Rawon Setan, Surabaya

Rawon Setan, Surabaya

My all time favorite Indonesian food is nasi rawon.

I love it so much I will order it every time I see it. Surabaya, Malang and other East Java cities, tend to make the versions I love the most.

This spot has delicious rawon. Beefy, but light, with the spices and flavors of the keluak nut. Since I haven’t found a source for keluak in the US, I don’t make this at all. In a pinch, the Bamboe brand of premade spices (available at Richmond New May Wah in San Francisco) has a good rawon packet, but it’s obviously not as great as having it here. Still, I’d rather have rawon from a pack when I’m in California, than none at all.

I’ve also noticed that most of the Indonesian restaurants in NorCal where I live tend to be western Javanese or Balinese, or really some pan-Javanese / Asian flavors that are much, much lighter than the intensely savory Eastern Javanese food that I prefer.

So I am over the moon to be back in Surabaya, having the dishes and flavors that feel just right.

P.S. Apparently, if a restaurant in Java has ‘Setan’ in the name it means it is open late. Because obviously only devils stay out late (that’s what parents would call kids who stay out too late).

Rawon Setan No 78/I, Jl. Embong Malang Surabaya (Map)