Our first meal in Darwin was Indonesian food. NT was one of the few last states in Australia where I had yet to eat Indo food, and I was keen to tick it off my list.
Darwin has a few Indonesian restaurants. First, we wanted to go to Sumatra. I convinced Jik to try this place because they had her favourite Sayur Nangka (Jackfruit Curry), but unfortunately, it was closed. Also, it looked like they served Malaysian food as well. I’ve always been wary of restaurants that specialize in more than one cuisine, so we moved on to our second option, Ayuriz Cafe
—4.5 stars, it seemed like nothing could go wrong.
Ayuriz Cafe is located in an empty building adjoining Rydges Darwin Hotel, and there was no one in the small open food court except us—maybe because it was only 11 AM.
Looking at the menu, I was torn between noodles and rice, but since I had always chosen rice in other places, I thought I should stick with that and ordered Ayam Goreng Kremes (Crispy Fried Chicken) that came with a side of rice
Jik, on the other hand, ordered noodles – Javanese Fried Noodles.
The food arrived soon after, and I was served a gigantic piece of chicken (are chickens bigger in the Northern Territory??) and rice. It was overflowing on a small plate, and I’ve never understood why food is served that way—it’s hard to navigate and just makes me feel like a messy eater.
Then, took a bite and was disappointed. Nothing about this dish reminded me of Indonesia, except for the presentation. It looked like Indo food, maybe even smelled like it, but it didn’t taste like it at all.
In a way, it reminded me of Indonesian food in Canberra. But at least in Canberra, it felt like they tried to use more than just one or two key ingredients to make it Indonesian. This one—well, it is not Indonesian enough.
If I lived in Darwin and craved Indonesian food, I wouldn’t rush to this place. Heck, If I lived in Darwin and craved Indonesian food, I’d probably be better off flying to Bali.
Perhaps I’m just spoiled by the amazing options in Melbourne and, occasionally, Sydney—and once in Brisbane. But so far, from Cairns to Canberra to Darwin, it’s been a downhill trend.
Maybe it’s just me? Or maybe I should have ordered another dish, I thought, because it seemed like the locals loved it—it has a 4.5-star rating. So I asked Jik how her noodles were, and she said, “Darwin has a lot of things, but the food leaves a bit to be desired.” Well, at least it’s not just me.
Indonesian Food Around the World series: A Cheat Sheet for Indonesian Food in London / Rijsttafel-ing Indonesian Food in Amsterdam / Indonesia Food in Zurich My Most Expensive Meal in Switzerland / Authentic Indonesian Food in Seoul at Bakso Bejo Korea / It’s Java Authentic Indonesian Street Food in Auckland / Makan A Celebration of Indonesian Cuisine in Melbourne / Rasa Rosa A So So Indonesian Food in Canberra / Indonesian Restaurants in Cairns / Indonesian Food in Darwin Leaves Something to Be Desired
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[…] Indonesian Food Around the World series: A Cheat Sheet for Indonesian Food in London / Rijsttafel-ing Indonesian Food in Amsterdam / Indonesia Food in Zurich My Most Expensive Meal in Switzerland / Authentic Indonesian Food in Seoul at Bakso Bejo Korea / It’s Java Authentic Indonesian Street Food in Auckland / Makan A Celebration of Indonesian Cuisine in Melbourne / Rasa Rosa A So So Indonesian Food in Canberra / Indonesian Restaurants in Cairns / Indonesian Food in Darwin Leaves Something to Be Desired […]