Bukittinggi and Padang - 7 Exquisite Cuisines To Savor, Bukittinggi, Indonesia

A trip to West Sumatera is never complete without indulging in its wide array of delicacies starting with the famous Nasi Padang. It has become a rite of passage for any traveler, local or foreign, to be served with the bountiful dishes from fried quail to fish egg stew in almost always spicy fashion. During my three days in the Minang heartland, I took the opportunity to seek other culinary delights and also commit myself to find their best kept secret. Here are 6 exquisite cuisines to savor in Bukittinggi and Padang.

Fancy having some egg in your tea? Then you’ve come to the right place. Teh telor, literally translated as egg tea, is prepared by mixing an egg yolk, preferably duck egg, with brown sugar in a cup before pouring steeping hot tea. The unlikely concoction is then thoroughly mixed before gulping it down your throat. It is believed to relieve muscle aches (I could attest to that) and increases a man’s virility in the long run. The tea tastes creamy and fatty, coming from the egg, which was doubly pleasant considering I was also enjoying this cuppa at a hut overlooking the cool and misty Danau Maninjau.

The problem with the abundance of dishes served in Nasi Padang is that it can get quite repetitive but some restaurants go the extra mile to offer their piece de resistance to the masses. In the case of Family Benteng, the legendary ayam pop’s popularity has reached far out to every corner of the Indonesian archipelago. The “naked” chicken looks uninviting but what it lacks in aesthetics, it makes up in flavor. It undergoes a rigorous series of seasonings before cooked in hot coconut oil to give that extra “pop” to your mouth, as it name implies. Four pieces for me somehow was still never enough. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).