Indonesian cuisine is hot, spicy and exotic. Howard Hilman, an author of world cuisine books who has traveled to more than 100 countries, placed Indonesia in the top 10 best cuisines in the world. But Indonesian restaurants are not really popular in United States. There is only one Indonesian restaurant in the entire state of Wisconsin and that is Bandung restaurant, located in Madison.

The restaurant is tastefully decorated with Indonesian ornaments: a batik map near the door, Javanese paintings and traditional masks along the wall.

One of Bandung’s unique menu items is tempeh, which is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form. They serve tempeh in various dishes at a very affordable price. Tempeh goreng is a sweet and crispy fried soybean cake that costs $5.25. It is surprising because it has a sweet taste, very different from the tempeh goreng served in Indonesia. Tempeh goreng in Jakarta is usually served with raw green chilies, so it tastes a little bit salty and spicy rather than sweet.

Tempeh at Bandung is different than the tempeh that is served in Jakarta. For example, sambal goreng tempeh, which is a soybean cake, green beans, lemon grass and potato stir-fried with spicy candlenut and palm sugar, tastes delicious, with a pleasant balance of sweet and sour. It costs $8.95. Although the name “sambal” in Indonesian refers to chili sauce, the dish is not spicy at all. What is particularly interesting is that menu items came with a beer recommendation. This is truly tempeh served American style.

Virginia Bryan, a Madison College librarian, said that tempeh is one of her favorite dishes. “I like the nutty taste and the crispiness. It makes me want to keep eating it,” she said.

“I have been making tempeh for 15 years,” said Mochamad Sjahrani, the owner of Bandung restaurant. “Tempeh has a long history. It was invented in the sixteenth century by Javanese people in Indonesia. For hundreds of years tempeh has been a part of Indonesian identity,” he said.

Before having dessert, I was curious to try the sate tempeh, a recommended item on the vegetarian menu. It is a soybean cake marinated and grilled topped with sweet peanut sauce and served on a bed of lontong (sticky rice). It is a creative way to serve it because in Jakarta, tempeh never appears in “sate” form.

Overall, Bandung restaurant provides a delightful experience for enjoying ethnic food. The Indonesian tempeh is definitely worth a try. It is served in many ways, from appetizers to special entrees. It also provides a good opportunity for vegetarians to have a delicious healthy food. Indonesian people who want more spicy taste can ask for “sambal.” I highly recommended “sambal goreng tempeh,” the most pleasing menu item.