Rijstaffel is basically a Dutch Colonial’s favorite Indonesian food served in quantities a Dutchman would enjoy. There were apparently quite a few of these places in Los Angeles and Orange counties forty or fifty years ago; we found one out near the Hammer Museum in West L.A. several years ago, and dropped in to sample the food. We enjoyed reading the rijstaffel menu, but it was served evenings only, and wasn’t cheap. We liked what we ate, though the owners and their kids were about the only other people in the place.
There was an extremely good – and cheap! – place here in Pasadena called Kuala Lumpur that was very popular, unfortunately not popular enough with the landlord to keep their lease.
As for the main topic, bar snacks from several different cultures – tapas and the like – are the best bet anywhere in the world for a solo diner looking for variety, with Asian and Mediterranean cuisines offering the best varieties.
