Kembang Goela: Jakarta, West Java

Seated on a carpet on the floor, two pesindhen (Javanese singers) perform Javanese songs to the accompaniment of a gamelan orchestra comprising 13 men, all dressed in Javanese costume with krises (daggers) on their back. It was raining hard outside. However, more and more guests showed up at Kembang Goela restaurant, which was celebrating its second anniversary.

The rain had forced the restaurant to delay the celebration for more than an hour. At about 8.30 p.m., the party finally began.

“Welcome to the restaurant. The agenda for this evening is simply to have dinner. So, enjoy the evening,” said designer Iwan Tirta, who hosted the party.

Iwan was accompanied by Kembang Goela cofounder Lily Atmodirdjo and Trisna Jero Wacik, the wife of State Minister for Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik.

The restaurant’s second anniversary was marked by an event titled Beautiful Java Food Promotion, which started April 26 and ran through May 5, 2007.

A bouquet of tuberoses on a table in the center of the lobby filled the air with wonderful scent.

Dozens of batik fabrics were displayed on the walls and in a separate showroom. All have been created by Iwan, who also celebrated his 72nd birthday this month.

“I fully support this food promotion. May it become an event that can attract tourists,” Trisna said.

Without further delay, the guests were invited to enjoy a variety of Javanese dishes including nasi liwet Solo (rice cooked in coconut milk plus chicken curry), garang asem (steamed chicken in coconut milk), selat Solo (salad with seasoning) and various types of sambal (chili paste), to name a few.

The restaurant also presented a variety of jajan pasar (light meals usually sold at traditional markets). These included jenang sumsum (rice porridge), bubur kacang ijo (green bean porridge) and cenil (glutinous rice sweet).

The interior of the restaurant and the food served to guests definitely provide a haven for food lovers with a craving for authentic Javanese cuisine.

“At the moment, we are presenting Javanese food in its wide variety. We plan also to present food from other regions,” said Lily.

Kembang Goela claims that Javanese-style restaurant dining is much more than just the basic activity of eating.

At the restaurant, dining is an art.

“Each dish is cooked with great dedication and served with pleasure for the convenience of customers,” public relations manager Rury Handayani said.

Founded in 2005, the Javanese-style restaurant serves a selection of food for lunch and dinner every day.

The menu includes asem-asem iga (sour beef-rib soup), lumpia (spring rolls), bebek boemboe lengkoas (duck in large-size galangal) and many others.

The restaurant allows guests to experience dining in the Dutch colonial era with its Rijstaffel presentation, literally meaning “rice table”.

This is a procession in which the food is presented by a number of waiters who each bring one dish. The greater the number of dishes the greater the variety of food being served.

Kembang Goela
Plasa Sentral, parking area
Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 47-48
Central Jakarta
tel: 5205625

Kurniawan Hari