Waroeng Padang Lapek, at Witte de Withplein 43 in De Baarsjes, opened on 1 October, but people are already queuing outside.
The kitchen cooks the way they do in Padang, a city in West Sumatra known for rendang and other spicy dishes.
The chef will make dishes milder on request but not hotter, so fans of heat add their own sambal.
A halal menu with unusual dishes
The halal menu mixes classics such as gado gado, chicken satay and soto ayam with dishes like paru balado, beef lung in chilli sauce.
Ingredients include cassava leaves, durian, petai beans and dogfruit, a bean known for its strong smell.
The signature dish is nasi padang in several versions, including a vegetarian one, and the nasi padang komplit costs €23.50.
Tables get a fork and spoon only, so anyone who wants a knife has to ask.
The owners already run a restaurant in The Hague
The restaurant belongs to Lapek Suprapti and her husband Tony Ochtman, whose branch in The Hague has been a hit since 2019.
Gault & Millau rates that branch among the best Indonesian restaurants in the Netherlands.
Check out our guide to the best Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam.