2504 Ennalls Ave., Wheaton, Md. (301) 942-7859 Hours of Operation and Prices Lunch: M-F 11-3; Entrees: $4-$6.50 Dinner: M-Th 3-10, F 3-11, Sat noon-11, Sun noon-10; Entrees: $7-$12.50 Other Information • Credit Cards: All major • Reservations: Recommended on weekends • Dress: Casual • Parking: Street • Nearest Metro: Wheaton • Handicapped accessible

The menu runs to a dozen pages, and some of the distinctions are awfully subtle. So the easiest way to cope with the diversity is to order a rijsttafel; there are four choices, their differences not so much in number of dishes but in luxury of ingredients. The most expensive - super rijsttafel - concentrates on seafood. And it might be the least satisfactory, since the seafood tends to be overcooked. And there is a vegetarian rijsttafel, which might be a good bet since Sabang knows how to preserve the vegetables' brightness and crunch.

In case you are ordering dish by dish, the satays are one of this kitchen's best efforts. Rendang - a kind of spicy pot roast - is incendiary and very good. And while the hot-and-sour soup is pure fire and tartness with no underlying flavor, the crab and asparagus soup, often available as a special, is made with fresh ingredients and therefore miles ahead of most Chinese restaurant versions. Much of the food lacks complexity, and much of it tastes similar. But the chef is not afraid of chilies. So it may not be star-quality Indonesian cooking, but it gives you a hint of the real thing at modest prices in dramatic surroundings.