INTRODUCTION
Whilst is quite easy to eat very nicely (and cheaply) in Lombok, the best food is - for the most part - still found in the hotels. The volume just does not attract more investment. That said, there are still several good restaurants we'd like to tell you about and whilst the list is quite short you'll certainly not go hungry. (No doubt if you're in Lombok for more than a few days you'll find these on your own - but life's too short to have a bad meal..)
So venture outside the hotel it is extremely pleasant - especially since you can still take a leisurely cidomo ride just about anywhere and when you're done most restaurants will give you lift back to your hotel - and enjoy. With no further ado, the knife and fork please....
One of the great things about Lombok is the variety of cuisine from around the Archipelago. Just to get you started, on the sidebar we have outlined some of Indonesia's most popular dishes.
| Senggigi Places to Eat - Hanging Out | ||
| Asmara : Indonesian & Western favourites $$$ Comments : While the kitchen isn't in the middle of the dining room (ala Gili Masak), it is just off to the side in a well lit building open for all to see what's going on and what's going on is good food. The dining room is set back from the street and furnished in traditional Indonesian style - very nice and cozy. Location : Jalan Raya Senggigi / Telp: 693-619 | Cafe Alberto : Pizza and pasta $$1/2 Comments : You want pizza, Cafe Alberto has it (that and a selection of pastas all at reasonable prices) served on a verandah overlooking the bay. Location : Jl. Raya Senggigi Telp. 693-039 | Tropicana Bar and Restaurant: Mixed menu, mostly Western $$1/2 Comments : There is always something happening at the Tropicana. With its wood fired pizza oven, hearty western fare and the best night club in Lombok just upstairs, the Tropicana is a great place to spend the entire evening. Location : Jalan Raya Senggigi / Telp. 693-432 |
| Taman Restaurant : Indonesian & Western favourites $$1/2 Comments : The curved shape of this always crowded restaurant lets you see and be seen. There is something for everyone and the service is very friendly and helpful. Location : Jl. Raya Senggigi / Telp. 693-842 | Happy Cafe with life music Comments: Good atmosphere to enjoy the night with cold beer and cocktails. And open air restaurant | Marina Pub and Bar Comments : serve different night life with life band music. interesting interior ball room with second floor. Also other best option spending the night while you are visiting Senggigi Lombok. |
| Mataram City & Local Cuisine | ||
| Dua Em : Ayam Taliwang $1/2 Comments : For a taste of Ayam Taliwang (Lombok's signature dish - see side bar) head over to Dua Em in Mataram, about 15 minutes from most hotels in Senggigi. Rub shoulders with the locals while enjoying the best Ayam Taliwang in Lombok (but be careful with the chili). Location : Jalan Transmigrasi, Mataram / Telp: 626-734 | Ayam Taliwang : Spicy marinated chicken, grilled slowly over an open fire and served with white rice and kangkung (water spinach). Delicious. | Nasi Goreng: Fried Rice: The ubiquitous national dish. Usually served with grilled chicken or beef satay & sometimes a fried egg on top. |
| Nasi Campur: White rice, surrounded by small selection of meats, vegetables and condiments. Delicious and never the same twice. | Mie Goreng: Bakmie means noodles. Variation on Nasi Goreng only this time using egg noodles but not usually served with satay. | Masakan Padang: Indonesia's original fast food, all dishes are precooked and served . You are billed for what you eat. Beef Rendang (beef simmered in coconut curry) is out of this world. |
| Es Campur: Shaved ice with a variety of seasonal fruits and jellied candies, topped with boiled palm sugar. Yum. | Martabak: Somewhat similar to an omelet, usually filled with minced lamb and vegetables. Often served as an appetizer or accompaniment. | Terang Bulan: Literally Full Moon, this dessert is prepared only at night at hawker stands. There are many varieties of this dessert but the chocolate ones are Absolutely sinful. |
| Satay Kambing: Goat satay. Usually served with a sweet soy sauce, no wedding buffet in Indonesia is complete without this all-time favourite. | Rujak: Featuring un-ripened fruit, mangoes, apples, pineapple and so on mixed with a thick sweet, sour and HOT sauce that women seem to prefer more than men. | Ayam Goreng: Fried chicken. The Colonel had better watch his backside. Indonesia has several fried chicken emporiums that put paid to KFC. |
| Soto Ayam: This is Indonesia's version of chicken noodle soup. Almost a meal unto itself. | Sop Buntut: Oxtail soup (with the oxtail). Hearty soup always served with a side of white rice. | Bakso: Indonesian style meatballs. They're rubbery, they're everywhere. |
| Sambal: Chili. Since most families have a Sambal recipe passed down from generation to generation (think Korea and Kimchee) there's a good chance that there are more types of Sambal concoctions than there are dialects in Indonesia. Some sweet, some hot, some lethal. All are delicious. | ||
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