My first brush with Indonesian food was when I was working at a now-defunct French food media group, where I was tasked with creating English-language content. One visiting chef from Australia cooked us a wide range of stellar recipes, including a slow-cooked beef rendang that absolutely conquered my heart and my palate, and ever since, I’ve been an unabashed fan of this cuisine. And so when a recent search for dinner brought me to the doors of Makan Makan, I went in and feasted quite happily on a range of dishes, each of which proved more delicious than the next.
I admittedly don’t know much about Indonesian food except that I like it: the spice, the slow-cooked meats, the slight sweetness featured in many of the dishes, particularly the proteins. Part of me didn’t even want to know if what I’d eaten at Makan Makan was authentic, but since one of my best friends in Paris is indeed Indonesian, I messaged her about the spot, and she was just as effusive as I was. We returned together, and now that I’ve been twice, I can attest to its flawlessness.
Makan Makan is a casual spot that seems geared towards the lunchtime crowd. It does a robust takeaway business, but the staff attends to the handful of tables genially and with real warmth. On both of my visits, the majority of my fellow patrons were Indonesian, which I always take to be a good sign. Indeed, my friend said that this is the place to come if you’re an Indonesian in Paris looking for a taste of home.
On our first visit, my girlfriend ordered the mie goreng (14), Indonesian sautéed noodles topped with the protein of your choice. (She went with tofu.) The flavor of the stir-fried noodles evokes the dish’s roots in Chinese chow mein, albeit with some Indonesian touches, like sweet soy sauce and an array of textured toppings like crudités, a lovely vegetable salad, and crisp prawn crackers.
I ordered the Ayam Bakar (15), an Indonesian spiced and grilled chicken that redefined the expression “fall-apart tender.” I barely needed a knife to extract the bone from this tender, full-flavored chicken leg, and I loved the smoky, slightly caramelized flavor that pervaded both meat and skin. The house sambal (1.5) was perfect for pairing, and swapping the white rice for yellow (1) was a game-changer: This rice cooked in coconut milk and turmeric offered an aromatic counterpart that paired perfectly with the chicken.
I was dreaming of this dish when my friend and I returned, only to be given the (highly distressing) news that they didn’t have it that day. But this turned out to be a silver lining.
At first, I considered ordering as my friend did – and as did the two other Indonesian women at the adjoining table. They opted for the Soto Tangkar (16), a rich coconut milk-based soup with slow-cooked beef and offal. They paired it with rice and Kerupuk (2.5), crunchy rice crackers, and it did indeed look and smell delicious.
But after much deliberation, I decided instead to order the Empal Balado (16) which I perhaps liked even more than the chicken. This dried-and-slow-cooked beef dish from western Sumatra pairs rich beef with a sweet and savory sauce and a heaping helping of spice thanks to the house-made fried sambal sauce. The richness of the hot sauce with the tender, slightly sweet beef was pure perfection.
I also added a side of urap (4), a crunchy vegetable salad seasoned with toasted coconut, adding still more of that token sweetness to the savory.
For dessert, my friend ordered Es Cendol (6.5), a coconut milk and palm sugar beverage with chewy bits of sticky rice jelly. I, meanwhile, was totally full; the waitress gamely packaged up my leftovers, which I enjoyed just as much the next day.
Makan Makan – 24 Rue Richer, 75009