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What began as a weekend online kitchen is now the Danforth’s hottest new spot — and Sambal isn’t just earning rave reviews. It lives up to its name, bringing the heat with dishes inspired by the iconic South Asian condiment.
Timing its grand opening to coincide with Indonesia’s Independence Day, Sambal celebrates the country it represents. Since 2020, founders Maureen Usman and Jasson Powell Wijaya have been introducing Toronto to Indonesian cuisine, delivering traditional recipes with a modern twist straight to homes across the GTA every Saturday.
“I missed the food back home,” says Wijaya. “We had this idea of opening an Indonesian food delivery service just because Indonesian food is underrepresented and it’s pretty hard to find.”
It didn’t take long for the owners to spot a demand for their cuisine, hosting pop-ups in Mississauga’s Square One food district for years before landing a permanent home on Danforth Avenue.
“It’s very diverse,” Wijaya says about The Danforth. “It’s multicultural and access is great because it’s driveable but it’s also transit accessible. The Danforth is growing.”
If the early reviews mean anything, Sambal will likely contribute to the neighbourhood’s growth, transporting diners to the streets of Indonesia. The dining room is inviting with a brick wall, paintings of Indonesian villages and foliage to match the green accents surrounding the dining room. There are also traditional wayang, Indonesian-style puppets, that can be spotted throughout the restaurant and bar.
One of Sambal’s showstoppers is their “famous” beef rendang, a traditional cuisine which was named by CNN readers as the top food in the world back in 2017. At Sambal, that beef rendang is slow-braised and served with dried coconut curry.
“It’s something people need to try at least once in their lives,” says Wijaya.
Another personal favourite of the owners is the sate ayam — Indonesian street-style chicken skewers, flame-grilled to smoky perfection and served with housemade peanut sauce.
The traditionally inspired drinks are just as experimental, like the sirsak sour, a unique twist on a classic whiskey sour, but made with a soursop juice for a tart finish. They also serve up a popular Sambal Margharita which comes with a little twist — and a kick — for a tangy finish.
Wijaya says that in the short time they’ve been open, Sambal has done its job in introducing customers to tastes they haven’t tried before — even if they are a bit spicier than expected.
“We get people who have never tried Indonesian and they’ve been enjoying it,” he says. “Some with low spice tolerance have said ‘it’s rally spicy, but it’s really good, I can’t stop eating it’— even though they’re sweating and feeling the heat.”
Sambal is located at 463 Danforth Ave.
