If not eating with family or having office meals, people here frequently visit their neighborhood warungs. Warungs are little cafes that regular families make by converting their front yard into a very open and informal eating space. At warungs, you will find the ubiqutious and delicious Indonesian nasi goreng, which is fried rice cooked in chili paste, vegetable oil and garlic, and accompanied by an egg as a side along with lettuce and cabbage. It is then covered by starch chips called kerupuk, which, once again, West Sumatra is known for. Think of kerupuk as having the popularity of good old classic potato chips, but with the same following and creativity of Doritos. West Sumatrans are known for making their kerupuk taste like rendang, sweet and spicy pineapple, or jackfruit (ballado), or the always pleasing chili powdered flavor. My friends who work in other places in Indonesia always comment on how lucky I am. West Sumatra can be considered the cornerstone of Indonesia's most famed meals and well-kept secret dishes.
I absolutley love the food in Indonesia. I am never without options because the Minang Kabaou have had access to rivers, oceans, pastures, and rich mountainous areas from which to gather resources and experiment, From the prestige given to buffalo milk, to the unique rendang and ayam pop, to the tofu and tempeh served with lightly fried chicken and chili paste, I've never been this worried about how much food I'm eating in a single meal. It's all really tasty, and you are given so much of it! With that being said, there are plenty of surprises.
