Now Open: Warisan Brings the Flavours of Regional Indonesia to Fortitude Valley

Ask Alfan “Alfie” Musthafa about Indonesia and he’ll recount his time growing up in West Java, where he learned to cook from his grandmother on his grandparents’ farm, before going on to cook in kitchens around the country. Along the way, he discovered that Indonesian cuisine varies dramatically from region to region.

“Indonesia is rich [in tradition],” he tells Broadsheet. “In each province, they have different flavours and ingredients they use. Every time I went to a different place, I learnt about their culture and especially their food.”

He’s bringing those experiences to Warisan, which opened in Fortitude Valley earlier this month. “We’re not focusing on one region of Indonesia, we’re trying to cover the best dishes from each region.”

The concept for Warisan took shape when Musthafa began chatting with Nick Wigley shortly after he began working at Luckies Kitchen in Bulimba, which Wigley co-owns. Wigley was on board right away and, when it became available, the duo seized the opportunity to take over the former Ze Pickle site on Hynes Street in Fortitude Valley, with plans to divide their time between both venues.

Warisan’s menu features small plates like crispy chicken skins with sambal asam, and otak-otak (steamed and grilled fish cakes wrapped in banana leaves), alongside medium plates like a Balinese salad of long bean, jackfruit, poached chicken and grated coconut.

Among the large plates are standout regional specialties: ayam bakar taliwang (a Lombok-style grilled half chicken marinated in red chilli paste), babi guling (Bali’s famous slow-cooked pork belly), and beef satay with sweet soy chilli sambal, a tribute to Musthafa’s West Javanese roots. But it’s the Surabaya specialty, bebek goreng – a twice-cooked crispy duck flavoured with yellow curry paste – that’s quickly becoming Warisan’s signature.

“I was working as a corporate chef for a company in Jakarta, and they opened a new restaurant in Surabaya,” Musthafa says. “I stayed there for four months and ate fried duck for lunch every day. I wanted to bring that [dish] to Warisan.”

Wigley has curated the drinks menu, which features several signature cocktails, including frozen Margaritas and Pina Coladas, along with a concise wine list spotlighting small Australian producers. For beer, there are seven on-tap and a handful of bottles, including the obligatory Bintang.

The space retains much of its original grungy, garage-style charm from its Ze Pickle days, with concrete tables, distressed walls and a timber deck out front. The duo has added multi-coloured metal chairs, arcade games, and a back entrance decorated with Indonesian posters from Musthafa’s childhood.

Warisan
4 Hynes Street, Fortitude Valley
No phone

Hours:
Tue to Sat 11.30am–9pm

www.warisan.com.au
@warisanbrisbane