The Rendang I grew up eating — memory as a review

I grew up eating Rendang and have strong opinions shaped by memory. The version here triggered that recognition in the first bite — the rich and coconut-forward was right, terasi shrimp paste was handled the way it should be.

Indonesian cuisine spans over 17,000 islands with dramatically different regional traditions. Growing up it was always a Jakarta street food cart, which shaped my reference point entirely. jamu herbal drink alongside it is the only way it makes sense to me. It's hard to be objective about food you have emotional history with, but objectively: this is very good.