Savoring 'ikan bakar' against backdrop of Jakarta at night.

JAKARTA (JP): Ikan bakar or barbecued fish is a classic Indonesian dish, and one that is always worth looking out for. Though many regions claim it as one of their own specialties, its origins are surely universal, going back to the time when humans first discovered fire and shortly after, we presume, discovered that flesh tastes nicer after it has been left in proximity to it.

These days, wherever it's eaten, there are almost always two things that accompany it. The first is rice and the second is sweet sticky soy sauce poured over finely chopped green chilies and shallots. With these two things it is often enough a meal in itself. Though when a second red sambal is …