Cafe Indonesia

Food: 3/5 I ordered the beef curry dish and a limeade drink. The beef was bland and very fatty. The rice, egg and pickles were tasty. And the drink was refreshing as well. It was my first time having Indonesian food and it wasn’t a great first impression. Service and atmosphere: 5/5. The guy who took my order was really welcoming and friendly. The food came out quick and was hot. The presentation of the dish was also pretty.

First off, keep in mind that this place is a fillipinized-indonesian food place. With that being said, we went there and ordered the Sate Ayam combo with nasi goreng, rendang with nasi goreng and es cendol. I found the food to be delicious and very enjoyable. I don't think the flavors were authentic; the rendang was more like tender shredded beef, the sambal goreng telur was definitely unlike the original dish (they should've just called it something else tbh), etc. But with that being said, I still found the food to be super yummy. Everything had a nice flavor, all the meats were tender, and the es cendol was a really nice dessert to top off the meal. I would absolutely go back there again.

The Chori Burger and garlic fries were really yummy! I also enjoyed the Beef Rendang very much. The food court is pretty nice, I liked the ambiance.

Chicken entrees. Yum! Plenty to share for two. Cute public market spot. Similar to Liberty Station but on the quaint size. Street parking a bit of a challenge. Majority 30 min parking spots.

This place is so good! Located inside Market on 8th food court, they have a limited menu but what they do is excellent.

For an Dutch Indonesian person. I was super excited to see this here in San Diego. I have been looking for something that tastes like home. Have to say it didn’t the sambal telor didn’t tasted like what is should taste like they should call it something different. Beef rendang didn’t tast like beef rendang. The. Cendol should be called something different to, didn’t tast like cendol. I think if you never had Indonesian or Indo food the food would be decent put for people that expect authentic indo food it’s not.

I was indecisive on what I wanted and took the recommendation of the young Asian lady at the counter! The Chicken Tender Wrap was spectacular!!!! She also recommended this bread with meat inside of it, I forgot the name but OMG!! It is so delicious and the taste is out of this world!!! THANK YOU!!! The staff there was extremely helpful and made me feel welcomed! I will definitely be back again! Thank you ❤️

LOVE this food . LOVE the environment and the owners are the kindest people. Please eat here and try the Chori Burger . I was delightfully impressed with the choices here as well. In fact I’ve been back every night this week for the ambience and warmth the whole market on 8th has to offer . I felt very special when the owner brought the food to me. very nice touch

The freshest & tastiest lumpia ever. Definitely will be on my list when I return to this fantastic food hall in National City

I've never had filipino/indonesian fusion food, so being on the safe side I chose one of their popular dishes called the Chori burger. Highly recommend! The burger with juicy and had a cheese pull when you bite. The fries are also really good, your choice of sweet n sour or garlic, similar to mcdonald's fries except better. Located in Market on 8th, indoor and outdoor seating available with a water dispenser tucked somewhere in the corner. Street parking only.

Unlike the other shops inside Market on 8th, this place has no posted hours so customers are left to guess when they actually open, which is lame. Even lamer are the customer service skills you'll find here. We really wanted to try the beef rendang but couldn't make eye contact with staff who were lazily shuffling around to get confirmation when they would open. They eventually started taking orders at like 11ish, well past when most of the other shops were open that day (Sunday). Again, having posted hours would be helpful. Although I liked the coconut-infused beef rendang (rendang baka), I felt the portions were small, given the price point. That, coupled with the utter lack of customer friendliness, leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. There are plenty of friendly shops serving yummy food in this cool food plaza. Unfortunately, this is not one of them. I hope they improve upon this point and can flourish as I do want small businesses to thrive.

Stopped by to grab lunch at Market on 8th this past weekend and the Chori Burger from Cafe Indonesia immediately caught my eye! It is very uncommon to see something like an Oklahoma style onion burger outside of Oklahoma so I was surprised to see a Asian-fusion take on the burger. I ordered it alongside a side of garlic fries as well! Their version of the burger is chockful of unique ingredients from the longanisa patty to the Gouda cheese and special sauce, it makes for a uniquely sounding burger. I waited about 15 minutes before my order was ready and they do make the food to order here so it can take a while when they are busier. I took my first bite into the burger and I was in love with it! It was fantastic with all the ingredients working quite well together! From the longanisa and beef patties, to the special sauce with the gouda cheese, you got yourself a unique burger that is rich but also slightly sweet thanks to the longanisa patty. I highly recommend trying this burger as it is one of the most unique burgers I've had in my life! The garlic fries were also hot and crispy and very well seasoned with garlic and they paired quite well with the Chori burger! I will say that the staff did not seem too enthusiastic to be working here as they didn't try to be approachable or friendly but seemingly wanted me to order as quick as I could so I'm taking a star off for that. Other than that little quip, the food here is delicious and I would say that I still recommend you come here to try their unique Filipino-Indonesian food! You won't find this unique cuisine anywhere else in San Diego and Market on 8th has a bunch of other great restaurants and tenants to try!

I tried their Chorri burger for dinner and it was a flavorful protein boost. I got confused thinking you had to pick either the beef patty or the longonisa but was told it came with both. So that was a nice surprise. Burger was fresh off their grill. It has had a salty and tangy taste to it. The garlic fries were nice and hot as well. Enjoyed it.

I have never seen Filipino and Indonesian fusion but I'm so glad Cafe Indonesia brought it to Market on 8th! I got the chori burger and it was delicious. Savory like a typical burger but also sweet because of the longanisa patty. I don't know what the seasoning in the fries is, but it's like crack and I definitely want it on everything. So excited to try more from this place! Huge kudos to their graphic designer! Love all the colorful, vintage posters.

Decided to finally try this place out on another visit to Market on 8th. They honestly got me with their graphics on the wall! It definitely always helps when there are photos of some of their menu items. I didn't think they would also have Filipino- inspired food until I read their posters. I went for a full meal: Got the Chori Burger, with garlic fries, and the Kalamansi Limeade to drink. Quite the meal! Loved the size of the Chori Burger - it's like a smash burger with an added patty of smashed longanisa. Flavor was off the charts, especially with that longanisa in the mix! I would totally get the burger again. I can see myself craving that on a future hangout, but also interested in other menu items like the Adobo chicken sandwich. Garlic fries were very well seasoned and the perfect side. Enough to share with friends or keep all to yourself (I decided to share the love). They reminded me of Potato Corner, which is another popular snack with ties to the Philippines. I will be sure to try other flavors/seasonings in the future. Kalamansi Limeade was as expected. A nice refreshing compliment to a delicious meal. For a few extra bucks you can add other flavors which I'm sure will take this drink to a whole new level, but since it was my first time I wanted to try it regular. Very happy that there are more than one spot with Filipino-style food/flavors here. One of my favorite things about Market on 8th is that is mostly Asian Fusion. These are the innovative flavors you won't find elsewhere!

Cafe Indonesia located in the new food hall off Market and 8th brings Indonesian flavor to National City. Every new place I am looking to try something new and what stood out for me wanting to try Cafe Indonesia was their Adobo Fried Chicken. I love a good adobo and was curious their take on how they would prepare it. The chicken had a good crispy flavor but I did not get any hints of adobo coming out. The breading on the chicken provided a good crunch and the chicken was juicy reminiscent of a tempura style batter. I also added a Watermelon Limeade which was definitely refreshing - not too tart and not too sweet. It paired nicely with my meal. Overall it was a fairly decent lunch. I definitely would like to try other unique Indonesian items from their menu.

Cafe Indonesia is another vendor stall at the new Market on 8th food hall in National City. They are offering a limited menu of three specials and four combos as part of their recent grand opening. Each item was either $13 or $14. Two of the specials used adobo seasoning which I associate more with Filipino food. Perhaps this place serves a hybrid of cuisines from the island nations of Southeast Asia as opposed to what is stated in its business name. For some reason, I couldn't get past the Adobo Fried Chicken (Ayam Goreng Adobo) which was the first listing on the menu so I picked that for my meal to-go. I had assumed this dish was going to be a few pieces of bone-in fried chicken. To my surprise, it was served as three crispy chicken thigh skewers with a cup of sweet adobo glaze. Green onions and fried garlic were sprinkled on the crust. A side of nasi kunyit (yellow sticky coconut rice) and atcharang labanoz (pickled daikon radish) came with the order. While the meat was crispy, the skewers were a meager portion size for the price. The sticky rice was a nice filler while the daikon radish functioned as a palate cleanser. If I had to order again, then I would have stuck with my initial impulse of Beef Rendang which is a classic dry curry dish with origins from Indonesia.

Ugh, this place was so disappointing despite being the place we were most excited to try. We got the Red Adobo Chicken Sandwich (check the picture) that came with fries, although it seems like fries came with a sandwich. Let's start with the good/okay - there were a lot of fries. The end. Chicken sandwich was a piece of chicken thigh that was fried - I'm not sure what was red, adobo or Indonesian about it - between to thick pieces of white wonder bread. There was some sort of a glaze, I only know because I saw it on the bottom of the box - didn't have much (any) taste. Those fries were supposed to be "garlic fries". I LOVE garlic fries, and have a ton of patience for the wide spectrum of definitions of garlic fries out there. This tested my boundaries. What the hell is that yellow powder on top of my fries. It didn't taste bad, but it was artificial AF. To top it off, there weren't enough fries in San Diego to justify the $13++ price tag for that junk. Of all the places we tried in this market - this is the only one we'll proactively avoid if we come back.

We were walking around seeing what looked good, and someone passed me with a sizzling plate. I had to try it. I found out it was from Cafe Indonesia. So of course I ordered it. This sizzling plate was really good. They were out of mushrooms so they replaced it with bell peppers and onions. Not a big deal. The plate was sizzling and delicious. The sauce you pour over the food was so good and the presentation was impressive. I enjoyed my selection a lot. My only gripe is, I think they could have added a little more beef. Other than that, my sizzling plate was awesome.

The best thing they have here is their Sambal chilli sauce. I do not recommend the food here as it doesn't taste good at all. Rendang - bland dry beef that tastes nothing like rendang. Meat is very tough to eat. Javanese rice - basically it is white rice with tomato paste...bland. Chicken satay - dry and overcooked...served burnt. This place is most likely Filipino cuisine (sort of).

Can I just say Gawddd Damn! I frequent all the eateries available here at Market on 8th.. ya know- I like to make it fair for my taste buds. And Market on 8th doesn't disappoint. But, I have held out on ordering the Chori Burger from Cafe Indonesia. Heard & read all the awesome reviews. So, finally last night- it was TIME! I actually read what makes the Chori Burger what it is from their menu display: Oaklahoma style smash onion burger. 1 beef patty, 1 longanisa (Filipino sweet sausage), special sauce, shredded cabbage, Gouda cheese, pickles, & onions on a sesame seed bun. WITH seasoned fries of your choice. The seasoned fries options are garlic butter or sour cream & onion.... I just felt like garlic EVERYWHERE & ANYWHERE readily available. I had to bring it back to my childhood classic- sour cream & onion. And man! Having that flavor on fries is a whole new level! It's heavily sprinkled on your fries- to the point you will find yourself licking your fingertips clean! Every ingredient that makes the Chori burger what it is- made this my new NUMBER UNO food grab here at Market on 8th.

Skewers were the bomb (dot com), but oops I did it again, I didn't take pictures, and ate all the food! Wonderful location in the market on 8th, great aesthetic of the shop too, really draws you in. The man behind the counter was amicable and quick, all in all well worth a stop. I'll be back for the beef rendang next!

The owners are super kind and accommodating. It's hard to recommend just one thing on the menu, but every time I go I try something new and am never disappointed. The roti is my favorite!

The adobo is super amazing delicious 100 percent hands down. Will come back for more.

I was excited to try this but was disappointed. I got the adobo chicken over rice. After 4 bites I was already over it. It was also a little pricey. I feel like I could get better adobo somewhere else.

I gave this food court style dining for the first time last Saturday . We came at about 11:30 AM and their sign says they are Closed. I thought that was unusual because it was already lunchtime. Two employees were there setting up, they saw us waiting there but ignored us and did not even bother to acknowledge us or tell us when they will be ready. Finally , after standing there by the counter for 15 minutes, the lady took my order (Sizzling beef salpicao platter) and I paid for it .. waited, then 20 minutes later my order was finally ready. I was disappointec with how little food they gave me for the price they charge! very little beef and mosty onions and. cup of rice. The food pretty much taste like the food you could order from Yoshinoya! Waste of money and overpriced.. I don't revommend it at all and I won't be coming back

Cafe Indonesia is actually a food stall inside the "Market on 8th" food hall. We went there on a Monday night and ordered Sate ayam combo with nasi goreng, rendang with nasi goreng and es cendol. I had 0 expectations just because there is such little indonesian food options here (virtually none). But I thought the food was good and enjoyable. Not authentic (since it's actually a Filipino-style restaurant) but good. The Sate Ayam had a nice peanut sauce, the rendang was tender and nasi goreng was flavorful. Oh and actually, the sambal badjak that comes with the combo tastes really good and authentic! It was probably the most authentic tasting thing they had. The es cendol was quite nice as well. Overall I'm happy to see this place here and would visit again.

I didn't know that Cafe Indonesia use different menu on Monday & Tuesday. I was expected to try Indonesian food there. Still, their brisket sandwich is very good, I like when the cook cut the brisket into small pieces to make it easier for people to eat. The brisket is very juicy, too. The cashier is very nice & good at explaining the menu.

The fried chicken scewers were amazing. Moist and juicy meat, crispy and not oily, whatever sauce that was made the dish great. I never had a rice like that, with coconut flavor. Made this a even more entertaining. The price was fair. I cannot find a room for criticism yet. Easy 5 star experience for sure.

On my first visit to Market on 8th, I was overwhelmed by the eclectic collection of ethnic food restaurants, all working from individual stalls. Not being a daring diner, I decided to try the Choriburger ($13) washed down with Kalamansi Limeade ($4) from Cafe Indonesia. The burger was very tasty and well-appointed with greens, but at that price it should be. It came with a massive side of fries, which were supposed to be garlic fries, but just tasted oversalted. The drink was very refreshing in its natural flavor. A curious patron came over to me and asked me where I bought the burger, since it looked so good to him. I pointed out Cafe Indonesia, which was visible from our table, and he walked there. Next time I might try some of the ethnic Indonesian dishes. Looking forward to that.

I haven't had food this delicious in a long time. My plate was the Sate Babi- perfectly grilled pork skewers with peanut sauce with sides of fried rice & krupuk (prawn cracker), acar cucumbers (kind of like bread and butter pickles), and a curried egg. WOOOW!! all the flavors blended well together. I like the spicy sauce you receive on the side which balances perfectly with the acidic pickles. Love it and am going to take all my friends. I didn't take any photos because I ate it too fast. ‍

My college friends and I came by this food hall, and they recommended this spot! The chicken sate was amazing! The skewers were grilled well and marinated with a flavorful sauce. The java rice was delicious, and I'm so glad I opted for this one instead of the plain jasmine rice. The curry hard boiled egg was great as well, and I was so excited to find a giant prawn cracker on top of the meal!

This was our first time venturing out to visit Market on 8th. Parking wasn't that bad. We only had to circle the neighborhood once.  We slowly perused each vendor to see what flavor combinations caught our attention.  There are plenty of options for all those picky eaters out there... ramen, pizza, tacos, Filipino food, Thai food, Indonesian food, etc. I am one of those picky eaters and I eventually chose to eat Cafe Indonesia and MNGO. No I will not eat at either place again but I would like to return to try different vendors.  My curiosity lead me to order a red adobo supreme chicken sandwich from Cafe Indonesia. Yes, i know, I ordered Filipino food from an Indonesian Cafe. Not the greatest decision I made today. Being a Filipina, I know EXACTLY what adobo tastes like. This, was not it! Garlic fries were supposed to accompany my sandwich, but these fries were oddly sweet, without a hint of garlic. I was NOT a fan!

Love this place. I had the rendang and it was outstanding. I've had it in Indonesia and the Netherlands (Indonesia a former Dutch colony, so lots of Indonesian restaurants there), as well as the version they make in Malaysia, and this compares well with all of them. Can't wait to try more from their menu.

Growing up indo I was so excited to see something Indonesian pop up in San Diego. So I was overly enjoyed when I saw this place with high expectations. I got the rendang traditionally there is more spice in the rendang but this rendang was really really sweet but you can get more spice on the side. The fries were sooo good the burger was really good. The es cindol was not good at all it tasted like something was expired? I have no idea but it didn't taste good at all. Overall I think this place is good for people who haven't had Indonesian food at all and this is their first time trying Indonesian food but I cannot recommend it to people who has had Indonesian food before and expecting the authenticity.

Waited in line 10 to 15 minutes and it wasn't busy at all. First person there waiting to order as well. The worker didn't even say a word to me and looked at me but kept on prepping food. Not even a "I'll be right with you for 15 minutes." Decided to take my business elsewhere. Don't waste your time. I came at 11:40 in the morning on a Sunday. The entire market wasn't even busy yet.

Finally found the chow place with a taste close to home. Their food taste really authentic. I am a native tongue for Indonesian food, and I love this place. I hope I can come back here next time I visit San Diego again.

Meh...I probably would not go back. It should not take 20 minutes to get a simple dish. Maybe if they were not texting so much or talking to some of the other vendors my dish would have been out sooner. My wife and I enjoyed the rice. She like the skewered chicken thighs. I thought a little under seasoned. Thank goodness for Weapon Raman and Mngo, they saved the day and the experience.

1215 and they're still not open agree with other reviews, rude. Not coming back definitely not and Indonesian place I'd recommend rendang looked like soup. Disappointed to say the least.

This is for the Indonesian menu we tried. First, a very small selection. Second, The food we ordered, sate ayam (chicken skewer) & they gave us nasi goreng (fried rice) was a big disappointment. It was missing the big flavor that Indo food is well known of. Perhaps the regular chef is out sick that night but then again, this food is better over night. Not sure whats going on but I wont be back sadly.

If you guys are craving for Indonesian food (or just really good food) check out Cafe Indonesia on Market and 8th. I've been to Bali a few times and this place takes my back! Check out their Beef Rendang and Sate Babi.

Damn this place bussin' y'all better try out their hella spicy sandwiches, them shit is spicy on a different level, and I'm Laos I know my spicy

Finally found delicious and authentic beef rendang in San Diego! Grew up in Singapore and have been looking for a while, super happy and will definitely be back.

Seal of approval from two Balinese Women. My Indonesian Wife and Sister in-law said this place is legit.

Unless you have an Indonesian friend who will cook for you, I guess this is a good start! The variety is small and when I ordered my Sate Ayam they told me all they had was white rice, really, looked forward to some Yellow Rice! It also took a while to get my order, maybe they can work on that! But the Sate was tasty!

The food here is absolutely amazing. Have 2 dished from the the chicken skewer and a pork skewer. That spicy peanut sauce that comes with is is great too.

a lovely establishment with a friendly crew in the new national city food hall. i had the beef rendang with flavorful companions: nasir goreng (fried rice), acar (pickled cucumber & shallot), kropek (shrimp chip), and sambal goreng telor (curried egg). coupled with a pineapple hard kombucha from novo across the hall, all i needed was a little humidity to feel like i was in indonesia.

My first time to try Indonesian food. At first I was a little hesitant but after the gentleman behind the counter thoroughly explained what the dishes were I decided to give them a try. I ordered the Ayam Panggang, boy was I blown away by the delicious flavors! My husband ordered food from a different stall. When he tried my dish, he wished he would've ordered food from this spot. We both love the spicy sauce that came on the side. We will definitely be back!!

They don't have nasi goreng here anymore!!! That's what made it so great!!! Good is still good, staff is nice

This place was the first restaurant I tried at Market on 8th and it was an absolute delight!

Wow, I have never eaten Indonesian food before, but I got the Beef Rendang with the curried egg and it was magnificent. Beef was super tender with a nice savory curry flavor which paired really well with the rice and pickled cucumber. The curried egg tasted like a creamy Thai style curry and it all went together wonderfully. Do yourself a favor and try it, you won't regret it.