Rijsttafel… I came up with five different ways to try and pronounce that word and every single one ended up with a blank, confused expression on our waiter’s face.
Pronounced [rahys-tah-fuhl], this Indonesian dish has its origins in the Dutch colonial era where it would be served as a representation of the various ethnic cuisines found across Indonesia. Literally translating to ‘rice table’, Rijsttafel generally consists of various side dishes (as little as 10 or as many as 40+) served with portions of rice… not unlike your everyday Thali.
Rijsttafel
We decided to try out the Rijsttafel at Poppies Restaurant, a popular Bali institution on Kuta Beach. Our Rijsttafel came on a revolving tray and was, thankfully, a more manageable 12 side dishes – one beef, one fish, one lamb, two chicken, three vegetable and seafood, chicken, beef satay along with some plain and nasi goreng.
Though Rijsttafel is not considered ‘traditional’ Indonesian cuisine, I’d highly recommend anyone visiting Indonesia to give this dish a ‘whirl’. Terima kasi!