Try These 10 Best Makassar Foods While Discovering South Sulawesi

Best Makassar Foods
Rofiq
Rofiq 
Updated
| 3 min read

Makassar could best be described as the culinary paradise of Central Indonesia. When the dusk comes, the frenzy begins. The alive capital is dotted with a wide number of vendors with their unique food stalls offering multitudinous foods from mouth-watering seafood to burnished brown banana with palm sugar sauce. We ensure that all of the foodies will always fall in love with the gem.

Here are some of top Makassar foods you should get a taste of:

1. Coto Makassar

Coto Makassar-dish
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Lofor used under CC BY 3.0

Coto Makassar, also known as Coto Mangkasar, is a typical thick soup comprised of cow’s innards such as heart, tripe, brain, lung, liver, and intestine. What makes the broth dark is the ground peanuts, rice water, and spices. It’s usually eaten with Burasa, a kind of Ketupat, the compressed rice cake wrapped in coconut leaves. To enhance the flavor, sambal tauco is often added.

Coto Makassar

Address: Lorong 5 No.136B, Masale, Panakkukang, Kota Makassar, South Sulawesi

Opening Hours: 8 am to 10 pm

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2. Sop Konro

Sop Konro tulang leher kerbau
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Midori used under CC BY 3.0

Do you love ribs? Don’t miss tasting the delightful Sop Konro. The blackish soupy dish intensifies the scented sensation of spareribs and beef. Moreover, the strong flavor emerges due to the blend of rich spices such as keluwak (in the scientific field, it’s called Pangium edule), coriander, lemongrass, and turmeric. Another variation is the Konro Bakar or the grilled Konro.

Sop Konro Karebosi

Address: Jalan Gunung Lompobattang No. 41-43, Pisang Utara, Ujung Pandang, Kota Makassar, South Sulawesi

Opening Hours: 1:20 pm to 11 pm

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3. Barongko

Barongko hendak dimakan
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Gunarta used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Makassar is also famous for its Bugis steamed banana snack, named Barongko. The ground banana is mixed with some basic ingredients such as sugar, condensed milk, egg, salt, and vanilla powder. The mixture is wrapped in a banana leaf, then steamed for about 25 minutes. The sweet dessert can be eaten both hot and cold.

MAMA Toko Kue and Eskrim

Address: Jl. Serui No.19, Pattunuang, Wajo, Kota Makassar, South Sulawesi

Opening Hours: 8 am to 7 pm

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4. Pisang Epe

Pisang epe
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Sabjan Badio used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Pisang Epe is a typical sweet snack that highlights the pleasure of grilled banana. The tropical yellow fruit is flattened, greased with margarine, and grilled for about 5 minutes. Then, it’s doused with brown palm sugar sauce. If you want to try the other variations, you could try the chocolate, jam and cheese flavor. To get this type of food is so effortless, just hit Pantai Losari in the evening.

Pisang Epe Pantai Losari

Address: l. Penghibur, Pantai Losari, Bulo Gading, Ujung Pandang, Makassar City, South Sulawesi

Opening Hours: 5 pm to midnight

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5. Es Palu Butung

Es palu butung
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Cun Cun used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Es Palu Butung is a typical dessert that is quite similar to the Pisang Ijo (another Makassarese sweet treat with banana base). To make the whitish vla sauce, the rice flour is cooked with coconut milk, pandan leaf, sugar, salt, and vanilla powder. The final touch is to add it to the steamed banana, red syrup, and some ice cubes. Eat it while it’s still cold.

RM Bravo

Address: Jl. Andalas No. 154 Makassar, Souith Sulawesi

Contact Number: +62 411323045

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6. Pallu Basa

Pallubasa
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Cahyo Ramadhani used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Pallu Basa is a kind of thick soup of which basic ingredients are beef and cow’s organs, such as heart, intestine, spleen, and tripe. They are blended with the local aromatic spices such as cumin, ginger, clove, cinnamon, galangal, and lemongrass. The final touch is to add the tamarind water, palm sugar, and grated coconut. It’s often munched on along with raw egg yolk.

Pallubasa Onta

Address: Jl. Onta Lama No.103, Mandala, Mamajang, Makassar City, South Sulawesi

Opening Hours: 9 am to 10 pm

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7. Buras

Buras di Makassar
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Midori used under CC BY 3.0

Buras is arguably the staple food of Makassar. The lontong-like dish is made of rice wrapped in a young banana leaf. It’s always served with spicy dried grated coconut or the companion of either Coto Makassar or Pallu Basa. To find this sticky dish, commonly eaten during traditional events and religious celebrations, is so easy – just hit the local traditional market.

Coto Maros

Address: Jl. Urip Sumoharjo, Maccini, Makassar City, South Sulawesi

Opening Hours: 8 am to 9 pm

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8. Palumara

Palumara Kepala Ikan Kakap
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Fitri Penyalai used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Craving for the seafood of Makassar? You shouldn’t miss Palumara, a type of fish dish with yellowish broth. The meat used to create the food could be milk fish, snapper, and tuna. What makes it so rich in flavor and pleasant is the seasoning, highlighting kaffir lime leaves, spring onion, chilies, and tamarind. To upgrade the pungency, add lime juice and fried shallot.

Rajanya Pallu Mara "Kepala Ikan"

Address: Jl. Cendrawasih No.20, Kunjung Mae, Mariso, Makassar City, South Sulawesi

Opening Hours: 8 am to 8 pm

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9. Jalangkote

Jalangkote
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Nurbina12 used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Jalangkote is a kind of pastel-like snack that comes with thick wrappers and various fillings such as diced potato, carrot, spring onion, bean sprout, and boiled egg. Those ingredients are sauteed with garlic, shallot, and pepper. Another option would be minced beef. To enjoy the deep-fried dish, it is usually dipped in a vinegar sauce.

Jalangkote & Lumpia Lasinrang

Address: Jl. Lasinrang No.11A, Mangkura, Ujung Pandang, Makassar City, South Sulawesi

Opening Hours: 8:30 am to 8 pm

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10. Sop Sodara

Sop Saudara 1
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Gunawan Kartapranata used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Originating from the regency of Pangkep, the traditional soup underlines beef meat, fried cow’s lungs, rice vermicelli, and potato balls. This specialty is usually served with grilled fish, boiled egg, and most essentially, steamed rice. Great companions could be spicy peanut sauce and cucumber slices.

Sop Saudara Irian

Address: Jl. Ahmad Yani No.49, Pattunuang, Wajo, Makassar City, South Sulawesi

Opening Hours: 24 hours

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Try the Makassar foods to find the authentic taste of Sulawesi

If you are about to travel to Sulawesi, don’t ever miss dropping in to Makassar to get a taste of the local culinary delights, from Coto Makassar to Sop Sodara. They are not only flavorsome, but also incredibly tantalizing.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Rofiq, hailing from East Java, Indonesia, is a passionate explorer who thrives on discovering new places, encountering diverse people, and immersing himself in various languages and cultures. His...Read more

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