The Province of Gorontalo on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia is a relatively untouched paradise boasting great aquatic life, lakes, forts, and underwater reefs as well as beautiful mountainous sceneries and some interesting history.

It is a great destination for those who seek natural landscapes of mountains and of seas without the crowd. And last but not least, it is also a top target for food lovers.

Famous for spicy food, we were fortunate enough to try the places that were recommended by the locals.

With cornfields at every corner, seems Gorontalo is in excess supply of this delicious vegetable, which brings us to our first culinary destination, a corn stall located by the side of a clean river. Harvested just across the river, the freshly picked waxy corn is accompanied with shredded coconut, herbs, and banana ‘heart’ i.e. the flower of the plant. Having never tried anything like it, we were told it is actually a very common snack in Gorontalo. Popularly priced, delicious and definitely a taste of local cuisine, this dish left us wanting more.

Nasi kuning (yellow rice) also seems to have earned its name in the city of Gorontalo and nasi kuning Hola at Sabar Menanti was the voted top choice. As a comparatively old eatery, the popularity is high. It offers a variety of dishes including lontong sayur (rice cakes served with coconut milk curry & vegetables), nasi campur (rice with a number of side dishes), and nasi goreng (fried rice), but most people go there for their famous nasi kuning Hola.

This common Indonesian dish however, is served with a twist. In this eatery, the yellow rice is served with fish, a pleasurable clear soup and hard-boiled egg to go along with it. It also comes along with deadly chili sauce. Flavorsome, inexpensive, and with fast service, this place even plane-packs the food for you to bring back home, hence, families and friends left behind are in luck!

Riding in a bentor (a combination of rickshaw and motorcycle) we headed to a diner by the sea, Brasil, offering great and fresh sea-food. From sea to plate in less than a few hours, it’s no surprise that the fish is incredibly fresh and succulent. The variety and size of fish, such as tuna, snapper, milkfish and grouper, combined with the exceptionally spicy sauces of Gorontalo makes this an unforgettable experience.

The pelelangan ikan (fish auction) by the Port of Gorontalo is also worth a visit. Huge varieties of fish being docked and the never-ending shouts of loud fish auctioneers is surely an entertainment at 6am every morning. We were tempted to haggle a few items and bring back for some homemade seafood. With the limited time, we are sure to have missed many delicacies. The spicy culinary experience that we did have though, did not disappoint.

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Text: Amanda Cole

Images: Omar Niode Foundation, Retno Oshin Hernis