This Northeast Alberta spot is all about sampling smaller plates of Jakartan street food. by Andrea Damewood Y’all seem to be sleeping on Pasar. And I admit, I did too: This affordable Indonesian snack of a shop on Northeast Alberta has actually been open since the end of last year, and it took me far too long to go in. Thankfully, the bright spicy sambals, stir-fried pickled mustard greens, and crispy, deep-fried fritters—all hallmarks of Indonesian street food—woke me up. The sister restaurant to Wajan on East Burnside, a no-nonsense spot that plays with more well-known Indonesian dishes, Pasar is where owner Feny focuses on smaller dishes that harken back to her childhood in Jakarta. The result is your chance to feast your way though some fairly rare plates, and manage to do so for what feels like you’re paying local Indonesian prices. Pasar's warm interior has a faux grass roof over the bar. Photo by Suzette Smith Have you tried Milo? Photo by Suzette Smith The drink menu is a great kickoff: There’s a charming list of options like Milo, the famous malted chocolate drink beloved by the whole Southeastern half of the world and the best melon soda (made in house with melon, condensed milk, and soda water). Grab one of the four kinds of arrack—Indonesian rum—because like all street foods, Pasar is meant to pair with a good drink. My favorite approach at Pasar is to choose a few things that sound good to you, but leave lots of room for suggestions from the server. Go ahead and get the gerengan combo, which brings together four of the fried janjanan appetizers. Among them, the martabak daging is my personal fave. It’s a flat square of pastry dough filled with ground beef and egg, amply spiced with curry.  The curry love continues in the next section of the menu. Definitely order the sate padang, flank steak served on skewers and doused with a rich curry gravy that has the same mild richness of a Japanese curry, rather than Thai. Sate padang: flank steak doused with a rich curry gravy. Photo by Suzette Smith Babi goreng:crispy pork belly bites. Photo by Suzette Smith Letting our server take the wheel for the larger plates, or makanan, was the right move. It was a little rainy, so she suggested the lonton cap go meh, a wide bowl of creamy coconut shrimp broth with a treasure trove of goodies inside. Pink-edged krupuk bawang (onion tapioca crackers) contrast with the yellow broth, which holds everything from chayote, green beans and carrots, to fried tofu, lontong (Indonesian rice cakes), a hard boiled egg spiced with lime and chiles, and fried tempeh orek on top. Oh, and some straight-up Indonesian potato chips for good measure. It’s a tasty carnival.  Stir-fried pickled mustard greens, with hunks of tomato slices and ginger, were a zippy counterpoint to the exquisite babi goreng: a small platter of crispy pork belly bites with sambal matah (chopped fermented chile) and sweet chili sauce. The edges are so crunchy, and there’s such good soft meaty contrast in the middle, swirling in your mouth with the sour and sweet of it all.  Desserts are not to be missed at Pasar. Thankfully they’re small and not-too-sweet, so you’ll be able to pack a few in. The talam ubi is a jiggly little confection with the purple sweet potato, layered with steamed rice and tapioca, achieving a texture that’s somewhere between mochi and flan. And absolutely order the piscok, a whole ass banana and dark chocolate wrapped in a crepe and deep fried. You can share it, but I housed the whole thing solo. Lonton cap go meh: a bowl of creamy coconut shrimp broth with goodies inside. Photo by Suzette Smith Piscok: a whole ass banana and dark chocolate wrapped in a crepe and deep fried. Photo by Suzette Smith I found myself wishing for some cardamom whipped cream or a dollop of ice cream, but then it hit me: Pasar is completely dedicated to its original source. The pretension level here is zero; no gussying up to suit the fooderati tastes.  Instead, relax under the faux grass roof and take in the intricate Indonesian wood carvings. Order liberally, avail yourself of an $8 20-ounce draft of local pilsner, and this menu will deliver the rest.  Pasar, 3023 NE Alberta, (503) 477-8232, pasarpdx.com