Culinary Experience at Historic Buildings

Culinary and historic buildings seem to blend well in Surakarta. Culinary tourism is not only about tasting delicious foods, but also about enjoying the beauty of a city’s historical heritage.

KOMPAS/NINO CITRA ANUGRAHANTO

The head of the Solo Societeit Community, Dani Saptoni, checks the condition of the historical archives he saved from relatives of the Surakarta Hadiningrat Sunanate, at his residence, Karanganyar Regency, Central Java, Tuesday (28/12/2021). Saving archives is one of the community activities. The archives will later be managed as public information about the history of Surakarta City.

The city of Surakarta in Central Java is famous for its cuisine as well as its magnificent old buildings. Culinary experiences at historical buildings are gaining popularity among many visitors.

One sunny day, Juzi Amma (28), a resident of Denpasar, Bali, traveled to Pasar Gede Hardjonagoro in Surakarta, Central Java, on Monday (27/12/2021). The woman, who has straight shoulder-length hair, strolled down the hallway on the western side of the building that housed the market, her eyes looking at the various food stalls.

After browsing for a while, Juzi selected the Meurdue coffee shop located on the northern side of the market to spend her afternoon. She ordered an iced milk coffee.

"Frankly, this is my first time coming here. It’s great. It's fun for people who like to daydream, like me,” Juzi said with a small laugh.

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Pasar Gede Hardjonagoro was founded in 1930 and was designed by Dutch architect Thomas Karsten. Its architecture is a blend of the Javanese and Dutch styles. The market has been damaged several times, including during an attack by Dutch forces in 1947 and a fire during a riot in 2000.

Discussions on using the market as a culinary center emerged in 2017. The Surakarta mayor at that time, F.X. Hadi Rudyatmo, wanted to turn the building into a creative hub. One of his efforts was to invite creative entrepreneurs in the culinary industry to revive the second floor of the building’s western face.

Today, food outlets there sell at least 10 kinds of contemporary culinary delights. There are Western foods like salads, pasta, sandwiches and pancakes. Other popular selections, from dimsum to Vietnamese pho noodles can also be found there.

KOMPAS/NINO CITRA ANUGRAHANTO

Rendra Agusta, Head of the Sraddha Community, is checking the condition of the ancient manuscripts on the papyrus media, at the Radya Libraries Museum, Surakarta City, Central Java, Wednesday (29/12/2021). The preservation of lontar manuscripts is one of the activities of the community that is engaged in Javanese literature.

Although there are many popular options, some visitors prefer traditional foods, especially legendary culinary delights such as Es Dawet Telasih Bu Dermi, which is said to have been sold since the market was founded.

“I have to come here [Dawet Telasih Bu Dermi] every trip to Surakarta. I can't not. It has a fresh flavor, but there is a savory taste too. This is what I miss," said Fransiska Citra (26), a tourist from Yogyakarta.

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Surakarta Trade Office head Heru Sunardi said that the contemporary culinary center had increased the market’s draw as tourist attraction because it offered more options to holidaymakers. "There are so many choices. [If] People want to reminisce about the past, they can go to the eastern wing of the market building. If you want modern foods, you can go to the west wing,” said Heru.

Another historical place that is popular among tourists is Laras Resto at Roemahkoe Heritage Hotel, located in Kampung Batik Laweyan.

Historical architecture

The building that was built in 1938 was originally the residence of batik merchant Puspo Sumitro. In 1998, due to her interest in history and architecture, Nina Akbar Tandjung bought the house. “At that time, an antique collector was interested in buying the house. The collector wanted to buy it and then demolish part of the house. In fact, the house was still good. I was concerned," she said.

Batik retail giant Batik Keris also did the same thing. The management revitalized Omah Lowo, a house which originally belonged to the owner's ancestor, Sie Djian Ho, also known as. The structure was built in 1920 and was abandoned by its owner in 1940, when war broke out.

This is our idea to participate in preserving [traditional] food and drinks that have the distinctive taste of the archipelago.

In 2016, Omah Lowo’s new owners restored the house over four years into the Heritage Batik Keris gallery. It also houses the Keris Cafe and Kitchen that offers culinary tourism.

"This is our idea to participate in preserving [traditional] food and drinks that have the distinctive taste of the archipelago. Many local tourists from out of town and from inside the city [come here], especially on weekends," Batik Keris commissioner Lina Tjokrosaputro said in a written statement.

Culinary and historic buildings seem to blend well in Surakarta, complementing each other side by side. Culinary tourism is not only about tasting delicious foods, but also about enjoying the beauty of a city’s historical heritage.

This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswo.