These are actually deep fried fishcake fritters and are usually eaten as a snack/side. They are served with a sweet & sour sauce (mostly sweet) and cucumbers; when eaten on the go, these are cut into bite-sized pieces and placed in a box before being drenched in the sauce, and garnished with cucumbers to add some freshness. The fritters remain wonderfully chewy, and it doesn't taste as oily/greasy in that way.
These were from Jakarta, but if you're in Surabaya, one of the more famous ones are from Pempek Farina which I favour actually, because you can really taste the fish!
This place is really famous and apparently they sell out within 2 hours after their 9 am opening! They have a different menu on rotation everyday with the most popular days being Tuesday (Nasi Campur) and Thursday (Nasi Lodeh). So, I waited eagerly and patiently like a kid waiting for Christmas, or a Tuesday in my case and was thrilled to have finally gotten my hands on a coveted packet.
No doubt it is a good plate of Nasi Campur (the local mixed rice), but personally I found it to be too spicy to enjoy. It wasn't that I couldn't take the spice level, I could (barely); but when I picked out at least 20 chillis in a single plate alone, it was pretty hard to identify any other flavour profile besides "spice".
Jalan Darmo Permai Utara X No.18, Suko Manunggal, Tanjungsari, Suko Manunggal, Kota SBY, Jawa Timur 60187
One of Indonesia's most popular street food, these meatballs in soup is usually eaten as a light snack.
But don't be alarmed, because they are pretty small so they don't quite fill you up to be a meal. It usually comes with tahu (fried tofu which soaks up all the wonderful broth) and siomay (Indonesian siew mai usually made from the same beef in the meatballs and some fish paste). To up your bakso game, interesting add-ins include bakso puyuh, a personal favourite of mine, which features a whole quail egg inside the meatball. Add in sambel (chilli), tomato sauce for some sweetness, a drizzle of kecap manis (dark soya sauce) and a squeeze of lime and tuck in! Soak the fried fritters in the soup for extra shiokness, though I'll have to say the ones here were pretty disappointing but everything else was on point!
Jalan Manyar Tirtoasri, Gang. XII No.2, Sukolilo, Surabaya, Jawa Timur, 60118
Don't know why it's called that, but this is the standard Es Kacang you'll find here, otherwise known as Es Campur. A very nice icy treat, and the one here is actually really special because they put in tape, or fermented tapioca. It has an acquired taste I'll admit, because the sour tang from the fermentation can be really strong, but my parents seem to really love it. For some, even the smell can be quite off-putting.
Our decision on what to eat was made 1000x easier when we saw this newly opened stall, because my mother said Pancoran in Jakarta is really well known for their food.
Glad that these noodles didn't disappoint, and plus points for having kway teow too, since most places here just offer egg noodles. Flavourful and quite light tasting, which is uncommon here because most are really oily (but good). Love the crunch from the fried wanton skin bits!
68 Santong Kuo Tieh
Food court Pasar Atom Tahap 1 Lantai 4 FC 08
I first heard of them a few months ago, and now they seem to have opened so many more outlets!
I can see why they are popular- when eaten straight off the griddle, these were wonderfully crispy and fluffy on the inside. They are a little too oily for me though, but I guess that's precisely why they're so good. I usually like my waffles plain, but I can never resist Ovamaltine (which is an extremely popular spread here, and offered in almost all the waffle stands I've been to yay!). The dark chocolate sauce is also really good here, not too sweet and gives a very nice, indulgent chocolatey taste to the waffles.
My favourite waffles however, will still have to be the HK egg waffles in Grand City, just because they're just as good without being too greasy. However, Pocoyo is undoubtedly a more convenient option because they seem to be everywhere now!
Honestly wasn't expecting much because I just needed coffee, but wow this is one good cuppa! I did some research and apparently the founder got through to the top 20 finals of the national barista competition in 2015. Very nice blend of coffee, and while I'm no expert so I can't describe it in the usual coffee lingo, I can say I enjoyed the flavours and am very happy I found somewhere I can get a good coffee fix here!
The difference between Singapore's spring rolls and these Indonesian spring rolls is the filling- instead of turnip, bamboo shoot is used instead. There's no peanuts either, but having these deep fried means there's still a nice crunch, though a non-fried version is also available. As with many savoury snacks here, it's served with green chilli which people just eat for a solid spice kick in between bites. The brown sauce, which is actually a fermented bean paste, adds sweetness to it as well.
Finally got to try Jollibee (whooop!) and we made full use of the long waiting time by zooming in straight onto the Bundle Meal ($30) and the Fiesta Noodles + Spicy Chickenjoy ($7.20/ala-carte) just because I was really curious about the noodles.
The chicken was juicy and tender and there was actually a nice, gentle spice kick in the Spicy version!
The highly-raved spaghetti was just what I imagined it to be, noodles sitting below sweet tomato sauce and (actually really salty) melted cheese on top. I'm sure some Italian chefs will be aghast by this, but I get why this is a favourite- nothing fancy, but strangely addictive.
However, my favourite item of the night was definitely the Fiesta Noodles. Because it is quite strong in its shrimp flavours, I think it's a dish that one either loves or won't be fond of, and I certainly belong in the first camp. It reminded me of a thicker, more robust version of the Mee Soto (even the cellophane noodles used are the same).
Their other sides were nicely done too; the fries took us by surprise because they looked stale and dry but were actually crispy. And of course, I appreciated the fact that they served white rice because that's how fried chicken is served Indo fast food chains too!
The two of us couldn't finish this meal meant for 5 I reckon, but that night, we happily brought back a half filled bucket and 2 pot (bellies) home.
Don't be deceived by the seemingly empty appearance of the storefront; turn around and you'll see a line of eagerly waiting customers!
This was my first time visiting their original store, despite having had (and being very satisfied with) multiple experiences at their other branches. I'm extremely pleased to say that the chicken we bought here was just as good, if not even better! It took some time before we got to the front of the line, but when food tastes as good as this, I really can't complain.
There was a queue for this but I think it was definitely worth the wait! The wantons were plump and their skin slippery smooth. Delightful combination with their chilli oil & vinegar concoction. I didn't even mind that these weren't spicy at all, despite the fiery appearance. That also means even non-spice eaters would be able to enjoy them 😊
(+$0.20 for takeaway)
This stall had the longest queue, and the springy noodles that their customers were happily slurping away looked so promising that I had to get it!
The Yong Tau Foo was too plain tasting for me despite it being fried but I did enjoy the flavourful noodles. Overall, just an ok dish for me but I will admit that it being soggy (probably because I had it in takeaway) contributed a large part to my mediocre experience. So I wouldn't be too quick to judge- after all the popularity of the stall should say something about it!