The evening food stalls along the Mahakam waterfront are the best and most atmospheric place to eat in Samarinda. Vendors set up plastic tables and chairs on the riverside promenade from around 5pm, grilling fish over charcoal and serving it with steaming rice, sambal, and vegetables from the garden.
Order the ikan bakar — grilled river fish marinated in a paste of turmeric, galangal, and chilli, then wrapped in banana leaves and placed over the coals. The Mahakam produces several species of freshwater fish unknown outside Kalimantan, including ikan belida (giant featherback), which has a distinctive rich flavour. The meal is cheap, the setting is superb at dusk, and you are likely sharing the benches with fishermen, families, and the occasional coal-trade businessman unwinding after a day on the barges.