Mataram's Viral Nasi Bejek Draws Queues Before Stall Opens

Nasi bejek, a local dish at Jalan Panji Tilar Negara in Ampenan, Mataram, has gone viral on social media, with residents queuing before the stall opens. Located opposite the West Nusa Tenggara Provincial Museum, dozens of people were seen waiting on Sunday evening as the stall prepared to open. The menu offers various options including original, pete (stinky bean), pindang (fish), and komplit (complete) versions. Each portion features spiced rice topped with fried shallots, crispy chicken skin, fried stinky beans, fish, fried tofu and tempeh, sambal, and stir-fried cabbage and spinach. The dish is praised for its aromatic spices, spicy, savoury, and fresh taste, with crispy accompaniments. Nabila, a visitor, said: “I first heard about this dish going viral on TikTok and Instagram; it’s supposed to be delicious and affordable. But you have to be patient queuing as it sells out quickly.” She admitted failing twice to buy it due to rapid sell-outs. “It disappears so fast—two failed attempts despite queuing. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be. This time, I queued before opening; the stall was due at 6pm but didn’t open until 7pm. I was tempted to complain but wanted to try. Eventually, I bought four portions.” Another visitor, Ghina, queued from 8pm and said: “Usually, when something goes viral, people come out of FOMO (fear of missing out), but this was worth it. The nasi bejek is tasty, the side dishes are great, the spicy sambal with fried vegetables and stinky beans is simply delicious. I’ll definitely return.” The stall owner, Adrian, a 22-year-old business management student at Universitas Mataram, revealed the stall opened just a week ago and has since gone viral. “We sell up to 120 portions in an hour, starting with 40 portions initially. The bestseller is the pete version,” he said. He created the dish after scrolling TikTok, saying: “I saw it on TikTok, got hungry, tried making it, and it turned out great. Plus, there was none in Mataram.” Prices range from Rp 20,000 for the original to Rp 30,000 for the komplit version.