Rendang Republic — Restaurant in Lake View Township

I met chef/owner John Avila at his restaurant Rendang Republic, an all-day counter service restaurant at 3355 N. Clark St in Wrigleyville. I read that Rendang Republic is Chicago’s Only Indonesian Restaurant. Could that be true? I loved chatting with Chef John and thanked him for sharing his cultural heritage. He’s a northwest side native, and the restaurant impresses with both its authentic Indonesian dishes, like the chicken sate, and also by taking fresh authentic Indonesian ingredients and techniques and reimagining them as Chicago classics, like their “Beef Rendang Sandwich,” a cross between an Italian-Chicago beef, and Indonesian beef rendang incorporating a bouquet of chillies, shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and kefir lime leaves. You also won’t want to miss the “Duck Inndo Dog,” which features a delicious Duck Inn Dog made by Bridgeport superstar Chef Kevin Hickey, and serves it up with uniquely Indonesian trimmings, including pickled vegetables, a drizzle of hoisin sauce, crunchy fried shallots, and more. They were out of lumpia during my visit, but I’ll be back soon to try them, because if the lumpia are as great as everything else on the menu, they will undoubtedly be a new favorite. Conveniently individually packaged Umaga Bakehouse pastries are available for dessert. I took one of each home to enjoy later. The woman staffing the register also provided great service and I regret not catching her name to give her a shoutout too, because she was welcoming and informative and added to our...

Thank you chef for introducing authentic and fusion Indonesian flavors to Chicago. This is something I’ve dreamed of for years living here: a brick and mortar, specifically Indonesian restaurant that isn’t far away! Yay!!

The vibes of the place are so nice. Light wooden textures, Indonesian kerupuk containers, and bold wall art. Real silverware, cloth napkins, and beautiful water glasses. And the menu is in Indonesian! The attention to detail is superb.

Beef rendang was delicious; cooked and seasoned very well. Sayur gulai was chefs kiss. I could eat it alone with rice. The whole platter was great.

The duck inn-do hot dog was good, but I am personally not a huge fan of the chicken sausage itself (sorry duck inn! Great bite though). The toppings meshed nicely together. Acar acar relish went crazy.

I loooved the Indonesian fried chicken/IFC sandwich. The batter had a beautiful, subtle flavor from the coconut. Super crispy too. Sandwich tasted familiar and unique at the same time. That’s fusion done right!

Generous portion sizes as well.

You’ve gotta try the cafe too. Pandan flavor is pronounced and pairs nicely with both matcha and coffee, which are both of excellent quality as well.

Service was great here. Staff was happy to answer questions about the menu. Everyone was laid back. We had a convo with the chef, he’s a really nice guy. Hats off to...

Instagram: @FritzNFood

Got a chance to try a new Indonesian restaurant that opened only a couple of weeks back, in Wrigleyville, this afternoon. Rendang Republic!! A rather unassuming location partially tucked away underneath the L. First we tried the Rendang Platter with chicken, which was well spiced and extremely succulent(eaten down to the bone). Next was the Indonesian Fried Chicken Sandwich with Mie Boreng Fries. The fries were shoestring style with unique Indonesian spices that really made them pop similar to a light chilli flavor, my only complaint is they are served with ketchup, a hearty sweet Indonesian sauce would be extremely fitting. The IFC Sandwich was the perfect size, golden crispy, and a sweet tangy slightly runny sauce that really paired well with the crunch of the chicken, and the brioche bun and sweet pickles gave it a Southern vibe. Definitely my favorite entree.

Next we tried the Milk Bar from Umaga Bakehouse they offered which was amazing. Lastly we tried there OREO CROISSANT WHICH WAS KILLER!

Overall a delightful new spot, serving Indonesian food, which is a rarity in the neighborhood, and I highly...