If you're visiting Surabaya, there are plenty of delicious local dishes you need to try. The city's culinary heritage runs deep, shaped by generations of street vendors, family recipes, and a bold, savory flavor profile that's unmistakably East Javanese. Here are some of the most famous ones.
Lontong Balap
This legendary Surabaya specialty is built around lontong — compact rice cakes — served with bean sprouts, fried tofu, crispy fried shallots, a drizzle of sweet soy sauce, and a punchy sambal, all swimming in a savory broth. The dish gets its distinctive depth from petis, a thick shrimp-paste condiment that gives Lontong Balap its signature umami kick. It's street food at its finest: humble, hearty, and unforgettable.
Rawon
Rawon is Surabaya's famous black beef soup. Its dark, almost inky color comes from keluak (black nuts), which impart an earthy, nutty richness you won't find in any other Indonesian soup. Tender chunks of beef are slow-simmered with a blend of spices — garlic, shallots, turmeric, ginger, and candlenut — until the broth is deeply aromatic. Served with steamed rice, a squeeze of lime, and a sprinkle of salted egg or crunchy bean sprouts on the side, Rawon is comfort in a bowl.
Rujak Cingur
Rujak Cingur is a traditional Surabaya salad that stands apart from other Indonesian rujak varieties. The star ingredient is cingur — slices of boiled cow snout — mixed with fresh fruits and vegetables like young mango, cucumber, pineapple, water spinach, and jicama. Everything is tossed in a thick, dark sauce made from petis, peanuts, and palm sugar, creating a bold sweet-savory-spicy combination. It's a dish that captures Surabaya's love for intense, layered flavors.
Pecel Semanggi
Pecel Semanggi is one of Surabaya's most unique offerings. The dish features steamed semanggi (clover leaves) paired with bean sprouts and sometimes rice crackers, all drenched in a sweet-and-spicy peanut sauce. The sauce — made from ground peanuts, palm sugar, chili, and a hint of tamarind — clings beautifully to the delicate leaves. Historically sold by women carrying bamboo baskets through Surabaya's neighborhoods, Pecel Semanggi is both a taste of the city's past and a beloved everyday snack.