Where To Eat in Medan, North Sumatra

If you talk to anyone about Medan, the number one thing that comes up is definitely the food. The distinguished Chinese-Medanese cuisine is known to Indonesians as exceptionally delicious. Just as famous is the Batak cuisine with its pork dishes and others. Now that we've been to Medan, these are our recommendations!

Macehat Coffee

Macehat is famous for their Avocado Coffee drink, but they also offer snacks and coffee beans. I've heard so many rave reviews for this coffee shop, but my final verdict is: it's ok, just so so.

Macehat Coffee

Fried Cassava

Avocado Coffee

Jumbo Seafood Restaurant

Located right next to our hotel, this restaurant was an easy option for dinner. It's a fancy and pricey Chinese Restaurant, and it seemed popular for the locals. It was very busy when we were there. We ordered a few dishes but none of them were anything to write home about.

Jumbo Seafood Restaurant

Kangkung Cah

Ayam Binjai

Venison meat

Sauces

Kedai Kopi Apek

Quoted as the oldest kopitiam in Medan, Kedai Kopi Apek seemed really popular with the locals. This coffee shop is located right across from Pasar Hindu (Hindu Market) and were pretty crowded when we got there. We had the usual coffee, egg, and kaya toast. On the outside of the building they have a char kwetiau station set up that smelled so good. The food and drink were pretty good, but we did like the one we had in P. Siantar better. The most shocking thing about this establishment is the considerably high prices. :D

Ondo Grill

I dare say that Ondo Grill had the best food we tasted in Medan. They are known for the Batak-style grilled pork and it was amazing! Their Andaliman sauce was also very tasty but spicy. If you want to bring some home as souvenirs, you can order the pork vacuum-sealed.

Ucok Durian

Durian, the King of Fruits, is very popular in Indonesia. However, most people hate it if they didn't grow up with it. Medanese durians are one of our popular types, and Ucok Durian is the place to have them! You can tell them what types of durians you like and they will pick one for you. You can taste a little scoop and if you don't like it they will find you something else. Give it a try!

Lim Kok Tong Kopitiam

This koptiam chain has a long history in Medan. Though you can now find their branches in Jakarta and surrounding areas, do give the Medanese one a try :)

Bihun Bebek Asie

Infamous for the grumpy owner, the staff were friendly when we were there. :) A bowl of duck vermicelli soup was highly-priced but the size was also enormous. As expected, the rich broth smelled like duck but if you like ducks then you should give this one a try.