One of the best things about visiting this part of the world is experiencing the food and drink local to Indonesia. Many of the dishes in Lombok and the wider region are packed full of flavours from the rich variety of herbs and spices available here. Two of the simplest and tastiest dishes are meh goreng (fried noodles) and nasi goreng (fried rice with a fried egg on top – picture above) and you will find them literally everywhere… in every town and village, there will be a local warung or two, each adding their own little twist to these classic Indonesian dishes. Nasi goreng is even considered the national dish of Indonesia! For the more adventurous palate, you can also add “Sambal”, the local “sauce” to any dish. Sambal is packed full of chilis and tomatoes, garlic and shallots, meaning this tangy sauce can be mild to very hot indeed… pick your colour carefully 😉

You will also find many variants on fried chicken being cooked throughout the villages as well as curries but if you want something really special try the “rendang”, a rich and creamy sauce made from coconut milk and spices used to marinate and cook beef or sometimes chicken until deliciously tender.

My favourite dish in these parts, however, is also a surprisingly simple one, bakso… a deceivingly complex “noodle broth”, bakso is often served with little balls of herb flavoured, ground meat, shrimp or fish, sometimes wrapped around an egg and the best part is it’s up to you decide on the intensity of flavours in your meal! Add sambal as described above for your preferred heat and then sweeten the dish with a sweet soy sauce to really set off the succulent mix of glass and egg noodles.

Enjoying all of these foods at Two Fish South Lombok (AKA the dive farm) this week we’ve had experienced fun divers Erik and Allen, seeking out critters on the reefs around the secret Gilis. Allen also enjoyed a trip to Belongas Bay where the seas are currently calm, currents nice and easy and a mobula ray popped by to say hi above the beautiful, untouched coral of Gili Sarang. I also had the pleasure of teaching Justin how to dive during his PADI Open Water Course and it’s a real buzz to see someone overcome their concerns to be another lover of the sea and an Ocean Ambassador.

Would you like to join us in South Lombok? We’d love to share our amazing dive sites with you! Did you know that South Lombok is becoming known as the new Raja Ampat of Indonesia?! Come and see for yourself – fill in the form below for more information and we will get right back to you!