The Ultimate Makassar Food Guide

Visiting Makassar is a treat for tastebuds. Formerly called Ujung Pandang, the city of Makassar is the largest city in east Indonesia. Besides being Indonesia’s busy air hub, it is also a culinary heaven. Even if you are a frequent traveller to Indonesia, you may be surprised to find some cuisine here that is not found anywhere else. I spent close to a week combing down all the good food places around Makassar.

Here is The Ultimate Makassar Food Guide.

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Palbas Serigala
Address: Jl. Serigala No. 54, Kec. Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan 90132, Indonesia
GPS: -5.160517, 119.421105

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Makassar cuisine is best known across the rest of Indonesia for its hearty meat stews. Hence, Pallubasa was my first meal in #Makassar. Like Coto Mangkasara (Coto Makassar), it is also made from offal of cattle or buffalo. I visited Palbas Serigala on 54 Jalan Serigala which is the most famous Pallubasa restaurant. The offal is cooked for a long time, hence you get a thick and rich mixed beef soup. At this restaurant, they put an egg yolk in the soup which added to the visual delight of the serving. You can also add shredded coconut and chilli to the flavourful soup. This is so good that I regret not ordering a second bowl! Ini sup yang sangat enak!

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Muda Mudi
Address: Jl. Rusa No.45 A, Kec. Makassar, Kota Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan 90142, Indonesia
GPS: -5.151028, 119.421940

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Tourists who have been to Makassar would know that the heat here can get quite unbearable. Have a plate of es pisang ijo – an iced treat against the searing heat. One of the popular ones can be found at the Muda-Mudi restaurant on Jalan Rusa, which has been serving up es pisang ijo since 1993. The king bananas (pisang raja) are peeled and wrapped in a rice four pancake made with pandan leaves (hence the ijo, or green, in the name). It is served with shaved ice, condensed milk, vanilla syrup and tapioca. It’s soooooooo sweet.

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Rumah Makan Nelayan
Address: Jalan Ali Malaka No. 25, Makassar, South Sulawesi 90112, Indonesia
GPS: -5.140680, 119.407882

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This is my favourite restaurant in Makassar. The entrance has several barrels of fish for you to choose from. There is also seafood on display with a smoking grill alongside the main door. After picking the seafood you wish to have for dinner, head into the restaurant where keropok (crackers) and condiments are served quickly. The grilled fish (Baronang Bakar) is butterflied and dry grilled, resulting in simply moist and delicious fish with fairly little bones. Dip it into the sauces to enjoy it better. The fish soup is excellent as well, it’s a little tangy with spices. We also had “otak otak” – fish cake wrapped in banana leaf wrapped and grilled.

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Putu Cangkir
Address: Jalan Masjid Raya, Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia
GPS: -5.131173, 119.423859

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Putu cake known as a typical Indonesian snacks which can be found at various locations. Along Jalan Mesjid Raya, you can find a row of night stalls selling putu cangkir. It is widely known as glutinous rice-based foods, which are served as snacks or desserts. Like our tutu kueh, the cakes here are cooked with steam coming out of small holes. The mixture consists of rice flour, glutinous rice flour and brown sugar, inserted in a mold and filled with grated coconut. Once filled, it is then covered with a cloth and cooked for about 2 minutes.

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Buroncong
Address: Jalan Pasar Ikan, Ujung Pandang, Kota Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan 90174, Indonesia
GPS: -5.137364, 119.405417

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At Jalan Pasar Ikan, there is a very good roadside stall that sells Buroncong. This is one of traditional cakes from Makassar and is made of grated coconut and flour, cooked under charcoal fire. This breakfast cake can be found at Losari Beach and at Jl Bacan market in Chinatown in the morning. Look for the mobile carts with a firewood stove. I think I have found my favourite street snack!

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Nasi Kuning Riburane
Address: Great Eastern, Jl. Riburane No.11, Wajo, Kota Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan 90174, Indonesia
GPS: -5.131759, 119.405840

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At the corner of Jl. Sulawesi and Jl. Riburane is a stall selling Nasi Kuning (yellow rice). Cooked with coconut milk and turmeric, the rice is served with a variety of meat and egg options which which you can choose. Their version has toppings such as boiled egg, topak lada, empal, paru, sambal goreng, and shredded beef. I had many scoops of sambal to pair with it. This was my breakfast. I am not kidding. So shiok!

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Toarco Toraja Coffee
Address: Jl. Gunung Latimojong No.105, Kec. Makassar, Kota Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan 90151, Indonesia
GPS: -5.134670, 119.419842

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Toraja coffee has long been praised as a masterpiece of Arabica coffee, with its mellow aroma and well balanced taste. This clean and comfortable cafe in the city offers a range of Japanese cakes and coffee. You can choose your coffee style – hand drip, press coffee, syphon style and espresso.

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Pallu Kaloa
Address: Jl. Tentara Pelajar No.66, Wajo, Kota Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan 90173, Indonesia
GPS: -5.122662, 119.414532

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In Makassar, you really got to get use of drink coconut based soups. I had Sup Kepala Ikan with the Novotel ladies at Jalan Tentara Pelajar. It’s a light and tangy tumeric-based broth filled with fish head and bones. It is not as rich and spicy like the assam curry. But it’s great to go with fish roes, rice and seaweed.

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Coto Nusantara
Address: Jl. Nusantara, Kota Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia
GPS: -5.124169, 119.408999

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In every street in Makassar, you can find stalls that sell Coto Makassar. I had breakfast at the famous stall in Jalan Nusantara. It is a rich and full-bodied beef broth filled with lung, liver, intestine, tripe and heart. The rice cake is a great way to soak up the tasty soup broth. Sometimes, the governors from South Sulawesi come here for breakfast!

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Sop Konro Ratulangi
Address: Jl. Sultan Alauddin No.88, Tamalate, Kota Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan 90223, Indonesia
GPS: -5.151989, 119.420643

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Sup Konro is a spicy beef rib soup originally from Buginese cuisine. Made with quartered whole meaty long beef ribs, the konro soup is spicy, rich and creamy with toasted coriander, nutmeg and cloves. At this shop next to Hotel Grand Celino, they also served grilled beef ribs.

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Pisang Epe
Address: Jl. Lamaddukelleng, Ujung Pandang, Kota Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia
GPS: -5.145790, 119.410935

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“Epe” comes form the word “pipih,” which means “flattened” — an apt description for the bananas in this dish, which are grilled over a charcoal fire and pressed flat with tongs while being brushed with dollops of palm sugar syrup. The bananas have a harder exterior with sweet and sticky taste from the palm sugar. They also do durian version as well. Packed in a bag of three, it makes for a perfect snack for a night out with friends at the beach.

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MAMA Toko Kue dan Es Krim
Address: Jl. Serui, Wajo, Kota Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia
GPS: -5.131633, 119.408997

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Started from a small-sized bakery shop along the streets to now a beautiful cafe, Kafe Mama still sells a good variety of traditional cakes and snacks for the people of Makassar. They have snacks like Katrisala (black glutinous rice), Cucur Bayao (made from eggyolk), Bangko (Coconut & corn), and much more. Love the atmosphere here, I can just sit by the window, eat some cakes and wind down after so many days of makan.

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Kapurung Kasuari
Address: Jl. Kasuari No.2, Mariso, Kota Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan 90125, Indonesia
GPS: -5.152360, 119.413455

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Kapurung is another unique and tasty dish from Makassar. It is a traditional fish soup with water spinach, local basil, and chilli. Something that makes this dish unique is that because this dish is not served with steamed rice but with this sago ball. It’s very good, and a rather unique experience to have tang yuan in savoury soup. Deep fried mairo fish is also super delicious!

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Warung Kopi Phoenam
Address: Jl. Jampea No.8, Wajo, Kota Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan 90174, Indonesia
GPS: -5.132408, 119.407240

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Many coffee shops in Makassar were mostly run by Hainanese migrants. Originated from the provincial capital of South Sulawesi in 1946, Phoenam Coffee Shop is one of the oldest coffee shop in Makassar. Thick and fragrant, I recommend you to go for the coffee with condensed milk (as the kosong one may be too bitter). They also serve kaya toast, made with thick yet soft bread in their homemade kaya jam (coconut jam). Cheers to their free wifi, you see some businessmen on weekdays coming here for work or meetings.

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RM Surya Super Crab
Address: Jl.Nusa Kambangan, Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
GPS: -5.147665, 119.432731

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Seafood is one of the natural wealth owned Makassar. Crab, shrimp, squid, scallops and sea fish are of good quality. Surya restaurant is famous for their jumbo size crab cooked in Chinese style. Try the Kepiting (Crab) cooked in Padang style sauce, which is similar to our chilli crab. Surya restaurant is famous for their jumbo size crab cooked in Chinese style. Try the Kepiting (Crab) cooked in Padang style sauce. Another highlight here is Mie Titi, made from fried noodles coated in egg and cornstarch sauce (just like our yee-mee). The ingredients here are generous, and you eat in the comfort of air-conditioning.

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Pangsit Mie 90
Address: Jl. Lembeh No.64 D, Wajo, Kota Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan 90172, Indonesia
GPS: -5.127857, 119.411357

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Used to be a watch shop, this place sells porridge, wanton mee and chicken rice. Their pangsit mie is really similar to our wanton noodle. Just that a lot of them pours the soup into the noodles, add small chilli and chilli sauce to eat instead of having it dry. People call this “special noodle” because it contains pork.

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Nyuk Nyang Roya
Address: Jl. Irian No.3, Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia
GPS: -5.126893, 119.413233

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Nyuk Nyang Roya is one of the tastiest pork ball soup in town. Pork is fattier than beef, hence what you get is juicy and moist homemade pork balls. The soup is serve piping hot and very light. But I like the change very much, especially after eating so many bowls of meat stew for the past few days.

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Es Cendol Malino
Address: Jl. Gunung Latimojong, Kota Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia
GPS: -5.138590, 119.420448

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OMG, THIS CHENDOL IS SO GOOD! Thick and rich gula melaka, fresh coconut with green chendol strips from Malino. The chendol strips has dark greenish shade, translucent and soft but chewy. Enjoy the thick fragrance of their coconut and gula meleka, I enjoyed it so much under the hot weather! This is bought from a street van parked along Gunung Latimojong! Enak!

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Ati Raja
Address: Jl. Gunung Merapi No. 170 (Jl. Gunung Nona), Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia
GPS: -5.144136, 119.419412

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It’s meatball soup and fried tofu fritters at Kios Ati Raja! I was told that, if I post a picture for this fried tofu fritters, people can recognize which stall it is from. This place is pretty new and you can try different kind of meat balls. Suggest that you skip the dimsum, it’s not worth your tummy space. Oh yes, this is halal!

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Es Putar Papabon
Address: Jl. Gunung Nona, Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia
GPS: -5.144136, 119.419412

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Concluding the trip with ice cream from Es Putar Papabon. With more than 10 flavours, the ice cream is colourful, thick and super creamy. You can have it in cone or bread, and with alot of condiments like the colourful rice crackers or chocolate sauce.

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TO STAY

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Makassar has a large number and variety of large and small hotels. The latest in town is Novotel Makassar Grand Shayla. The centrally-located hotel provides everything the discerning traveller looks for in a hotel. After a day’s work in the business centre, or sightseeing around town, reap the benefits of a massage or a dip in the outdoor pool. With 4-star service and first-rate amenities, all my needs are covered at Novotel.

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TO DO

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One of the latest attractions in Makassar is a large indoor theme park called Trans Studio. Part of The Trans Studio World project, there is also shopping mall, supermarket, hotel, office area, recreational beach area, and residential area. Trans Studio theme park has 22 features and rides. Many of the rides are adopted from TransTV’s and Trans7’s shows.

Many said Makassar has one of the most beautiful sunset. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to see it for the past few days as it was raining here. On my last night in Makassar, we travelled all the way to Ballairate Sunset Bar at Pantay Gapura Hotel to try to catch a glimpse of it. It was too cloudy and the sun was hiding shyly behind the clouds. Well I guess that gives me another reason to come back again next time!

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Thank you SilkAir & Antavaya Travel for hosting this trip. SilkAir flies to Makassar on a thrice weekly basis, departing Singapore on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Antavaya Travel does excellent customized inbound tours.