Polydish city guide

Best Batagor in New York

“Fish paste fried until crackling, topped with peanut sauce, sweet soy, chili, and lime.”

Batagor

What the real thing tastes like

Batagor (abbreviated from baso tahu goréng, 'fried bakso [and] tofu') is a Sundanese dish from Indonesia, and popular in Southeast Asia, consisting of fried fish dumplings, usually served with peanut sauce. It is traditionally made from minced tenggiri (Spanish mackerel), although other types of seafood such as tuna, mackerel, and prawn may also be used. The fish paste is subsequently stuffed into wonton skins or filled into tofu, and then deep-fried in palm oil. Street-side batagor fried dumplings are usually served with fried tofu and finger-shaped fried otak-otak fish cakes. These batagor components are cut into bite-size pieces and topped with peanut sauce, kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), sambal (chili paste), and lime juice. As a fried food, batagor generally has a crispy and crunchy texture. Since their serving methods are identical, batagor and siomay are often sold by the same vendor, with batagor being offered as a crispy variation of siomay.

0 voices, one story

Batagor is a Sundanese invention born from economy and ingenuity—minced tenggiri (Spanish mackerel) packed into wonton skins or pressed into tofu, then plunged into palm oil until the exterior shatters into crackling fragments. Street vendors serve it in bite-sized pieces with peanut sauce coating everything, balanced by the deep salt-sweetness of kecap manis, the sharp bite of sambal, and a squeeze of lime. It's siomay's crispy alter ego, and once you bite through that fried shell, you're committed.

Order it here when it has

  • crispy exterior
  • seafood-forward
  • layered condiment balance
  • versatile protein base

Walk away when you see

    Restaurant-level rankings for New York land as the Polydish review engine processes this city's reviews. Explore the dish itself while you wait —

    Batagor on Polydish →