In the Riau Islands, Indonesia, there is a beautiful area called Batam. Not only that, Batam’s local cuisine is also one of the things that can attract local and foreign tourists to come to Batam, apart from its magical natural charm.
You can easily find a culinary center that is certainly interesting to visit; there you will be presented with a lot of choices of local Batam food menus that will surprise you with their taste. In this review, you will find some recommendations for typical Batam foods that will add more color to your trip in Batam.
The Best Local Food in Batam
Here is Batam’s local cuisine for you to try:
1. Batam Fish Soup
Seafood is a must-try when you are in Indonesia, and Batam Fish Soup is one of them. It is easy to find chicken soup in Indonesia, but in Batam, you must try fish soup which is a typical Batam food. You will find fish, shrimp, squid, cayenne pepper, fried onions, and green tomatoes. The taste of the spicy savory soup is still suits anyone’s taste.
Add a little soy sauce, sesame oil, and salted mustard greens to give a distinctive taste according to taste. Carbo options can be yellow noodles, rice vermicelli, or rice. You can try this menu at several restaurants in Batam with a distinctive taste that persists. The price of Batam Fish Soup is around IDR 50,000 to IDR 100,000.
See Also : How to Plan Batam Budget Trip
2. Mie Tarempa
You shouldn’t miss the Mie Tarempa menu when you are in Batam. This noodle is a favorite of local Batam residents and foreign tourists. Mie Tarempa are a combination of wheat flour dough, eggs, and lots of spices that make the noodle texture chewy and thick. Mie Tarempa are usually mixed with tuna or skipjack tuna or beef.
You can enjoy these noodles with or without sauce, it’s up to you. If you like spicy, just add chili to make you even more appetizing. You can find many restaurants with the best tasting Mie Tarempa menu. The price to enjoy this menu is around IDR 20,000 to IDR 30,000.
3. Mie Lendir
Mie Lendir will be the top recommendation of Batam’s local cuisine for you. Mie Lendir is a typical Batam menu with its own uniqueness. Mie Lendir contains a mixture of boiled eggs, chopped green chilies, bean sprouts, yellow noodles, fried onions and celery.
Mie Lendir will be given a thick, delicious and savory sauce from tapioca flour with many selected spices. In one bite you will feel sweet, savory, and salty on your tongue at the same time. Mie Lendir is perfect for a lunch menu or when it’s going to rain.
You have to come to a restaurant in Batam that serves the Mie Lendir menu and try it. The price of this special menu is around IDR 17,000 to IDR 26,000.
4. Nasi Lemak
Nasi Lemak is a menu that you shouldn’t miss when you come to Batam. Different from Malaysia, Nasi Lemak Batam also has its own characteristics. This is Nasi Lemak with a savory, spicy and oily taste. You will also taste coconut milk in this delicious food.
Inside there are finely ground anchovies and a unique taste, sliced cucumber, omelet, fried peanuts, fried chicken, and chili sauce. You can enjoy this Batam specialty Nasi Lemak at a price range of IDR 31,000.
5. Bingka Bakar Batam
You can try this sweet Batam specialty, namely Bingka Bakar Batam. In Batam, this is the most sought after and typical Batam’s local cuisine sweet snack. The composition of this cake is a mixture of coconut milk, wheat flour, sugar, and eggs and then put in the oven to be baked until cooked.
At the first bite, you will feel a thick but soft texture. Locals generally serve or eat this sweet snack in the afternoon accompanied by tea, coffee, or warm milk. There are many variations of Bingka cake flavors that you can choose from, namely chocolate, pandan, sesame, cheese, dragon fruit, strawberry, and there are still other variations. To be able to enjoy this cake, you can pay from IDR 20,000 to IDR 40,000.
See Also : Top 10 Batam Beaches For Relaxing
6. Otak-otak
Another typical Batam food is otak-otak. In other regions in Indonesia, you may also find this food, but in Batam it has different spices and flavors. This is a food with fish as the basic ingredient mixed with selected spices. The taste of otak-otak Batam is also salty, savory, spicy which can be eaten with small green chilies or with spicy peanut sauce, or even other types of typical Indonesian chili sauce that are no less delicious.
7. Gonggong
Gonggong is a Batam’s local cuisine that you should not miss. Gonggong is known as a marine biota from the Riau region with a size of 7 cm and has a chewy texture after being cooked. Gonggong has a similarity to snails and tastes savory after being cooked with special spices.
Gonggong has a fishy smell and to remove it, it is boiled with salt water and ginger, this will make it even tastier. Don’t forget to separate the sharp or serrated legs of Gonggong so that the texture is safe to eat. The price of one portion of Gonggong is around IDR 60.000 to IDR 100,000.
Those are some of Batam’s signature menus that you must try when visiting Batam for various types of events. Make sure that you try some of the recommended special menus above so that you don’t lose out and regret it.
For those of you who have plans to go to Batam with family, or go on a business trip, or want to travel and dine on Batam’s local cuisine, then you can visit the BatamDrive.com website to find a trusted Batam car rental service that is guaranteed to have complete experience. You can choose many types of vehicles with various sizes and can be easily adjusted to your needs. Enjoy your trip to the fullest with BatamDrive.
FAQs
What is the most iconic local food in Batam?
Bingka Bakar Batam is one of the most iconic foods.
What is the price range for local food in Batam?
It varies widely, starting from IDR 15,000 to IDR 100,000.
Is there a hardcore local menu?
You can try the Gonggong menu.
What is the best way to go on a culinary tour there?
Use a car rental service to make transportation easier and more flexible.
