Take your seat for 'lesehan' at the Dharmawangsa

JAKARTA (JP): Want to get down, literally, to try the true taste of food from Central Java?

If yes, then lesehan, the traditional way of people eating al fresco on the floor, is for you. If you cannot make it to the famed Jl. Malioboro in Yogyakarta or the main streets of Surakarta, where eateries abound, then there are several spots in the capital, including Blok M in South Jakarta and on Jl. Gadjah Mada in the downtown area.

And if your tastes run to more expensive settings, then the sumptuous Dharmawangsa hotel on Jl. Brawijaya Raya 26, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, has been offering the food since December.

It may be the right stuff for expatriates and well-heeled Indonesians, but how does the traditional menu measure up in the thoroughly modern setting of a five-star hotel?

All the mainstays are there, with nasi liwet (mixed rice), mie godog and mie goreng, or boiled or fried noodles.

The menu helpfully informs novice lesehan diners about the areas of origin of the dishes. Also included on the menu are sherbets and drinks such as bajigur, wedang ronde and es cendol to be had with the meal or as dessert.

The restaurant management has made it their business to maintain the true taste of the food by bringing traditional cooking equipment -- including a charcoal earthenware stove -- and chefs from Surakarta and Yogyakarta who have many years' experience..

Dharmawangsa hotel's managing director Luis Fernandes said the hotel's mission was to preserve local culture and make it part of their service, including the provision of meals from regions which will be familiar to Indonesians but may be hard to find in the city.

It is reflected in the restaurant's atmosphere, where guests get to experience eating at a traditional food stall without the worries of traffic and noise pollution.

A waiter escorts guests to take their seats on plaited mattresses around a short wooden table. Each table is furnished with a bottle of pickled chilies and a candle, typical items at a traditional food stall (the latter is to keep away flies).

At the entrance is a cook who prepares the dishes by combining an array of cooked food, displayed on the table before her.

The hotel's executive chef, Chris Janssens, said the hotel would maintain the cooks' traditional approach to preparing dishes.

Prices for the dishes are quite reasonable for a five-star hotel. Nasi Liwet Keprabon Solo, consisting of slow-cooked chicken, liver, hardboiled eggs, rambak crackers and spicy soya bean cake or tofu, with vegetables, is served warm on a banana leave for Rp 38,000. Mie Kadin rebus, served with pickles, for Rp 32,000. Each sherbet costs Rp 12,500. (Maria Endah Hulupi)