JP\/19\/CAFE<\/p>\n
Sobo Cafe performs, organically<\/p>\n
Tarko Sudiarno
\nYogyakarta<\/p>\n
Stay healthy in style is the motto of Sobo Cafe, which is located
\nacross Puro Pakualaman, Yogyakarta, the palace residence of the
\nPaku Alam royal family.<\/p>\n
Although the cafe is just two weeks old, it has already had
\nthe honor to entertain the family of Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengku
\nBuwono X and scores of ambassadors and ministers. Culinary expert
\nWilliam Wongso has also dropped by to sample Sobo's specialties.<\/p>\n
The cafe owes its popularity to its vintage ambience and
\nhealthy cuisine. Sobo is owned by a joint venture, which include
\nIndonesia's \"King of Monologue\" Butet Kartaradjasa and a former
\nmember of the Bengkel Theater, Iskandar Waworuntu.<\/p>\n
\"We built this cafe in response to the lifestyle of the upper
\nclass in Yogyakarta. But in the future, we will also target
\ngourmands from the middle class, so a gastronomic experience
\ncould be had here at just Rp 15,000 (US$1.60),\" said Butet.<\/p>\n
So here we are, a group of cafe regulars, sipping cups of
\nnasgitel tea -- a strong, sugary tea that is served piping hot --
\nand carrot-pineapple cake on a terrace at Sobo on a fine evening.
\nThe cafe is in an old house that was built in the 1850s, boasting
\nmany well-preserved antique interiors and furniture.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, hundreds of white storks fly from all directions and
\nperch on an old banyan tree nearby, making us aware of the dusk.
\nWhite storks are a rare sight in downtown Yogyakarta, and perhaps
\nin other big cities elsewhere across the country.<\/p>\n
\"I just noticed that the storks have nested in the tree. They
\nare cool,\" quipped Butet, who had recently returned from a month-
\nlong European tour.<\/p>\n
Iskandar, who also accompanied us for evening tea, explained
\nthat the cafe used organic ingredients and served non-alcoholic
\ndrinks. He said Sobo was likely the only cafe that offered such a
\nmenu.<\/p>\n
\"From the raw ingredients to how they are cooked and served,
\nthe cuisine is health-oriented. We take basic ingredients like
\nrice, veggies and fruits from an organic farm that cultivates
\nfood without using any chemical fertilizers,\" said Iskandar, who
\nspent 20 years developing the farming method.<\/p>\n
In processing bean curd, for example, he said, \"We make our
\nown bean curd from soya beans grown on our farm. We are against
\nimported soya beans, although they look good and are cheaper.
\nBean curd and tempeh made from local soya beans are actually very
\ntasty.\"<\/p>\n
Iskandar said he made snacks, such as kue okara -- which
\nliterally means \"explosive cake\" -- and plain bread from residual
\nproducts of bean curd processing. In some parts of Java, the
\nbean curd residue is usually used to make tempe gembus, a poorer
\nsubstitute to real tempeh, yet still rich in nutrients.<\/p>\n
The list of organic ingredients in Sobo's cuisine is seemingly
\nendless, and the cafe uses even homemade cooking oil made from
\ncoconuts. Another plus is that Sobo does not use monosodium
\nglutamate.<\/p>\n
For rice, the cafe uses the fragrant, organically grown rojo
\nlele, which is pounded before it is cooked.<\/p>\n
\"Our rice's aroma and color are different from those sold at
\nthe market. Our rice looks rather off-color, compared to the
\nstark white rice that we expect to see. To tell you the truth,
\nthe reddish color of our rice is the color of healthy, natural
\nrice,\" said Iskandar.<\/p>\n
The cafe also offers dessert and pastries specially made with
\nbread fruit and oat flour.<\/p>\n
The artists-turned-cafe entrepreneurs use organic foods as a
\nmedium, imbued with the elegance of their performances, to show
\nus simply that healthy food is good food.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp19cafe-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}