Making a meal of Surakarta's many culinary delicacies

SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): A visit to Surakarta would not be complete without sampling the many food specialties of the city. To this end there are restaurants serving every type of traditional food the city has to offer, from nasi liwet (rice boiled in coconut milk) and nasi rawon (rice served with beef stew) to thengkleng (goat on the bone cooked with curry).

And if you want something a little less traditional and a little more modern, you can find that too in the city's range of restaurants.

Kusuma Sari on Jl. Slamet Riyadi is a good place to stop for a variety of food specialties from Surakarta. The restaurant's strategic location makes it accessible from every direction. And besides serving traditional dishes, it also offers various types of modern cuisine.

For those looking for something a bit more comfortable and relaxed, there are numerous cafes dotting the city. Some of these cafes not only provide food and beverage, but also double as discotheques or venues for live music.

Cafi Solo on Jl. Dr Radjiman, which is something of a favorite of foreign tourists, serves a range of traditional and modern cuisine. The interior of the cafe is decorated like an art gallery, with paintings covering the walls for the enjoyment of diners.

After satisfying their artistic appetite, visitors can peruse a menu that includes such dishes as gado-gado (boiled vegetables served with peanut sauce), fried rice and egg rolls.

Another restaurant where you can enjoy dishes unique to the city is Rasa Mirasa in Pabelan, Kartasura. Tourists wishing to experience a typical Surakarta atmosphere while tasting dishes peculiar to the city are sure to find many choices here.

And in the area of Keprabon there are many foodstalls offering nasi liwet. Diners simply sit on the floor while enjoying their food, and the stalls attract visitors from various walks of life, rich and poor.

Thengkleng is another speciality of Surakarta. It is a somewhat unusual but delicious dish, coming out of the kitchen with an inviting aroma that heralds a mouth-watering taste.

Two of the more famous restaurants serving thengkleng are Mbok Galak and Thengkleng Nusukan, both located in the area of Nusukan. The latter restaurant is a favorite of local and provincial government officials.

With so many unique foods waiting to be tried and enjoyed, a culinary tour of the city is a must for visitors who want to have a true Surakarta experience. (Kartika Bagus C.)