OK, so is there much of a street food Rantepao and Toraja scene? Well, despite getting here involving going, or staying in, some serious boony towns like Enrekang, there is actually a decent amount going on in Rantepao.
This is in part at least because tourists do come here for the whole macabre funeral related stuff and because it is the capital of the regency. This means street eats, local delicacies and even a KFC! Seriously, what a time to be alive.
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Why go to Rantepao?
Rantepao is basically the gateway to Toraja and the main base for exploring one of Indonesia’s most unusual cultural regions. People come here for the traditional funeral ceremonies, buffalo slaughtering, ancient hanging graves, mummified bodies, tongkonan houses and the generally rather macabre side of Torajan culture. It is also surrounded by some seriously beautiful mountain countryside.
Getting here, however, is half the adventure. From Makassar it is around 8 to 10 hours by road, depending on traffic and stops, and the journey takes you through some seriously rural parts of South Sulawesi, including places like Parepare and Enrekang. This is proper countryside.
Street Food Rantepao
Like many an Indonesian city, the street food scene here is based around the centre, where here at least the park and the “Kota Rantepao” sign are. Do not get too excited though, this is not exactly Makassar. What you do get, though, is a collection of food trucks and stalls knocking out all the usual favourites. Mie Goreng anyone?
I tried a few things on this street, namely Sempol Ayam, which is small meatballs cooked in egg and then served with peanut sauce, and/or sambal. Pretty good and at 60 cents for a cup I could not quibble. Other decent stalls were noted, but again, it is spread out rather than being a street food area.
They also, though, have a whole heap of restaurants serving very local cuisine, so that’s where I went.
Rantepao Cuisine at Warung Pong Buri Restaurant
When looking for one of the best local restaurants within walking distance of the street food Rantepao scene, I was led to Warung Pong Buri Restaurant, being quite literally unaware of what to expect.
What greeted me was a very simple local restaurant where you picked your food from bowls and then were served some rice by the kitchen. It looked simple, it looked weird and people were eating with their hands. At this point there was no way I was not going in.
I picked two of the most famous dishes, namely Pa’piong / piong, meat (chicken) cooked inside bamboo, and Pork Pamarassan, pork cooked with the distinctive black keluak based Torajan sauce. Rice was then brought to the table, before I helped myself to some iced tea. Thank God I did, because I also asked for sambal (hot sauce) and was delivered one that had been made with katokkon, the seriously hot Torajan chilli.
Here I have to say the black pork dish, which I had to slice, was seriously good and even gamey, but holy shit, when you added the katokkon it was fucking insane. This is the most potent hot sauce I have ever had. And as I was eating with my hands, it meant a serious scrub before I could go anywhere near my nether regions!
This was real deal local dining though, and I would go back there in a heartbeat. Probably the best restaurant for local food in Rantepao.
Warung Pong Buri Address
Jl. Emmy Saelan No. 37, Malango’, Rantepao, Kabupaten Toraja Utara, Sulawesi Selatan 91833, Indonesia
Western Food and Beer at Cafe Aras
While I’d read about Cafe Aras, it was discovered accidentally with regards to going in there. Basically, I walked past, saw a Bintang sign and realized I had not had a beer in a week (Muslim reasons).
Turns out I was not the only barang to have this idea, as quite literally the only other white people (3) that I was to see in the whole area were here. I had chicken satay, which was decent, with chips that were OK, and a buffalo steak. This was cut up, cooked well done and served on a hot plate in sauce. Thoroughly decent, but no game changer.
But of course, how could we forget the beer? One big bottle of Bintang downed in one go, as the video attests to. Despite it being my first beer for a while, though, it did not give me the “dreaded flavour” and I left it at that. Lucky really, as this joint closes at 21.00.
I guess I could have had a go at a Long Island Iced Tea at the Teresa Heritage Hotel, but after seeing their fish and chips, thought better of it. Perhaps I am growing up, or maybe I’ll do a big bender in the next party place I am in.
Overall though, I have to say that the Rantepao street food scene was actually alright, and this is while ignoring the fact they even have a KFC. Alas, I did not have the time or energy to see if there was also a Rocket Chicken!
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