If you think about Batam, your head would probably wander over to the affordable spas, massages, and shopping – but these aren’t all it has in store for you.
Batam also has a potent food scene. Its street food stalls with locals playing a massive range of local cuisines at affordable prices. With so many unique stalls and even more selling the identical food items, it is hard to find and savor the best of the best.
- Ayam Bakar Chaniago, BBQ chicken
Chicken is the central part of our meat lovers’ diets. Where better to fill your meat dietary necessity than Ayam Bakar Chaniago? Bakar translates into roasted. As you can envision, this stall BBQs chicken – all performed on an open-air grill on the spot for your viewing enjoyment.
We had their signature Grilled Chicken served with rice and sambal (IDR18,000), and what an adventure it was. Despite being BBQed in massive batches, the chicken still retained its tenderness.
In addition to this, the breast meat portion has been surprisingly juicy – unlike how it usually turns out: dry and challenging to chew. If you’re a chili lover, you are in luck – the sambal was satisfyingly spicy and fragrant from being made with tomato ingredients.
- Martabak 818
Pancakes and waffles are aplenty in our neighborhood bakeries in SG, but wait until you find the martabak available on Batam’s streets. Not to be confused with Martabak, these are more like the oh-so-good min Jiang Kueh (traditional peanut pancake). The only distinction is that these bad boys cannot be downed in a few bites – they’re massively-sized and can feed up to 2-3 people each.
We visited Martabak 818, famous for the unorthodox flavors which it serves up. Aside from traditional flavors such as peanut butter and chocolate, this area also offers choices that have Cream Cheese Oreo (IDR65,000) and Nutella + Ovomaltine + Cheese (IDR90,000).
Be warned though: All these decadent delights are rich and filling, so be sure to bring friends – starving ones at that – when you swing by this stall!
- Miso Ajo Selat Panjang
If lunch or dinner is in your sights, pop from the Miso Ajo Selat Panjang Stall, which whips up a various noodle and rice dishes. A celebrity highlight on the menu is their Indomie Goreng (IDR15,000). That is essentially char kway teow with the Kway Teow (flat noodles) is replaced with Indomie. Picture eating a springier, more flavourful model of char kway teow, as the seasonings from the Indomie mix give the dish a savory boost.
Also, make sure to try out the eponymous Miso Selat Panjang (IDR15,000). A rice noodles cooked in a broth, which reminded us of Mian Xian (rice vermicelli) chicken herbal soup. Adding flavor and texture are shredded chicken, chopped chives, and youtiao – making for a warm, flavourful bowl to perk up your souls after a long day of touring Batam.
Ready to try all the food above? Well, a vacation is more than just-food. Discover more about Batam and Indonesia by visiting Wonderful Indonesia.