Craving something new yet not such a drastic detachment from the dishes you like? You might want to sample Indonesian cuisine, one of the most vibrant and colorful cuisines in the world, which will take centerstage from now until September 18 at The Nostalgia Dining Lounge‘s Indonesian Food Festival at Oakwood Premier Manila, Ortigas (click here to book your stay).

Ribs Soup or Sup Iga

Dynamic and flavorful Indonesian fare that is sure to awaken your palate are introduced into Nostalgia’s featured weekday lunch buffet (P999 net), with special set menus available for lunch and dinner, through the culinary expertise of Executive Chef Deden Suherman and Sous Chef Sulistyo Antonius, who flew in all the way from Oakwood Premier Cozmo Jakarta.

Vegetable with Peanut Sauce or Gado-Gado

Among the sumptuous and intense-flavored offerings are the appetizing Gado-Gado or vegetables with peanut sauce and tangy Mie Goreng. I don’t think I’ve ever dined in an Indonesian restaurant or consciously sampled Indonesian cuisine, so this was definitely a welcome experience for me. When I visit Indonesia one day, I know what to order.

What I did notice is how there are so many dishes similar to Filipino food, as well as Thai, Vietnamese, and Malaysian cuisine, so it’s both new and familiar to me, and definitely a party of flavors in my mouth: spicy, sweet, sour, and savory. There was a lot of meat, for sure, as well as fish and prawns/shrimps. There were several veggie dishes, too, but you should already know me enough by now to know that I skipped those, hehe.

Chicken Satay or Sate Ayam

I wasn’t able to try all the dishes, but I did allow myself to get a little bit of the sinful and tasty Chicken Skin; the spicy Rendang Padang, Indonesia’s famous beef stew with spice and herbs; the flavorful Sate Ayam, or Grilled Chicken Skewer; the Sambal Goreng Udang or Sauteed Prawn with Chili that packed in a lot of heat; and the delightfully savory Home Style Fried Rice with Salty Fish that went with all the mains I tried.

As for dessert, there was a lot! I indulged with some strawberry ice cream from the Ice Cream Station, which also offered mango, chocolate, and ube flavors, as well as toppings like mini marshmallows, dark chocolate chips, candy sprinkles, and frosted corn flakes.

View the gallery below for more of the dessert items I tried, the other buffet stations, and a sneak peek at what to expect from the food festival. Click the first thumbnail to enlarge the image, view the food description in the caption, and launch the rest of the slideshow.

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Nostalgia Dining Lounge is located at the 6/F of Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg Center Manila, along 17 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. For reservations, please call (02) 637-7888 loc. 8604 or email premiermanila@oakwoodasia.com. Click here for my review of Nostalgia’s Friday Night Classics. To book your stay in Oakwood Premier via Agoda, click here.

Photos by Trixie Reyna and courtesy of Oakwood Premier