Surabaya: Foodie City of Indonesia

,A mammoth line of Harley Davidsons riders come into a mall and then go straight into a restaurant. Well dressed elderly family members enter the same restaurant. Young college students do the same albeit in their latest hip look. There is a festive atmosphere in the line of restaurants in this mall that is famous for its restaurants.


Initially, I thought that there was some special occasion or it was a holiday and hence everyone is out enjoying themselves. But, apparently, this is the daily culture of the city and the people love to eat out here. The people of Surabaya in East Java like to be called as foodies and that tag line fits them well as the food in Surabaya is some of the best in Java, if not Indonesia.




All meals in Surabaya is a communal gathering and especially dinner. The food options here are out of the world. The spread is humungous. People arrive in huge numbers and all the restaurants throw some kind of entertainment in every night to make it an even more interesting experience. Food is more on a take what you want from the many stalls and pay only for what you take/order.


It is not just the restaurants that has this culture, but also the coffee (kopi) shops and beer and wine bars. The communal eating is so infectious that you also feel to be one with the crowd and join in on the eating fun. Whether you are a meat lover or a vegetarian, it really does not matter as the food stalls and restaurants of Surabaya has in them to please every palate. What ever you do in Surabaya, do not miss out on the eating fun. If you do miss it, then you miss one of the biggest highlights of Indonesian food.

Continue Reading...

Batu: Of Green Apples, Cool Mountains and Waterfalls

This is the belt of green apples in Indonesia. Such is its soil and weather that the green apples here are plentiful and real tasty. It is these green apples that took me to the mountain town of Batu in Indonesia’s East Java. In fact, it is these green apples, the green mountains, the cool climes, the waterfalls and the beautiful scenery that make Batu a hot favorite with the domestic tourists especially during the weekends.


Batu is about 20 kilometres or 30 minutes from Malang and about 2 to 3 hours drive from Surabaya. It’s parks, its lush green villages, its waterfalls and its great food bring a lot of tourists. During weekends it gets very crowded, but much more peaceful during the weekdays. Songgoritti village is the prettiest of the villages around Batu. Alun Alun is the most favorite place of the locals. Puten village is where the apple orchards are and one can gorge on an unlimited amount of green apples for a small fee. And then there is the Cando Ramon waterfall that plummets from 100 feet above in pristine green surroundings.


But, like I said before, I went to Batu and its surroundings for its food especially its fruits and vegetables. Batu has so many fruits that I had never tasted. Plum chips, green apple chips, jackfruit chips, durian chips and many more are supposed to be tasted here. The apple cake called Dodol is a must taste too. And so is the green apple juice, which is naturally very sweet. A walk through the various markets in the villages allow you to taste other fruits, snacks and dishes. The weather is cold and hence the appetite always stays high for food. These surroundings are also ideal for long hikes into the forest and one can discover many waterfalls, flowers and may be even wildlife. If hard treks are on your mind, then Gunung Arjuna has to be on your list here.

Continue Reading...