I am currently traveling Indonesia and wanted to share my thoughts of the road side coffee and food spots I've fallen in love with.
I've been to Indonesia a few times but this trip I have a much more budget conscious mind, and because of that these places have become my regular spots.
A warung just means small local shop or eatery, usually family ran. There is little to no branding, hardly ever on Google Maps and no online hype about them. Sometimes they are just a small wheeled cart that they can move around to busy areas or outside construction sites for workers to get a cheap bite to eat.
When I first came to Indonesia I avoided these, I stuck to the "safer" options like cafes or restaurants with plenty of google reviews to be reassured by. But once I visited my first one in Surabaya for a Kopi Tubruk (Indonesia's traditional unfiltered coffee) one morning my mind was changed instantly. Here is why:
They're insanely cheap (without feeling cheap if you know what I mean). The prices are local prices, even as a foreigner I have never been over charged. It depends where in Indonesia you are but a coffee here averages 5,000 ($0.30usd) and the food can go for as little as 10,000 ($0.60usd) for a meal of rice and vegetables with tofu, chicken or fish.
You are fully immersed into the local life. This isn't "Indonesian Inspired" food, this is literally the food people eat daily. Nasi campur, nasi goreng, fried tempeh. This is the real food of Indonesia for a fraction of the price that you would pay sitting in a restaurant where you don't get the same feeling.
You stop feeling like a tourist. The moment you sit down at one of these warungs you're just another person eating, that's it. Sometimes people will ask where you're from or something small, but there is no one trying to sell you things, no one trying to scam you or get money from you. They respect you as a guest and you respect them back with a smile and small talk if they speak any English which is very rarely. They also remember you if you visit a few times. I went to the same one in Surabaya five days in a row, when I returned after a week in Malang she welcomed me back as family smiling ear to ear. You may feel happy that they remembered you, but they are so happy you choose to come back to see them.
You're supporting actual families and not chains. For many people their warung is everything, it's how they survive. When you buy something here, the money goes straight to the owner and their families. Sometimes you will have the child doing homework next to you, the regualars know each other. People help watch the kids when their parents are busy cooking. That sense of community is beautiful to witness as a traveller. You don't get that feeling in a restaraunt that is dressed up and tailored for tourists.
Are they all amazing? No.
Are they all hygienic? Also no, use common sense when you walk past...
But the good ones are some of the most memorable meals I have had while traveling.
If you're planning a trip to Indonesia I seriously recommend visiting one, even if it's just for a coffee.
I'm curious if other people have similar experiences or stories from your travels?