Local Dishes

1. Sangu timbel

   Banana-leaf-wrapped rice (sangu timbel)

   Usage

   Rice wrapped in banana leaf, served with side dishes such as fried chicken, tofu, tempeh and sambal

   Grammar Note

   Sundanese Wikipedia uses Sangu timbel; Indonesian says nasi timbel. Sangu means cooked rice

2. Sangu liwet

   Liwet rice (seasoned rice cooked in one pot)

   Usage

   Rice cooked in a pot with seasonings, often spread out on a leaf or tray and shared

   Grammar Note

   Often just called liwet

3. Karédok

   Karédok (raw vegetables in peanut sauce)

   Usage

   Sundanese dish of raw vegetables mixed with a peanut and chili sauce

   Grammar Note

   If you avoid raw vegetables or have a sensitive stomach, skip it; spiciness varies by cook

4. Lalab

   Lalab (raw or steamed vegetables eaten with sambal)

   Usage

   Raw or steamed vegetables eaten with sambal as a side to rice

   Grammar Note

   Often served as a plate of vegetables with the sambal on a separate dish

5. Sambel

   Sambal (chili sauce)

   Usage

   Sauce of ground chili that accompanies almost every meal

   Grammar Note

   Sundanese says sambel, Indonesian sambal. If you cannot take heat, ask when ordering for the sambal to be served separately

6. Oncom

   Oncom (fermented cake)

   Usage

   Fermented cake typical of West Java, made by molding pressed soy or peanut residue

   Grammar Note

   Used as a filling in fritters such as comro; similar to tempeh but a different food

7. Témpé

   Tempeh

   Usage

   Fermented soybean cake, most often eaten fried

   Grammar Note

   Sundanese spells it témpé (é = /e/). It originates in Indonesia and is not the same as tofu

8. Tahu Sumedang

   Sumedang fried tofu (tahu Sumedang)

   Usage

   Fried tofu from Sumedang, slightly crisp outside and salty; eaten with lontong or chilies

   Grammar Note

   Now made in other places too; a standard souvenir

9. Tahu gejrot

   Tahu gejrot (tofu in sweet-spicy sauce)

   Usage

   Snack from Cirebon: small pieces of fried tofu with a sweet and spicy sauce

   Grammar Note

   The sauce contains garlic and chili and can be quite hot

10. Batagor

    Batagor (fried fish dumplings with peanut sauce)

    Usage

    Bandung specialty: fried fish dumplings served with peanut sauce

    Grammar Note

    The name is a contraction of baso tahu goréng

11. Baso

    Baso (meatball soup)

    Usage

    Meatball soup, usually with noodles or rice vermicelli

    Grammar Note

    Of Chinese origin; Indonesian spells it bakso

12. Baso aci

    Baso aci (tapioca meatballs in broth)

    Usage

    Snack of tapioca-flour balls in a spicy broth

    Grammar Note

    Aci is tapioca starch; the balls are starch, but the broth may contain meat stock, so ask if you avoid it

13. Seblak

    Seblak (boiled crackers with vegetables and egg)

    Usage

    Spicy dish of softened crackers cooked with vegetables, egg, seafood or beef

    Grammar Note

    A Bandung favorite; many stalls let you choose the heat level

14. Soto Bandung

    Soto Bandung (Bandung soup)

    Usage

    Bandung soup with beef and radish in a clear broth

    Grammar Note

    Recipes vary by stall; similar to other soto but with its own ingredients and broth

15. Soto

    Soto (soup)

    Usage

    Soup with meat and vegetables, usually chicken or beef

    Grammar Note

    Some stalls use pork; ask which meat if you need to avoid it

16. Saté

    Satay

    Usage

    Skewered meat grilled over charcoal; goat, chicken or rabbit are common

    Grammar Note

    Sundanese spells it saté (é = /e/); you can ask the stall which meat it is

17. Saté Maranggi

    Sate maranggi

    Usage

    Satay from Purwakarta, one of the best-known satays of West Java

    Grammar Note

    A specialty of Purwakarta; the best-known version uses beef

18. Gepuk

    Gepuk (pounded fried beef)

    Usage

    Beef tenderized by pounding, simmered and then fried

    Grammar Note

    Properly empal gepuk; a standard side dish for rice

19. Sayur asem

    Sayur asem (sour vegetable soup)

    Usage

    Fresh, sweet-and-sour vegetable soup that goes well with rice

    Grammar Note

    Regarded as a Sundanese dish, now eaten across Indonesia

20. Pais

    Pais (food wrapped in banana leaf and steamed or grilled)

    Usage

    Cooking method and dish: fish and other food wrapped in banana leaf and steamed or grilled

    Grammar Note

    Indonesian calls it pepes; menus often say pepes ikan

21. Bubur hayam

    Chicken porridge (bubur hayam)

    Usage

    Rice porridge topped with chicken and other items, common for breakfast

    Grammar Note

    People are divided on whether to stir it before eating

22. Kupat tahu

    Kupat tahu (rice cake with tofu)

    Usage

    Rice cake (kupat) with fried tofu and peanut sauce

23. Rujak

    Rujak (spicy fruit salad)

    Usage

    Snack of cut young fruit and root vegetables with a sweet-spicy sauce

    Grammar Note

    The heat of the sauce can be adjusted when you order; ask the seller to keep it mild

24. Capcay

    Capcay (stir-fried mixed vegetables)

    Usage

    Chinese-style mixed vegetable dish, served with broth or stir-fried

    Grammar Note

    From Chinese for mixed vegetables; may contain meat or seafood

25. Tumpeng

    Tumpeng (cone-shaped rice)

    Usage

    Cone-shaped rice with side dishes, served at celebrations and thanksgiving gatherings

    Grammar Note

    Originally Javanese but also seen at events in the Sundanese region

26. Emih

    Emih (noodles)

    Usage

    Wheat noodles; Sundanese emih, Indonesian mi

    Grammar Note

    Menus and stall signs usually use the Indonesian mie or mi

27. Bihun

    Bihun (rice vermicelli)

    Usage

    Thin rice noodles used in soups and stir-fries

    Grammar Note

    From Hokkien; also spelled mihun

28. Krecek

    Krecek (dried fried cow skin)

    Usage

    Dried cow skin fried until puffed, used in many dishes

    Grammar Note

    Beef-skin cracker also used as an ingredient; check if you avoid beef

29. Kurupuk

    Kurupuk (crackers)

    Usage

    Fried crackers of rice or tapioca; in the Sundanese region often eaten with rice

    Grammar Note

    Indonesian: kerupuk; Sundanese spelling: kurupuk

30. Cilok

    Cilok (chewy tapioca balls)

    Usage

    Boiled balls of tapioca dough with peanut or spicy sauce

    Grammar Note

    The name is commonly explained as a contraction of aci dicolok (tapioca on a stick)

31. Cimol

    Cimol (fried tapioca balls)

    Usage

    Fried tapioca balls, sometimes coated with seasoning powder

32. Comro

    Comro (cassava fritter filled with oncom)

    Usage

    Fried snack of grated cassava filled with spicy oncom

    Grammar Note

    The name is commonly explained as a contraction of oncom di jero; the sweet version is Misro

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