The restaurant instantly reminded me of what a true Southeast Asian restaurant should feel like - simple, affordable, homey, friendly, casual, with communal tables. I grew up in a city near Hong Kong and have traveled to most Southeast Asian countries, so I've had my fair share of Southeast Asian food. The Indonesian dishes here genuinely amazed me. It's the kind of authentic flavor I haven't had since leaving my hometown. We ordered: * Rendang Fried Rice - Loved the choice of beef. It was high quality, beautifully marbled, incredibly tender, and rich without feeling greasy. * Soto Betawi - A total flavor explosion and an absolute must if you enjoy coconut milk. I finished every last drop by mixing rice into the soup, and even my picky toddler couldn't stop eating the beef. * Chicken Satay (Indonesian Style) - Another must-order. The flavors were so bold that they made me wonder what I've been eating all these years whenever I ordered chicken satay elsewhere. * Bakwan Sayur - Crispy vegetable fritters that are perfect for sharing since they're quite large. Pro tip: dip them into the Soto Betawi broth. It was one of my favorite bites of the meal. * Sambal - We tried the ginger and green chili versions. If you grew up eating Cantonese food, the flavors will feel wonderfully familiar. Overall, this was one of the best Southeast Asian meals I've had in years. Authentic, comforting, and packed with flavor. We'll absolutely be back. read more

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Visited on a Saturday night at 6 p.m. (free meters off Argyle) and was able to get seated at a half/shared table (was just 3 of us) - this after being turned away the previous Saturday when we arrived later. We got the Sate Betutu (fish skewers) to try something different - maybe not our thing and yet we ate it up. Will try next time a different app of whatever isn't sold out. Got the Mie Ayam (chicken noodles with meatball side) and the Soto Betawi (creamy tender beef soup). Need to remember to try one of the desserts next time. Service is team based and attentive. Food came out quickly when we got in when most of the tables were full but no line waiting yet. Smooth operation after having been open 3 weeks. read more

Garuda - Soto betawi (left) with meatballs from our Mie Ayam. - Indonesian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Garuda deserves all the love and crowds they get. The wait was about 25 min for lunch and it was well worth it. Don't fret if there's a wait, put your name and cell phone # down and go do something else, like get a delicious drink at First Sip Cafe across the street. We ordered a great variety of dishes at Garuda and everything we had was a flavor bomb. Our absolute favorites were the chicken satay ayam and the salted squid... we loved it so much that we ordered it twice in the same meal. Service is warm and patient. The tables and chairs were cramped in the small space and the team there is doing their best to service everyone. Our iced waters were often re-filled without us even asking. The A/C was not strong enough to keep the entire place cool so it felt like were Indonesia, especially with the crazy rainstorms outside this summer. Going forward, I'm going to order massive carry out to avoid the long wait. This food goes so well with the wine and beer I have at home too. read more

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We got the chicken satay, rendang fried rice, soto ayam, and Indonesia style kwe tiaw, as well as the Indonesia shaved ice for dessert. Overall a delicious experience. I especially liked the chicken satay, rendang fried rice, and the kwe tiaw - very well seasoned. The soto ayam was more mild in flavor which balanced out the rest of the dishes well. I personally wasn't a big fan of the shaves ice and thought the syrup tasted too sweet and artificial. However the toppings underneath the shaved ice were good - the avocado worked surprisingly well because it canceled out the sweetness of the pink syrup. I also liked the mung beans and jelly toppings. This spot opened at the start of June. It's a welcoming family business, very warm. They have a young daughter who helped give us the menu and was just very endearing! I recommend stopping by! read more

Garuda - Indonesian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I tried Garuda Indonesian Restaurant for the first time, and it didn't disappoint. I started out with the Chicken Satay (4 pcs). The sauce is under the satay, not in a separate container with minced vegetables. I would give it an acceptable rating, nothing special. For my main course, I decided on Soto Tangka Beef soup in coconut milk, with tomato, scallions, turmeric, chili, and Indonesian spices, served with a good-sized side of rice. The beef was a bit too fatty for me. This is 4 Alarm spicy hot! The portion is large enough to take home and fit in a small take-out container. What struck me as odd there are only tables that seat six people. If you're placing an order to take out, be prepared to wait by the front door; there's nowhere to sit down while waiting for your order. The waitresses are very nice and attentive, but there could be a bit of a wait for your order. They gave me the appetizer and main course all at once. You might want to ask them for your starter first. The walls have posters of Indonesia, etc. The music is ethnic Indonesian. read more

Garuda - Soto Tangka Beef Soup - Indonesian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came here twice in one week, and that should tell you how much we enjoyed it! Our first visit was for takeout because we wanted to stock up on Indonesian food so I wouldn't have to cook for a few days. I walked in and ordered 12 items from the menu, so the 30 minute wait was totally reasonable. We came back a few days later to dine in. We arrived right at 3:00 PM on a Wednesday and were the first customers there. The service was friendly, pleasant, and quick. The food was delicious. I really appreciate that they keep the flavors authentic. You can taste the herbs and spices in every dish. We ordered a bunch of different items, and everything was gone within minutes. As for the pricing, I think it's fair for the quality and taste. I'm happy to pay for good food, and this place definitely delivers. We'll definitely be back again. Highly recommend if you're looking for authentic Indonesian food! read more

Garuda - Left - Vegetables fritters Middle - Fried tofu and vegetable fritter Right - Chicken satay - Indonesian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I love this place so much. This street food restaurant has easily become one of my frequent go to places for delicious food! I've tried almost everything on the menu and they did not disappoint at all. The Indonesian fried rice, peanut chicken skewers, noodles to the soda; just delicious and great service! I love how they serve it with a banana leaf underneath. It really sets the mood. read more

This place is SO GOOD!! It reminds me a taste of home, so when this restaurant opened up, I was so excited to try it and am glad to make the drive to Uptown and try it out. We came in with some pescatarian friends, and there was a good variety of dishes that everyone could try. We came in on Thursday at 7PM and were on a waitlist for ~40mins, which was expected due to how full the restaurant was. For a restaurant that has been open for less than 2 weeks, the wait wasn't too bad and the food was well worth the wait and drive. The restaurant is quite small, so expect to wait regardless. They don't take reservations, and it's a first come first serve. They will give a call once you put in your name and your table is ready. But oh wow the FOOD. By far, probably the BEST Indonesian food in Chicago. The sambal selection was incredible, and that is how you could tell how authentic the food is. We chose to put the Sambal Terasi (Indo classic) for our Nasi Rames, and all of the flavors were aromatic, spicy, and all around delicious. The Soto Betawi was also tasty, especially when adding Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce) to it. Our table really enjoyed the Nasi Goreng and Indonesian Style Kwe Tiau (Savory Gravy). But honestly we loved everything. All of it was a taste of home, and the staff were incredibly graceful despite how crowded it was. Food came by quickly too, which we again were impressed with! Karen was amazing, and I'm hoping to get to know her and the restaurant even more in the future. I am going to come back and try to Es Campur Looking forward to see how far this restaurant will go!! Tl;dr it is worth the trip. Authentic Indonesian food. Just deliciousness read more

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Great experience and food. Every food we've ordered is tasty, but not a fan of their bebek goreng. Must try it yourself! read more

Garuda - Bebek goreng, satay ayam, tahu isi, soto tangkar - Indonesian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Excellent food nice staff. Reasonable pricing I love it and will definitely go back with my family read more

Amazing food, amazing smells, and amazing people! My only experience with Indonesian food is my girlfriend's cooking, so coming here together was a great adventure. She said it was a good taste of home! You can tell that everything is made with great intentions and love. The portions are not overwhelming large or too small. The prices are very reasonable. The interior is on the smaller side and it does get very busy, so if you want to give it a try (which I recommend you do), you should arrive at least 30 minutes before you want to eat to secure a spot! Note: since they're currently new and very busy, they tend to run out of food later in the day, so come early! read more

Garuda - Bakso, Bakwan Goreng, Nasi Rames with Rendang, cassava, and egg balado, and Sate betutu - Indonesian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I grabbed a carry out dinner from here and it was lovely. The food is delicious, the proprietors are super friendly and helpful, and the dining area is very nice. It seems very popular as every table was filled with happy people. read more

The food was ok at best. The balado eggs didn't have any sauce and the rice was very hard. read more

Garuda - Food is ok at best. The balado eggs did not have any balado and the rice was very hard. - Indonesian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

such a good restaurant!! I've been missing home and this is such a great reminder of Indonesian food. give it a shot!! it's authentic and the workers are lovely. I would advise to come during lunch or an early dinner as they run out of the best selling options sometimes! read more

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We ordered food to go. We had the Indonesian kwe tiao, Bebek Madura (our favorite dish), bakwan sayur, nasi rames with rendang, green beans and spicy peanut anchovy. The food overall was good, but the duck was amazing. I would try other items on the menu. read more