Hotspot: authentic Indonesian food at trendy TIWYA in Rotterdam
Fan of Indonesian cuisine? Then I have very good news for you! At brand-new TIWYA, opposite Luxor and next to Club Thalia, just a stone’s throw from Rotterdam Central Station, you can enjoy great Indonesian dishes in a restaurant and club in one.
A striking name—what does it mean?
TIWYA stands for This Is What You Are. Or perhaps more accurately: This Is Where You Are: at TIWYA, you feel as though you’re at a trendy Balinese beach bar. From the moment you step through the original Indonesian wooden doors, you imagine yourself in another world. The spacious venue has two floors, with a large bar downstairs that forms the heart of the place. At the end of the bar, a DJ is spinning tunes (lounge music, but upbeat). Throughout the venue, both upstairs and downstairs, you’ll find round seating areas with botanical prints. Another eye-catching detail: the 180-year-old Indonesian marble sinks in the restrooms.
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- Frank van Hese (niet op de foto), Dave Grosjean en Danny Meijer runnen samen de zaak
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- Opvallende muurschildering
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- De achterwand wisselt steeds van kleur
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- De enorme bar vormt het hart van de zaak
What’s cooking?
The kitchen is run by the chefs known from the Moluccan restaurant CUCU in Zwijndrecht, who bring a suitcase full of authentic Indonesian family recipes with them. Fresh seasonal ingredients and sensational spices come together in a colorful menu full of flavor. From vegetarian and vegan dishes to fresh fish and meat dishes of the day. Most dishes are meant to be shared. And to go with them: delicious exotic (virgin) cocktails.
This is what you (sh)are
After a few appetizers, including very good Sateh Ayam—tender chicken with a delicious roasted flavor and a lovely thick yet refined peanut sauce—various sharing dishes arrive at the table. Not a classic rijsttafel, but the idea is somewhat similar. You fill your plate with fragrant steamed pandan rice and add whatever you like. Such as the Daging Rendang, so tender and richly spiced that it’s finger-licking good. The Sayur Lodeh is also lovely, the best I’ve had in a long time: crunchy vegetables in coconut broth with tofu; a top-notch dish.
Prefer fish? Then order Pepesan Bali: mackerel with spicy bumbu and lime leaf. Everything is beautifully balanced—nothing is heavy, and nothing is so spicy that you can’t taste anything else.
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- Een tafel vol Indonesische heerlijkheden
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- Zachte, verfijnde smaken in ieder gerecht
Great for late dining
In short: this is where you eat authentic Indonesian food, but not in a traditional eatery—in a luxury restaurant, bar and club in one. TIWYA is open five days a week from 16:30, with the kitchen open until 23:00. A late reservation (there is room for 200 diners) is therefore no problem. Roffa has gained another great hotspot.
TIWYA, Kruiskade 15, Rotterdam
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