Origin of Nasi Tumpeng • Telling the History of Indonesia with One Dish

Nasi tumpeng is a unique Indonesian dish with a distinctive presentation - a cone of rice in the middle with a variety of side dishes arranged around its base and served on a round tray. No utensils, nasi tumpeng is best enjoyed by hand.

The dish has deep spiritual roots and significance. In my opinion, it is the most Indonesian dish - not due to its pervasiveness as it is mostly found in Java, but because it has been around for the longest time in Indonesian history. 

(Indonesia's Tourism Ministry in 2014, named nasi tumpeng a national dish along with soto, rendang, satay, nasi goreng, and gado-gado.) 

Fa Jie Seafood • Batu Payung Beach Karimunting near Singkawang ☎ +62 812 5754 2768 ☎ +62 821 5059 3924

Fa Jie Seafood | Batu Payung Beach, Jalan Batu Payung, off Jalan Raya Sedau / Jalan Sei Duri - Singkawang, Karimunting, West Kalimantan 79271, Indonesia ☎ +62 812 5754 2768 ☎ +62 821 5059 3924 ⏰ 9am - 9pm

On our way from Pontianak to Singkawang, we dropped by Fa Jie Seafood at Batu Payung Beach (near Singkawang).

Equator Monument Pontianak • Tugu Khatulistiwa Park • The Only Equator City in the World

The Equator passes through twelve countries in the world, but only one city.

That one city, is Pontianak.

Singkawang Hakka Kway Chup @ Warung Kopi Asan Pasar Turi ☎ +62 852 4536 8193

Warung Kopi ASAN | Jalan Pasar Turi No. 58, Singkawang, Kalimantan Barat, Indonesia ☎ +62 852 4536 8193 ⏰ 4:30am - 9pm (coffee shop hours - kway chup sold out by 2pm)

The moment we finished eating bakmi (pork noodle), we or was it just me 🤭 (?), requested our guide to please take us to eat kway chup (known as kwecap here in Singkawang).

Makan Kuy Tho Ce Choi Pan @ Jln Merdeka Singkawang • Formerly @ Rumah Marga Tjhia Kawasan Tradisional ☎ +62 812 1357 1999

Tho Ce Choi Pan | Jl. Merdeka No.32, Melayu, Kec. Singkawang Bar., Kota Singkawang ☎ +62 812 1357 1999 ⏰ 7:30am - 8pm

We heard a lot about choi pan or Hakka style dumplings of Singkawang operating at Rumah Marga Tjhia. The West Kalimantan town of Singkawang has a Hakka & Teochew Chinese population along with Malay and Dayak (mostly Salako). 

Singkawang is known as land of Tidayu or Tionghua, Dayak and Malayu. It is also known as Cidayu (Cina, Dayak, Malayu). With around 60% Chinese population, Singkawang is also referred to as the Hong Kong of Kalimantan. Singkawang's chap goh mei (last day of Chinese New Year) celebrations is legendary (but that's another story for future).

Sungai Kakap Estuary Village Seafood @ Restoran Pantai Indah • Pontianak Day Trip ☎ +62 812 5655 7619

Pantai Indah Kakap Seafood | Jl. Raya Sungai Kakap, RT.03/RW.01, Sungai Kakap, Kec. Sungai Kakap, Kabupaten Kubu Raya, Kalimantan Barat 78381, Indonesia ☎ +62 812 5655 7619  ⏰ 9am - 7pm

Our guide Min brought us to Sungai Kakap fishing village for sightseeing and lunch. It was a very pleasant visit and the seafood lunch was nice too.

The village is located where a tributary of Sungai Kapuas river meets Sungai Kakap river. (The main river running through Pontianak is Sungai Landak, to the north of Sungai Kakap here.)

I recommend Sungai Kakap fishing village for a half day, morning to lunch trip, if you are in Pontianak. The village is just about 1.5 hours drive from downtown Pontianak. There are at least three restaurants here, including Restoran Pantai Indah Kakap where we had our lunch.

Bakmi Aloi Singkawang Pork Noodle ☏ +62 813 4509 0325

Bakmi Aloi is a variation of Chinese pork noodle found in Indonesia. Here in Kalimantan, the vendors are usually Hakka Chinese, so it's Hakka style pork noodles.

Our local guide Min brought us to a simple restaurant known as Bakmi Aloi Singkawang. I enjoyed the bakmi aloi here a lot.

Bubur Mendi Pork Porridge in Singkawang West Kalimantan Indonesia

Our guide Min brought us to Bubur Mendi - I thought we were just going to get some nice rice gruel but this porridge has an interesting, unique twist I soon realised.

It's a type of bubur babi or pork porridge.

Roast Pork Pontianak Bipang Ambawang Babi Panggang ☏ +62 81 1568 2929

Bipang Ambawang Babi Panggang | 50m before Constantine Retreat House, Jl. Trans Kalimantan No.KM 23, Korek, Sungai Ambawang, Kubu Raya Regency, West Kalimantan 78393, Indonesia ☏   +62 81 1568 2929 ⏰ 9am - 9pm

I had until now thought that Bali's babi guling is the only pork dish in Indonesia. This trip to Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo island broadened my culinary horizon a bit more - they also have grilled or roasted pork dishes in Kalimantan.

Warung Kopi Asiang Hainanese Kopitiam in Pontianak • Topless Coffee Boss ☏ +62 813 1718 1918

Warung Kopi ASIANG | Jalan Merapi, Benua Melayu Darat, Kec. Pontianak Sel., Kota Pontianak, Kalimantan Barat 78243, Indonesia  ☏  Tel: +62 813 1718 1918 ⏰ 4am - 6pm

When Min our local guide told us about a topless kopitiam, it got some of us excited (better not say all 🤭 ). I kept reminding Min to take us there in case he forgot 😅🤣

But seriously, everywhere I go, I look out for Nanyang style coffee shops (which are often founded by Hainanese Chinese). 

Oldest Known Curry Laksa Recipes • 160 Years Old From Dutch East Indies (Indonesia)

Meta AI images of curry laksa from the East Indies Cookbook 1866

These three curry laksa recipes are found in Oost-Indisch Kookboek (East Indies Cookbook) which was published in Dutch in 1866 in the city of Semarang, Java.

Laksa in Dutch East Indies Cookbook • Oost-Indisch Kookboek Published 1866

Meta AI image of curry laksa based on description in Oost-Indisch Kookboek published 1866.

History of Klepon & Ondeh Ondeh · 1000 Year Old Sweet

Klepon is an Indonesian glutinous rice ball, coloured green with pandan and suji leaves, filled with palm sugar and garnished with or rolled in grated coconut pulp.

Pande Egi Babi Guling in Gianyar • One of Bali's Best According to Locals

My trips to Bali always have the Bali food icon babi guling on the agenda 😬 Our buddy Budi, who is born and raised in Bali brought us to Pande Egi Babi Guling in Gianyar, which is about 30 minutes drive north from the Ubud tourist hub.

Restaurant name: Warung Babi Guling Pande Egi

Address: Banjar Pande, Beng, Kec. Gianyar, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80513, Indonesia

Tel: +62 878 8332 8808

Hours: 8:00am - 9:00pm

Bali Holiday Itinerary Highlights • Island of Gods & Food

This is my diary of my Bali trip from 20 to 26 Dec 2022 written as we go. We were doing slow travel with no fixed itinerary, making it up as we go (my preferred way to travel). This post of some of our observations and notable moments in Bali is in chronological order.

Surprising History of Nasi Ayam Penyet · Iconic Chicken & Rice from Indonesia

The Indonesian dish, nasi ayam penyet is found throughout the vast Indonesian archipelago, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, in what is known as Nusantara (an old Javanese term referring to the realm of the Majapahit empire). One might have thought that the ubiquitous dish that conquered Nusantara should be as old as the Majapahit empire (1293 - 1527). Actually, it was created recently, in the 1990s 🤔 

10 Nasi Ayam Dishes from Indonesia · Chicken Rice Adventure Across the Archipelago

Indonesia is a vast, diverse archipelago that spans over 5,000km and populated by 1,300 ethnicities. Across the archipelago, Indonesians share many things, including a rice culture, love for spices / sambal and chicken. We take a trip across the archipelago from west to east to taste Indonesian dishes made with the trinity of chicken, spices / sambal and rice. Each variation reflects regional characteristics yet shares commonalities with chicken rice dishes across the country. 

Sago Cooking Competition 2019📍Daik, Lingga Regency, Riau, Indonesia

I was invited to judge a sago cooking competition on 25 Nov 2019 in Daik in Lingga Regency of Indonesia's Riau province (which include the long chain of islands south of Singapore).

Nongsa Point Marina & Resort. Escape the Maddening City & Relax in Seaside Luxury in 1 Hour, Anytime

I enjoyed a weekend escape (2 nights & 3 days) relaxing at picturesque Nongsa Point Marina & Resort in Batam. This little piece of heaven is less than an hour by boat from Singapore and costs less than S$100 a night.

Wild Agarwood in Bangka Belitung Indonesia. King of Incense, Scent from Heaven

Running this online retirement lifestyle journal brought me to many places and experiences which I would not have otherwise (I mean you can start one too 😄 ). I just spent 3 fascinating nights in Bangka Belitung Islands, Indonesia to learn about Agarwood - the King of Incense scent from Heaven.