Makan Enak di 3 Kota di Jawa Tengah

After had been sick for almost 2 weeks and stayed at home a lot of the time, I  really need a short gateway because the most beautiful things in life to be enjoy are not just things. They are people and places, memories and pictures. They are feelings and moments and smiles and laughter and a happy tummy!

So here we go on the road again. With Ika and her sister, we enjoyed our food exploring in Magelang, Wonosobo and Yogyakarta for 4 days. Here's my story...

Life is about good friends and great adventure 

MAGELANG

Magelang is a small city surrounded by beautiful mountains and hills, such as Mount Sindoro, Mount Sumbing, Mount Telemoyo, Mount Merbabu, Mount Merapi, Mount Andong, and Menoreh Hills. There is also Mount Tidar, located in the heart of the city. Magelang is part of Central Java Province and is only 17 kilometers away from the famous Borobudur Temple. Many people think that Borobudur is in Yogyakarta, but actually, it is in Magelang.

Besides Borobudur, Magelang has many interesting places to visit, like Mendut Temple. But the main reason for this trip was to try the local food. For me, there is no better way to get to know a place than by tasting its food. Food is a big part of culture, and eating like the locals helps us understand their way of life.

Morning view of mount Sumbing from veranda

But as I mentioned above, the purpose of my trip was to experience the local food. There is no better way to discover a place and its people than via food. Let's face it, traveling just isn't as fun without good food. Learning about a cuisine is as vital to experiencing a new culture as the act of traveling itself. When I was in a new place, I always asked - what do the locals eat?  

It can be drastically different than anything I would typically eat at home. Trying new local foods is one of the most fantastic parts of traveling! So, get out there and learn what I can about how the locals live and eat and show them I care about the preservation of their cultural and culinary history.

Don't you agree with me?

• Kupat Tahu Pojok

Kupat Tahu is a dish made of tofu and rice cakes, served with a thick peanut sauce. We went to a place called Kupat Tahu Pojok, located on Tentara Pelajar Street. This warung (small restaurant) has been around since 1942. People say that Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (former president of Indonesia) always eats there when he visits Magelang.

When we arrived, I could already smell the delicious peanut sauce mixed with bean sprouts. The place was not too crowded, which was good because I was already very hungry. The walls were decorated with photos of famous people who had eaten there.

My first bite… oh my God! It was amazing! The sweetness of the sauce and the soft tofu melted in my mouth. I even closed my eyes to enjoy the taste more deeply. Yes, it was that good!

I also ordered an iced cendol, a sweet traditional drink. It reminded me of the cendol I had in an Indonesian restaurant in Brisbane, which was expensive and didn’t taste as good. Nothing beats the taste of food from your own hometown—delicious and affordable!

• Senerek Bu Atmo

what a carrot!

The next morning, before heading to another tourist spot near Kopeng, we stopped for breakfast at Warung Senerek Bu Atmo. Senerek is a kind of soup made from kidney beans, chicken, carrots, potatoes, spinach, and chives. The name "senerek" comes from the Dutch word "snert" (which means pea soup), but the locals changed it to senerek and used red kidney beans instead of peas.

Bu Atmo's warung has been open since 1967 and is located on Mangkubumi Street. They serve two types of senerek: with chicken or beef. I ordered the chicken version, half portion. At first, the soup tasted a bit sweet, which surprised me. But after the second spoonful, I began to love it. Before I knew it, my plate was clean!

They also served tasty fried snacks like tempe and tahu bacem (sweet marinated tofu and tempeh). Oh, and there was getuk lindri too, a colorful traditional snack made from cassava.

I loved the senerek so much that we went back there again before returning to Jakarta. The second time we visited, it was very crowded. We had to wait in line just to get a seat. But it was worth it. As I slowly enjoyed every spoon of that sweet soup again, I promised myself I would come back one day.

Gorengan kesukaanku

Ada getuk Lindri juga disini!

• Mendut 

Mbak Enny, a friend of mine from ISB who now lives in Sydney, invited me to visit her mother’s house in Mendut. Ibu Soedigdo, her mother, is an elderly woman who is still healthy, energetic, and beautiful. Her house is styled like an old Dutch home, with a large garden full of flowers and fruit trees.

From the veranda, we could see Mount Sumbing clearly. The view was even more beautiful than from the place I stayed.

 Rumah Ibu dibawah sana, saya memotretnya dari halaman Musium Jnd. Sudirman

On my last morning in Magelang, I had breakfast at her house. She served Mendut, a traditional Javanese snack made from sticky rice flour filled with sweet grated coconut and palm sugar. The snack is wrapped in young banana leaves and usually served during traditional ceremonies.

At first, I wasn’t sure I would like it, but after the first bite—I was hooked! I ate many of them. Ibu Soedigdo even packed some for me to take home.

Daag ibu...

Thank you, dear Ibu, for your warm hospitality, your stories, and your hugs. Take care and stay healthy. I will come back again someday. And Mbak Enny, you have a wonderful mum!

• Kripik Singkong

Cassava Chips Factory

Have you ever visited a cassava chips factory?

We did! The factory is located in Kwarasan. When we first arrived, it was closed for lunch break, so we went to a nearby bagelan (toast snack) factory instead. I only bought one bag of bagelan there, but I was happy to finally find Monggo chocolate, which I missed buying in Yogyakarta.

Surprisingly, the chocolate was more expensive at the factory than in regular shops, but there were more flavors available. So I learned something new that day!

After about 30 minutes, we returned to the cassava chip factory. It was open, and we saw the workers peeling giant cassavas. The chips were dry and crunchy, almost like they had been roasted. I highly recommend buying some to take home as souvenirs. You won’t find this kind of taste anywhere else!

Pengorengannya segede itu tuh

5 kilo kripik siap dibawa pulang 

WONOSOBO

Wonosobo adalah kota kecil yang terletak didaerah yang tinggi sehingga udaranya sejuk. Jaraknya sekitar sejam dari Magelang. Sebelum sampai dikota Wonosobo, kita bisa berhenti di Keldung Rest Area, menariknya disini kita berada ditengah dua gunung.  Jika kita melihat kesebalah kiri ada gunung Sumbing dan disebalah kanan ada gunung Sindoro. 

Gunung Sumbing dan Gunung Sindoro 

• Mie Ongklok Ibu Umi

Wonosobo is a small town located in a highland area, so the air is cool. It's about an hour's drive from Magelang. Before reaching Wonosobo, we can stop at the Kledung Rest Area. What's interesting here is that we are in the middle of two mountains. If we look to the left, there's Mount Sumbing, and to the right, there's Mount Sindoro.

Mie Ongklok Ibu Umi

You haven't been to Wonosobo if you haven't tried Mie Ongklok. That afternoon, we went to the Mie Ongklok and Sate Ibu Umi restaurant, located on Jalan Mesjid No. 11, next to the Kauman Mosque. The restaurant is in a corner, it's small, and that day we were the only ones eating there. I don't know, maybe it was past lunchtime. It's said that this is the most delicious Mie Ongklok in Wonosobo.

Mie Ongklok is yellow noodles boiled with chopped cabbage, chives, dried shrimp flakes, and served with a sweet, thick gravy called "jenang." I was curious why it's called Mie Ongklok. At first, I thought it came from the name of a Chinese person who originally made this noodle dish. But I was wrong! From the information I found online, it's called "ongklok" because the noodles are boiled in a small basket made of woven bamboo that is moved up and down ("diongklong-ongklok").

The portion of Mie Ongklok at Ibu Umi's place wasn't very big, and for me, it wasn't very satisfying, hahaha... Also, the thick gravy tasted very sweet in my mouth. Mie Ongklok is usually served with beef satay, which is also sweet, and Tempe Kemul (a type of fried tempeh). This Tempe Kemul is really delicious, it's crispy and... well, you know, hahaha... It's good, but compared to the Mie Ongklok, I preferred the Tempe Kemul and the beef satay.

Tempe Kemul yang keriuk enak

YOGYAKARTA

Yeahhh, Yogyakarta!

The next part of our trip was to Yogyakarta, which is an hour's drive from Magelang, where I was staying. Everyone knows Yogyakarta, which was once the capital of Indonesia in 1946. At that time, the situation in Jakarta (the capital) was unsafe, so Sultan HB IX suggested moving the capital to Yogyakarta, and Bung Karno (the first president) agreed. You can read the rest of the story on Wikipedia.

• Gudeg Wijilan Bu Widodo

Mendengar nama Jogya dalam pikiran pasti ada Malioboro, bakpia dan gudeg. Bener bukan?  Gudeg adalah identitas masyarakat Jogya dan kuliner wajib wisatawan yang datang ke kota ini.  Sengaja dari Magelang kami tidak sarapan karena mau sarapan dengan gudeg. Dengan perut keroncongan dibawalah saya ke jalan Wijilan. Disepanjang jalan ini berjejer rumah makan gudeg tinggal pilih, ada gudeg Yu Djum, gudeg Bu Lies dan gudeg Bu Slamet. 

Dari cerita mbak Rini, saya mengetahui bahwa ada dua macam gudeg, basah dan kering. Gudeg yang saya makan saat tiba di Magelang adalah gudeg basah. Sementara gudeg yang dijual di jalan Wijilan adalah gudeg kering. Sepiring nasi gudeg disajikan diatas piring rotan beralaskan daun pisang. Gudeg, telur pindang dan sambal goreng krecek adalah sarapan pagi saya sebelum mulai mengubek-ubek Jogya hari itu.

• Bakmi Jawa Pak Pele

Bakmi Jawa Pak Pele terletak didepan sekolah SD Keputran, alun-alun utara Keraton Jogya. Warung tenda ini buka dari menjelang magrib hingga larut malam tapi jangan datang malam kalau tidak mau kehabisan hehehe... Menu yang ditawarkan ada bakmi goreng, bakmi godok, bakmi nyemek, nasi goreng dan magelangan. Belum pernah dengar sama bakmi nyemek dan magelangan. Saya browsing dan menemukan ternyata bakmi nyemek seperti mie godok cuma kuahnya lebih sedikit, sementara magelangan adalah nasi goreng yang dicampur mie. 

All the dishes here prepared using anglo (charcoal stove)

 which is probably the reason why they take so long to cook

Kalau di Jakarta, penjual makanan tenda pasti menggunakan kompor gas. Di warung Pak Pele berbeda karena dimasak masih menggunakan anglo yang jumlahnya cuma sedikit. Jadi... harus sabar menunggu. Kebayangkan sudah lapar, pembeli banyak dan musti nunggu antrian yang lama..... hingga makanan siap tersaji didepan kita. Saranku kalau kesini jangan dalam keadaan lapar berat hahaha.... 

Mie dimasak bersama dengan potongan daging ayam kampung, kol dan telur bebek sehingga rasanya menjadi gurih. Setelah menunggu lumayan lama, pesanan pun datang. Waiting too long and the size of the portion was just too small for my liking.

Perjalanan saya selama 4 hari ditiga kota di Jawa Tengah sungguh menyenangkan untuk perut dan mata. Saya membawa pulang semua itu dalam ingatan dan berjanji suatu saat bersama dia saya akan kembali mengunjungi kota-kota ini. Mencoba makanan yang belum sempat saya coba pada perjalanan kali ini. Kuliner Indonesia memang tiada duanya!


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Note
Anakku pasti marah kalau tau saya menulis dengan bahasa yang campur seperti gini :(