
But it has the advantage of being easy to order. Padang restaurants display all their offerings (cooked fresh in the morning and served, like much Indonesian food, at room temperature) in the window, neatly stacked in pyramids of white dishes, so what you see is what you get. When you enter the restaurant, a waiter will begin bringing over dishes with small portions of that day’s offerings. You’re not expected to eat everything - this is the menu!
You will be given a bowl of white rice, a small bowl of water (for hand-washing, not drinking), and a cloth napkin. You can then help yourself to appropriate portions of whatever looks tempting - just spoon out as much as you want. Mix the food with the rice. The spiciness of the dishes is meant to serve as counterpart to large quantities of bland rice.
You will be charged for each item you select, along with your bowl of rice. However, sauce from a dish is usually free, and the side vegetables often are as well. Since it’s the sauces that are so delicious, you may want to try a few. The waiter will come back when you’re done, note what’s missing from the dishes, and tally your total.
Many Padang dishes, like the delicious beef rendang, can be found on hotel menus, cooked at a more appropriate heat for Western tastes.
And don’t forget to eat with your right hand, the left hand is supposed to be out of sight…
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