Balibu is an Indonesian restaurant at 39 Esk Street in central Invercargill, holding a 4.9 rating from 96 Google reviews.
Indonesian cooking is built on rempah — spice pastes of galangal, lemongrass, turmeric and chilli pounded fresh and fried until fragrant, which is why a good Indonesian kitchen smells of it before you taste anything. Dishes span the archipelago: slow-cooked rendang from Padang, sweeter Javanese cooking, and fiery sambals served alongside rather than cooked in, so the heat is yours to set. Meals centre on rice and are meant for sharing: several smaller plates rather than one each. If you are new to the food, ask how the chilli runs before you order — regulars tend to want extra sambal anyway.
For Esk Street and central Invercargill, an Indonesian restaurant this highly rated is a genuine asset, and the locals have clearly noticed.