SacFoodies reviewed Indo Café:   http://sacfoodies.com/2011/01/indo-cafe/      

This past week, SacFoodies has been featuring restaurants and cafes in Old Sacramento. Enjoy today’s review below and be sure to also check out the reviews from earlier this week to learn about great places to eat in Old Sac!

Old Sacramento is one area of this city that I have yet to explore.  In fact, prior to last weekend, the only restaurant I had truly dined at in Old Sacramento was, drum roll please … Subway!  So, needless to say, I jumped at the chance to check out the food scene over there. After doing my research, I decided to use this opportunity to not only explore a new part of town, but to explore a new cuisine: Indonesian food. 

In an attempt not to make my cluelessness too obvious, I did my research before venturing over to Indo Cafe, on a busy Saturday afternoon in Old Sacramento. Of course as soon as I walked in, all of my studying flew out the window and I made a beeline to the counter where an incredibly kind woman waited, eager to help me make a dining decision. I told her that I had never had Indonesian food, wanted to try something authentic and wasn’t scared to try something new. She let out a big grin and said “Ah! You need to see the secret menu!"Wayto make a girl feel special.

It seems you can find a Japanese restaurant on practically any street corner in Sacramento these days; Thai, Chinese, Indian, Korean and Vietnamese eateries are also fairly widespread. But we Sacramentans can explore other Asian nations from a culinary vantage point, too.

Indonesia comprises more than 13,000 islands and 300 ethnic groups. It’s no surprise then that its cuisine reflects a broad range of influences. In Indonesian cooking you’ll find the coconut milk, lemongrass and peanut sauce of Thailand; the noodles of China; and the cumin, ginger, coriander and curry of India. At the unassuming Indo Café (1100 Front Street, (916) 446-4008), you can savor basic Indonesian food like bakmi goreng (stir-fried egg noodles and vegetables) or gado-gado (vegetable, tofu and egg salad with peanut sauce). Ice cincau is a refreshing elixir of coconut, brown sugar and grass jelly. (http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content?oid=227395)

So, I stopped in to visit my friends at the Indo Café. They make the very best fried noodles. I've attempted to make some at home, but they just aren't the same. Each time I stop in, I pick up some shrimp crackers; in fact, I normally buy all they have on hand. The trouble is they never last long enough. (http://reliableanswers.com/kitchen/fall_cooking.asp)

At noon we met Mary's cousin, who lives near Sacramento, for lunch at the Indo Cafe in Old Town, which, amusingly enough, was about 15 feet away from the fish-and-chips place we ate at on Thursday. It was Indonesian and really good. I would mostly give Old Sacramento a pass in the future (apart from the Train museum, which is nearby), but the Indo Cafe was great. (http://www.themonolators.com/blog/2009/05/friday-may-8-sacramento-to-davis-to.html)

MEDIA BITE
For a quick bite, Indo Cafe in Old Town is the spot. Its proximity to the beach and open-air seating are almost enough to get you thinking you're somewhere remote. Try the Thai iced tea and a plate of beef rendang (a spicy red curry sauce) with shrimp crackers. If you're like me and have a busy schedule, you'll love their quick service.&emdash;Adrienne Bankert, KCRA 3 Traffic Anchor/Reporter (http://www.sacmag.com/media/Sacramento-Magazine/June-2006/On-the-Waterfront/)

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