Indonesian food is one of the great cuisines of Southeast Asia, built on rice, chilli, coconut milk, and a complex layering of spice that varies from island to island. The challenge for visitors is that much of the best food is found in modest warung (small local eateries) rather than restaurants, and menus are often in Indonesian. Point at what looks good. It usually works.
Nasi goreng — fried rice with kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), shallots, garlic, and chilli, usually topped with a fried egg — is the national dish, eaten at any hour of the day or night. It is everywhere and almost always good.
Nasi Padang is the eating style of West Sumatra, adopted across the country. You sit down and a dozen small bowls appear: rendang (slow-cooked beef in coconut and spice, almost dry), gulai (curry of fish or offal), sayur daun singkong (cassava leaf stew), and various sambals. You pay only for what you eat. Rendang was voted the world's best dish in a CNN poll, and deservedly.
Sate (satay) is skewered meat — usually chicken, goat, or beef — grilled over charcoal and served with peanut sauce or soy sauce with chopped chilli and shallots. The version sold by street carts late at night, with the smoke rising in the dark, is one of Indonesia's pleasures.
Bakso is a soup of beef meatballs in clear broth, usually with noodles and fried shallots. It is the comfort food of the archipelago, sold from pushcarts that ring a bell to announce their presence.
Gado-gado is a salad of blanched vegetables, tofu, and tempeh dressed in a peanut sauce. Simple, satisfying, and available almost everywhere.
Babi guling (Bali, and only Bali, or Christian-majority areas) is roasted suckling pig stuffed with turmeric, ginger, and lemongrass. At Warung Ibu Oka in Ubud, queues start before it opens. The skin should crackle.
Pecel lele — fried catfish with rice and sambal — is the cheap staple of roadside stands across Java. Not glamorous. Very good.
Es campur (mixed ice) and es teler (sweet iced dessert with coconut, avocado, and jackfruit) are the desserts to order in the heat.
Street food is generally safe to eat if it is freshly cooked and you can see the preparation. Be more cautious with pre-cooked food that has been sitting out. Raw vegetables washed in tap water are worth avoiding.