I was introduced to it from a young age because my father’s family was from Padang. Whenever we visited my grandmother in her village, she would be in her kitchen, standing over a woodfire stove and stirring a pot of rendang – a nasi padang mainstay – the aroma of slow-cooked spices filling the space. 

While ‘nasi’ means rice, nasi padang is more than a plate of rice – it’s a flavourful and vibrant meal made up of steamed rice served with a seemingly endless stream of spicy and savoury dishes.

There’s the iconic beef rendang; spiced stews known as gulai; jackfruit and cassava cooked multiple ways; and so much more, all of which showcase the multitude of flavours that make up Minangkabau cuisine.

This is a meal you can never go wrong with, whether you have it at a street stall or a fancy restaurant, because the service is always fast, and the food tasty.

These days, the most delicious versions of nasi padang can arguably be found in Jakarta – where all the most well-known restaurants from across Indonesia have branches, and the best quality ingredients are available.

Each establishment usually has its own signature dish, from rendang and satay Padang, to the popular ayam goreng (fried chicken) and the less-known ayam pop (skinless fried chicken), so it’s worth visiting them all.  

Another thing to know before you go: in Indonesia’s nasi padang culture, you don’t order the dishes you want. Instead, the servers will keep piling various dishes on your table, an approach to serving known as hidang. But don’t be alarmed if you can’t finish it all – you’ll only pay for what you eat.