After I post about attraction places in Surabaya, it’s incomplete if I didn’t make any post about the culinary there. Indonesian foods are famous with their spice and herbs flavor, tasty, and very tempting. Every places in Indonesia have their own special dishes and taste. Like Central Java well known as sweet dishes, West Sumatra with its savory of coconut milk taste, famous with Padang food, and many more. East Java especially Surabaya also has signature dishes that you must eat when in here. The taste are more salty and spicier than Central Java’s. Here are some dishes I recommend you to try:
1. Semanggi Surabaya
Semanggi Surabaya is a traditional food that really rare to found nowadays. The main ingredient is Semanggi Leaves -an aquatic ferns from Marsileaciae Family- and add some bean sprouts served with spicy sweet potato sauce. The Spicy is from sambal (chilli sauce), you can add it or request no spicy. The unique one is eat this special dish using Kerupuk -deep fried crackers made from starch- not using spoon or fork. Usually the seller is an old lady walk through home to home with her basket of Semanggi carry on her back and shout “semanggi… semanggi…” Only in Surabaya.
Best time to eat: breakfast, brunch, lunch
Price: Rp5.000 - Rp10.000.
Where you can find it:
- Around Benowo
- Around Bungkul Park
- Around Al-Akbar Mosque
- Car Free Day in Raya Darmo Street (Sunday only)
- Some food courts in mall or restaurant (higher price >Rp10.000 and not so authentic hahaha)
2. Pecel
Well-known as Javanese Salad, consisting of mixed vegetables such as sprouts, spinach/kangkung, long bean, and cucumber, poured with peanut sauce and served with steamed rice and crispy rempeyek (another kind of kerupuk). For additional side, might add fried tempe, tofu, fried chicken, and perkedel (kind of fried mashed potato). This food is still easy to found in Surabaya, usually in Javanese restaurants, foodcourts, and warung -small resto/stall.
Best time to eat: breakfast, brunch, lunch
Price: Rp5.000 - Rp20.000 (depends on what additional side you pick).
Here are the recommendations:
- Nasi Pecel Bu Joyo at Jalan Pandegiling No.318 A
- Nasi Pecel Pincuk at Jalan Raya Jemursari 189A
- Pecel Ambulance at Jalan Kranggan
- Nasi Pecel Rawon Pucang Moroseneng at Jalan Pucang Anom No.17
3. Rujak Cingur
Rujak is a side dish of some fruits with sweet-spicy brown sugar sauce, but Rujak Cingur is definetly not. This dish is consisting almost like Pecel (sprouts, kangkus, tofu, long bean, cucumber, tempeh) but more fruits like, sour mango, jicama, and poured with mixed black shrimp paste called petis and peanut sauce, and don’t forget kerupuk putih (curl white crackers) as additional side. The special one of the ingredients is the use of Cingur which is in Javanese means cow’s muzzle. Dare to try it? You won’t regret it, it’s very delicious! Easy to find this dish, there are a lot of street stall or Indonesian restaurants sell it.
Best time to eat: brunch, lunch
Price: Rp25.000 - Rp40.000
Here are the recommendations:
- Rujak Cingur Delta at Jalan Kayon Blok D No.46
- Rujak Cingur Ahmad Jais at Jalan Ahmad Jais No.40
- Rujak Cingur Genteng Durasim at Jalan Genteng Durasim No. 29
- Rujak Cingur Joko Dolog at Jalan Taman Apsari No. 25
4. Tahu Tek / Tahu Telur
A simple dish consisting mixed of fried tofu, scrambled egg, sprouts, potato, cucumber, and poured with peanut black shrimp paste sauce served with kerupuk udang (shrimp cracker). You can find out this dish in food cart come through your house with “tek tek tek” sound or in foodcourt or Indonesian restaurant.
Best time to eat: dinner
Price: Rp8.000 - Rp15.000
Here are the recommendations:
- Tahu Telor Pak Jayen at Jalan Dharmahusada No.112
- Tahu Tek Cak Kahar at Jalan Embong Malang No.78 G
5. Penyetan
As I said before, Surabaya is famous with spicy taste of foods, this dish is a must-spicy one. Penyetan is fried chicken, duck, fish, tofu, tempeh or anything else served on Sambal Terasi (condiment made from pounded and fermented shrimp) with steamed rice and kerupuk + lalapan (fresh basil, cabbage, and cucumber) as additional side. Find out around street stall is the easiest way. I think almost all Indonesian restaurant serve this menu.
Best time to eat: lunch, dinner
Price: Rp10.000 - Rp40.000
Here are the recommendations:
- Warung Bu Kris at Jalan Tenggilis Utara No. 1, Jalan Manyar Kertoarjo IV/23, Jalan Kayoon No. 46-C
- Sego Sambel Mak Yeye at Jalan Jagir Wonokromo Wetan No.10
- Penyetan Bang Ali at Jalan Simpang Darmo permai Utara No. 22
6. Sate Klopo
Satay or Sate in Bahasa has many varieties in each city or province. In Surabaya, the specialty of satay is the use of shreded coconut covering the beef and use peanut sauce mixed with sweet soy as sauce served with rice cake, chop shallot and bird eye chilli. People always look for this dish when they come to Surabaya.
Best time to eat: lunch, dinner
Price: Rp20.000-Rp40.000
Here is the recommendation:
- Sate Klopo Ondemohen Bu Asih at Jalan Walikota Mustajab No.36
7. Lontong Kupang
It’s East Java special food made from Kupang Putih as main ingredient (kind of sea shell that is small in size between the seeds of rice and soybean seeds) and rice cakes with paste and lime dressing. It served best with ice coconut. This dish can be found in North Surabaya around Kenjeran Park until under Suramadu bridge.
Best time to eat: breakfast, lunch
Price: Rp10.000 - Rp25.000
Here are the recommendations:
- Lontong Balap Lontong Kupang Pak H.Woko at Jalan Kalasan No.30
- Lontong Kupang SMAN 17 Surabaya at Jalan Rungkut Asri Tengah
8. Rawon
Well-known as Black Soup. The main ingredient that makes this beef soup different from others is keluak from Kepayang Tree, it makes the color of soup become dark. The combination with other aromatic herbs and spices like ginger, shallot, garlic, chilli, lemongrass, etc. and a tasty beef make this soup very interesting. Eat with steamed rice and shrimp crackers is the best way to enjoy this dish.
Best time to eat: anytime you want
Price: Rp20.000 - Rp55.000
Here are the recommendations:
- Rawon Setan at Jalan Embong Malang No. 78I
- Rawon Kalkulator at Jalan Raya Darmo (Sentra PKL Taman Bungkul)
- Rawon Nguling at Jalan Kendang Sari Industri No.41B
9. Soto
This one is well-known as Yellow Soup. There are 2 kind of soto that familiar in Surabaya, Soto Ayam (chicken) and Soto Daging (beef). The taste and texture are different, but both are delicious. Same with Rawon, eat with steamed rice and add shrimp crackers for additional side.
Best time to eat: anytime you want
Price: Rp15.000 - Rp40.000
Here are the recommendations:
- Soto Ambengan Pak Sadi at Jalan Ambengan No.3A
- Soto Ayam Pak Djayus at Jalan Raya Manyar No.81, Jalan Kalijudan Mulia No.23B, Jalan Raya Tenggilis No.150
- Soto Madura Gubeng Pojok at Jalan Kusuma Bangsa No. 30
I think there are still a lot of dish I haven’t mention, but those are the special dishes in Surabaya that you must try. You may find those dishes in other city, but what can be more authentic than it’s originated city? If you have ever tried those foods or you are interested in those, or you have any experience about Surabaya foodies, share your story on comment below. I am open to all thoughts. Enjoy!
Thank you for the tips!