The Aberdeen food scene is booming right now from new eateries to drinks producers and zero waste food stores to coffee roasters, there’s so much populating our corner of Scotland. I was intrigued to learn of the latest food addition, Indo, so I touched base with owner Barbara to learn more about the food pop-up (returning Thursday 23 January).
The back story
Inspired by her Indonesian roots, Barbara wanted to share great Indonesian food with those who haven’t explored the cuisine and thus Indo was born. Fueled with a passion for good food and authentic cooking, Barabara hopes to share the amazing flavours and diversity that comes with Indonesian cuisine and keep its heritage alive.
Offered a helping hand by the team of Pasta Abz, Barabara hosted her first Indo pop-up in Pasta Abz on Thursday 9 January introducing Indonesian cuisine to the ground floor of Aberdeen Market.
Not sure what to expect from the first pop-up, Barbara and the Indo team were over the moon when the first two diners arrived to explore the menu: “Two lovely customers turned up, we were truly delighted… Then more people came. It was amazing to see people enjoying our food”.
What’s on the menu?
Using produce fresh from Scotland’s larder there’s a real ‘use what you have’ ethos behind the menu, using rice as the centre of the cuisine combining meat, fish, eggs, vegetables and a variety of sauces, spices and herbs to create diverse tastes for diners to explore.
The use of tempe (fermented soya beans) is a key player in the Indo menu as it’s used in most dishes, offering a substantial and nutritious plant based eat for veteran vegans or those in search of a meat-free option. Popular with the diners at pop-up one was the vegan friendly Nasi Goreng (a fragrantly spiced rice dish) which incorporated tempe in its recipe and for all you carnivores, the Dadar Dan Ikan (a fish and egg dish) also went down a storm.
Next up for Indo?
A second pop-up will be held on Thursday 23 January at the same location bringing with it a new dish to the menu, a spicy Beef Rendang using quality local meat which I like the sound of already. A take-away option will also be available for those who are making a quick break for lunch.
Keep your eye on the Indo Instagram page for the latest news on future pop-ups and new developments that arise in the year ahead.
The Food Hoover asks:
In three words, describe Indo Aberdeen.
Flavour, creativity, passion.
What’s your favourite dish to cook?
Noodles and tempe.
What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in Aberdeen?
There’s many more independent businesses popping up offering much more variety and choice when eating out. It’s encouraging and exciting to see so many new and delicious food options available now. People are becoming more adventurous and more comfortable with new concepts and ideas. More open to change.
Taking a risk and going all in for the love of food, what’s not to love about this story. Aside from looking forward to dropping in by the second Indo Aberdeen pop-up on Thursday, I and can’t wait to see what 2020 brings Barbara and her Indo adventure.
The Food Hoover 