Take your seat for 'lesehan' at the Dharmawangsa<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Want to get down, literally, to try the true
\ntaste of food from Central Java?<\/p>\n
If yes, then lesehan, the traditional way of people eating al
\nfresco on the floor, is for you. If you cannot make it to the
\nfamed Jl. Malioboro in Yogyakarta or the main streets of
\nSurakarta, where eateries abound, then there are several spots in
\nthe capital, including Blok M in South Jakarta and on Jl. Gadjah
\nMada in the downtown area.<\/p>\n
And if your tastes run to more expensive settings, then the
\nsumptuous Dharmawangsa hotel on Jl. Brawijaya Raya 26, Kebayoran
\nBaru, South Jakarta, has been offering the food since December.<\/p>\n
It may be the right stuff for expatriates and well-heeled
\nIndonesians, but how does the traditional menu measure up in the
\nthoroughly modern setting of a five-star hotel?<\/p>\n
All the mainstays are there, with nasi liwet (mixed rice), mie
\ngodog and mie goreng, or boiled or fried noodles.<\/p>\n
The menu helpfully informs novice lesehan diners about the
\nareas of origin of the dishes. Also included on the menu are
\nsherbets and drinks such as bajigur, wedang ronde and es cendol
\nto be had with the meal or as dessert.<\/p>\n
The restaurant management has made it their business to
\nmaintain the true taste of the food by bringing traditional
\ncooking equipment -- including a charcoal earthenware stove --
\nand chefs from Surakarta and Yogyakarta who have many years'
\nexperience..<\/p>\n
Dharmawangsa hotel's managing director Luis Fernandes said the
\nhotel's mission was to preserve local culture and make it part of
\ntheir service, including the provision of meals from regions
\nwhich will be familiar to Indonesians but may be hard to find in
\nthe city.<\/p>\n
It is reflected in the restaurant's atmosphere, where guests
\nget to experience eating at a traditional food stall without the
\nworries of traffic and noise pollution.<\/p>\n
A waiter escorts guests to take their seats on plaited
\nmattresses around a short wooden table. Each table is furnished
\nwith a bottle of pickled chilies and a candle, typical items at a
\ntraditional food stall (the latter is to keep away flies).<\/p>\n
At the entrance is a cook who prepares the dishes by combining
\nan array of cooked food, displayed on the table before her.<\/p>\n
The hotel's executive chef, Chris Janssens, said the hotel
\nwould maintain the cooks' traditional approach to preparing
\ndishes.<\/p>\n
Prices for the dishes are quite reasonable for a five-star
\nhotel. Nasi Liwet Keprabon Solo, consisting of slow-cooked
\nchicken, liver, hardboiled eggs, rambak crackers and spicy soya
\nbean cake or tofu, with vegetables, is served warm on a banana
\nleave for Rp 38,000. Mie Kadin rebus, served with pickles, for Rp
\n32,000. Each sherbet costs Rp 12,500. (Maria Endah Hulupi)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/take-your-seat-for-lesehan-at-the-dharmawangsa-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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