A Pair of New Concepts Signal an Exciting Year for Indonesian Food in Columbus
BALIBOX and Nusantara aim to showcase a long-neglected cuisine in Central Ohio. Plus, please send us your food-related questions!
Editor’s Note
Send Us Your Food-Related Questions!
We thought we’d try something: We’d like to dedicate a newsletter (or several) to answering your burning questions about Central Ohio restaurants, our favorite dishes, you name it. Just send Erin your questions at the link below, and we’ll pick our favorites—or the ones we can actually answer. Thanks!
The Owners of Fukuryu Foods Launch BALIBOX
By Erin Edwards
We can’t all “Eat, Pray, Love” our way to Bali, and lately there’s been a shocking dearth of Indonesian fare in Columbus.
Good news, rendang lovers!
Recently, the folks behind Fukuryu Ramen and Izakaya Ru launched BALIBOX, offering a taste of the rich, bold flavors of Indonesian cuisine in the style of a chilled, bento-style meal that’s meant to be reheated at home.
“The concept blends convenience with authenticity–playing off the popular idea of nasi kotak (an Indonesian boxed meal consisting of steamed rice, rich proteins and various flavorful side dishes) and offering a comforting, heat-and-eat experience without sacrificing flavor or tradition,” according to a press release.
Customers currently have the choice of two main entrees for their BALIBOX: ayam kremes (Indonesian fried chicken leg) or beef rendang (a dry curry). Both are accompanied by sides, including coconut-braised kale, stir-fried vermicelli noodles, rice (contained in a cute banana leaf pouch) and a crispy mustofa potato topping. A spicy sambal is available as well.
The new prepared food concept is the vision of Yenny Tsao, the Indonesian wife of Fukuryu founder Jeff Tsao, and a collaboration with Haru Omakase executive chef Yudi Makassau and his predominantly Indonesian team.
“We hope to offer a taste of home to those in Columbus who long for familiar flavors, creating a deeper cultural connection and a shared love of Indonesian cuisine,” says Yenny Tsao.
BALIBOX is now available for pickup or delivery at both Fukuryu locations (Downtown Columbus and Dublin) and Izakaya Ru on Lane Avenue. You can also order BALIBOX online for pickup or delivery at bali-box.com.
What We Know About Nusantara Indo Kitchen
By Erin Edwards
Nusantara Indo Kitchen, a new restaurant coming to 3250 N. High St. in Clintonville, is one of our most highly anticipated openings of the year, because, well, we don’t have a fully Indonesian restaurant in Columbus.
This week, I corresponded with Paskalia Timbuleng, the daughter of the owner/head chef of the forthcoming Indonesian restaurant Nusantara, a casual, sit-down restaurant that aims to be “welcoming and intentionally unpretentious.”
Timbuleng says her mother has been cooking Indonesian food her entire life, beginning with their family kitchen in Indonesia. “For her, Nusantara is more than a restaurant—it’s a continuation of home. It’s about preserving flavors, techniques and recipes that have been passed down and rarely seen represented in Columbus,” Timbuleng says.
The restaurant’s focus, Timbuleng says, will be “entirely on traditional Indonesian cuisine inspired by the richness of the archipelago rather than a single island. Indonesian food is layered, aromatic and balanced—sweet, savory, spicy and herbal all at once.”
Here are a few dishes and preparations that guests can expect:
Fresh vegetables with house-made peanut sauce
Coconut-based vegetable stews
Sweet, soy-glazed tempeh and other plant-forward dishes
Indonesian-style fritters and small bites
Noodle bowls with meatballs, seafood, egg noodles or grilled proteins
Fragrant rice plates with slow-cooked beef, grilled chicken, curry or sweet soy-braised selections
Coconut rice served with traditional accompaniments
Chicken satay with peanut sauce
“We’re intentionally keeping some details for guests to discover when they visit,” Timbuleng says. “Part of the experience is that sense of exploration.”
Construction has not yet started on the Clintonville restaurant, but the final interior design is currently being finalized. Timbuleng says they are targeting a grand opening in July or August, pending final permits and inspections.
News & Happenings
Around the Columbus Food & Drink Scene
The Cincinnati-based steakhouse Losanti will open its doors Saturday, Feb. 28, at 440 W. Broad St. in Franklinton. The restaurant, which replaces Taft’s Brewpourium, blends steakhouse dining with Italian fare, including dishes such as rigatoni bolognese, gnocchi al forgo, prime rib-eye, steak frites, rock shrimp scampi and much more.
Columbus Food Adventures’ March Supper Club will feature a seven-course dinner prepared by former Watershed Kitchen & Bar executive chef Jack Moore. The chef and his wife, Nicki, now own and operate Black Cap Hot Sauce, which was recently named a finalist for the 2026 Good Food Awards. (You can read our interview with Black Cap here.) The supper club with chef Moore takes place Wednesday, March 11. Reserve your tickets here.
The organization Columbus Independents is about to embark on a two-week celebration of independent restaurants, featuring prix fixe dinners at participating eateries. The dining series, dubbed Columbus Independents Weeks, takes place March 2-14. You can see a list of participating restaurants here.