Rice & Sambal: Authentic Indonesian Cuisine and Unique BYOB Dining in Philadelphia

Love the experience chef and her partner created for us! The menu changes every 6 weeks, and every dish carries a story behind and why the chef chooses certain ingredients or why is it made a certain way. It is so cool to see the history of Chinese and Dutch influence in the dishes, and see how the flavors integrate into Indonesian food. Also this is BYOB, which is less and less common now in Philly. Thank you Rice & Sambal for this unforgettable experience

Cute, warm and trendy atmosphere here at Rice and Sambal! Our waitress was so attentive and super friendly. We had the regular prefix menu which is a great introduction to Indonesian cuisine. All courses were portioned out perfectly and prepared so delicately. Food was fresh and tasty, make sure to add the sambals (or sauces) given in the beginning for the ultimate flavor bomb. The owners Jen and Diana introduced themselves at the end and checked with their guests individually. Overall, what a fantastic restaurant to be with great company while trying unique and creative Indonesian dishes. Truly a hidden gem, 10/10 would recommend!

Excellent. I hate describing food as “authentic”, but Rice & Sambal is one of the very few places that serve well-made authentic versions of traditional Indonesian dishes. Everything tasted “correct”. The eggplant balado had the deep flavors achieved only by slowly cooking down the sambal. It was one of the tastiest I’ve had, which says a lot as eggplant balado’s one of my favorite dishes. The other sambals served as dipping sauces on the side were balanced (lots of bright lemongrass in the green sambal, reminds me of Balinese sambals). They went well with the chayote and fried foods. Tofu and tempe no longer masquerade as health food. They’ve been properly presented as the batter-fried junk food often sold as snacks by street vendors, who will also sell the vegetable fritters on this platter. The fritters here were delightful, lightly crisp with a soft almost-fluffy-yet-gooey batter. Braises and stews were really tasty. The tempe bacem tasted really proper, like you can find them in everyday eateries but made a bit more intense. The jackfruit stew tasted like a less-sweet version of gudeg. If Padang’s rendang is the king of Indonesian food, then Yogyakarta’s gudeg is the king of vegan Indonesian food. And the platter wouldn’t be complete with charcoal-grilled food, one of the most traditional ways of cooking. Indonesian street corn is made using margarine and chili sauce, similar to elote without the cheese. The vegan platter has grilled maitake, while the non-vegan version should have the more common chicken or fish. Overall, much recommended. It is a bit pricy but it’s a premium I’ll gladly pay for the quality. I’ve only found one other Indonesian spot (in NYC) where the food tastes so “correct”. Come here with an empty stomach, and expect to bring home boxes of leftovers. BYOB.

Loved everything about it. Very small and intimate. The level of service to acknowledge and avoid allergies as mentioned in the reservation and to make a suitable replacement so as to not loose the experience of the first dish was so thoughtful. The food itself was amazing. So delicious. So many flavors exploding in your mouth. Loved it.

Impeccable South Asian cuisine that's flavorful, diverse, and seasoned to perfection. Their tasting menu is affordable, filling, and well-rounded. Added bonus: They're BYOB. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Highly recommended by our cookbook author friend, and what a surprise—this place is incredible! The food is phenomenal. It’s a set menu, and while I don’t usually like spicy food, I genuinely enjoyed every sambal. The strawberry sambal was absolutely delicious (I did have to take a few sips of water for that one!). Every dish was beautifully presented and oh so delicious. A true gem!

Great ambiance and superb service. We ordered the vegetarian prix fixe menu, and were very pleased with the mains (sate padang and terong saos). However, the apps (tofu and seitan “ceviche” and salad) were underwhelming both in terms of flavor profile and ingredient quality (at this price point in Philly, we were expecting more). They were just getting started when we stopped by, and will give it a second chance.

We did their Saturday Liwetan for my BDay and WHAT AN EXPERIENCE It’s delicious. It’s intimate. It’s gorgeous. It’s authentic & traditional. If you want to support women If you want to support POC If you want to support the LGBTQ+ community If you want to support small businesses EAT HERE!