The Ultimate Vegetarian Food Guide for Traveling in Indonesia

A friendly guide for plant-eaters who want to explore Indonesia without surviving on french fries and instant noodles

Before I flew to Indonesia, everyone warned me the same thing:
“Good luck being vegetarian there. Everything has meat, or at least shrimp paste.”

Spoiler: they were wrong.

Yes, Indonesia loves its chicken satay and fish-based sambal, but it’s also a country where rice is a religion, tofu and tempeh are everywhere, and veggie dishes exist in almost every warung if you know what to look (and ask) for. Is it as effortless as India? Nope. Is it totally doable and delicious? 100% yes.

Understanding Vegetarian Travel in Indonesia

Before we dive into the food list, here’s one important thing: “vegetarian” means different things here.

• Vegetarian (global meaning): no meat, no fish, sometimes eggs/dairy okay.
• Vegan: no animal products at all.
• “Indonesian vegetarian”: often still includes egg, shrimp paste (terasi), fish sauce, or broth made from meat. Always double-check.

 

Real Talk: Hidden Ingredients

A lot of dishes look veg-friendly but secretly contain:

Shrimp paste (terasi) – common in sambal
Fish sauce / fish broth – used in soups
Chicken broth – even for veggie soups
Bone marrow stock – hidden in street noodles

Key Indonesian Phrases

English	Indonesian
I don’t eat meat	Saya tidak makan daging
No fish / seafood	Tanpa ikan / tanpa seafood
No egg	Tanpa telur
Can you make it vegetarian?	Bisa dibuat vegetarian?
Just vegetables please	Sayur saja ya

Say these with a smile and you’ll be fine.

Best Naturally Vegetarian Indonesian Dishes

Here’s the good news: Indonesia already has a bunch of plant-based dishes without trying.

✅ Gado-Gado – boiled veggies, tofu, tempeh, peanut sauce (ask for no egg)
✅ Pecel – the East Javanese cousin of gado-gado, lighter peanut sauce
✅ Tahu Tempe Bacem / Goreng – sweet-marinated tofu/tempeh, iconic in Jogja
✅ Sayur Lodeh – coconut milk veggie stew (check if broth is meat-free)
✅ Urap – vegetable salad with spiced coconut
✅ Nasi Pecel / Nasi Campur Veg Version – rice + mixed veggies + peanut sauce
✅ Ketoprak – tofu, rice cake, noodles, bean sprouts, peanut sauce
✅ Vegan Soto (in cities like Jogja & Bali)
✅ Bubur Manado (Tinutuan) – savory porridge with veggies (North Sulawesi)
✅ Gudeg Vegetarian (Yogyakarta) – young jackfruit stew, but ask for no chicken/beef side dishes
✅ Lalapan – raw veggies + sambal (confirm sambal has no shrimp paste)

Sweet Street Snacks

Pisang goreng (fried banana)
Klepon (glutinous rice balls w/ palm sugar)
Onde-onde (sesame mung bean balls)
Kue putu, serabi, getuk, lupis – so many vegan-friendly traditional snacks

Regional Veg Food Highlights

Java (Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta)

Home of tofu, tempeh, pecel, gudeg. Easy to find veg-friendly warungs, especially near universities.

Bali

The unofficial vegetarian capital of Indonesia. Ubud, Canggu, Uluwatu = vegan cafés, smoothie bowls, plant-based nasi campur, everything.

Sumatra (Padang Food!)

Nasi Padang looks like a carnivore’s buffet, but order “sayur aja” and you’ll get jackfruit curry, cassava leaves, tofu, tempeh, sambal ijo, etc.

 

Sulawesi & Kalimantan

Less veg-friendly. Stick to warungs with buffet-style displays and pick the veggie items. Bring snacks.
Tourist Hotspots w/ Many Veg Spots

Ubud, Canggu, Gili Islands, Uluwatu, Seminyak, Kuta Lombok, Labuan Bajo, Yogyakarta

How to Order Vegetarian Food in Warungs

✅ Look for places with buffet trays (Nasi Padang / Nasi Campur)
✅ Say: “Tanpa daging, ikan, ayam, telur. Sayur saja ya.”
✅ Pointing works. Don’t be shy.
✅ Ask if sambal has shrimp paste: “Sambalnya pakai terasi?”

🚩 Red Flags

Bright red sambal = usually contains shrimp paste
Soups = almost always broth-based
“Vegetable noodle” still cooked in chicken broth

Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurant Chains / Spots

Warung Vegetarian / Vegan (Yogyakarta, Bali, Jakarta – search: “Warung Vegetarian”)
Nasi Padang restaurants – cheap & filling
Warteg (budget warung in Java, tons of veg options)
Vegan cafés (Ubud, Canggu, Seminyak, Jakarta)
Apps: HappyCow, GoFood, GrabFood, Google Maps reviews

Budget estimate:

Warung plate: Rp 10k–25k ($0.60–$1.50)
Vegan café meal: Rp 45k–90k ($3–$6)

Budget Tips for Vegetarian Travelers

💸 Eat at local warungs, not restaurants
🍌 Buy fruits at morning markets (pasar) – super cheap
🍜 Instant noodles: Indomie Veggie exists, but read labels (most flavors contain chicken stock)
🥜 Peanut sauce = your best friend
🧺 Buy tempeh/tofu at markets & cook if you stay long-term

Common Challenges + Hacks

Challenge: Sambal + sauces hide shrimp paste
→ Hack: Ask “tanpa terasi” or stick to sambal kecap (sweet soy)

Challenge: Remote areas = fewer veg options
→ Hack: Bring nuts, bread, bananas, granola bars

Challenge: People think “no meat” still allows fish
→ Hack: Be specific: “Tidak makan daging, ayam, ikan, udang, telur.”

Phrase	Meaning
Saya tidak makan daging	I don’t eat meat
Tanpa ayam / ikan / telur ya	No chicken / fish / egg please
Ada makanan vegetarian?	Do you have vegetarian food?
Bisa tanpa kaldu daging/ikan?	Can it be without meat/fish broth?
Sayur saja	Just vegetables

Final Thoughts

What surprised me most? How easy it actually was — once I stopped overthinking it and just asked. Indonesia may not label things “vegan/gluten-free/organic,” but it’s a country built on rice, tofu, tempeh, coconut, and vegetables. If you stay curious, ask questions, and stay flexible, you’ll eat really well here.

Got a favorite vegetarian dish or café in Indonesia? Drop it in the comments — let’s help the next traveler eat better. 🌱