Perth's Indonesian eating house since 2001
Manise Cafe was established in 2001, our dream was to bring a little part of our home to the wonderful city of Perth. Indonesia has always been known for it's warm, friendly hospitality and delicious food. A country rich in culture and history, it has so much to offer just like Manise. Our passion is to make you feel part of this story and take you on a journey into the heart of Indonesian cuisine. So please take the time to stop by, say hello and of course, grab a bite to eat. Terima kasih!
The Indonesian way...
With 6,000 islands in Indonesia, there are many regional specialties, but wherever you are in Indonesia, most meals, including breakfast, are based around rice. Literally meaning "fried rice", nasi goreng is considered the national dish of Indonesia and can be found everywhere from street hawker carts to dinner parties or restaurants. It is a meal of stir-fried rice spiced with kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), shallot, garlic, tamarind and chilli and accompanied by other ingredients, mainly egg, chicken, prawns or salted dried fish. Nasi goreng is one of the best sold and favourite dishes at Manise.
Sambals are also a cornerstone of the cuisine and these chilli-based condiments are freshly made at Manise. There are many types of sambals, all of which combine a variety of chilli peppers with different combinations of spices, fruits or vegetables.
Indonesians believe in giving a "kick start" to their palate with the heat of chilli and the sour crunch of pickles, so meals generally comprise of rice, sambal and pickles with small amounts of meats, seafood or vegetables, often in curry form.
Some of the intense flavour in Indonesian food comes from very sweet and sour ingredients – such as the thick sweet soy sauce called kecap manis, which is used in countless dishes. The sour notes in the cuisine come from tamarind, lime and the aromatics from shallots, ginger, galangal, pandan, turmeric, lemongrass and lime leaves.
Two foods adored by Indonesians are tempeh – fermented soybeans usually found in block form that are high in protein and fibre – and krupuk, or deep fried crackers, made from prawn, seafood or vegetables, which are eaten at the start of a meal. Because of the humid climate and volcanic soil, tropical fruits, vegetables and spices are found in abundance. Dried spices such as coriander seeds, cardamom pods, cinnamon quills, cumin seeds, cloves and nutmeg are used every day in many dishes and each curry has a number of dried spices as well as fresh herbs.
Opening hours
Kitchen closes at 7.45 pm
Mon, Thur, Fri,Sat
11:00 am - 2.30 pm
5.00pm - 8:.00 pm
Tues & Wed
Closed
Sunday:
12:00 pm-2.30 pm
5.00 pm-8.00 pm