Java

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  10     

I absolutely love the food at the Java. I have never had better Indonesian food in Sydney - including in Kingsford. I have been to Indonesia many times and and can vouch for the fact that the food is very authentic (just like excellent home cooking.
If you don't like spicy food, the menu is very clear and the staff will advise if a dish is hot in case you can't take it.

It is a small, family run place and the staff are lovely, remembering me and my favourite dishes even when I haven't been in a while. When I take Indonesian natives they always love the food. It is extremely reasonably priced. If something is expensive and listed as "market price" it is very likely because it is out of season.
I only wish the Kang Kung was a little cheaper. It seems strange to pay the same for a green vegetable dish as for chicken satay etc. It is usually very fast but I do believe the staff deserve a bit of patience from people when they are run off their feet and doing their best to please everyone. They always please me :) lol

Jan 06, 2012 

9.8 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  10     

This restaurant is family run, and it is one of the best Indonesian places in Sydney. The food is just amazing, I have been going there for over 10 yrs and I have seen it get busier and busier over the years as Sydney siders discover their best Javanese restaurant by word of mouth. Yes it is always busy at night so the service suffers, but it's the restaurant's fault because the food it so good too many people want to squeeze in!

Oct 17, 2011 

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  10     

We love Java! The food is delicious. It is authentic home cooking, a rare thing these days. The satay is the best we've ever tasted and we would definitely recommend the chicken with sweet spices. The martabak is amazing! The waiters always remember both us and our order even though we don't go as often as we would like to.

Sep 16, 2011 

1.8 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  2      Service  1      Value  2     

Terrible experience from beginning to end! We were ignored for the first 15 minutes, had to show ourselves to a table, and then were unable to rouse the waiter's attention. Tried to make eye contact with them as they walked past but we were completely ignored! Couldn't even get a wine glass despite sitting there with a bottle of wine on our table staring at the passing waiter.

Food was ordinary. Some overly spicy, most with the same predicable gluggy sauce. The dessert, I may as well scraped some ice out of my freezer wall. Bad!

Aug 13, 2011 

5 Average

Food  5      Ambience  4      Service  6      Value  5     

The 'Ikan Bakar Bumbu Bali' was a total rip-off costing $55 for 'market price'. The skin of the fish was entirely burnt to the extent that the flesh tasted like ash, nothing but bitter. Never had such expensive 'market price' fish not forgetting the disappointing taste. The vege stir-fry was tasteless, most suitable for hospitalised patients. Our clothes stink from the badly smelled restaurant.

It's definitely not a value-for-money place as compared to other Indo restaurants in Kingsford. Dishes cost slightly higher than moderate and anything 'market price' in the menu might turn out to be a rip-off.

Feb 22, 2011 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  9     

Service always friendly. Food consistently good - very tasty. Homely atmosphere. Great place.

Feb 18, 2011 

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  9     

Went for dinner here the other night with friends and loved it. There were 4 of us and we had the rijsttafel which is awesome value. Don't be put of by the outside or the canteen feel interior the food and service are stuff of legend. The satays are some of the best I have eaten and the rendang is really good. Will definitely be going back.

Dec 15, 2010 

8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  8     

The food is delicious I was there with a fairly big group and we had the banquet, there was more than plenty for everybody. The chicken satay sticks and beef rendang are beautiful. That satay sauce is yummy, they should bottle it and sell it! Though the cheeky $5 charge for 1 accidentally broken glass was a bit ott.

Oct 25, 2010 

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  9     

I'm a regular and every time I go the food is fantastic. Not knowing much about Indonesian food I always order blindly, but every time I'm impressed. The service is efficient and friendly. The chilli eggplant curry is to die for.

Sep 03, 2010 

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  8      Value  9     

I love this place. I've been going there for the last 4 years and everytime I have been there the food has been superb. Small place and the takeaway trade up the middle of the restaurant can be a pain as the front door opens and shuts through the whole night, but the food itself makes this worth bearing.

I just got back from introducing two friends to the place and they are now converts and vowing to return also. Soft shell crab and the Fried Eggplant were the stars of tonight's meal three thumbs up for each of them. Eggplant was amazingly crisp with the battered exterior leading to a deliciously unctuous/gooey interior. The crab was coated with a delicious salty concoction and lovely and crunchy.

Low light was experimenting with the deep fried bone marrow though. Kind of disappointing in both flavour and texture. I won't be doing that one again but the chicken satay sticks are worth the parking hassles in and of them selves. If you like spicy authentic Indon food, this little gem of a place is a must.

Jul 03, 2010