Indonesian Lamb Fried Rice

Indonesia Restaurant on Snyder is easily the least divey Indonesian food establishment in Philly. The last time I wrote about it was back in 2010. I enjoyed my meal but didn’t love all of the dishes recommended to me by the waiter. For this visit, I took complete charge of the ordering.

I’ve noticed that Indonesian soup is always layered with spices and herbs. A tangy Gulai Kambing soup ($7.75) with lamb and coconut milk was no exception. It struck  an addictive balance of sweet and sour with lime, sugar, lemongrass and coconut milk all working together for our benefit.

Coconut makes another appearance in the marinade for the Ayam Goreng Kalasan ($7.25) – fried chicken. Though the crispy pieces are bony and on the small side, I was happy to gnaw what meat there was off the bones.

Nasi Goreng Kambing ($7.50), lamb fried rice, is absolutely amazing. Similar to an Uzbek plov, the lamb fat coats the rice and provides an amazing aroma without gaminess. 

I had to order my favorites from last time: perkedel and fried beef. The perkedel texture seemed to be less fluffy, but were still enjoyable.

One thing I did not love was the Es Soda Gembira- “happy soda”  which is composed of sparkling mineral water with raspberry syrup and condensed milk. The syrup was way too sweet and artificial. 

One other thing about Indonesia restaurant that I almost don’t want to reveal… with the great food and BYO policy  the upstairs area is a perfect place for a private party, like a birthday. I’ve done it more than once. If you decide to do it too,  my must order recommendations are: the meat skewers, a soup, lamb fried rice, and the fried beef. Don’t worry, be gambira!

Indonesia Restaurant1725 Snyder Ave (@ 17th St), 215 829 1400

ADVERTISEMENT

3 Comments

Leave a Reply

You must log in or register to post a comment.