“As expected, it did taste sweet, but there was a hint of spiciness from the well-grilled beef. And the more I chewed, the more the spiciness grew on my palate.”

One of the culinary stops that I made during my trip to Lombok was a place called Sate Rembiga Ibu Sinnaseh on Jalan DR Wahidin in Rembiga. Founded in the early nineties, it is well known for being a favourite spot to sample Sate Rembiga (Rembiga beef satay) not only for locals but also for tourists as well. It has a branch over in Cakranegara.

I reached there at around 7pm and the place was almost fully packed, with only one vacant table available right at one of the corners of the establishment. The front-end of the shop is where its staff prepares the satay. Before I sat down, I made a beeline to the counter to place my order, and after just five minutes, my satay was ready to be demolished.

Served plain without peanut sauce and soy sauce, I assumed that it was going to be a rather sweet affair, which is not my cup of tea as I love my food spicy. With slight hesitation I took a stick and proceeded to bite through the meat. As expected, it did taste sweet, but there was a hint of spiciness from the well-grilled beef. And the more I chewed, the more the spiciness grew on my palate. It might not be as hot as one would expect a local Lombok dish would taste, yet the sweet-and-spicy combination still provided a unique and enjoyable touch to the occasion.

After settling the bill, I bumped into its founder Ibu Sinnaseh by chance on my way out. I recognised her from her picture that is placed on the shop’s signboard at the entrance, and not willing to let such a good opportunity slip away, I approached her and bombarded her with questions aplenty regarding her business. From our chat, I learnt that she had just secured a deal to move her shop to a new and bigger building not too far from its current location. Good for her then.

Jl. DR Wahidin, Rembiga,
Mataram, Lombok
T: 0819 1799 1747
Open daily from 1.30pm-9pm
Rp.30,000/US$2.20 per person