Cycle 16 – Item 284

Post 5,763

16 (Thu) October 2025

Ayam Goreng Lengkuas

4.0

on MSY Mola Mola 1

-Banda Sea, Indonesia-

with fellow divers

Living Aboard the Mola Mola: Day 4 of 7

• • Day -4 (16.277 Nasi Goreng Kampoeng)
  • Day -3 (16.278 Ikan Bakar)
  • Day -2 (16.279 Chicken & Beef Platter)
  • Day -1 (16.280 Buntut Goreng)
  • Day 1 (16.281 Beef Semur)
  • Day 2 (16.282 Egg Fuyunghai)
  • Day 3 (16.283 Egg Balado)
  • Day 4 (16.284 Ayam Goreng Lengkuas)
  • Day 5 (16.285 Hotpot)
  • Day 6 (16.286 Beef Rendang)
  • Day 7 (16.287 BBQ with “My” Sambal)
  • Day +1 (16.288 Fried Chicken Nusantara (Quarter Chicken Package))

In Indonesia.  Here for a 7-day liveaboard scuba diving trip: sailing across the Banda Sea on board the MSY Mola Mola, while diving, eating, drinking, sleeping (i.e., “living aboard”) the boat.  The Banda Sea is one of four seas surrounding the archipelago of Maluku Islands aka the Spice Islands (where European powers fought wars during the 16th-17th centuries to gain control of the islands’ abundant spices, such as nutmeg, cloves, and mace).  Primary objective: sighting schools of hammerhead sharks.  (Two prior liveaboard trips were both to the Maldives aboard the MV Adora (see previously 14.062 Sautéed Sword Lettuce (Three Times) (2023) (9.191 Grilled Beef Tenderloin (2018).)  My first time ever in Indonesia – who knows if I’ll ever return? – I arrived a few days early to maximize the visit and hang out in Jakarta.

DIVE 9

– Tanjung Button –

Baby black tip – yay.

DIVE 10

– Karang Hatta –

Small school of jacks – yay.

LUNCH

Rica-Rica is an Indonesian dish.  Meat or fish of any kind, either cooked directly in or grilled then slathered in bumbu, a spicy sauce – “rica = spicy” – typically comprising chilies, shallots, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt, plus lime leaves, lime juice, lemongrass, sometimes coconut milk/oil.

Amazing.  The bumbu was essentially the same thing as sambal, just warmed up.  The tuna was a bit dry, as cooked tuna tends to be – would’ve preferred a white fish, or chicken.  Anyway, the dish felt thoroughly local.

Ayam Goreng Lengkuas is an Indonesian dish.  Galangal (lengkuas) is ground/grated, along with a variety of aromatics and spices, such as garlic, shallots, lemongrass, lime leaves, salt, sugar.  Chicken (ayam) is cut into pieces and braised in water along with the galangal blend.  The chicken and the galangal blend are drained, separated, deep-fried (goreng), tossed together, served.  Not to be confused with Malaysia Ayam Goreng (see generally 16.219 Malay Fried Chicken (Ayam Goreng)).

Awesome.  The chicken was crispy and tender, perfectly seasoned with the galangal floss adding explosive pops of spice and flavor.  One of the best fried chicken dishes that I’ve ever experienced.

DIVE 11

– Hatta Wall –

The Arch – aka Hole in the Wall.   At long last, I got to do what I enjoy most about diving: reef penetration, i.e., swimming through large coral formations.  (Actually, I like wreck penetration the most, but they’re all kinda related in that the fun is in navigating tight spaces, using breathing to control buoyancy.)

SNACK

At around 16:00 daily, between the 3rd and 4th dives of the day, a snack is served: sometimes a sweet, sometimes a savory.

A lot of food throughout the day, but diving requires a lot of energy.

DIVE 12

– Tanjung Button –

Marble ray – yay.

DINNER

In addition to sambal, I’m also beginning to appreciate kecap asin (“asin = salty”), soy sauce that tastes a bit like fish sauce, and kecap manis (“manis = sweet”), soy sauce that tastes a bit like dark soy sauce.   The trio, whether individually or combined, makes everything taste better.

DID YOU KNOW: The Chinese word “ketsiap (鮭汁)” originally referred to fermented fish sauce.  The term spread as “kecap” to parts of southeast asia, more broadly applied to various kinds of fermented seasonings, including soy sauce.  This eventually became “ketchup/catsup” in English, though uncertain when/how it became the tomato-based sweet condiment as it is known globally today.  (In Korean, the Chinese characters for the original term would be pronounced “gyujeup.”)

(See RESTAURANTS IN INDONESIA)

(See GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)