'Cowboy' food stalls prove popular among students

'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.