A List of Indonesian Food Pop-Ups in the Bay Area
Instagram + Indonesian home cooks = a moveable feast
For a long time, I thought Indonesian food was hard to come by in the Bay Area. When I moved to Berkeley, there was Betawi or Jakartan fare from Irianti Jin’s Jayakarta, the longtime brick-and-mortar restaurant with delicious mie tek tek on University Ave., which closed in 2019 due to rent costs. And there was Sumatran food from Jimmy Sujanto’s Padi on College Ave., a warm and welcoming joint that closed up shop in 2014 also citing high rent costs.
As much as my friends and I grumbled about these closures, we craved good Indonesian cooking. Aside from excursions to San Francisco, at some point, I decided that if I was going to eat Indonesian food, it was mostly going to be in Southern California—not because it had an abundance of Indonesian restaurants (they were relatively scarce)—but because I could eat at home.
With my family, I slurped up my mom’s lodeh, a tofu and vegetable coconut curry, and rawon, the beef stew stained inky black by the keluak nut. But I also ate other kinds of Indonesian food every week, thanks to all the aunties at church on Sunday lunch rotation, whom included talented home cooks, caterers, and a restaurateur. They filled aluminum foil pans with ayam kalasan (a sticky, sweet and savory Indonesian fried chicken) and braced themselves to move heavy stock pots brimming with sop merah (sliced sausages and cut veggies swimming in a ketchuppy broth). On special occasions, someone might bring nasi tumpeng, a towering golden cone of turmeric rice with a banana leaf hat.
These and other dishes represented various islands and cities in Indonesia. Some could be found at restaurants, but many others, only in home kitchens.
Something big shifted after Covid-19 struck. Many home cooks sought solace —from stress, from boredom, from financial hardship, from the loss of interpersonal connection—through cooking and selling their food via preorders announced on their Instagram pages, with purchases made by direct message or through Google Forms. There have been many different pop-ups in the Bay Area and beyond, but in the case of Indonesian food pop-ups specifically, it struck me deeply. For so much of my life, I wasn’t sure that the regional culinary variety of the archipelago could be found in America outside of Indonesian gatherings and community potlucks. Certain dishes I never thought I’d see away from home are available now, just a few clicks away.
Bay Area Indonesian Food Pop-Up Instagram Accounts
In addition to names of pop-ups and vendors, I’ve also included examples of offerings and service area information when possible—please note that these are subject to change and that you should check or DM the Instagram accounts directly for the most accurate and up-to-date information. Indonesian restaurants, including Warung Siska and SanDai, are also listed below along with shop information, and Malaysian and Singaporean eateries.
To request additions, removals, corrections, or updates to this list, comment below or message me on Instagram @pollysdigest. Thank you!
Bakmie Kota JJ
https://www.instagram.com/bakmiekotajj/
Recent offerings: mie ayam jamur (chicken and mushroom noodles), mie cu kiok charsiu (Chinese-style BBQ pork noodles), mie ayam (chicken noodles)
Bakso 88 USA
https://www.instagram.com/bakso88usa/
Specialty: mie bakso sapi (beef meatball noodle soup)
Where to find them: Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore, San Ramon, Danville, Fremont, Milpitas, San Jose, Santa Clara, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, San Francisco, San Mateo, Palo Alto, Union City, Hayward, San Leandro, Oakland, Emeryville (delivery).
Baoo
https://www.instagram.com/baoo.us/
Recent offerings: pandan chiffon cake, martabak manis (stuffed layered cake), nastar (pineapple tartlets)
Where to find them: Based in Union City, made to order.
Budiman Food
https://www.instagram.com/budiman_food_sanjose/
Recent offerings: known for their tempeh, but they also have sold mie ayam jamur (hawker-style chicken and mushroom noodles), tahu bakso ikan (fried tofu stuffed with fishballs, in a broth)
Where to find them: San Jose. (Pick-up.)
Cabe Merah
https://www.instagram.com/cabe.merah_/
Recent offerings: nasi jinggo (Balinese rice with shredded chicken, spicy tempeh, anchovies, egg and sambal), nasi gudeg (Javanese rice with jackfruit, egg, turmeric chicken, spicy tofu, and sambal)
Where to find them: Berkeley. (Pick-up.)
Conklin's Catering
https://www.instagram.com/conklinscatering/
Recent offerings: nasi campur Manado (Manado-style mixed rice with chicken, grilled fish, stir-fried greens, eggplant, corn fritters, and sambal), pastel (Indonesian savory hand pie), nasi liwet Sunda (Sundanese-style rice with pete beans, anchovies, turmeric fried chicken, fish, fried tofu, fried tempeh, egg, and sambal terasi dadak).
D’Grobak
https://www.instagram.com/dgrobak.bayarea/
Specialty: bakso soup (meatballs with bone marrow beef broth, bakso tofu, beef tendon, grilled diced New York beef steak, vegetables, and mixed noodles, with homemade Sambal, lime wedge, sweet soya sauce, green onion, and fried shallot on the side).
Where to find them: Pre-orders (pick-up and delivery) and pop-ups throughout the Bay Area.
Dapoer Ngebul
https://www.instagram.com/dapoerngebul.inc
Recent offerings: pempek Palembang (Palembang-style fishcakes), rendang jengkol (jengkol beans stewed in savory spiced coconut broth).
GEMESH Baso Goreng
https://www.instagram.com/basgorgemesh/
Specialty: bakso goreng, or basgor (fried meatballs)
Go Reng SF
https://www.instagram.com/goreng.sf/
Specialty: gorengan (fried foods, such as fritters, fried tofu, fried banana) with dipping sauces and seasonings
Gurih Table
https://www.instagram.com/gurih.table/
Recent offerings: smoked brisket soto Padang (brisket, vermicelli, potato croquettes, tomatoes, and more in a spiced broth), smoked brisket nasi goreng (brisket and fried rice)
Where to find them: East Bay, SF, Peninsula, South Bay (delivery).
Indo Culinair
https://www.instagram.com/indoculinairandmarkt_bayarea/
Indo Culinair is a market that also on occasion sells prepared foods.
Recent offerings: lontong cap gomeh (rice cakes in spiced coconut-based stew), ikan bakar saus Padang (grilled fish with Padang-style sauce)
Where to find them: Fremont (pick-up), plus delivery.
Indo Kantin
https://www.instagram.com/indokantinsf/
Recent offerings: nasi rames Madura (Madura-style mixed rice with stewed meet, shredded fish, egg, fried tempe, and coconut flakes)
Indobox SF
https://www.instagram.com/indoboxsf/
Recent offering: ayam geprek (Indonesian-style fried chicken with sambal)
Kuékué
https://www.instagram.com/kuekue.sf/
Recent offerings: nasi Uduk (coconut milk spiced rice with fried chicken, spiced egg, anchovy and nut chili sauce, shrimp paste chili sauce, onion cracker), rendang (slow-cooked beef in spiced coconut gravy), satay ayam (BBQ chicken skewers)
Where to find them: San Francisco (pick-up, delivery available with minimum order).
MADELICIOUS
https://www.instagram.com/madelicious_co/
Recent offerings: sambal terasi, sambal bawang, sambal garlic, sambal bakso, chili anchovies, cumi asin (salted calamari)
Merin Kitchen
https://www.instagram.com/merinkitchen/
Recent offerings: nasi empal gepuk (rice with spicy fried beef), risoles (breaded and rolled crepe with savory creamy filling), satay ayam (barbecue chicken skewers)
Where to find them: East Bay, San Francisco, South San Francisco, Fremont and San Jose with minimum order (pick-up or delivery).
Mie Didi
https://www.instagram.com/miedidi.sj/
Specialty: mie ayam (chicken noodles)
Where to find them: South Bay and East Bay (delivery). San Jose (pick-up).
Nusa SF
https://www.instagram.com/nusa.sf/
Recent offerings: kue lapis (thousand layer cake), lemper (spiced chicken wrapped in coconut sticky rice), nastar (pineapple-filled shortbread cookies)
Where to find them: Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market in San Francisco, Sunnyvale (pick-up). San Francisco, Peninsula, East Bay (delivery).
Savorbox
https://www.instagram.com/savor.box/
Recent offerings: putu ayu (steamed pandan cake with coconut), klepon (pandan rice balls filled with palm sugar, and rolled in grated coconut), lapis legit (a.k.a., kue lapis, thousand layer cake)
Where to find them: Saratoga (pick-up). Peninsula, East Bay (pick-up available with extra surcharge).
SF Terang Bulan
https://www.instagram.com/sf.terangbulan/
Specialty: martabak manis (sweet stuffed layer cake)
Where to find them: San Francisco (delivery with minimum order).
Sweet Creations by Fenti
https://www.instagram.com/sweet_creations_by_fenti/
Specialties: Indonesian desserts including lapis Surabaya (layered sponge cake with jam), pandan chiffon cake, Indonesian-flavored ice creams
Tempeh Bay Area
https://www.instagram.com/tempeh_bayarea/
Specialty: tempeh
Some notes on how I compiled the list: The Instagram account/blog Indonesian Foods in San Francisco Bay Area promotes Indonesian pop-ups, and following their IG introduced me to several pop-ups. Beyond that, Instagram’s suggestions algorithm was also a huge help (lol). A chat with my friend Rina P. tipped me off to other good spots.
Want more?
More Indonesian pop-up IG accounts:
Aroma Eatery: https://www.instagram.com/aromaeaterysf/
Jajan Eats: https://www.instagram.com/jajan.eats/
Dapoer Oma: https://www.instagram.com/dapoeroma_bayarea/
Dapur 701: https://www.instagram.com/dapur_701/
Doyan Dong, Steph!: https://www.instagram.com/doyandong_steph/
Indo Love Cafe: https://www.instagram.com/indo.love.cafe/
Martabak Mantoel: https://www.instagram.com/martabakmantoel/
Momic Kitchen: https://www.instagram.com/momic9_kitchen/
Waroeng Djempol: https://www.instagram.com/waroengdjempol/
Waroeng Nusantara: https://www.instagram.com/waroengnusantara.usa/
Bay Area Indonesian restaurants and food trucks + Malaysian/Singaporean restaurants and food trucks:
Bay Area Malaysian/Singaporean food pop-ups:
Bay Area Indonesian specialty grocery vendors:
News and writing from the last year about Indonesian food in the Bay Area:
SF Chronicle story on Indonesian food pop-ups, by Janelle Bitker
SF Chronicle coverage of Siska Silitonga’s Warung Siska, by Janelle Bitker
SF Chronicle list of anticipated openings, including SanDai with Chef Nora Haron, by Elena Kadavny and Janelle Bitker
Three Salted Fish, a newsletter about Indonesian food by Bay Area-based Melati Citrawireja with recipes, stories, and beautiful photography—and an interview with Chef Siska Silitonga, chef-owner of Warung Siska
Interview with Chef Siska Silitonga, by Prinka Saraswati (who also has an awesome Indonesian food newsletter)
KQED coverage of D’Grobak, by Luke Tsai
I found the best chinese food in jakarta- https://www.yummyadvisor.id/jakarta/peringkat-10-restoran-chinese-food-terbaik-di-jakarta/