Toko Oen, a nostalgic Dutch restaurant<\/p>\n
Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post\/Semarang<\/p>\n
Dozens of senior citizens were enjoying lunch on century-old
\nwooden chairs with rattan seats. The room was cooled by several
\nlarge fans, keeping at bay the sweltering heat of the coastal
\ncity of Semarang.<\/p>\n
The diners, all from the Netherlands, were entertained by a
\nmusic group playing old Dutch, English and Javanese songs.<\/p>\n
This was the scene at Toko Oen, a building with a tall arched
\nroof on Jl. Pemuda in Semarang, Central Java. Toko Oen has become
\na nostalgic rendezvous point for its patrons, including many
\nDutch citizens.<\/p>\n
The restaurant, which first opened in 1922 in Yogyakarta,
\nboasts over 40 flavors of ice cream, a wide assortment of Dutch
\ncookies and snacks and a wide selection of main dishes.<\/p>\n
On the menu are fried rice, chicken satay, noodles, foe young
\nhay (meat and vegetable omelet served with sweet and sour sauce),
\ncroquettes, beefsteak, cap cay (stir-fried vegetables, meat and
\nfish), salads, soups, barbecue dishes and spring rolls.<\/p>\n
\"Before the monetary crisis, the Dutch tourists used to come
\nhere on three or four buses during their vacation, generally in
\nSeptember. They would spend five days in Semarang and dine here,\"
\nsaid Jenny Kalalo, 47, the granddaughter of the restaurant's
\nfounder, Oen Tjoen Hok.<\/p>\n
Jenny said visitors from the Netherlands included former
\nstudents of Semarang's Dutch secondary schools returning for
\nreunions at the restaurant, which can seat a 100 guests.<\/p>\n
Toko Oen first started as a bread and cake shop in Yogyakarta.
\nLocated on Jl. Tugu Kidul (now Jl. Pangeran Mangkubumi), the shop
\nlater developed into a restaurant. Patrons included Yogyakarta
\nand Pakualam court officials, as well as Dutch dignitaries.<\/p>\n
On April 16, 1936, Toko Oen opened in the Bojong area of
\nSemarang, formerly known as Herenstraat, along what was then the
\nonly asphalt road between Tugu Muda and the Dibya Puri Hotel
\nintersection. The area was home to the railway office, Dutch
\nsecondary schools, shops, hotels and top eateries, all located
\nalong the shady sidewalks.<\/p>\n
A cookie seller in the area said he frequently noticed elderly
\nDutch people strolling with their grandchildren.<\/p>\n
\"They seem to be telling their grandchildren about life here
\nin the past,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Jenny said Toko Oen also opened branches on what is now Jl. Ir
\nJuanda in Jakarta and on Jl. Kayu Tangan (now Jl. Basuki Rachmat)
\nin Malang, East Java. In 1950, however, the branches in Jakarta
\nand Yogyakarta were closed. \"Family members worked abroad and the
\nrestaurant business was less profitable in those days.\"<\/p>\n
In Malang the shop was sold but is now preserved as part of
\nMalang's municipal heritage.<\/p>\n
Five years ago another Toko Oen opened -- in The Hague (2e
\nSweelincjstraat 115, 2517 GW). The Netherlands is where Jenny
\nearned her master's degree in architecture. \"Our restaurant is an
\nactive participant in the Tongtong Fair in Holland and helps
\nspread the word about Indonesia,\" she said, referring to a
\ncultural fair.<\/p>\n
Well-preserved<\/p>\n
Toko Oen is known for its old building and unique recipes
\nhanded down by Jenny's grandmother. Since 1989, Jenny has been in
\ncharge of managing the restaurant.<\/p>\n
With her architectural background, she has strived to maintain
\nthe original design of the building and its furnishings, despite
\nthe costs that this entails. Its ornamented teak walls and
\nwindowpanes have been preserved. But its doors and windows can no
\nlonger be left open as they were in the past, due to Semarang's
\nhot weather and dusty air. Air conditioners are hidden in wooden
\ncabinets.<\/p>\n
Acknowledging her regret at giving up the Yogya branch, Jenny
\nhinted at opening a new Toko Oen in Yogyakarta. \"I'll have to
\nfind an old building.\"<\/p>\n
The groups of Dutch tourists visiting the restaurant are
\nsmaller than those in the 1990s, she said. \"Perhaps the
\ntraditional customers are already too old to come, while the
\nyounger ones, though often touring Semarang, only spend a day at
\nthe Dutch Ereveld graveyard in Gajahmungkur before returning to
\nYogyakarta.\"<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, Toko Oen remains a classy favorite, enjoyed by
\nyoung and old alike.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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