What First-Time Visitors Get Wrong About Indonesian Food

Indonesian food is among the world’s most diverse culinary traditions, yet first-time visitors often arrive with misconceptions that keep them from enjoying it fully.

Here is what makes Indonesian cuisine different from what many visitors expect, and which assumptions to leave behind.

Not all Indonesian food is spicy (but it can be)

The most common misconception about Indonesian food is that every dish will be extremely spicy. Although Indonesian cuisine does feature plenty of spicy dishes and sambal accompanies most meals, not everything is inherently hot.

Many traditional Indonesian dishes focus on a balance of sweet, sour, salty, and umami flavours rather than relying solely on heat. Dishes like gado-gado (vegetable salad with peanut sauce), soto ayam (yellow chicken soup), and nasi goreng can be prepared mild or adjusted to your spice tolerance. 

Most restaurants and street food vendors will ask about your preferred spice level, and it’s perfectly acceptable to request less chilli.

The key is understanding that sambal is typically served on the side, allowing diners to control their own heat level. Don’t skip Indonesian dishes out of fear of the heat. Simply communicate your preferences.

Indonesian cuisine is more diverse than you’d think

Indonesia is home to over 17,000 islands and hundreds of distinct ethnic groups. The country’s cuisine varies dramatically by region. First-time visitors often make the mistake of thinking “Indonesian food” is a single, unified cuisine when it’s actually an umbrella term for diverse culinary traditions.

Regional styles differ in the following ways:

• Padang (West Sumatra): known for its rich, spicy rendang and coconut-heavy curries.
• Java: tends toward sweeter flavours with extensive use of palm sugar and sweet soy sauce.
• Bali: incorporates more pork and unique local spices.
• Sulawesi and Maluku: Sulawesi cuisine features distinct preparations like palumara fish soup, while the Maluku islands offer seafood-forward dishes influenced by centuries of spice trade.

Some of the best Indonesian food comes from street vendors

Many first-time visitors stick exclusively to hotel restaurants or upscale dining establishments, missing out on Indonesia’s vibrant street food culture. This caution is understandable, but the risk can be managed if you follow basic food safety principles.

Indonesian street food vendors often specialise in a single dish they’ve perfected over years or even generations. Some of the best sate (satay), mie ayam (chicken noodles), and bakso (meatball soup) come from humble carts and warungs rather than fancy restaurants.

Look for busy stalls with high turnover. Constant customers mean fresh ingredients and food that doesn’t sit around. Watch for proper food handling and cooking practices. Food cooked to order at high heat is generally a safer bet than dishes that have been sitting out.

The reward for venturing beyond tourist restaurants is flavours at a fraction of the cost.

Indonesian food also has a fine dining side

Street stalls and warungs are a highlight, but they are not the only way to eat well in Indonesia. In Bali, a number of restaurants serve Indonesian cooking as fine dining, with traditional recipes at the centre and a more polished setting around them.

Merah Putih in Petitenget is one example. Executive Chef Wiwik creates modern adaptations of time-honoured recipes, and the menu pairs Indonesian classics with creative dishes that experiment with traditional spices and flavours. Guests can choose from casual lunches, candlelit dinners and tasting menus, and the bar lists more than 200 international wines alongside cocktail flights.

When choosing a fine dining restaurant in Bali, a few checks help:

• Cuisine: decide whether you want familiar classics or something more adventurous, since many fine dining kitchens focus on one style.
• Menu: fine dining restaurants often run a limited menu, so look at the day’s menu and drinks before you book.
• Dietary needs: confirm that vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or allergy requirements can be met.
• Atmosphere: fine dining does not always mean formal, so check the ambience suits your occasion.
• Dish stories: ask which region a dish comes from. It is an easy way to learn about Indonesian food culture while you eat.

For a fuller checklist, read this guide to choosing the right fine dining restaurant in Bali.

Sharing is essential to the experience

Like in many Southeast Asian countries, dining in Indonesia is often communal, which is a big part of Indonesian food culture. Many traditional meals feature multiple dishes placed in the centre of the table, with everyone taking small portions from each to create their own combination on their plate.

First-time visitors often make the mistake of ordering individual dishes as if dining Western-style. Many Indonesian meals are designed to be shared, allowing diners to experience multiple flavours, textures, and cooking styles in one sitting.

Order several different dishes for your group and share family-style. It gives you a better sense of how Indonesians actually eat.

In Bali, this style of eating is called megibung. The custom originates in Karangasem, where groups of five to eight people sit in a circle around a shared spread of rice and side dishes.

Indonesian food is more than just nasi goreng

Many visitors stick to internationally known dishes like nasi goreng (fried rice) and sate, never venturing to explore lesser-known Indonesian dishes. While these dishes are delicious, they barely scratch the surface of Indonesian culinary diversity.

Dishes worth looking for include:

• Rendang (West Sumatra): slow-cooked meat in coconut milk and spices. A CNN readers’ poll of the world’s 50 best foods ranked it first, with nasi goreng second.
• Gudeg (Yogyakarta): young jackfruit stewed for hours with palm sugar and coconut milk, giving a sweet, savoury result.
• Rawon (East Java): a dark beef soup whose colour and nutty flavour come from the keluak nut.
• Pepes ikan (West Java): fish steamed in banana leaves.
• Tahu gejrot (West Java): fried tofu in a sweet and spicy sauce.
• Papeda ikan kuah kuning (Maluku and Papua): a sticky sago porridge eaten with fish in a turmeric broth.

Vegan, halal and sustainable choices in Indonesian food

Vegan and vegetarian

Indonesian cooking has plenty of plant-based staples, including tempeh, tofu and vegetable dishes such as gado-gado, pecel (steamed vegetables with peanut sauce) and urap (vegetables with spiced grated coconut).

Animal ingredients can hide in unexpected places, so ask before you order. Shrimp paste (terasi) is common in sambal, egg often goes into gado-gado and fried rice, and prawn crackers are served on the side. Useful phrases are tanpa terasi (without shrimp paste) and tanpa telur (without egg).

Halal

Indonesia is a Muslim-majority country, but Bali is predominantly Hindu, and pork features in several Balinese dishes. Halal food is available on the island.

If halal matters to you, check a restaurant’s halal certification or ask directly whether pork or alcohol is used in the kitchen before you book.

Sustainable and ethical dining

Bali now restricts single-use plastic in businesses, including restaurants and cafes. A circular issued by Governor I Wayan Koster on 2 April 2025 targets single-use plastic, including bottled drinking water under one litre, and violations may bring administrative sanctions. A reusable water bottle makes it easier to eat and drink without adding to the waste.

Many of Bali’s rice fields are managed through subak, a traditional irrigation system that UNESCO recognised as a World Heritage landscape in 2012. Ask whether a restaurant buys local rice and produce, since this supports the farmers who keep the system running. Ordering only what your group can finish, and sharing dishes, also cuts food waste.

Taste Indonesian cuisine at Merah Putih

At Merah Putih in Petitenget, the dinner menu includes regional dishes such as ikan palumara, a fish soup from the Kaili people of Central Sulawesi, and babi arsik, a pork version of a Batak dish.

Book your table at Merah Putih with special gift vouchers today. 

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