The star of the sandwich is the deeply flavoursome rendang – and, of course, that big cheesy pull.
It might have taken a concerning amount of time but Sydney has finally started to feel like autumn. That means we’re transitioning into soup-, stew- and curry-eating season. And while saucy foods often means a one-way ticket to sog town when it comes to sandwiches, Indonesian-inspired Greedy Civet’s rendang toastie caught the attention of Sandwich Watch – a column dedicated to the best things between bread.
Wait, you said curry melt?
Yes, and it’s gooey, rich and buzzing with umami and warm spices.
The star is the deeply flavoursome rendang, which owner-chef John Arnestus makes the Indonesian way. (That means it’s less soupy than the Malaysian version and so naturally lends itself to a sandwich format.)
He adds a layer between two slices of Brickfield’s bread, pickled eschalot to cut through the richness, and then cheese. Indonesian fried eschalot (bawang goreng) gives it crunch.
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The bread’s heavily buttered on the outside, and then it all goes in the sandwich press to join forces.
Yes, the toastie sounds like it shouldn’t work – cheese and curry isn’t a classic combo – but the generous layer of creamy mozzarella complements the richness of the curry, while a sprinkle of parmesan adds sharpness.
Tell me more
Arnestus – who hails from Jarkarta and weaves Indonesian flavours with Western cafe classics at his Camperdown eatery – says he was inspired by the American patty melt. “I thought a beef rendang ‘patty melt’ would work really well,” he says.
The rendang comes together over the course of days. Collagen-rich beef shin is cured overnight with salt and spices, and then seared the next morning. Arnestus then deglazes the pot with a house-made rendang paste, aromatic with lemongrass and chillies.
The seared beef is returned to mingle with coconut milk, coconut cream, beef stock, pandan, lemongrass, lime leaves and cinnamon, cooking low and slow for six hours. The beef melts into the heavily reduced, paste-like sauce, which sings of gentle spice.
Arnestus’ signature Greedy Civet sauce is the other star of this sandwich. It’s based around his house-made sambal terasi, an Indonesian sambal fragrant with chillies and fermented shrimp paste. He mixes his sambal with mayonnaise and the juice and zest of a lime before spreading it on the bread.
What about Greedy Civet
After spending a year cooking at hatted 20-seat Darlinghurst sake bar Amuro, Arnestus decided to open his own cafe. He wanted to create a space “where I know our regulars well enough that we share our stories”. He found the pocket-sized space just off Parramatta Road.
Having a background in graphic design, Arnestus designed the cafe’s mascot, a cheeky civet. The coffee bean-eating mammal is a symbol of Indonesian coffee culture, and his mural radiates warmth throughout the cosy space.
Like the rendang melt, Arnestus’ food takes Indonesian classics and gives them the Australian brunch treatment. “Indonesian cuisine is not as popular as other Asian cuisines, such as Thai or Vietnamese. I think it can be and I’d like to be a part of that,” he says.
His kaya (coconut jam) toast is enriched with brown butter, and a crunchy fried chicken burger is brightened with sambal matah, a mix of raw shallots, lemongrass, chilli and lime.
Croissants from vegan Glebe bakery Oh My Days are filled with pandan custard, and Arnestus exclusively stocks Instagram baker @Deanislezio’sIndo-inspired choux buns. There are flavours such as jasuke (Indonesian corn and condensed milk), taro and matcha.
For drinks, try the strong, sweet palm-sugar iced latte made with White Horse Coffee beans. For a taste of Arnestus’ Jakarta childhood, there’s the soda Gembira. The bright-pink pandan- and coconut-flavoured syrup is made into a spider using Connoisseur vanilla ice-cream and San Pellegrino.
Where to get your rendang melt
It’s $19 and available from Greedy Civet, 18-22 Purkis Street, Camperdown. It’s open daily from 7am to 3pm. instagram.com/greedycivet
Three more Indonesian-inspired cafes to try
The Cozy Vine, Arncliffe
This family-run cafe opened in December 2025 and serves both Aussie brunch staples and Indonesian classics. Big brekkies and eggs benedict share space on the menu with comforting bubur ayam (Indonesian chicken congee) and tahu telor, a Javanese crispy omelette with peanut sauce. Their weekend special is always nasi goreng.
19/13-15 Wollongong Road, Arncliffe, instagram.com/thecozyvine
Ariana’s Place, Newtown
Ariana’s Place is near the University of Sydney, making it popular with international students craving a taste of home. The menu spans from acai bowls and avo toast to Balinese specialties like sate babi (Balinese pork satay skewers) and crispy smashed ayam geprek.
70-72 King Street, Newtown, arianas-place.square.site
Bootsdarling, Darlinghurst
A South Dowling Street staple since 2013. Sit under the verandah of the heritage, tile-lined building and explore its vast Indonesian fusion menu. Sandwiches, poke bowls and larger plates all have various Indonesian and Western-style proteins and toppings, from “legendary” beef rendang to chicken schnitty. Sweet tooths need to try the tall, pastel green pandan pancakes.
333 South Dowling Street, Darlinghurst, cafebootsdarling.com
This is the latest instalment of Sandwich Watch, a column dedicated to the Sydney sandwiches you need to know about.
Isabel Cant – Isabel is a social media editor for Good Food. Prior to joining Good Food, Isabel worked as a freelance journalist. She was also previously a social media producer for Endemol Shine Australia, working on MasterChef Australia and Dessert Masters.
