15 Authentic Local Places to Eat at Medan

Medan, the capital city of North Sumatra, is one of the main gateways to visit Lake Toba, the largest volcanic lake in the world. Medan itself is a one of the largest cities in Indonesia and home to 2,5 million people as per 2020.

Medan is rich with its culture and history, and famous for its culinary scenes. As a native Medanese, here’s my brief list of 15 local restaurants you should try if you happen to visit Medan:

1. Uda Sayang

Nasi bungkus + Sambal Ikan

• Address: Jl. Pusat Pasar No. 115, RT.02, Pusat Ps., Kec. Medan Kota, Kota Medan, Sumatera Utara 20212, Indonesia. Gmaps
• ❌ Not available via Grabfood or Gofood
• Rating: 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Meal time: Lunch and Dinner
• Testimony: Very generous with portion and spice. A portion consists of rice, Padang curry, tender jackfruits, cassava leaves, fish, and massive amount of chili on top of it. Chilis may look intimidating, but spice level is enjoyable and perfect for me 👌 Overall super tasty and fulfilling for spice lovers!

2. BPK Ola Kisat

Rice + Roasted Pork + Blood sauce + Soup

• Address: Jl. Cemara No 44, Medan Helvetia, Medan Timur, Medan
• ✅ Available via Grabfood and Gofood
• Rating: 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Meal time: Lunch and Dinner
• Testimony: The authentic Bataknese dish which can ascend me to heaven due to how tasty it is. The tenderness and smokiness of the pork alongside the minced cassava leaves paired with the pig blood sauce gives both savory and slightly spicy taste to this dish. I always eat more rice than I normally did when it comes to BPK. This is easily 10/10!

3. Nasi Goreng Pemuda

Padang-style Fried Rice (Jumbo portion) + Omelette

• Address: Jl. Pemuda Baru III, A U R, Kec. Medan Maimun, Kota Medan, Sumatera Utara 20151, Indonesia. Gmaps
• ✅ Available via Grabfood and Gofood
• Rating: 7/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Meal time: Dinner and Supper
• Testimony: This is a decent fried rice to eat for supper or hangover food. MGDalenaf (Youtuber) did a comprehensive review which I recommend to check it out https://youtu.be/zMX70kMeN_k !

4. Padang Semesta Vegetarian

• Address: Jl. Sutomo Ujung No 257 (near CIMB Niaga), Medan
• ✅ Available via Grabfood and Gofood
• Rating: 9/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Meal time: Lunch and Dinner
• Testimony: It’s mind blowing that a vegetarian meal can taste the same or even better than non-vegetarian meals. A portion consists of rice, curry, cassava leaves, jackfruits, fake fish (vegetarian), and chilis. I don’t think I will be a vegetarian, but if the food is this amazing, I can eat it all day!

5. Nasi Gurih Ibu Ida Pasar Beruang

Nasi Gurih + Omelette + Sambal + Oyster satay

• Address: Jl. Madong Lubis No 2, Pandau Hulu I, Kec. Medan Perjuangan, Kota Medan, Sumatera Utara 20232, Indonesia. Gmaps
• ✅ Available via Grabfood and Gofood
• Rating: 9/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Meal time: Breakfast
• Testimony: The main characters here are the rice and sambal. The rice is cooked with coconut milk which gives fragrant smell, paired it with sambal and omelette to give you a mouthful of happiness to start your day. Perfect portion for breakfast.

6. Siobak Pui Brayan

Rice + Roasted Pork Belly + Char Siew

• Address: Jl. Pertempuran No 48a, Pulo Brayan Kota, Kec. Medan Bar., Kota Medan, Sumatera Utara 20239, Indonesia. Gmaps
• ❌ Not available via Grabfood and Gofood
• Rating: 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Meal time: Lunch only
• Testimony: Do not expect to get this meal after 1pm, most of the time it’s sold out already. The generous portion of the pork belly and char siew, paired with the authentic sauce, and affordable price are what people are queuing for starting 11am. The crispiness of the pork belly and slight sweetness and smokiness of the char siew are very tasty to make you want to add more rice to your lunch ❤

7. Sate Padang Triadi

Mix of satays + Lontong + Padang curry gravy + crackers

• Address: Jl. Malaka No 30, Pandau Hilir, Kec. Medan Perjuangan, Kota Medan, Sumatera Utara 20233, Indonesia. Gmaps
• ✅ Available via Grabfood and Gofood
• Rating: 9/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Meal time: 4pm snack time
• Testimony: Perfect level of spice from the Padang curry gravy paired with the smokiness of the satays gives an authentic and aromatic taste to spend your sunset. They offer wide varieties of satays, from chicken, beef tongue, mussels, etc as well as crackers and drinks to elevate and enrich the meal.

8. Kwetiau Ateng — Nasi Goreng Seafood Special

Chinese-style fried rice with seafood toppings

• Address: Jl. Sumatera No 66/68, Pandau Hulu I, Medan Kota, Medan City, North Sumatra 20211, Indonesia. Gmaps
• ✅ Available via Grabfood and Gofood
• Rating: 9/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Meal time: Lunch and Dinner
• Testimony: Their specialty is Kwetiau, but I love their Chinese-style fried rice (Nasi Goreng) w/ seafood toppings. We can taste the wok hei in the fried rice cooked with high pressure heat. They give lots of seafood toppings as well such as chopped fish balls, char siew, prawns, and chinese sausage (lap cheong)

9. Kwetiau Afung

Stir fry noodle with seafood toppings and fried pork lards

• Address: Jl. Gedeh No 30, Medan. Gmaps
• ❌ Not available via Grabfood and Gofood
• Rating: 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Meal time: Dinner
• Testimony: Best to eat this immediately when serves hot. They use good old fashioned charcoal for the stove that infused the Wok Hei in the noodle. A portion consists of noodle/kwetiau/rice of your choice with toppings and pork lards to give savory flavors to the meal

10. Bihun Bebek Ahiok

Rice vermicelli noodle with duck meat, tasty soup, and sprinkled fried onions

• Address: Jl. Gedeh No 17, Pusat Ps., Kec. Medan Kota, Kota Medan, Sumatera Utara 20212, Indonesia. Gmaps
• ✅ Available via Grabfood and Gofood
• Rating: 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Meal time: Breakfast
• Testimony: A hearty bowl of rice vermicelli noddle, duck meat or organs of your choice, and hot tasty soup suitable for a chill or rainy Sunday morning

11. RM New Paten / New Paten Chinese Food

Samcan (fried pork belly) + Paten’s specialty fried chicken + Seafood with Tauco gravy

• Address: Komplek Asia Mega Mas, Jalan Asia Indah No 30–31 Blok DD, Sukaramai II, Kec. Medan Area, Kota Medan, Sumatera Utara 20224, Indonesia. Gmaps
• ✅ Available via Grabfood and Gofood
• Rating: 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Meal time: Dinner
• Testimony: There’s something so authentic and special from Paten’s fried chicken that makes us keeps coming back or ordered home. Their fried chicken is aromatic and tender and it’s definitely one of their specialty. Samcan (fried pork belly) is very tender and tasty, and they give fair amount of prawns and tofus on Tauco Seafood. Very recommended to eat!

12. Dim Sum Ayong

• Address: Jl. Babura Lama No 12, Darat, Kec. Medan Baru, Kota Medan, Sumatera Utara 20152, Indonesia. Gmaps
• ✅ Available via Grabfood
• Rating: 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Meal time: Breakfast
• Testimony: A must visit dimsum place in Medan to start your Sunday morning. My go-to dish is Sayap Ayam (Chicken Wing) which is unlike any Chichen Wing you can find anywhere in Indonesia. Their Kwetiau Polos (Stir Fry Rice Noodle), Leng Hong Kien, Lobak XO (Fried Radish Cake), Hakau, Prawn Siomay are also recommended!

13. Tip Top

Tip top’s Chicken Steak

They have a wide variety of bakery / cakes to choose from

• Address: Jl. Jend. Ahmad Yani №92 A-B, Kesawan, Kec. Medan Bar., Kota Medan, Sumatera Utara 20212, Indonesia. Gmaps
• ✅ Available via Grabfood and Gofood
• Rating: 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️️️
• Meal time: Lunch and Dinner
• Testimony: The classic, historical, and legendary place to visit. The restaurant has been established since 1934 and has Dutch architectural design that bring us back in time to the 1900s. My favorites here are the Chicken Steak (need to wait for some time), Nasi Goreng (a.k.a. Fried Rice), and their Mocca cakes! Taste-wise are awesome and you can get a sense why they have survived and thrived for almost 100 years!

14. Popia 88

Fried Taro, Fried Spring Roll, Steamed Spring Roll, Chai Pao / Choi Pan

• Address: Jl. Wahidin No 87d, Pandau Hulu II, Kec. Medan Area, Kota Medan, Sumatera Utara 20211, Indonesia. Gmaps
• ✅ Available via Grabfood and Gofood
• Rating: 9/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Meal time: 3–6pm snack time
• Testimony: Wide selections of kue-kue or hand made soft snacks, from fried taro, fried or steam spring rolls, choi pan, and many more variants, complete with delicious chili sauce to dip in. Suitable for a chill evening snack when taking break from work.

15. Warkop Agam Senyum

Mie Bangladesh Jumbo

• Address: Jl. H. Misbah No 14, Hamdan, Kec. Medan Maimun, Kota Medan, Sumatera Utara 20212, Indonesia. Gmaps
• ✅ Available via Grabfood and Gofood
• Rating: 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️️️
• Meal time: Lunch, Dinner, or Supper
• Testimony: The famous Indomie place popular amongst youngsters. They serve Indomie with Aceh’s spices with a little bit of veggies. If you are craving for Indomie and too lazy to cook on your own, or you just want a comfortable hangover food, this place is definitely the go-to place to grab a bowl of Indomie!

(Bonus) Ucok Durian

• Address: Jl. K.H. Wahid Hasyim No 68, Babura, Kec. Medan Baru, Kota Medan, Sumatera Utara 20152, Indonesia. Gmaps
• ❌ Not available via Grabfood or Gofood
• Rating: 9/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Meal time: Snack or dessert
• Testimony: If you happen to like Durians, you should definitely put this in your itinerary. Although the price is pricier than local durians as one of the main destinations for tourists, they provide high quality durians. You can choose if you prefer sweet or slightly bitter durians. The creaminess and authenticate smell of the durians definitely put this place as a must visit destination for durian lovers!

There are lots of legendary restaurants that haven’t made it to this list, but this list should be more than enough for folks who will visit Medan for 1–2 weeks

Do note that:

• Not all places are halal. Double check the place again in Google
• If you are allergic to certain ingredients, kindly ask the owner or server to check the ingredients you can’t tolerate
• Due to rising unemployment rate and crime rate, please be careful with your belongings during your visit in Medan

Finally, let me know what you think about the recommendations above. If you happen to be a local, comment below which places you will recommend your friends to try out when they are visiting Medan. Stay safe and see you in Medan ❤