How To Talk About Food And Drink In Indonesian

If you’re at an Indonesian restaurant, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to pronounce nasi goreng correctly when you order it? Indonesian food words are an important topic to learn early on in your language studies, not only because they’re useful in conversation, but also because Indonesian food is delicious! (Dishes from Indonesia ranked first and second in a 2007 CNN poll of the world’s best foods.)

Once you learn the food and drink vocabulary below, you’ll be prepared to impress the waitstaff by ordering at a restaurant at home, to discuss food on your eventual travels to Indonesia, or even to host your own Indonesian dinner party.

Study the vocabulary below, and you’ll be well on your way to having basic conversations about food in Indonesian. Press the play button to hear how each word or phrase is pronounced. Selamat makan! (“Enjoy your meal!”)

Meal-Related Words And Phrases

to eat — memakan

to drink — meminum

restaurant — rumah makan

food stall — warung

menu — kartu menu

breakfast — sarapan

dinner — makan malam

starter — makanan pembuka

main course — makanan utama

dessert — pencuci mulut

waiter — pelayan restoran

vegetarian — vegetaris

Enjoy your meal! — Selamat makan!

Can I have the check, please? — Saya bisa minta bon?

Indonesian Food Words

rice — nasi

pasta — pasta

bread — roti

cheese — keju

beef — daging sapi

pork — daging babi

poultry — unggas

steak — steak

seafood — hidangan laut

fruit — buah-buahan

vegetables — sayur-sayuran

potato — kentang

Indonesian Drink Words

drink — minuman

mineral water — air mineral

tap water — air kran

juice — jus

coffee — kopi

tea — teh

beer — bir

wine — anggur