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Nasi Padang, West Sumatra
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Nasi Padang

West SumatraSumatraRice Dishes

Steamed rice with a table full of Minangkabau dishes — you pay for what you eat.

In a Padang restaurant, the waiter may bring dozens of small plates to your table at once — rendang, gulai curries, fried chicken, sambal hijau, cassava leaves — and you pay only for the dishes you touch. This style is called hidang.

Padang restaurants, recognisable by their stacked window displays, are found in almost every town in Indonesia.

Cultural context

Carried across the country by Minangkabau migrants, Padang restaurants are part of almost every Indonesian town.

Key ingredients

  • Steamed rice
  • Rendang
  • Gulai curries
  • Sambal hijau
  • Cassava leaves

Good to know

  • Hidang table service
  • Rendang, gulai, sambal hijau
  • Found across Indonesia

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