Nelayan Indonesian Restaurant
Located in a strip mall on the corner of Old Alabama and Holcomb Bridge Road just east of GA 400, Nelayan is one of only a handful of Indonesian restaurants in Atlanta (which numbers less than 5). It is odd because there’s actually a big community of Indonesians here in Atlanta. They’ve only been opened a few weeks yet you’ll see a bunch of familiar faces on a regular basis.
The place is small with only about 10 tables yet it is spotless and bright. There’s a counter that separates the kitchen which is common in Asia and used to place cooked dishes a la cafeteria style. Plus a wall of shelves by the entrance showcasing dry goods for purchase. Notable items include kropek (shrimp crackers that you fry in oil), kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), pastries, chips, and other Indonesian pantry staples.
My favorite Indonesian food is the bihun. I eat bihun in every single meal whenever I’m in their part of the world. Even for breakfast. No, make that, especially for breakfast. It is comforting and filling. Nelayan’s bihun is exactly as the ones in Indonesia. It’s made with rice noodles softened in broth then topped with tasty stir-fried chicken with mushrooms and green onions. It comes with a side of meatball soup that you can eat on its own or dump on the entire dish. Don’t worry, it not gonna make a soupy dish as the noodles will readily absorb most of the liquid. Either way, it’s great. If there’s only one dish that you need to eat at Nelayan (or Indonesia, for that matter), then this is it. It is so delicious. Period.
The Barbeque Chicken is another winner. It is marinated, boiled in its own marinade, then grilled over charcoal. It is fantastic with its sweetish-salty glaze. It comes with rice, soup, cucumber slices, and hot chili paste. This one’s a perfect size for lunch. The Chicken Satay is also a great choice. Their version is a regular entree portion (with 6 big skewers), unlike other places where they serve it as an appetizer. The chicken is grilled, then topped generously with a thick peanut sauce but not as peanuty as the Thai version. It’s served with cubes of steamed rice cake. It is important to note that you don’t eat these cakes by themselves as they are bland have no taste whatsoever. Instead, you sop them up with the peanut sauce before biting into them. It’s a great combination, believe me.
Other items which I’ve tried include the Stir-fried Vegetables with Tofu, Shrimp, and Chicken. It’s a few steps above its Chinese counterpart with it’s very flavorful sauce and crisp veggies. The Grilled Fish wrapped in banana leaves is to-die for. Unfortunately, they hardly have it and the one time they did, it was unbelievably delicious. Their Nasi Goreng Kambing (curry fried rice) is actually made of lamb instead of the customary goat. No matter, it is yummy.
Family-owned and operated Nelayan has long been added to my Asian rotation. Although a little on the expensive side, food is consistently top quality and delicious. Service is warm and friendly (like you’re family).
Insider tip:
Entrees start at less than $10 but average over $15. The Ice Cacang dessert is a must try — it’s similar to the Vietnamese version — with fruit and jelly in a sweet syrup then topped with ice.
The scoop:
Nelayan
1570 Holcomb Bridge Rd
Roswell, GA 30076
(770) 650-7775
Technorati Tags: Nelayan, Indonesian cuisine, Indonesian restaurant, Roswell, Holcomb Bridge Rd., kambing, bihun, Atlanta restaurants
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10 responses so far ↓
1 Jennifer // Jul 29, 2008 at 2:19 pm
I ate there a few months ago and thought it was great. We need to go back sometime.
2 Dennis // Jul 30, 2008 at 6:34 pm
woohoo, I learned of a place in my neighborhood I’m going to have to add this to my list of must try places.
3 Chloe // Jul 30, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Jennifer — food is good isn’t it? What did you have?
Dennis — you have to try it. There’s also a Chinese restaurant next door that used to be really good but isn’t any more so don’t go there unless you really want to. You’ve been warned
4 Katharine // Oct 3, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Hi, Chloe! I just discovered your blog a little over a week ago, and I’m really enjoying it. I tried to go to Nelayan today based on your review, and found out the hard way that they are closed on Fridays. I’ll give it another shot soon, though!
I also tried Sushi Zutto, and liked it. I don’t know if you’ve tried Sushi Nami (I did a search on the site, and did not find a review), but I think it and Sushi Nami are the two best North Fulton sushi options I’ve found so far. I tried Ichiban as well, but it was very noisy the night that I went, and the rolls, though tasty, were rather sloppily made. Others I’ve tried (Shallots, JP Sushi, etc. aren’t really worth mentioning).
5 Harry Comb // Oct 14, 2008 at 10:02 am
Oh my gosh… Indonesian food is great. I used to date this Indonesian woman and man…..she was a great cook. Indonesian people are great, they’re very nice and welcome all their friends/ guests. I met her family in Indonesia and they were all nice. If I can choose whom to date, I will only date Indonesian woman, not Thai, not Filipina, nothing else.
6 Chloe // Oct 14, 2008 at 10:16 am
Harry — so get on over there now and maybe you can find a fine Indonesian woman *wink*.
7 Harry Comb // Oct 14, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Chloe,
Are you single? LOL…
It was my loss. She was a very, very good woman. Beautiful, smart, sexy, she has it all ! Not many women are like that in the US. Hook me up with one of the Indonesians plzzzzz.
8 Ray // Oct 29, 2008 at 4:17 pm
If you guys like sushi, go to cumming in exit 13 there is a restaurant name Izumi, they sushi is sooooooooooo good.
9 Leigh Ann // Mar 8, 2009 at 8:26 pm
We ate there tonight for the first time and loved it! We had the chicken satay (a major favorite of our seven-year-old daughter), gado gago, mee goreng, nasi padang, ice rambutan (canned, but still good) and pisang bakar.
10 tanty // Mar 3, 2010 at 7:29 pm
hi, i want to try nelayan restaurant, and i want to know about their menu, somebody would you can help me to find their menu info in facebook please? and pls send me the link to my email lovelytanty@yahoo.com , thanks
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