Making a meal of Surakarta's many culinary delicacies

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.)