Batam Special Delicacies - BatamFISH version

Batam is well known for its abundant seafood. Of course you could find some or maybe all of this delicacies at other place, but the freshness is far more superb and the price is on the budget range. Following are some of the delicacies that I love which you could easily find in Batam.

1. GONGGONG

Gonggong (Strombus Canurium) is a type of edible conch that is abundant in Riau island. It is mostly steamed and eaten by shelling the meat out and dipped with chilli. Gonggong can only be found in around Riau islands, even if you could find this elsewhere, the taste would not match the one that they have here. To taste this delicacy, you could just order it anywhere that sell seafood. The price is ranges from Rp.25.000 to Rp.35.000 (USD. 2.50 - 3.50) per serving. (pic source)

2. OTAK-OTAK

Otak-otak is made from a mixture of barracuda flesh and flour with some chilies and spring onion. Otak-otak is barbecued over charcoal or nowadays on electric grills, and it can be found in almost every corner of the island. The different to the Singapore  styled otak-otak is that the Riau islands otak-otak are often wrapped in coconut leaves which in Singapore, they wrapped with with banana leaves. The money you paid to taste this is a mere Rp.2.000 (USD. 0.20) per piece. (pic source)

3. CUCUT

This is a delicacy that made from sea snails. It is often cooked in hot sauce gravy. What made it fun is the way of eating it. We have to suck it on one end for the flesh to come out. It tastes a bit like gonggong, but only not so chewy. You might need a little practice before you master the art of sucking cucut. Taste it at the price of only Rp.20.000 (USD. 2.00) per plate. (pic source)

4. SLICED FISH SOUP

The sliced fish soup in Batam in the most well known in Indonesia. The key ingredients are barracuda flesh, prawn, squid, fish ball, and tomato slices in a clear soup. The best fish soup you can have is at Yong Kee Fish Soup Stall in Nagoya at around Rp.26.000 (USD. 2.60). (pic source)

5. ASAM PEDAS FISH

Ikan asam pedas is a fish in hot and sour curry like soup. The fish can be varies from snapper, grouper or even stingray. The best I tasted so far is served from a stall at Eatern Food Court just right in front of BCS Mall for the price of Rp. 25.000 - Rp.60.000 (USD. 2.50 - 6.00) per serving depends on type of fish. (pic source)

6. CHARCOAL GRILLED SEAFOOD

most of the grilled fish in Batam are grilled on wood charcoal or coconut shell charcoal. The different between a Batam styled and Bali styled BBQ seafood is mainly on the sauce. In Bali styled bbq, they are using mainly on the mixture of dark sweet soya sauce with chilly and shallots, but in Batam style they will put a yellowish sauce made from galangal, tumeric, garlic, ginger, and shallot on top of the cooked seafood making it even more fragrance and yummy on the tounge. Price varies. (pic source)

There are still lot more delicacies that you can taste here in Batam or Riau islands, such as Mantis Prawn cooked in butter, Blackpepper Crabs, Drunken Prawns, Barracuda in Milk Soup, and others.

Want to taste all of this? Just simply come to Batam, and don't forget call me....