WHAT TO EAT IN SEMARANG, SOLO, SALATIGA

Hi guys! Cindy is high in blogging spirit! Since the holy month is approaching and some of you might be considering a short escape, let me give you an unusual recommendation! This one is actually for mainly people in Jakarta who are up for a Central Java road trip (Semarang-Solo-Salatiga), which is kinda uncommon since it's a further drive from Bandung, yet there aren't much information about this compared to Bromo in East Java, Bandung culinary, or Borobudur in Yogyakarta. Anyway, thanks to the netijen's demand for me to write about this, the post is on! Ok NOT thanks to them, because most of the polls were for highlights. Well I did put it on my highlight, but for those of you who'd like to know the details of the journey as I also enjoy to tell the story, here's it! Hope it helps and enjoy reading!

SEMARANG CULINARY TRIP

1. NASI AYAM BU PINI (GANG PINGGIR)

The food here are crazy cheap, and if you're from Jakarta you'd be as impressed! This Nasi Ayam was IDR 10,000 a portion ckckck. Portion is not that gigantic, but mind you this is not Nasi Kucing either, so for me it was good enough! Default consists of half egg, rice, shredded chicken, tofu, and lodeh with squash. Central Java is mainly about sweet flavor, a bit like Yogyakarta as this is the local taste, so if you're into savory, this might stretch your comfort zone! Place doesn't have AC, of course, and you get to pick all kind of satay on your table such as clams, skins, etc!

2. LUNPIA SARI RASA

Located just adjacent to Ayam Bu Pini, like 10 steps away. Lunpia in Semarang is like eating sushi in Japan. Anyway, it might not be everyone's cup of tea because they always use bamboo shoots as the ingredients, so it depends on your taste for aroma! There are two types of lunpia, wet and fried, all for IDR 14,000 each! 

The wet one

...and of course the fried!

3. VENTURA TAMAN KULINER

Here you go, local food court!! I only tried Soto Kudus Mbak Lin and Garang Asam Gasasa though. They said Iwam Manuk and Gudeg Abimanyu are also great, but my tummy just couldn't take it HA! 

SOTO KUDUS MBAK LIN

This one is also IDR 10,000 each! O.MO. CHEAP AND FULFILLING HUH??? This one uses coconut milk, not the clear soup type and for me it tasted great! Savory and tasty, especially if you take one of their additional on the table such as tempe 1,500, perkedel 1,500, paru goreng (fried lungs) 7,500, clam satay 4,000, egg satay 4,000 etc!

GARANG ASAM GASASA

Gosh this one was also totally good. It's IDR 30,000 per portion and it's sour and spicy, which is how Garang Asam is supposed to taste! Refreshing sensation is just irreplaceable for my palate. Imagine eating it with warm rice and super tender chicken inside, which you can change into beef if you'd want to! Slurp! (this is not the sound of slurping boba).

4. PUJASERA KLENTENG TAY KAK SIE

Pujasera is a traditional food court, non-AC and mostly selling local food! In front of this place there's ES TELER DUREN PAK ARIS.  IDR 25,000 PLUS cashback  30% with gopay wkwkw! So cheap because it makes it IDR 17,500 only, and if you keep comparing it to Jakarta's price, it's just like heaven and earth! I wonder how would foreigners react when they travel here! Durians were fresh in golden yellow, cut when we were just about to eat it. Syurgaaaa!

5. LUNPIA GANG LOMBOK

Just a stone throw from the Pujasera, this brand is one of the well known lunpia. Being completely honest, I also prefer this one since this one's got egg in it! People usually bring the wet one to Jakarta then fry it themselves!

6. LEKKER PAIMO

What's good to eat other than lunpia in Semarang? Lekker would be my answer! It's in front of Sekolah Kolose Loyola. It's so well known if you're brought by a local, here would be one of the destinations! Crowd's crazy though, it could take you hours! There's a variation of menu as well, from sweet to savory, ranging from IDR 1,000 to 20,000! Way back then, there was no dining area but plastic chairs, unlike now!

7. SOTO BOKORAN

One of the local's favorite breakfast shop! They open from 6 am until lunch time only, since they'll just sell out! It's near Simpang 5 Semarang, oh and btw, it's the clear soup type!

SO ALIVE!

8. NASI GORENG BABAT PAK KARMIN MBEROK

This one is a humble store front as you can see below! Located at the riverbank, it tastes great as their fried rice is the sweet savory type! You don't have to eat the babat (tripe) if you want, but why would you even come here though wkwkwkwkwkw

Glistening with flavor!

9. PISANG PLENET
One of the renowned culinary in Semarang as well, it's grilled and smashed flat, and they call this plenet! Topping list starts from sugar, chocolate sprinkles, cheese, and peanut, which are classic martabak's! Anyway, I forgot where this was to be honest, but just waze it since they might have other branches as well!

10. NASI AYAM BU WIDODO SIMPANG LIMA
The seasoning here is more medok! It's the word we use for authentic, with emphasis on -tic, THICK! If you know me well, you'd know how I'd love THIS more! They also have nasi liwet, which is fun to eat in lesehan with your friends especially that they open from 8pm to 4am. Talk about night life!

KULINER SALATIGA

1. BAKMI DJOWO SEMERU

Opens from 12pm to 10pm only, it's all priced at IDR 16,000! But let me help you on what to order: any of their gongso +  bakmi / fried rice. I tried their (tripe) babat gongso and iso gongso, CRAZY GOOD! It's stir fried with soy sauce, and strangely their godog was kinda tasteless compared to these!

Here's what I said about babat + iso gongso. Iso means, hehe, intestine! Gongso means stir fried! Simple stuff, but fancy if you said it the authentic way :p

2. RONDE SEKOTENG JAGO

Everyone who's been here seemed to recommend this one for me! It's in an alley behind Sate Sapi Suruh, where vehicles can't even access so you gotta park in front! I'm glad it could be made ice, since I don't really like hot wedang or sekoteng. Anyway, I requested everything to be with peanut filling only, and it was only for IDR 13,000 a portion. Anyway, it just tasted like any sekoteng or ronde, but the dried orange peel made the difference!

3. SATE SAPI SURUH

NAH THIS ONE'S GOOD! The beef satay is served with peanut sauce, and you get to choose between lean meat or with fat. I don't think they sell chicken, and why would you if you can get beef for IDR 2,800 per piece?

4. RM. AYAM GORENG BU TOHA

Honestly this kinda yellow fried chicken can also be easily found in Jakarta, but anyway I tried it since it's popular locally and always full! What's good was actually the chili sauce, of course! The sambel bawang just kicks out right! Anyway the chicken costs around IDR 20,000-23,000 per piece depending on the size and part!

5. BAKPAUW LUBER

My friend who originates from Salatiga said that it's been around since old times. The best ones are the pork bun and cheese ham bun. However, to have those two you gotta book h-1 or get it early in the morning, else it'd be sold out! I only tried the chocolate flavor and it was already pretty good! The dough is the key, it's so good and the filling is just crazy generous!!! LUBER!

6. SOTO ESTO

This one's the best for breakfast! Also open only between 6am to lunch time, price is also only IDR 10,000! Diee, and the soup is different, like a hybrid between clear and thick soup, see for yourselves soon! Topping consists of beansprout, shredded chicken, leek, fried onion, and gendar (rice cracker made with spices). If you're up for more, you can just pick chicken satay, clam, mentho (like perkedel, but instead of potato, it's tolo nuts), gimbal tofu, perkedel (potato croquette), etc!

7. GETUK KETHEK 

My friend said it's good, but unfortunately it hasn't opened yet because we came too early! Google it yourself HAHA we came at 8 when it opens at 9!

8. SINGKONG KEJU D-9

It's actually a gift shop with a diner part. The frozen cheese cassava is limited for 3 purchases per person thanks to the amazing enthusiasm of the crowd! Better come here in the morning since queue isn't long, and place is close to Getuk Kethek. Walking distance!

It's actually pretty unique since they got sambal matah and stuff. HOWEVER, they weren't ready with everything when I came so I only tried a bit! Anyway, the cheese was HEAVENLY! The others aren't that good in my honest opinion, so just order the cheese! Chocolate and thai wasn't that great either! 

9. WARUNG JOGLO BU RINI

Ok I came here twice but I always missed their famous grilled ribs, so here's a pic of their field wkwk. Anyway the service wasn't that good. No smiles at all hish.

10. BAKSO SOKO ROSO

b aja ini, the type is like Bakso Malang. I prefer the solo samrat type. The bakso urat (veins) is good though, and for the complete package, it only costs you around IDR 28,000!

KULINER SOLO

1. KUSUMA SARI

I don't know why, having visited Solo 2 times, they both brought me here. I personally don't really like the food here though :( well to be fair they do serve authentic dish of Solo, and it's properly air conditioned and clean. I ordered selat segar, selat galantine, and chicken steak. I only ate the meat topping...... he he he

This is called Sun Soup... so small, like how it looks from Earth.

2. PASAR GEDHE SOLO

I'm here for Es Dawet Telasih by Bu Dermi! HITS banget gils! It's located in a traditional market yet it doesn't dwindle people's enthusiasm!

Here you go...crazy long queue but it's a given since they taste REALLY good and only costs IDR 9,000 per portion! Topping consists of selasih (basil seed), cendol (rice flour), jeneng putih, kuah santan (coconut milk), and ketan item (black sticky rice). The black sticky rice is what makes it good, especially when its savoriness is combined with the coconut milk. It is done. DONE.

Close to Bu Dermi, there's a similar outlet selling the same thing called Bu Watik. I feel sorry because the business is pretty slow.

GEMPOL PLERET BU SITI
Still inside Pasar Gedhe Solo, you can find this near the Dawet place. It's my first time eating this kinda food. Dessert wong jowo banget ini. This gempol pleret is made of rice with uncooked coconut oil, which is said to be safer on cholesterol side, or so said the seller.

The white balls are called gempol, and the yellow ones are pleret. Gempol is kinda tasteless, I prefer the pleret since it's kinda sweet!

3. BABI PINCUK/ BABI PIKUL/ BABI-A CII
Still around Pasar Gedhe, this one is on the outside, at the wing part of the market. It's only a corner and not even carried in a cart, really humble. It's so cheap and good, only IDR 15,000 a portion! Pikul means to carry. The "store" is carried on the seller's shoulder, just like we carry the cross daily! (still in Israel mood :p)

4. TIMLO SASTRO
Still in the market, this is also within walking distance but I didn't get to try this one since it was too crowded and crowd was CHAOTIC. They don't even queue! Everyone was just screaming their order and it's a first time, first serve kinda thing. Crazy. It's supposedly good but I don't even know what they sell, something soupy..?

5. ORION MANDARIN

It's a Solo gift shop where their lapis surabaya is the most popular. I love it so much though! In Solo, it's the best brand, comparable to Semarang's Brilliant, or Surabaya's Spikoe. They're my favorite lapis surabaya brand from each city!

BANDUNGAN

It's a small city, 45 mins drive from Salatiga! I was here for Pabrik Tahu "Om Shin", where they sell white tofu, yellow tofu, young tofu, fried tofu, soy milk, and I don't know why, cassava. Doesn't taste that much different in my opinion, but it's just different to eat it fresh from the factory!

Also, these fried food called gemblong is worth a try! Different from the gemblong we find around Puncak, it's made of cassava and the outer side is drizzled with sugar. SO GOOD! Yet so oily though... I forgot how much it costs since we asked for IDR 10,000 worth of gemblong, and this bag is what we got! It's around the T-section on the left side of way before Pasar Bandungan. Not easy to park though, just be quick and get it!

THAT'S ALL FOR MY JOURNEY THIS TIME! Stay tuned for my latest updates, Indonesia has more in store!