When Indonesian Spice Meets Florida Heat: Semur Daging at Krakatoa
“It’s kind of like listening to a song and all of a sudden you get a lot of bass and you get a lot of drum and you get a lot of treble.”
That’s how Guy Fieri described the experience of eating Semur Daging at Krakatoa in Hollywood, Florida — a dish so layered and dynamic that he needed a musical metaphor to capture it. This wasn’t just another beef stew. This was Indonesian cuisine done right, and Guy knew it the moment he walked in: “There are posers and then there’s the real thing, and this is the real thing.”
The Boom Boom Behind the Beef
The foundation of this dish starts with what the chef calls bumbu merah — the red seasoning, or as Guy put it, “boom boom.” This aromatic paste brings together an impressive roster of ingredients: chili, galangal, ginger, candlenut, shallot, garlic, lemongrass, nutmeg, cumin (and plenty of it), coriander, turmeric, shrimp paste, and lime leaves. Water and a touch of oil help blend everything before it gets cooked down.
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But that’s just the beginning. Next comes the sambal, made with red chili (which the chef calls “chubby rabbit” — a name that had Guy doing a double-take), more lemongrass, lime leaf, oil, and water. This gets cooked for 20-30 minutes until smooth and intensely flavorful.
Building the Dish Layer by Layer
The actual construction of the Semur Daging is where things get aromatic. Coconut oil goes into the pan first, followed by whole spices: cardamom, clove, star anise, and cinnamon. These simmer until fragrant — a crucial step that releases their essential oils.
Then comes sliced sirloin, followed by that powerful red seasoning. Chicken base adds depth, while coconut milk brings richness. Red pepper, onion, and (of course) more lemongrass join the party. The finishing touch? Kecap manis — Indonesian sweet soy sauce. As the chef explained, “We call this ketchup. That’s Indonesian ketchup.”
Everything simmers together, the flavors melding into something Guy described as “very Thai-esque” thanks to all that lemongrass and coconut milk. Similar to how bold flavors come together in dishes like Drunken Chicken at Biergarten LA, this Indonesian classic proves that great cooking transcends borders.
The Verdict
Guy didn’t hold back on his reaction. He loved the fresh vegetables in the dish and praised its rustic, flavorful character, noting that “not every bite is the same.” The sambal, however, got him: “I’m in trouble right now because that sambal is hot.”
But it was the nuanced spicing that really impressed him. “It’s juicy and you get to taste every nuance of the clove, the star anise, the cinnamon,” he said. The aroma alone, he noted, “will just pull people in right off the sidewalk.”
Customers agreed. One diner summed it up perfectly: “I had the Semur Daging and it was fantastic. It’s a beef dish with a lot of different flavors and vegetables. Combining with the rice, it’s a really nice spice.”
For fans of bold, complex dishes like Grilled BBQ Short Ribs at Big Bite, Krakatoa offers a completely different but equally satisfying punch of flavor. The spice, as Guy put it, is “a punch in your mouth” — and that’s exactly what you want from authentic Indonesian cooking.
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