Ingredient appreciation — what makes Nasi Goreng special

What sets Nasi Goreng apart is the handling of kecap manis sweet soy. In lesser versions this is treated as a background note. Here it's central and the sweet-savoury result shows it. I've started buying it to cook with at home after this experience.

Indonesian cuisine spans over 17,000 islands with dramatically different regional traditions. The a family feast table atmosphere was right for this kind of food. I had es teh manis iced sweet tea as recommended and it matched well. If you want to understand what makes this cuisine distinctive, Nasi Goreng is the place to start.