10 Indonesian Dishes to Try, With Bali Eating Tips

Featured image: Rdiyansyah, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

10 Indonesian Dishes to Try First

Ten dishes cover most menus you will meet in Bali. They are grouped loosely by type: rice plates, grilled meats, soups, salads and breakfast. Details of spice and pork status follow in the comparison table below. For a wider look at the island's cooking, see our guide to Balinese Food: What to Eat in Bali & How to Order.

• 1. Nasi goreng (fried rice)
  • Rice fried with sweet soy sauce, usually topped with a fried egg. Heat is mild by default, with sambal served on the side.
  • Order it at any warung or hotel breakfast as a safe first plate.
• 2. Nasi campur (mixed rice)
  • A scoop of rice with small portions of several sides on one plate. Point at what you want and the cook assembles it.
  • Our nasi campur guide explains what usually goes on the plate.
• 3. Nasi padang
  • Padang is a city in West Sumatra, and this style of meal comes from Minangkabau cooking. Rendang and gulai curries are typical dishes.
  • Bali has Padang-style restaurants, but the home region is Sumatra. Read more in our nasi padang guide.
• 4. Sate (satay)
  • Skewered meat, grilled and served with a sauce. Variants include Sate padang, Sate Madura and Sate lilit.
  • Sate lilit is the Balinese version, and our Indonesian street food guide shows where skewers show up in the evening.
• 5. Babi guling
  • Spit-roasted suckling pig cooked over charcoal. A plate usually pairs sliced meat and crackling skin with rice and lawar.
  • Pork is the point here, so skip it if you avoid pork. Our babi guling guide covers how to order.
• 6. Bebek betutu
  • Spiced duck cooked slowly, a sit-down Balinese feast dish. Restaurants may ask for advance notice, so confirm when you book.
  • Details are in our bebek betutu guide.
• 7. Soto
  • A spiced broth soup with meat, usually served with rice on the side. Recipes differ by region.
  • Ask what the broth is made from if you avoid pork or have an allergy.
• 8. Bakso
  • Meatballs in broth, usually with noodles. Warung carts and small stalls both sell it.
  • Check the meat type before ordering, since some stalls use pork and many do not.
• 9. Gado-gado
  • Boiled vegetables mixed with peanut sauce, and the name roughly means mix-mix. Lotek is the Yogyakarta variant, and karedok uses raw vegetables.
  • Vegetarians should ask whether the dressing or toppings contain shrimp.
• 10. Bubur ayam
  • Chicken porridge with garnishes such as fried garlic, shredded chicken, egg and crackers. It is a breakfast dish rather than a dinner one.
  • Look for porridge sellers early in the morning.

Indonesian Dishes Compared: Spice, Pork and Where to Eat in Bali

Use this table to match a dish to your diet and appetite. Spice levels shift by cook, so treat them as starting points and ask before you order.

Bali-Native Dishes vs Dishes From Other Islands

Babi guling, bebek betutu, Sate lilit and lawar are Balinese. Nasi goreng, nasi campur, gado-gado and Sate are national dishes served across the archipelago. Others are better eaten at home. Nasi padang comes from West Sumatra, and a blogger roundup places pempek in Palembang. The same roundup lists Sate rembiga from Lombok and pisang goreng sambal roa from North Sulawesi. Ayam tangkap comes from Aceh. That roundup quotes Rp 2,000 per skewer and Rp 20,000 for 10 sticks of Sate rembiga in Rembiga, Lombok. Treat those as a rough, unconfirmed guide, since it is a single blogger source and prices change. For the national food framing, start with the official Indonesia tourism site.

Sambal, Spice and Dietary Guide

Sambal is a chili paste that comes in sour, sweet and fermented styles. It is usually served on the side or mixed in. Ask for it on the side if you are unsure about heat. Pork is easy to spot at babi guling stalls and Balinese warung. Many mainstream Indonesian warung are halal, but confirm with the cook instead of assuming. Rice dishes are often gluten-free, though sauces such as satay sauce need checking. Vegetarians should confirm that stock, sambal and toppings contain no meat or shrimp. For one polarizing pick, try gulai jengkol. A blogger roundup warns about its strong smell and suggests trying two pieces at most.

Where and How to Eat: Warung, Markets and Restaurants

A warung is the default for a quick, cheap meal. Markets work for babi guling and nasi campur, and restaurants suit bebek betutu and sit-down meals. Choose busy stalls with high turnover and carry small cash. For Bali-specific picks, see our Bali food guide. Evening snacks are covered in our Bali street food guide. No sourced price figures are available for these meals, so check current menu boards on arrival.

Snacks, Drinks and Next Steps

Martabak manis is a thick sweet pancake eaten as dessert or a late-night snack, and you can choose cheese or chocolate toppings. Pisang goreng is fried banana. Our Indonesian desserts guide goes deeper. For drinks, read about Indonesian Coffee Guide: Regions, Flavors & What to Buy and coffee in Bali. Be cautious with Kopi Luwak in Bali: Is It Worth It, Ethical, Real? because of animal-welfare concerns. Herbal drinks are explained in our jamu guide. To cook what you ate, try a Balinese Cooking Class: How to Choose the Right One in Bali. A broader Indonesian Cooking Class: How to Choose One in Bali is another option.

Common Mistakes When Ordering Indonesian Dishes

Skipping the sambal question is the biggest one. Ask for it on the side, then add it slowly. Assuming a warung is halal or pork-free is another mistake, so check. Expecting regional dishes in Bali also leads to disappointment. Pempek and ayam tangkap belong to their home regions. Skipping advance notice for bebek betutu can mean it is unavailable. Eating only nasi goreng means missing soto, bakso and gado-gado.