'Cowboy' food stalls prove popular among students
By Israr Ardiansyah
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Darto entered a "cowboy" food stall, took two portions of rice, a piece of fried tempeh, a piece of fried tofu, and ordered one glass of hot tea, all of which immediately disappeared down his throat. For all this he had to pay only Rp 1,100 (about US$0.13).
In fact, Darto, 21, a sophomore at Gadjah Mada University, frequently eats at warung koboi or "cowboy food stalls", the nickname for these stalls selling cheap food.
These places offer ready-to-eat rice and an assortment of common snacks and drinks such as tea, coffee and ginger drink.
At Darto's favorite food stall, at the end of the alley where his boarding house is located in the Sagan area, a plate of rice costs only Rp 300, a glass of tea Rp 300 and a piece of fried tempeh or tofu only Rp 150. Before the onset of the economic crisis in mid 1997, one plate of rice cost a mere Rp 150. The prices at the food stall have, on average, doubled.
A rice plate includes fist-sized portion of cooked white rice and a spoonful of chili sauce or tempeh stir-fried with chilies. Among Yogyakarta's students this meal is popularly called sega kucing, cat's rice. This is of course in reference to the quality and quantity of the meal, believed by some to be more suitable for a cat than a human being.
Nevertheless, in the squeeze of the ongoing economic crisis, this cat's rice is the best choice for some students with limited money to spend. Cat's rice at least fills their stomachs. That is why hundreds of such food stalls have sprung up across Yogyakarta, and when night comes university students, who make up quite a large proportion of the city's population, flock to them.
Iwan, 22, a third-year student at a private university here, said that every night he went to such a food stall to have something to eat and drink.
"My parents send me only Rp 200,000 a month, so I must be frugal to make this last each month," he said, adding that before the economic crisis he got Rp 150,000 a month.
He said that, despite the poor quality and taste, the food offered at "cowboy" food stalls is at least affordable to students like him.
"The most important thing to me is that I don't have an empty stomach. You can hardly sleep if you are hungry," said Iwan, who comes from Lampung.
He added that prior to the onset of the economic crisis, he very rarely visited a "cowboy" food stall. "When I did visit one, I would just drink tea and have a snack, such as fried beef skin, fried cassava and fried tempeh in flour," he said.
When the economy was more stable, he went on, he usually went to an ordinary food stall and spent about Rp 1,200 for a plate of rice plus some cooked vegetables and a fried egg, as well as a glass of tea. Today, a similar meal costs between Rp 2000 and 3,000, he said, adding that he could now afford to eat only once a day at one of these food stalls.
Since the onset of the economic crisis, Iwan has changed his eating patterns. In the morning he spends a maximum of Rp 1,000 for a glass of hot tea and a piece of cake or bread. He has his lunch in an ordinary food stall and spends about Rp 2,500. In the evening he goes to a "cowboy" food stall and spends about Rp 1,500. Every day he spends an average of Rp 5,000 for his meals. This adds up to about Rp 150,000 per month on food, leaving Rp 50,000 for other necessities such as Xerox copies and bus fares.
He admitted that sometimes the money from his parents could not last a month. "Sometimes I go to the cinema, just to take my mind of my routine work. In that case I ask for more money," he said, taking a deep drag on his cigarette. Iwan said he smokes at least 6 cigarettes a day.
"Cowboy" food stalls are also called warung peteng (dark food stall), and are indeed dimly lit, the only illumination coming from a small kerosene lamp.
Most students in Yogyakarta who come from other places live in boarding houses, and buy their meals instead of cooking for themselves.
And now, "cowboy" food stalls can be found practically anywhere. Usually, they are found on the side of the road. These stalls are often simply pushcarts with a tarpaulin cover. The cart holds an assortment of food as well as kettles boiling continuously over charcoal stoves.
Except for the drinks, most items sold in these cheap food stalls -- the rice plates and the snacks -- are sold on a consignment basis for another party. The operator earns only between Rp 50 and Rp 100 per item, which is the difference between the selling price and the price set by the owner.
A "cowboy" food stall usually opens at about 4 p.m. and closes at about 3:00 a.m. Most of the operators come from villages in the Klaten district.
Sehono, 27, from Cawas village, has been running a "cowboy" food stall in the Samirono area for three years. He said that every day he could make a profit of between Rp 8,000 and Rp 10,000. A friend from his village started this business earlier and asked him to do the same.
He said he ran the business in cooperation with a neighbor, Suprianto, 18. They take turns attending to the food stall for 10 days at a time. On their time off, they return to the village and work on the farm.
"Since the onset of the crisis, more and more students have come here for their meals. Previously, they simply had a drink and some snacks," Sehono said.
Regular visitors to "cowboy" food stalls include pedicab drivers, sidewalk vendors, construction workers and other laborers. "Cowboy" food stalls have been present for decades now in the two cities of Yogyakarta and Surakarta.
These cheap food stalls act to bring people together in this time of crisis, that in other times. Students with limited money at their disposal mingle freely with laborers and street hawkers and discuss many things of common interest, including the country's political situation.
Yogyakarta's already financially pinched students need more money for the increasing cost of their studies and living expenses. The rent of a room has risen by over 50 percent. The average annual rent of simple 3 meter by 4 meter room now costs about Rp 500,000. On top of this comes the cost of meals, soap, toothpaste and other daily needs. Students need a minimum of about Rp 200,000 a month to live simply.
The ongoing economic crisis has forced many students take better care of their expenditure. Some students cook their own rice and buy the side dishes. In this they spend less than having their meals in a food stall.