Nasi goreng and Mie goreng are considered national dishes of Indonesia. Nasi = rice mie = noodles and goreng means fried. So, it’s simple, fried rice and fried noodles. This is the first food that people usually try when arriving here because it’s simple and recognizable. Usually wrapped in a banana leaf from street stalls, it’s cheap and usually delicious. Specify if you want it spicy, “pedas” or not spicy, “tidak pedas.” It’s also accompanied by a few cucumber slices and nasi goreng special is with a fried egg and ayam (chicken).
I usually ask for “tidak pakai telur” (with out egg) as I’m not too fond of fried eggs in Indonesia. Eggs are usually a breakfast thing for me. If you ask a westerner living here or a tourist passing through they’d probably say you can’t go wrong with nasi/mie goreng but to Indonesians it’s a simple meal that can be cooked improperly. I’ve heard on several occasions, Indonesians saying that the nasi goreng they just ate was terrible.