NYC Restaurant Filter: Where Can I Find Great Rijstafel?

August 12, 2006 5:16 PM

Show me to the rice table!

A MeFite's recent answer (http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/42709#656922) about things to do in NYC has sparked my curiosity about & whetted my appetite for rijstafel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rijstafel).

Is Java still open? Do you recommend it? Are there recommended restaurants in Manhattan that serve it?

I'm hoping to share what sounds like a tasty meal with some friends who enjoy a variety of international cuisines.

posted by NYCinephile to food & drink (8 comments total)

They don't have rijstafel, but I highly recommend Rice. I've eaten at the Mott Street one, and they have others (uptown on Lex, Ft. Greene, DUMBO). Really tasty, affordable, and fun. Their menus are on the website.
posted by The Michael The at 5:55 PM on August 12, 2006

Says Chowhound: Upi Jaya in Elmhurst and Bali Nusa Indah in the theater district.
posted by anjamu at 6:55 PM on August 12, 2006

Java in South Park Slope is definitely still open, I ate there a couple weeks ago. It's small, usually no one else is in the restaurant but you and your date, but it's quaint and cute with a real mom and pop vibe. Also quiet and kind of romantic because the lights are low, but it's not like a designy place. The owner-lady is very nice.

I also recommend the Jakarta Green drink they offer-- sugary but delicious.
posted by np312 at 8:32 PM on August 12, 2006

Actually, I saw the same MeFi comment you did, and visited the place this past weekend with an Indonesian friend of mine.

Yeah, it's still open, and it's great. We got the rijstaffel, which is a big assortment of various dishes. My friend felt a couple of the dishes were milder than she's used to, but overall we were both very satisfied, and she is notoriously fussy about food. I just wish I lived in their delivery area.
posted by Brian James at 8:44 PM on August 12, 2006

Following up on anjamu's reply, I called Bali Nusa Indah this afternoon.

The gentleman answering the phone confirmed that, even though it is not listed on the online menu, the restaurant does serve rijstafel. The cost? $25 per person.
posted by NYCinephile at 12:30 PM on August 14, 2006

I raised this question to Gothamist's Laren Spirer. In the hope of obtaining answers, she's posted it more publicly.
posted by NYCinephile at 12:08 PM on August 15, 2006

My comments regarding a recent visit to Bali Nusa Indah.
posted by NYCinephile at 2:55 PM on August 24, 2006

A nice description of rijstafel and its history.
posted by NYCinephile at 1:24 AM on September 3, 2006