Felincia “Fefe” Anggono started a small food fair at a church community center in Queens with the goal of bringing the cuisine of her native Indonesia to a wider audience. Mission accomplished: Seven years and a larger venue later, her New York Indonesian Food Bazaar hosts 20 or so vendors doing their part to represent a country with a diverse cuisine born of 17,000-plus islands.
“The Indonesian community in New York has supported the bazaar since our first event, but over the years people from all different cultures have attended and enjoyed the bazaar,” Anggono, who grew up in East Java, Indonesia, says.
Now occurring monthly — with a second January installment set for Saturday, thanks to demand — you’ll find dozens of interpretations of the Southeast Asian country’s notable dishes. Most of the vendors aren’t restaurant chefs; instead, the roster skews toward home cooks and caterers, plating bakso (meatballs), nasi kuning (turmeric rice), gado-gado (salad with tofu, tempeh, egg and peanut sauce) and other favorites.
Many of the cooks return month after month; Jeanny Djunaidi, originally from Surabaya, travels regularly from Pennsylvania to oversee her Bakso Soup of Philly stand.
“It’s a homestyle dish and one of the most popular in Indonesia,” she says. “I’m proud to introduce bakso to people who never tried it, and every month I see new faces and a variety of customers at my booth.”
Next up: Another borough?
“I’d like to find a space in Manhattan for a second monthly bazaar,” Anggono says. “I also dream of opening a permanent Indonesian food court someday.”
” data-id=”126400508″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/7290_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.26400508″/> Photo Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon