10 local dishes you must try in Indonesia – Best dishes in all of Indonesia

Bandeng is a type of fish that is hard to eat because it has so many tiny bones inside. Bendeng Presto, on the other hand, is delicate and very tender. The secret is that the fish is pressure cooked until the bones become soft. Bay leaves, coriander and turmeric add great flavour and aroma to this dish.

This dish is a delicious fusion of Javanese and Chinese cuisines. This is basically a spring roll served along with sweetened bamboo shoots. Shrimp, eggs and chicken are often added to this dish. Lumpia Semarang is along with a sauce made with corn-starch, soy-sauce and brown sugar. Together, they make one of the best dishes in Thailand.

Tahu Gimbal is fried tofu and compressed rice cakes along with battered shrimp (gimbal). Eggs, crushed peanuts and bean sprouts are added to the dish later. What's best about this delicacy is the light peanut sauce that it is served with.

This is one dish that you can find in every street corner of Solo. Hotels the likes of Alila Solo has renditions of this iconic dish serving at their restaurants. This is a gooey milk-based rice dish cooked with chicken broth and chayote soup. This is a must-taste to whoever that visit Surakarta.

This is a very interesting dish. It's fried tofu which is empty inside (Pong means empty). The tofu is crunchy on the outside yet smooth and chewy on the inside. Tahu Pong is often served with a petis dip and radish pickles. Once the sauces and pickles are blended, you will taste the sweet, sour, peppery and salty flavors.

Like Nasi Ayam is the Nasi Liwet of Semarang. This iconic street food is found anywhere in Semarang. The dish is sautéed with a yellow gravy made with chicken. Sweet satay, shredded chicken and sautéed chayote are served along with the rice. Make sure you head out and taste Nasi Ayam before the sun comes up.

Basically, this is chopped up cow intestines. Grossed out? Don't be. Once the meat is sautéed with sweet soy sauce and spices, this transforms into one of the best dishes in all of Indonesia. Babat Gongso is a favourite among the people in Semarang. If you're visiting there, it's almost rude to miss out on a dish of Babat Gongso.

This is a very popular dish among the kids in Indonesia. Bananas are flattened and fried in butter until crispy. Then various toppings are used to flavour the dish. Most common toppings are sugar, chocolate, jam and cheese.

This is fried duck. The duck is cooked, shredded and then deep-fried. This dish may appear to be a little dry but once paired with the sauces it brings out an exquisite flavour unique to Indonesia.

This is a crunchy snack filled with chicken, prawns and sometimes mushrooms. The most popular pia pia is the one with the prawn filling. You can find them in almost all the restaurants in Solo. Grab a bag of those while you explore the city.