UNLIKE other Asian cuisines, Indonesian dishes have yet to get a better appreciation among food lovers in the country.
Indonesian Ambassador Johny Lumintang said there are only a handful of restaurants in the country that are actually offering food from their country.
“The awareness on Indonesian food is not strong yet, unlike in Vietnam and Thailand. We only have small restaurants and we are trying it now for these stores to be more known,” Lumintang said.
Lumintang, who opened the Indonesian Food Expo in Mandaluyong City, said food from the Philippines and Indonesia are relatively similar, considering the two countries proximity. He added that both sides also rely on fruits as their main trading products, while also citing the headway Kopiko coffee have made in the country
Lumintang explained that Indonesian restaurants operating in the country are now tweaking their dishes to suit the taste of Filipinos whose taste preferences lean on the sweet rather than the spicy side.
“Food in the Philippines are sweet and sauce-based. It is a little bit different in Indonesia because we are more into spicy. For Filipinos, they like the dishes with neutral taste, like sate, something a little bit milder so the stores are trying to adjust to the Filipino taste,” Lumintang said.
Meanwhile, entrepreneurs present during the expo said those who want to venture into the food industry can explore the potential of halal food in the country.
“Every time tourists come here, they look for halal food. They always complain that it is very difficult to eat unlike in Malaysia and in Singapore because in their food courts they are able to feed Muslims and non-Muslims. They eat side by side. So it is a good business prospect,” Martabak Halal Indo Food owner Loida Magpayo said.
Magpayo added that some similarities in cuisines are present, pointing at the beef rendang, which has some caldereta qualities to it but with more spices, like cinnamon, cloves and dried chili.
Aside from the sate, Indonesia’s unique answer to the barbecue, the food festival also had booths serving the batagor, which is fried fish dumplings and tofu with peanut sauce.
Bakmi Nyonya owner Lucy Garcia said acceptance for Indonesian food is growing, especially with Filipinos who have been to the country and have tried the dishes.
Waroeng Coffee Shop Cofounder Rio Jusuf said that despite catering more to Indonesian nationals, their restaurant still has Filipinos frequently ordering the laksa—rice noodles with prawns based in coconut milk.
For the Indonesian clients, Jusuf said their bestseller is the soto betawi or the Jakarta beef soup composed of spices, with tomatoes and dried potato cubes.
Image credits: Roy Domingo
