce.
Ikan Bakar Cianjur, Jl. Cipete Raya No.35, Cilandak, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta; +62 21 7590 0222
36. Daun pepaya
Papaya is one of the fastest growing trees in Southeast Asia, and its bitter leaves are great for sauteing.
This
dish is common in Manado, but regional variations have made it popular
among the leaf-and-seed-eating crowd, a big bunch in Indonesia.
Bumbu Desa, Jalan Suryo No. 38, Kebayoran Baru, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta; +62 21 720 1244
37. Otak-otak
Another
famed fish cake from Palembang, otak-otak has a more charming
appearance, since it's wrapped in banana leaves before being grilled
over charcoal.
Indigenous Sumatrans
eat it with red chili mixed with fermented soy sauce, but in Jakarta it
is served with Java's ubiquitous peanut sauce.
Harum Manis, Pavilion Apartment, Jl. KH Mas Mansyur Kav. 24, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta; +62 21 5794 1727
38. Bebek goreng
Ducks are common companions to rice fields around Indonesia, but they can be difficult to prepare for consumption.
Too
often fried duck comes as a mass of tiny bones and overly fried oily
meat. That doesn't make it any less worthy of the top 40, though.
Dapur Babah, Jalan Veteran I No. 18-19, Gambir, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta
Bebek Bengil, Jalan Hanoman, Padangtegal, Ubud, Kec. Gianyar, Bali; +62 361 975 489
39. Gorengan
Fry it, and they will come.
Or simply "fried foods," gorengan are the most prolific snacks in all of Indonesia.
Street
carts typically offer crispy golden nuggets of tempe, cassava and tofu,
as well as fried bananas, sweet potatoes, vegetables fritters made from
shredded carrot, cabbage and bean sprouts and fermented soybean cakes.
Any kaki lima which serves an oil-stained news-wrapping gorengan topped with a handful of green chili
40. Indomie
If
you had to name one food Indonesians couldn't live without, it would
have to be one that is easy to transport, since they're often on the go.
That
makes instant noodles Indomie beloved by all. Sold at grocery stores,
village mom and pop shops and even from the basket of bicycles, Indomie
calls for nothing more than hot water and a packet of chemical-induced
flavoring before it's ready to fill one's tummy.
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