This is where you can find a taste of Indonesia on the Danforth
Sambal brings rendang, nasi goreng and bakmi ayam to Greektown
Name: Sambal
Contact: 463 Danforth Ave., @sambal.to
Neighbourhood: Riverdale
Owners: Maureen Usman, Jasson Powell Wijaya
Chef: Andrea Santawirya
Accessibility: Not fully accessible
The Danforth’s newest addition is a surprising and delightful spot serving up Indonesian food. Although neither Maureen Usman, an immigration lawyer, nor Jasson Powell Wijaya, a graphic designer, has a background in hospitality, their cultural experience and shared passion for their cuisine provide a foundation as strong as any stacked resumé.
Sambal’s story began in 2020, a year that was anything but kind to restaurants. At the time, Usman was running her legal practice from home and longing for connection. She and her husband began cooking Indonesian recipes as a way to feel closer to home. “We were lonely, and the closest thing to home is food,” she says.
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That same year, Powell Wijaya found himself in a tough situation: only 17 and brand new to the big city, having just moved to Toronto from Indonesia. “I knew Jasson from church, and I was concerned for him,” says Usman. Rather than burying this worry among the pandemic’s growing list of concerns, Usman took action. She reached out to Powell Wijaya and a few other church friends who had recently emigrated from Indonesia. “My husband and I don’t have children, and we had extra space,” Usman explains. “We felt for these kids who had just arrived and didn’t have proper places to live, so we invited them in.”
The house soon became a communal kitchen. They cooked together, shared recipes from their culture and ate as a family. For fun, Usman began posting some of their dishes on Instagram. Then social media took its course, turning something private and wholesome into something everyone wanted a taste of. Instead of guarding their cozy pandemic pastime, Usman and Powell Wijaya decided to grow it, and Sambal was born.
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Their first step was a pop-up at Square One, which ran from 2021 to 2023, when they paused it to search for a permanent space (and one that wasn’t in a food court). “We realized it wasn’t just Indonesians who loved our food—people from all communities did,” says Usman. “And we never watered anything down to make it more marketable.”
The Food
The menu comprises savoury, sweet and spicy takes on popular Indonesian dishes and street-food snacks. Noodles are hand-pulled and glossed with velvety chicken fat. Grilled chicken marinates for two days before meeting the flame. And every house-made sambal—whether a ground peanut blend or a simple chili-garlic—is distinct, because it’s made to be. “Our food is very traditional. We import all of our spices, and some of the dishes take days to make,” says Usman. “Back home, we eat on a piece of paper with a banana leaf, but here, we’re going to give you nice plates!”
The Drinks
Classic cocktails (think whiskey sours and negronis) share the list with interesting Indonesian-inspired creations. There’s the Sambal Margarita, a bold riff on the original that packs plenty of heat. But the drinks with more direct lines to the archipelago—like the Kelanakolada, a lush mix of rum, cream of coconut, pineapple juice and coco pandan—steal the show.
The Space
Traditional Indonesian textiles, tropical millwork, woven artifacts, hanging greenery and a lush, jungle-inspired colour palette transport diners far away from the Danforth.
Erin Hershberg is a freelance writer with nearly two decades of experience in the lifestyle sector. She currently lives in downtown Toronto with her husband and two children.
