Remember sweet old days at the Oen<\/p>\n
By Budi Sardjono<\/p>\n
MALANG, East Java (JP): A restaurant may be able to retain its
\noriginal cuisine for one generation at the most, so the theory
\ngoes. As an additional note, this rule of thumb applies if the
\nrestaurant serves specialties that no other restaurant does.
\nChances are that the restaurant will be losing its shine and
\ncustomers after a generation.<\/p>\n
Oen Restaurant, however, is somewhat exceptional in terms of
\nlongevity. Built in 1930 in the heart of the city, the
\nrestaurant's menu continues to be dominated by European and
\nChinese food. Nasi goreng (fried rice) is the only local fare on
\nthe menu.<\/p>\n
Thanks to its loyal customers, the restaurant has maintained
\nits business in the face of the invasion of Malang by modern
\nmajor restaurant chains from the U.S. and other parts of the
\nworld.<\/p>\n
The restaurant has changed little since opening: its
\narchitecture, furniture and paint color have not changed. The
\nfurniture consists of round wooden tables, long wooden tables and
\nwooden and rattan chairs.<\/p>\n
\"We only repaint them. If a rattan chair needs repair, we only
\nreplace the rattan but we keep the same model,\" said Sawiji, an
\nemployee of the restaurant.<\/p>\n
Oen is also well-known in the town as a cake shop. Cakes and
\nbread are made with equipment and recipes from the '30s. With
\nthese traditional techniques, customers remain fanatic about the
\ncakes.<\/p>\n
\"We have been customers for two generations,\" said Hermawan
\nfrom southern Malang. \"When I was a little boy, my grandfather
\nbought me cakes from this restaurant.\"<\/p>\n
Copycat restaurants using the Oen name have appeared in major
\ncities like Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Solo and Semarang, but none have
\nachieved the level of success as the original in Malang.<\/p>\n
Oen goes to great lengths to retain its original architecture
\nand food specialties, and vital to this effort to remain true to
\nits roots is the restaurant's cooks. Several of the cooks said
\nthey were the \"second generation\" to cook for the restaurant
\nsince its founding in 1930.<\/p>\n
\"I have worked here since 1974,\" said cook Sulistyo Balego,
\nwhose late father, Daliman, also cooked for the restaurant. \"When
\nI was a child, my father would take me here and show me around
\nthe kitchen.\"<\/p>\n
Like his father, Sulistyo is an authority on the European and
\nChinese food served at Oen. Working at the historic restaurant
\ngives him a sense of pride.<\/p>\n
\"I have rejected numerous job offers. I love my job here,\"
\nsaid the father of three.<\/p>\n
Oen is a popular dining spot among the expatriates and foreign
\ntourists in Malang. An estimated 80 percent of the restaurant's
\ncustomers are foreigners, mostly Dutch. The place relies on word
\nof mouth for much of its promotion.<\/p>\n
Many foreigners have emotional ties to the restaurant, having
\neaten there when they were young and coming to Malang to pay a
\nnostalgic visit to the restaurant. Many younger foreign visitors
\nsay they heard of the restaurant from their parents or relatives.<\/p>\n
Near the restaurant is a building that once was a Dutch
\nmilitary barrack and a Catholic church stands across the street.<\/p>\n
If you are lucky, you will have the chance to listen to the
\npiano from the church across the street while enjoying nasi
\ngoreng with a gebakken (omelet), or something light like
\nvleeskroketje. For those who like pork, there is the varkensvlees
\nsoya saus (pork with soya sauce).<\/p>\n
Oen Restaurant is a good place to indulge in a little
\nnostalgia while enjoying Dutch and Chinese delicacies.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/remember-sweet-old-days-at-the-oen-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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