NASI PADANG

Nasi means rice. Padang means in general term the area which is located in West Sumatera. This is the type of restaurant which is very popular in Indonesia. Actually there are so many different type of cooking in Indonesia. Although almost every ethnic group in Indonesia has their own distinctive cooking, it is fair to say that West Sumatera cooking is the most popular of them all. It can be found at almost every corner of Indonesia.

What make them so special is the fact that beside the food itself is delicious, the service is fast. The choice can be mind boggling. And they are relatively inexpensive.

Speaking of service. You walk in and sit whenever you please. They serve warm unsweetened tea right away. You may order specific dish or the waiter will bring stack full of different dishes to your table. The skill full waiter can stack about ten plate full of food in one arm. I am not making this up. Just pick whatever you please and you pay whatever you eat.

Although they usually have spoon and fork on the table, most Indonesian prefer to eat using their hand. They either provide water bowl or they have water faucet nearby.

They usually have soft drinks, juice and bottled water, but none of them sell beer. Forget about wine. Life can be hard at times.

Once you are done, you signal the waiter and he will take a quick look over your table and scribble something on a piece of paper stating how much is the damage. Sometimes not a single word is spoken. Once you give them a tip, he would remember you for life. Tipping is not against the law here, but it is not a common practice.

The only problem with this type of cooking is, although they are pretty tasty, it is not what your doctor would  recommend. This is because some of most of the dishes use unhealthy dose of coconut milk. I guess anything that taste good or make you feel good has a price to pay. But for those who never try nasi padang, well, they do not know what they miss.