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Hopefully, you will rejuvenate your tastebuds with new meals different from your usual haunts. Of course, we assume that a spread at a five-star restaurant will be outstanding (it should be, for the price), but it means just as much when that satisfying meal is to be savored at a simple eatery. And for a fraction of the damage to your pocketbook.

On this culinary journey of simple discoveries, we head to Yogyakarta, famed for delicious, inexpensive fare at every corner. Imagine: Heaping plates of gudeg (jackfruit stewed in coconut milk and spices, with tempeh, tofu and other accompaniments), a princely meal in terms of taste and satisfaction at the pauper’s price of Rp 16,000 for three diners.

We started tasting the wares as soon as we stepped off the train from Jakarta at 4 a.m., searching for a cup of coffee to stir us from our semi-stupor (we were kept from falling asleep by the train’s shaking that would give gyrating singer Inul a run for her money). Our wake-up potion was found near the Tugu station at Pak Man’s coffee stall. Opened in 1969, it has made its name with “Kopi Jos”, a unique combination of traditional Indonesian coffee served with the grounds, with some charcoal ash thrown in for good measure. Devoted drinkers vouch that it is like those charcoal-based medicines that absorb and clean the poisons from the body, without any diminished enjoyment of the coffee.

Breakfast awaited at Bu Marto’s gudeg food stall on Jl. Kranggan. Its small space was already crowded with hungry early birds. The gudeg here appeared darker than usual, and its savory sweetness was a delight. “We also sell a sweet potato version,” the middleaged store owner said as she put a helping on my plate.

To me, it tasted strange, more like kolak (fruits stewed in coconut milk and palm sugar) than gudeg. The thing with Yogyakarta eateries and food stalls is they operate on uniquely irregular hours. It forced me to go back and forth between the same location to try restaurants open at different times, including heading out at 1 a.m. for another food tasting.

It can be a bit frustrating for those new to the area, but I was impressed that small business owners have been able to contravene the regular hours of operation we are used to. Like Warung Handayani, found near the south side of the alun-alun (town square) that sells nasi brongkos (tofu and beans in a stew given its black color by use of kluwak, or black nut, served with rice and shrimp crackers). It opens at 9 a.m. and shuts at lunchtime, so I was lucky to arrive in time. There are others who open at 4 p.m. and close at 7 p.m., and those who finish for the day as soon as they open at 6 a.m. when their dishes sell out.

Many owners of successful eateries here do not feel the need to extend their hours of operation or open branches, bucking the usual business philosophy of time means money for profit-hungry entrepreneurs. In Imogiri, which is a fair distance from downtown Yogyakarta, I came upon the goat satay stall of Bu Jazim. Its specialty is “klatak satay”, with chunks of goat meat rolled in salt, pepper, garlic and candlenut paste. The meat is roasted on steel satay sticks, not wood, to ensure it cooks from the inside. “If you use wood, the meat is only grilled but not well done throughout,” explained one of the women servers.

Another difference is that the satay is served as is, without the usual accompaniment of sweet soy sauce and diced tomato. Our next stop was Parangtritis, in front of the Indonesian Arts Institute, which was badly damaged by last year’s earthquake, to dine at Waroeng Opera. Despite the name, it is not a traditional stall, and its diners are usually Westerners, artists and locals enticed by its unique Indonesian menu.

One of its most intriguing dishes is made up of seven different types of flowers. It’s only served on Fridays, and even then it is advised to order ahead. “It’s hard to find all those flowers,” said restaurant owner Donny Podosih. Another featured dish of the restaurant, which opens at 7 p.m., is fried rice with pete (the disconcerting English translation is “stink bean”, although its unique, pungent flavor quickly becomes addictive) and another type of flower, bunga combrong. Coffee lovers who also want to know what lies ahead in their future should try a cup of the eatery’s Black Fortuneteller. Once you are finished gulping down the last mouthfuls of liquid, Donny will examine the grounds and tell you what may be in store.

In the early evening, we visited Jl. Gandegan Lor to buy coro bikang, a type of cake made from rice flour and coconut milk. The vendor has operated from a shop corner for the past eight years; her premises may be small but she has a big reputation (the sultan’s family is said to rub shoulders with the proletariat to buy her cakes).

The treat is best eaten warm, but it may spell sugar overload for those lacking a sweet tooth or diabetics. Better share it with others; I bought 10 pancakes for Rp 5,000, and received one more as a bonus. There was more in store. We went to Endess eatery in the Gejayan area for their sego reged (dirty rice), a dish of white rice cooked with kluwak. The black nut (it’s actually a seed) makes it dark in color – hence its name – and very tasty. The rice is served with potato cakes, chicken, sliced egg and cucumber.

Yogyakarta also has its fair share of Chinese food, including excellent noodles with snapper from Semaki restaurant. The thick noodles are only found at this restaurant, which opened 30 years ago. In its dry form, the noodles resemble a large round pillow that could be brought home as a souvenir (one big serving is Rp 90,000, and serves seven people). The other prominent Chinese restaurant in Yogyakarta is Tio Ciu. My personal recommendation is the fried freshwater gurame fish, sprinkled with dried ginger fried until almost charred. There will be no complaints once you put a spoonful of this delicacy in your mouth.

My parting advice is to not fear trying out these little eateries, even if you are one of those worrywarts when it comes to hygiene. Dining at a fancy restaurant is no assurance of cleanliness, after all. Before I left for Yogyakarta, I was laid low for several days by an upset stomach after eating several very pricey slices of duck at a starred restaurant.
+ Samuel Mulia