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Many people visit Bandung, the capital of West Java province, to pamper their taste buds. You'll be amazed with what Bandung has to offer. From various food sold on street vendors to haute cuisine, every visitor will be able to find something to their liking here, in Bandung.
Sundanese (the people living in West Java are called Sundanese) has tempting refreshments. Sundanese food tends to be bland yet tasty unless you add sambal dadak (chili and other ingredients grinded together) to your food. If you're looking for more spicy taste, just add this sambal dadak with nasi timbel (steamed rice formed into a roll inside a banana leaf) and other specialties. This mouthwatering treat is too good to be missed! Usually sour vegetables soup (sayur asam) is accompanied by nasi timbel.
Sundanese Food
means, molen banana), Indonesian traditional pastry filled with banana and cheese. For a variation, try brownies kukus (steamed brownies). Es cendol, made of blended/grinded rice, palm sugar, and coconut milk, is delightful on a hot day. While for a colder day, you might want to taste bandrek or bajigur.
Bandung also offers various milk products most notably, yoghurt. Basically there are two kinds of yoghurt in Bandung the thin one, and the thick one (French style).
Hot snacks ala Bandung are widely sold throughout the city. Among them are gehu-toge tahu- (beancurd with beansprouts and vegetables filling), pisang goreng (fried banana), cireng-aci goreng- (fried tapioca), and many more. You might be interested in trying other snacks such as, nangka goreng (fried jackfruit), peuyeum goreng (fermented cassava, fried), nanas goreng (fried pineapple), and so on. Ketan bakar (roasted sticky rice) and jagung bakar/rebus (roasted/boiled corns) are also recommended.
Nasi goreng (fried rice), although not originally from Bandung, is also a favorite. The ingredients vary, according to people's preference. Sometimes the rice is mixed with seafood (usually shrimps, pieces of cuttlefish, pieces of crab's flesh), chicken and vegetables, mutton and vegetables, salted fish, and so on.
Cakue, a dish made of flour dough then fried, also worths a try.
Bandung also has other kinds of restaurants, like Padangese (food from West Sumatra, very spicy in taste), Javanese (sweeter in taste), Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Western,
Bandung
Getting There
There are many ways to go to Bandung. You can go by plane, embark a train, or rent a car from Jakarta.
Where to Stay
Bandung has it all, cozy little inns to five-starred hotels.
Moving Around
Public transportation called angkot, covers most of Bandung. For greater comfort, it is best if you take a taxi. For greater comfort still, rent a car. A day's rent will save you time and trouble moving from one place to another and since Bandung is relatively small, you can cover most of Bandung's interesting places in a day.
Dining Guide
For a taste of nasi timbel and other Sundanese food, you can try the restaurants mentioned below. There are many others, though, so while you're in Bandung, you might be able to spot other restaurants selling tasty food.
BUMBU DESA
Jalan Pasirkaliki 160, Bandung
Jalan Laswi 1, Bandung
Traditional food with elegant surrounding.
BALE GAZEEBO
Jalan Surapati 49
Wide place, where you can eat while lesehan (sitting on the floor without chairs) or using a chair.
SINDANG RERET
Jalan Raya Cikole Km 22
Jalan Raya Propinsi Ciwidey, Kabupaten Bandung
Jalan Surapati 53
One of the most famous Sundanese restaurants in Bandung.
SAUNG KABAYAN
Jalan Dr. Junjunan 107, Bandung
Modernized Sundanese cooking.
SARI PARAHYANGAN
Jalan L.L.R.E. Martadinata (Riau) 156-158
Jalan Soekarno-Hatta 408
Good, plain Sundanese cooking.
KELAPA LAGOON
Jalan Sumatera 9
Chic place. Tasty but the price is higher than other Sundanese restaurants.
Most foodcourts on the malls feature Sundanese cookings/restaurants. Most well-known is Ampera. You can grab nasi timbel here after browsing the malls.
If batagor seems to tempt you, then you might want to check out these restaurants:
BATAGOR RIRI
Jalan Burangrang 41
You can buy the batagors here half-cooked, so you can fry them at home. Half-cooked batagors only last a few days if put inside a refridgerator.
BATAGOR KINGSLEY
Jalan Veteran (Bungsu) 25
Has been Bandung?s favorite for ages. You can also buy half-cooked batagors here.
BATAGOR YEYE
Jalan Buah Batu 139
Jalan Cihampelas 198B
Famous for its batagor and mutton soup.
Pisang molen, brownies kukus are available at:
Sundanese Food
KARTIKA SARI
Jalan Buah Batu 165A
Jalan Kebon Jukut 3C
Jalan H. Akbar
Jalan Kopo Sayati 111A
Jalan Terusan Jakarta 77E
Jalan Ir. H. Djuanda (Dago)
PRIMA RASA
Jalan Kemuning 20
Jalan Buah Batu 169A
Jalan Peta 169
Other bakeries also sell these delicacies. If you're busy, you can always go to supermarket. Most of them sell pisang molen and brownies kukus.
Es cendol are available at:
The most famous es cendol is called cendol Elizabeth, for it is being sold in front of Elizabeth's 
Bandrek, Bajigur are available at most Sundanese restaurants.
Sometimes they even sell bandrek and bajigur on sachets, so you can bring them as souvenirs for your loved ones.
Should you fancy yoghurt, you might try these places:
RUMAH MAKAN YOGHURT
Jalan Cisangkuy 66
Thin type of yoghurt, the hangout place for young and old alike.
BMC (BANDOENGSCHE MELK CENTRALE)
Jalan Aceh 30
Apart from yoghurt, you can try other milk products here, such as milk, kefir, and so on.
OLEH-OLEH ODISE
Jalan Sukawarna Baru 28
French-style yoghurt, thick type. You can order the yoghurt in small cups or in liters.
Interested in hot snacks?
The street vendors selling these snacks can be found throughout Bandung, most notably in Jalan Supratman and Jalan Cilaki. Ketan bakar and jagung bakar/rebus can be found on Jalan Ir. H. Djuanda (Dago) and in Lembang area.
Want a taste of fried rice?
You can get fried rice on street vendors, restaurants, or food courts in malls.
Cakue, you say? Try this place:
HAUS TEA
BEC Mall Jalan Purnawarman 13-15 2nd floor, C-05
Istana Plaza Mall Jalan Pasirkaliki 121-123, LG-B3
Try the various yummy sauce to add some taste to your cakue.
Feeling adventurous in sampling spicy Padangese food? Try these restaurants:
SIMPANG RAYA RESTAURANT
Jalan Buah Batu 150
Jalan Ir. H. Djuanda (Dago) 55
Jalan Surapati
Jalan L.L. R.E. Martadinata (Riau)
A tad more expensive than other restaurants with similar type, but decidedly tasty. Try ayam pop without the chili sauce, for those of you who favor blander (yet still delicious) food.
RUMAH MAKAN KAPAU JAYA
Jalan Dipati Ukur 80A
Relatively cheap and yummy.
If you feel like tasting Japanese, Chinese, or Korean food:
HANAMASA
Jalan Ir. H. Djuanda (Dago) 48
Buffet style, Japanese food.
SAN SUSHI BAR
Hotel Holiday Inn
Jalan Ir. H. Djuanda 29
Just like sushi bars in Japan.
OKOH
Hotel Horizon
Jalan Pelajar Pejuang 45
For sushi and various teppanyaki lovers.
MOMIJI JAPANESE CUISINE
Jalan Braga 64
Classy and unique.
PAGODA MENU MANDARIN HALAL RESTAURANT
Jalan Trunojoyo 32
Spacious place, oriental-style. Delicious food, too. It is also halal, so Muslim people can eat here without any doubts.
EASTERN SHARK FIN?S RESTAURANT
IP Mall, Jalan Pasirkaliki 121-123
Wide variety of Chinese food.
FLAMBOYANT CENTRE
Flamboyant Centre, Jalan Sukajadi 232-234
For hainan rice and juan lo lovers.
KOREAN HOUSE
Jalan Sukajadi 175
Cozy place with great service.
HAN KOOK GARDEN RESTAURANT
Jalan Karang Sari 21
Very Korean, very chic.
If steak and western food are your favorites, then you might be interested in trying these places:
CAFE BALI
Jalan L.L. R.E. Martadinata (Riau) 215
Yummy western food with Balinese atmosphere. Aside from western food, this place also serves tradional Indonesian food.
DAKKEN COFFEE & STEAK
Jalan L.L. R.E. Martadinata (Riau) 67
While savoring your steak, you can also try their coffee. Ideal for hang out.
WARUNG LAOS
Jalan Prof. Dr. Eyckman 2
Delicious spaghetti and tasty pizza with thin crusts will make you longing for more.
SUIS BUTCHER & TERRACE
Jalan Dr. Setiabudhi 174
Cool atmosphere, yummy food.
TAMANI CAFE Jalan Ir. H. Djuanda 7-9
Great western food. Also serves Indonesian and Japanese food. Big portion.
Bandung also has many good restaurants serving seafood. Among them are:
KEPITING SUPER PARIT 9 SEAFOOD
Jalan Cendana 4
Mouthwatering dishes. You can also buy their specialty?crabs, put inside a thermos flask. Ideals as gifts.
THE OCEAN SEA FOOD & GRILL
Jalan Sukajadi 225
On weekends, you will be able to watch live music. Big portion.
Those who fancy Thai food can try these restaurants:
COCA SUKI
Jalan Ir. H. Djuanda (Dago) 173
Great service. Mouthwatering dishes.
ROYAL SIAM THAI RESTAURANT
Jalan Braga 121 2nd Floor
Endless variations of Thai food.
Vietnamese food lovers might find this restaurant to their liking:
HANOI HOUSE
Jalan Sunda 56
If you visit this place on weekends, you'll be able to order from their special menu.
Souvenir Tips
Bandung mainly offers food and drink as souvenirs. Visit these stores to grab the famous keripik tempeh, keripik oncom, sale pisang, dodol, and other delicacies:
RAOS, KARYA UMBI
Both are located in Jalan Cihampelas.
Other Things to See or Do
Shop till you drop at the plentiful Factory Outlets and Malls, visit Cihampelas street to find jeans and clothes, go to Cibaduyut street to see leather products especially shoes and bags, visit other places of attraction in Bandung and surroundings.
Travel Tips
West Java Specialties
Bandung a haven for snack-lovers and shoppers
Bandung, the capital of West Java province, is about 180 kilometers distant from the national capital, Jakarta.
The city is well-known as a haven for snack-lovers and shoppers, as thousands of food vendors, upmarket restaurants and factory outlets selling garments, bags, footwear and other such things at low prices can be found everywhere around the city.
According to www.ayojajan.com, which provides information to food lovers, there are at least 567 places where you can buy snacks and delicious food in Bandung, a city now populated by over 2.5 million people.
They offer a wide array of food, ranging from traditional Bandung fare to Chinese and European cuisine. Most of these places are usually crowded with visitors on weekends, particularly long week-ends.
Bandung has a host of unique dishes, including peuyeum, baso tahu, baso tahu goreng (better known as batagor) and mie kocok.
It can also boast unique beverages like bajigur and bandrek, both good for warm you up. Bajigur is made from a mixture of coconut milk, brown sugar and kolang-kaling (fruit of the sugar palm), while bandrek is made of a mixture of ginger essence, brown sugar and cinnamon.
The following is a guide for you to find the locations of snack and food centers as well as shopping places in Bandung, a city also dubbed the Paris of Java.
Traditional cuisine
In the southern part of Bandung, or to be exact in Jl. Sukarno-Hatta, about 500 m to the east of Leuwipanjang bus station, you can find a line of restaurants serving uniquely Sundanese dishes, like nasi timbel (rice cooked in banana leaves) plus associated side dishes like salted fish, various fried vegetables, fried fish or chicken or steamed fish or chicken in banana leaves.
A complete ""nasi timbel must always be accompanied by terasi (a mixture made of chili, shallot, garlic, salt, condiment and brown sugar.)
If you go past two traffic lights from Leuwipanjang to the east, you can find two famous Sundanese traditional restaurants, Ampera and Laksana.
Although the two are opposite each other, they have not tried to grab each other's customers. Aside from selling Sundanese dishes, they also sell unique Sundanese snacks like peuyeum (fermented cassava) and various uniquely West Javanese items for souvenirs like keyhangers in the shape of an angklung (a uniquely Sundanese musical instrument made of suspended bamboo tubes that sound when shaken) or a shadow puppet character.
Another famous Sundanese restaurant, Sari Sunda, about 2 kilometers to the east of Ampera and Laksana, entertains its visitors with Sundanese music while they enjoy Sundanese dishes sitting crosslegged on the floor with panoramic views around them.
Similar Sundanese cuisine is also available at a number of restaurants on Jl. Dago and around Gasibu, in front of the West Java governor's office, which is known as Gedung Sate.
If you would like to enjoy Sundanese dishes and at the same time savor the beauty of Bandung's panoramic scene (particularly the city lights at night), pay a visit to Dago Tea House. Apart from serving Sundanese dishes, it also offers teh poci (hot tea from a clay teapot), bandrek and bajigur. If you are lucky, you can eat your food while enjoying a Sundanese music and dance performance.
Bandrek and bajigur, can also be obtained at foodstalls in Taman Cilaki, behind Gedung Sate. One such bajigur stall is Bajigur Supratman, which has been there for 45 years. Also in Taman Cilaki you can find other foodstalls selling seafood and steak at low prices.
Another drink associated with Bandung is fresh milk. You can easily get it at Lembang, north Bandung. Or just go to Bandoengsche Melk Centrale (MC) on Jl. Aceh, about 5 km to the west of Bandung City Hall.
This building, now renovated, used to be a center for the production and distribution of milk to all parts of Bandung in the 19th century.
Accommodating about 100 visitors, it offers a menu consisting milk and other foods made from milk like yogurt, kefir and milkshake, all sold at prices ranging from Rp 1,000 to Rp 4,500 per glass.
If you like peuyeum you can try it at the intercity bus station at Leuwipanjang, Jl. Soekarno-Hatta. If you like it, you should also try colenak (roast ""peuyeum plus a solution of brown sugar and grated coconut).
One famous outlet is Murdi Putra, Jl. Ahmad Yani 777, off Pasar Cicadas, about 5 km to the east of downtown Bandung. The counter uses up about 70 kg per day because it also supplies its colenak to upmarket hotels and restaurants in Bandung. It is also available around Pasar Simpang Dago in the northern part of Bandung.
Batagor is one of the most favorite dishes in Bandung. It is made of a mixture of sago and fish put into tofu. It is also served with chili mixed with peanut sauce.
The oldest vendor of batagor is Batagor Isan on Jl. Astanaanyar. It began its business back in 1969.
Other venues where you can find batagor include Batagor Kingsley, Jl. Veteran and Batagor Riri on Jl. Burangrang. Close to Batagor Riri you can find a family restaurant, Saboga, which sells a combination of baso tahu and siomay (steamed ravioli).
In front of these you can find a food court that sells Martabak San Francisco (pancakes with a savory filling), a place always crowded with buyers.
If you wish to sample Western dishes, go to Bukit Dago, where you can find restaurants and cafes such as The View, The Peak, Callista and Sierra. Here you can also enjoy nighttime views of the city.
Handicrafts and clothing
If you need uniquely Sundanese or West Javanese souvenirs, just go to Jl. Braga, on the left side of Gedung Merdeka. Here you can find shops selling a variety of handicraft items. The nearest is Sarinah Department Store, about 100 meters behind Gedung Merdeka. If you would like to buy genuine wooden puppets, go to Jl. Pangarang, behind Hotel Savoy Homann, to find the makers.
If you like shopping, don't forget to go to Cihampelas, west Bandung, as this is where you can find a lot of shops selling low-priced jeans. If you would like to buy low-priced footwear, go to Cibaduyut in south Bandung.
If you wish to buy more than souvenirs, go to the north part of Bandung where you can find a lot of factory outlets selling branded items ranging from trousers, shirts, footwear and bags to many other items, all at low prices.
Scores of ""factory outlets"" can be found along Jl. Dago, Jl. Riau and Jl. Setiabudi. There are at least five major factory outlets on Jl. Riau alone: Heritage, The Summit, Metropolis, Renarriti and China Town.
Of course, there is a price war between these factory outlets. The Summit, for example, has started a special counter, ""Forever Sale"", which sells many types of garment at just Rp 10,000.
Along Jl. Dago, you can also find a lot of factory outlets. Dago, which is at its most crowded at weekends, is also an area where you can find a lot of vendors of colenak, roast corn and roast sticky rice, plus many other snacks like roast banana with cheese and toast.
A week is not long enough to visit all the venues where you can buy snacks and foods and do your shopping. A haven for shoppers, Bandung attracts a least 50,000 tourists -- 70 percent from Jakarta -- on weekends, a reason why the city's main roads, particularly in the north, are always congested on Saturdays and Sundays.
Merchandise and Antiques
Wayang golek or wooden puppet is a puppet that is originally from West Java. In early days it was used as a medium to socialized Islam religion. But nowadays it is used to entertain people. The character itself is mostly taken from famous Hindu epic the Mahabharata and Ramayana. They represent a battle among good and evil. Nowadays Wayang Golek has become one of the finest merchandise from Bandung. Dekranasda, Cipacing area and Sarinah are few shops that provide wayang golek.
Mahanagari
Place that specialized in providing city souvenirs, especially T-Shirts. Every souvenir is packed by unique packing that mainly describes sundanese culture. Find also various Bandung design collections for your gifts.
Jl. Ir. H. Juanda 111—————-Opened:
———————————————–10.00-21.00
Dekranasda Bandung
Bandung arts and crafts centre. Here most of Bandung best craft are available. Dekranasda is a government department that develops the local craft production to enhance their quality.
Jl. Soekarno Hatta 112———————Opened:
022-7816957———————————-10.00-20.00
Sarinah
It is one of the oldest supermarkets in the city. Built in the late 20’s. Sarinah still exists and trade various products until now. Here you can find fine quality of Bandung merchandise.
Jl. Braga 10———————————-Opened:
022-4205798————————————10.00-20.00
Cupumanik
It is the best wooden puppet producer in the city. Cupumanik provides various wooden puppets with the best quality.
Jl. M. Akbar 10——————————-Opened:
022-4239456————————————10.00-20.00
Saung Angklung Udjo Souvenir Shop
One of the most complete souvenir shops in the city. Saung angklung udjo provides various souvenirs. From crafts to t-shirts are available here.
Jl. Padasuka 118——————————Opened:
022-7271714————————————-10.00-19.00
Kalingga
Not only sells merchandise and craft, Kalingga also provides various antique goods from centuries ago.
Jl. Dr. Djunjunan 129—————————Opened:
022-6073457————————————-10.00-19.00
(http://dieny-yusuf.com/)
