Culinary City in Jogjakarta

Culinary city as one of several aliases for Jogja is not debatable. The establishment of some new specific restaurants strengthens the thought Jogja as the culinary paradise for tourists. The new restaurants provide greater variety of culinary in Jogja
In 1980s, traditional food stalls (warung) dominate the culinary of Jogja. Wijilan and Barek Gudheg Centre, Bakmi Jawa Mbah Mo in Bantul, Bakmi Kadin in the city, Warung Cak Koting, Warung Sidosemi Kotagede, Angkringan Lik Man, Sate Klatak, and Sate Sapi Karang Kotagede are among the hall of fame of traditional culinary of Jogja.
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Nowadays modern and “concepted” food stalls and restaurants begin attracting the attention of “taste lovers”. It does not take a long time for the new restaurants to establish and answer the inquiry of the food lovers. Not only Indonesian menu, oriental, European, and even Middle Eastern menu are available in some restaurant. It does not mean that the restaurant has left the traditional menu, for they serve the traditional menu in the new package.
Some restaurant like Pesta Perak, Omah Dhuwur, Rumah Mertua, Bale Raos, Ny Suharti, Adem Ayem and Bu Citro provide a traditional menu with a modern way of serving. The new modern international menu and style restaurants are represented by Pastello, Dixie , Empire, 7 Resto, Enjoy Resto, Bamboo Resto, Palm Resto. Other restaurants bring the customer back to nature like Gajah Wong, Pring Sewu, Moro Lejar, Mang Engking, Galih, Salma, and White Bear. They provide natural situation with breezy wind and even some fishing pond as the compliment.
These restaurants regard that taste, comfort, and convenient are the principal element for to serve their guest. They bring the star hotel restaurant facilities to serve their customers. Clean and decent situation combined with the local Javanese culture provide interesting combination. A typical traditional-modern Indonesian food is Pesta Perak Restaurant in Jalan Tentara Rakyat Mataram. The self-service restaurant provides traditional Indonesian food in modern way. In contrast to the way of servicing, the costume of the waiters bring the costomers thought to the past time of Java for the wear Traditional Javanese clothes. The faint Gamelan music strengthen the feeling of Java situation.
When entering Dixie Easy Dinning that is located in jalan Gejayan, the modern impression is strongly acquire the whole atmosphere. At first the modern restaurant give the impression of a formal restaurant, but the fact that actually the restaurant is a relaxed place to eat found when entering wide space. In fact the place is the suitable place for youngsters to hang around and as the place of dinner for the family. While eating the serving in the style of western with several tradition menus, the visitor can enjoy some serving entertainment such as film show or some music from the current pop now, the nostalgia song to the wave of jazz lyrics. Dinning or the dinner is identical to neat clothes, complete with table manner that was arranged, but dining in this restaurant people can do it in their own way.
People may wear short, t-shirt, and sandals, not necessary to wear formal dress. The restaurant management wants their guest enjoy their meal very well.
Another unique restaurant is Sagan Resto. Located in Sagan near Gadjahmada University , the restaurant shows the fish for the menus in big aquarium. As if the restaurant wants to guarantee that the seafood menus that are offered are gathered from materials that still were fit as a fiddle. The sight of some crabs crawl freely in the restaurant is something different in to see. “ Our foodstuffs are really fresh, and healthy” says Bonie, the manager of Sagan Resto.
White Bear, Serba Ikan and Various Sup, was one of the stalls ate that carried the concept of the Food-stall and fishing pond combination. With the open interior the restaurant wants to create the impression of dining in the open air. The restaurant lies in the inner of Jogja city, a new restaurant with many customers because of the atmosphere created.
According to Ipung, the owner White
Bear, the restaurant is designed to become a suitable place to chat, eat, and to be relaxed escaping from the noisy and polluted city.
Not less interesting, is the Rumah Mertua , the blend of the concept boutique the small hotel and a garden restaurant have nuances Javanese Traditional. This restaurant that was in the Ngaglik village, Sleman, is the combination from the atmosphere of the luxurious hotel with the Javanese friendliness as well as the stall of the environment of the traditional house ate that offered the traditional Indonesian cooking menu.
Bale Raos, a restaurant that is located in Magangan, within the Kraton area, offers a special culinary of Sultan's favorite cooking like the feet Rice Cake (the favorite Menu of Sultan HB X), Jok Bread (the traditional Menu of Sultan HB VII), the Duck of Suwar-Suwir (the favorite Menu of Sultan HB IX) as well as Beer Djawa (the special Drink of Sultan HB VIII).
If you want to enjoy some food in western situation, you can go to Pastello at Plasa Ambarukmo, or the Oriental, as well as the choice of Paste like Beef Caswary, Beef Lyonaise, Chicken Hunter, and Blue Style that brought the illusion to the West Country.
Indeed, it is difficult to stop discussing the culinary tour of Jogja since Jogjanese rich of creativity. It is not surprised if Jogja is called as the art city that not exclusively in the field of cultural art, but also art and creativity in the culinary.
(Jo/sin/Darwin Khusni Alwi)