Choose by what you need
What do you feel like cooking?
Find a dish by time, confidence, or an ingredient you already have. Each guide leads with the visual cue that matters, then keeps the deeper reference material out of your way until you need it.
Start with the Indonesian core. Guest techniques stay in Lens Lab.
The core collection
Indonesian cooking
Start here: dishes chosen for clear visual checkpoints, ingredient guidance, and practical home cooking.
Prototype visualRendangKnow exactly when the coconut milk has reduced enough.First important cueThe paste should be wet, red, and sharp-smelling before heat.3 hr 35 minSpice 4/5
Prototype visualNasi GorengGet separate grains and kecap gloss instead of sticky rice.First important cueLoose grains before cooking.27 minSpice 2/5
Prototype visualSate AyamChar edges without drying the chicken.First important cuePieces are similar size so they cook together.43 minSpice 3/5
Prototype visualGado-GadoBuild a sauce that coats vegetables without turning the plate heavy.First important cueSeparate piles with distinct textures.45 minSpice 2/5
Prototype visualSoto AyamBuild a golden broth that tastes clean, not muddy.First important cueYellow paste with shiny oil edges.1 hr 10 minSpice 2/5
Prototype visualMie GorengGet glossy noodles that stay springy.First important cueSpringy strands with no hard clumps.30 minSpice 2/5
Prototype visualBaksoMake a clear, savoury bowl that does not taste watery.First important cueLight amber broth, no foam.50 minSpice 1/5
Prototype visualRawonGet the deep black broth without bitterness.First important cueDark paste that smells earthy and nutty.2 hr 30 minSpice 3/5
Prototype visualOpor AyamKeep coconut sauce silky and aromatic.First important cueSmooth paste that smells nutty.1 hr 15 minSpice 1/5
Prototype visualAyam Goreng KalasanKeep the chicken juicy, the crust golden, and the kremes brittle—not greasy.First important cueA pale, smooth paste coats the chicken with no visible candlenut chunks.1 hr 45 minSpice 1/5
Prototype visualSop BuntutBuild a clear amber broth and know exactly when oxtail is tender but still attached to the bone.First important cueThe drained pieces look clean between the bones and the pot has no grey foam stuck to it.3 hr 45 minSpice 0/5Lens Lab8 guest-cuisine technique guides
Separate technique collection
Lens Lab
Non-Indonesian dishes remain available for technique experiments, but sit outside the primary Indonesian collection.
Prototype visualLaksa LemakMake a soup that tastes deep without a restaurant stockpot.First important cueThick orange paste with visible chilli.1 hr 5 minSpice 3/5
Prototype visualIga Sapi Goreng MaduMake ribs fork-tender yet intact, then glaze them glossy without scorching the honey.First important cueGolden bumbu looks glossy with a fine oil line at the edge and smells rounded, not sharp.3 hrSpice 1/5
Prototype visualCrispy-Skin Salmon Sambal MatahCrisp the skin without drying the fish, then keep bright sambal beside—not over—the crust.First important cueThe skin looks matte and taut with no visible beads of water.35 minSpice 3/5
Prototype visualBeef WellingtonSynchronise a crisp pastry shell with safely rested, evenly pink beef and thin, distinct moisture-barrier layers.First important cueThe strained jus lightly coats a spoon, shines without grease, and tastes concentrated but not salty.3 hr 45 minSpice 0/5
Prototype visualJapanese Pork TonkatsuKeep a thick pork chop juicy and safely cooked inside an airy panko shell that stays attached and audibly crisp.First important cueThe sauce is glossy and spoonable; cabbage is cold, airy, and crisp with no visible water.1 hrSpice 0/5
Prototype visualChawanmushiSet a glossy, spoonable custard with no bubbles, stringy egg, or honeycomb holes.First important cueCups sit level and stable; every chicken piece is small enough to heat at the same rate.50 minSpice 0/5
Prototype visualTonkotsu Shoyu RamenBuild an opaque ivory broth that tastes like pork—not dairy—and assemble six balanced bowls before the noodles soften.First important cueThe final soak water is only faintly pink and every blanched bone surface is pale with no dark blood deposits or grey film.14 hr 30 min + overnight soaking and chillingSpice 0/5
Prototype visualXiao Long BaoSeal clear hot soup inside a delicate wrapper that survives the steamer and reaches the spoon intact.First important cueCold stock is a clear pale-gold gel that jiggles as one firm mass and cuts into sharp 3–4 mm cubes.5 hr 45 min + overnight aspic settingSpice 0/5