The Sambal

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Restaurant - Authentic, Halal, Indonesian food, Original, Nusantara, Traditional

Updated On: Wed September 17, 2025 at 4PM

We are an HALAL Indonesian restaurant located in the middle of Sydney CBD. Relaxed and casual setting great for a quick meal or gathering with friends and families. Are you Licensed? Yes we are. But BYO (wine only) is also welcome with a small charge of $4/person. All the food are designed to be shared so don't be afraid to try and order more dishes and let your taste buds dance through the whole meal. Curious? Book your table with us* . Walk - in also very welcome. (*We only take bookings for a group of 5 people or more for weekdays lunch).

Address

The Sambal Shop A/432 Kent Street Sydney CBD New South Wales 2000

The Sambal

Restaurant Overview

Opening Hours

Monday 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Sunday Closed
Tuesday 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
Thursday 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Saturday 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

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Services

Dine In, Delivery, Pickup, Takeaway

The Sambal

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The Sambal

Testimonials

tastysydney

May 04, 2025 4:13 AM

Love this Indonesian restaurant which is located strategically between Town Hall & Wynyard (although closer to Town Hall, but still close enough from Wynyard area!). Great for groups as you can simply order via QR code, food came quick & friendly service! I’ve had: Nasi Goreng, Sambal Eggplant. Sate Ayam (Chicken Satay), Sambal Teri Kacang (Sambal Anchovies Peanuts), Soto Ayam (Chicken Soup), Rendang. Sambal Eggplant is very good here 👍! Wish that there was more is more wok-breath on Nasi Goreng, and if the Sambal Teri Kacang could be a bit spicier.

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Ume Chong

Oct 19, 2024 3:43 AM

The best rendang, beef brisket in tamerin sauce, and Balinese sauce spare ribs😋😋😋... I have had, having tried Indonesian food in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore over many years. Nice clean environment (table cleaned with disinfectant after every customer). Warm and friendly service with smiles.

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Bridget Wadling (Bibby)

Aug 20, 2025 6:34 AM

I absolutely loved my meal at The Sambal! The food was fresh, full of flavour, and really authentic, every dish had that perfect balance of spice and taste. The staff were welcoming and attentive, which made the experience even better. Definitely a new favourite spot, I’ll be back soon!

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Siva Kumar

Mar 05, 2025 10:33 PM

Food is absolutely delicious, customer service is always awesome, the restaurant could get busy during lunch time, therefore you should make a booking if you're going in a group.

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Sameera Khurana

Nov 01, 2024 12:54 AM

Cute little place for really good Indonesian food! Highly recommend. The sambals are quite spicy so be careful. The drinks are amazing as well. We got the chicken curry, paratta and fried rice and they were all amazing.

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J

Aug 31, 2025 3:18 PM

Very yummy food. You get a pretty big portion. Nice ambiance.

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Alfred Tao

Jul 07, 2024 12:47 PM

Was taken here by an Indonesian so that’s already saying something. The food here is great, really really tasty with your standard dishes like migoreng and nasi goreng but if you want to be risky you can explore other dishes which are quite amazing. The skewers were really good and tender with a generous portion of satay sauce. The beef ribs which were my favourite were so flavourful and just fell off the bone. I would highly recommend that. The fried soy bean side was so crunchy and pleasant to eat. Would love to come back and try other more adventurous dishes. Also the durian creme brulee had a strong durian flavour which is a must for durian lovers! Service was really attentive and prices reasonable.

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Mehrdad Kosh

Feb 22, 2025 11:14 AM

A 2 minutes walk from Town Hall and one finds great food served by friendly, top notch people. I tried Beef Rendang, which was delicious and also Eggplant Sambal Balado that was a perfect match for the curry. You can also ask for “off the menu” small, clear soup that was just outstanding. Will be back.

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Bradley Webster

Mar 28, 2025 10:11 PM

Pretty neat themed, feels like I'm on the Indonesian streets.. the Sambal is great and gets quite spicy

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Rustam Effendie

Dec 19, 2023 12:53 AM

Truly Indonesian original, very very delicious. If you want to find original spice of Indonesian in Sydney down town area, this is highly recommended place. We ordered Fried Duck and Padang Sauce Fish. It was the right choice. Fried duck comes with green chilli Sambal, very tasty very original. The fish is also very delicious 👌 They provide self service variety of Sambal with the right spicy and ingredients. Well done The Sambal 👏👏👏

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Rameez Gulam

Aug 16, 2025 1:23 AM

Authentic Indonesian fare in a simple, no frills setting. The name says it all - it's all about the Sambal! Get the noodles, fried rice, chicken entrees or soup, but make sure to top it all off with a good measure of sambal. Delicious food, warm atmosphere and great value - hard to beat!

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Misspiggyexplores

Jun 04, 2023 2:41 PM

As soon as we walked in, we were welcomed by the friendliest staff, they were warm, attentive, and they provided the best customer service without even trying. I loved their food, authentic and delicious. The service was super quick & we walked in without booking. I ordered the Nasi goreng, grass jelly drink, Satay chicken sticks and Durian Brûlée which was my favourite! This restaurant has a very casual vibe, perfect for the solo travellers or solo eaters as well.

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OZ UTube

Aug 08, 2025 9:09 AM

Yesterday both of us were totally zonked after working in the cbd. Since my boyfriend is a seafood nut, it's like searching for a needle in a haystack to get seafood Indonesian restaurants in Sydney that won't overcook the seafood - tasty but dry, what a total culinary cop-out, right? Imagine fried prawns or fish - tasty but dry, it's a gastronomic sin! Sigh Hence I took him to Sambal on Kent Street - they totally delivered, thank goodness! We ordered Eggplant Sambal Balado style (yummy), Fish fillet with spicy, sweet and sour Padang style sauce (approved!), highly recommended fry PRAWNS & stinky beans in sambal sauce - Carrick was in absolute seafood heaven! The rendang was good but cannot be compared to the most delicious original minang rendang, let's get real. Carrick loved his wedang jahe (hot sweetened ginger tea) and I had es cincau (Grass jelly, chia seeds, coconut pandan syrup) - yum! Overall we love this restaurant and was happy I was not the cook, phew!

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R Naidu

Aug 14, 2025 11:27 PM

Great service and nice atmosphere. The food is well priced, tastes great, and perfect portions. Must try the fresh shrimp paste sambal- bloody rippa!

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Harry Nurhadi

Jul 31, 2025 10:36 AM

The Sambal serves up authentic Indonesian flavours in Sydney. The Soto Ayam is exactly what you'd expect from a real Indonesian kitchen — rich, comforting, and delicious. The Cendol is one of the best in town, and the Ikan Saos Padang is a spicy, flavourful must-try. Highly recommended!

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Fachrizal Faruk Baladraf

Jun 22, 2025 1:32 AM

Undoubtedly the best nasi goreng I've ever had outside Indonesia. The portion was generous, and the rice was perfectly cooked—not overly oily, which is often the case with other nasi goreng dishes in Sydney. On previous visits, I also tried the Iga Bakar Sambal Matah and Soto Ayam, both of which were absolutely delicious.

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G- OD

Jul 12, 2025 4:25 AM

Great service.. great food.. forgot to take pic the main menu.. rendang, soto ayam, ayam bakar, must try. Close with desserts.. Perfect..

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Arafath Azeem

Aug 09, 2024 12:24 PM

The roti was fluffy and crispy, and the chicken and beef curry were rich and aromatic, with tender meat that absorbed all the spices beautifully. The highlight for me was the cendol, which was refreshingly sweet and an ideal way to end the meal. Service was attentive, and the prices were reasonable, making this a must-visit spot. I can’t wait to return and try more of their diverse menu!

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Kelly Mitchell

Jul 07, 2025 1:26 PM

This was the best Indonesian food my family and I have ever eaten. So authentic and delicious. Such a cute hidden gem!

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Georgia E

May 03, 2025 9:22 AM

Absolutely amazing! Super friendly staff, dishes were flavourful & delicious, and the homemade iced tea was AMAZING. 10/10, definitely coming back!

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Zoey Chen

Jul 31, 2025 2:08 PM

SO YUMMY SO GOOD SO CHEAP!!! The beef brisket was SOOOO GOOOD crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, I forgot to take a photo of the brisket though.. the rest of the food was great too! very umami

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Mazidul Hakim

Jul 04, 2025 11:02 AM

Authentic Indonesian flavours! The sambal options and nasi goreng are amazing, and the beef rendang was a standout.

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huibeans

May 30, 2025 12:51 AM

My go to is soto ayam and it always slaps. Tried Iga Bakar and wow, you must get this. Soft, juicy, flavourful and who knew it’s fried on the outside. Satay different from what I’m used to, but still very well done!

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Adam Chung

Dec 20, 2024 8:16 AM

Overall: 4/7 A revisit was way better than I remembered. Heavily depends on the dishes you order I guess. Not too much seating here though. Es Cendol: 3/7 Personally not a fan of coconut so this wasn’t my favourite. Quite sweet too. Nasi Goreng: 5/7 Very good. Rice itself is high quality and well seasoned. Good ratio of contents within too. Roti: 5/7 Pretty standard, but we’ll executed. Ayam goreng: 4/7 Crispy outside but personally wasn’t a big fan of the flavour. And it wasn’t juicy, just… tender, which is a bit strange. Penyat ria nearby does this better. Ayam bakar: 4/7 As above. Penyat ria nearby does this better. Sate ayam: 4/7 Average. Satay sauce is nice though. Iga bakar: 5/7 Favourite non-carb here. Beef is super tender and flavours are good. Ikan Saos Padang: 4/7 Fried fish fillet in sweet sour sauce. Some people were big fans of this but personally found it quite average - a bit on the sweeter side. Was fine. Rendang: 4/7 Glad they make clear this is a small portion now. Tastes pretty average and the meat is also texturally a bit hit or miss.

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Lucas

Apr 24, 2025 11:24 PM

The ayam goreng was spot on—crispy on the outside and beautifully moist on the inside. The sambal was fresh, had a good zing from the lime, and packed a decent kick. Couldn’t go past the durian crème brûlée—turned out to be a real winner, creamy with actual bits of durian. A top spot for authentic Indonesian flavours!

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