Must-try food in Batam and the Riau Islands

As an island region, the food of Batam and the Riau Islands is shaped by the sea and by Malay and Chinese traditions.

Gonggong

The sea snail that symbolises the Riau Islands, usually boiled and dipped in chilli sauce. Use a toothpick to pull out the meat.

Yellow noodles in a thick sweet potato and peanut gravy with bean sprouts and boiled egg, a popular breakfast.

Fried bread filled with sweet and spicy fish floss, great as a snack or souvenir.

Spiced fish paste wrapped in coconut leaves and grilled, sold at roadside stalls and markets.

Spicy noodles from Anambas with tuna, now easy to find in Batam.

Eating at a floating restaurant is a Batam classic. Favourites include chilli crab, grilled fish, prawns and fried squid.

Two sweet souvenirs travellers love to take home.

Ask the price per kilo before ordering seafood, and arrive early on weekends as popular kelongs fill up fast.

In every Batam city tour, Serunai Travel can arrange a kelong seafood meal to suit your group's taste and budget.

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