Padang Food in West Sumatra
Part of the West Sumatra travel guide — see every topic in All West Sumatra Guides.
Padang food comes from the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, and you find Padang restaurants all over Indonesia. Here, at the source, it is richer and spicier. The food is cooked early in the day and displayed in stacked bowls in the front window. The best-known dish is rendang, beef slow-cooked in coconut milk and spices until almost dry. The way the food is served and paid for is different from most restaurants.
How it is served
In many Padang restaurants, you do not order from a menu. You sit down, and the waiter covers the table with many small plates, often a dozen or more. This is called the hidang style. Each plate holds one dish: beef, chicken, fish, egg, vegetables and sauces. You also get a plate of rice. You take only the dishes you want and leave the rest untouched. Do not take food from a plate you do not plan to finish, and do not move food between plates. The untouched plates go back to the kitchen.
How you pay
At the end of the meal, the staff count the plates you used. You pay only for those dishes. A plate you touched counts in full, even if you took one piece, so take one plate at a time. Some dishes are priced by the piece, such as chicken or fish. If you prefer, you can also order at the counter. Point at the bowls in the window, and the staff put your choices on top of your rice. Ask for prices first if you are unsure. Takeaway rice, called nasi bungkus, comes wrapped in paper and is often a bigger portion than dine-in.
Rendang and the main dishes
Rendang is the star. Beef is cooked for hours in coconut milk with chilli, ginger, lemongrass and other spices, until the sauce becomes a dark, thick coating. Other common dishes are gulai, a yellow curry made with fish, chicken or offal; ayam pop, a pale, tender boiled-then-fried chicken; dendeng balado, thin crispy beef with red chilli; and perkedel, small potato fritters. Most meals come with sambal lado, a chilli sauce, and boiled cassava leaves. Many dishes are very spicy. If you want mild food, ask for less chilli, or choose ayam pop.
Bukittinggi specials
In Bukittinggi, look for nasi kapau. Here the cooks sit behind tall stacks of bowls, and you order dish by dish. The cook uses a long-handled spoon to reach each bowl and puts the food on your plate. Kapau stalls cluster in a food lane near the market. In the evening, try sate Padang: grilled beef skewers covered in a thick yellow or red sauce, served with rice cakes. For breakfast, try soto Padang, a clear beef soup with crispy beef. Dessert can be es tebak or other shaved ice drinks.
Eating with your hands
Many locals eat Padang food with their right hand. A small bowl of water with a slice of lime is placed on the table for washing your fingers before and after the meal. Do not drink it. Spoons and forks are always available if you ask. Eat with your right hand only, and use it to pass food. Most Padang restaurants are cheap, clean and open from late morning until the food runs out. The best choice is at lunchtime, when every dish is fresh. Late in the evening, many bowls will be empty.
Padang Food at a glance
| Must eat | Rendang, gulai, dendeng balado, ayam pop, sate Padang |
|---|---|
| How it works | Many plates on the table; pay only for what you touch |
| Bukittinggi style | Nasi kapau: order dish by dish from the cook |
| Cost | Cheap; price depends on the dishes you take |
| Hours | Late morning until the food runs out |
| Best time | Lunch, when every dish is fresh |