Mr. President’s Trail of Delicacies
A normal, busy day with queuing customers at Kopi Tuku in Jl. Cipete Raya, South Jakarta, on Sunday (27/8/2017). The coffee shop, which offers locally-produced blends, was visited by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in July.
The “master of blusukan (impromptu visits)” is an apt title for President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. He loves personally monitoring the progress of his work programs on the field. Furthermore, he is never picky in choosing where to take a break and eat. Let’s follow Mr. President’s trail of delicacies around Jakarta during this long weekend.
For our first stop, go to Warung Tegal Ma’djen in Pulomas, East Jakarta. “Pretty lady, handsome man, what would you like to drink?” The heart-pleasing words greet everyone who visits the simple eatery.
The food stall’s fame skyrocketed after the President ate there four years ago, on Oct. 5, 2013, when he was still the Jakarta governor. “The place has always been busy. We can use up to between 50 kilograms and 100 kilograms of rice in one day. After Mr. Jokowi [as the President is affectionately called] came here, we became even busier. No less than 150 kilograms of rice is spent in a day,” the food stall’s owner, Mutinah, 40, said on Sunday (27/8/2017).
The food stall without any air conditioning stood modestly on the sidewalk of Jl. Tanah Mas Raya in Kayu Putih, East Jakarta. As it is located beside SMA 21 state senior high school, it is often called Warteg 21. Upon entering the food stall, you will see a photograph of the President. Mutinah is the second generation of the family to run the food stall. Her mother Zaini, 70, called Ma’Djen, opened the food stall in 1977. Ma’Djen still cooks all the dishes at the food stall.
At the simple food stall, Jokowi ordered spicy mackerel tuna, eggplant with chili sauce and stir-fried bitter melon. For one month since Jokowi’s visit, people come from all over Jakarta and even Bogor. They asked whether Pak Jokowi had eaten there.
The place offers various homemade dishes, including sayur lodeh (vegetables in coconut milk stew) with chayote, young jackfruit and long beans, as well as fried tempeh, eggs, opor ayam (chicken braised in coconut milk) and shrimp crackers. The price is so cheap and Rp 50,000 (US$3.75) is enough for two persons.
The food stall opens from 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and is often packed during workdays. Most of its customers are workers and taxi drivers from Pulomas, Pulogadung and Cempaka Putih. It is quiet only during weekends. Try your luck and perhaps you can meet with the celebrities who often eat there, including Darius Sinathrya, Derby Romero and Larasati.
At another place in Petukangan, South Jakarta, the former Surakarta mayor is said to have dined at a West Sumatran eatery. In late October 2013, Jokowi had lunch with the residents of Jl. M Saidi Raya in Petukarang. Sadly, the name of the eatery was kept a secret as Jokowi did not bring journalists with him that day.
The lunch was Jokowi’s way of personally approaching locals to resolve the land clearance issue related to the construction of the Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR) W2 that goes through Petukangan. After the lunch, an agreement was reached between the locals and the Jakarta administration. The toll road project that serves as an alternative route to the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport went ahead without any further problems and is currently in operation.
Despite its remote location, finding the eatery was relatively easy. From Jl. Ciledug Raya at the direction of Kebayoran Lama to Tangerang, turn left at the intersection with the JORR W2 toll exit gates and you will be at Jl. M Saidi Raya. Walk along the road for 1 kilometer and you will see a West Sumatran eatery on the right side of the road. The restaurant has delicious dishes and is perfect for eating with a group.
Local product
The President’s habit of eating at any local eatery he can find still continues today. On July 2, 2017, President Jokowi and First Lady Iriana took a quick rest while sipping “kopi susu tetangga panas” (neighbor’s hot coffee with milk) at Kopi Tuku. The President then praised the owner, a young man, for his courage to open a shop selling locally produced coffee.
A normal, busy day with queuing customers at Kopi Tuku in Jl. Cipete Raya, South Jakarta, on Sunday (27/8/2017). The coffee shop, which offers locally-produced blends, was visited by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in July.
The President said that the young man could open a business that was equal to the international brands found all over the nation. “Just try it for yourself,” the President said in his video commentary on his YouTube video titled “#JKWVLOG Mampir di Kopi Tuku, brand lokal cita rasa internasional”.
Almost two months afterwards, in late August, the small coffee shop on Jl. Cipete Raya, South Jakarta, was still packed with customers. The queue sometimes reached the sidewalk outside.
The mainstay blend of “neighbor’s coffee with milk” that the President tried is indeed highly recommended. The unique smell of Arabica coffee blends perfectly with the tenderness of the milk. Either hot or cold, the drink is perfect.
The coffee beans at Kopi Tuku are locally-produced. The supply is mostly from Garut, Aceh and Bali. Owner Andanu Prasetyo, 28, who opened the coffee shop in 2015, said that he hoped his coffee shop could increase domestic coffee consumption. Andanu is highly knowledgeable about coffee. His idea of coffee conservation goes together with his focus on environmental preservation and local community empowerment.
Other than kopi susu tetangga or neighbor’s coffee with milk, there is also kopi hitam tetangga (neighbor’s black coffee), cappuccino tetangga (neighbor’s cappuccino), espresso, latte and several snacks to accompany the coffee. All of the drinks are sold at a “neighborly” price of around Rp 18,000. The most expensive drink is the large peppermint mocha, which is Rp 34,000 for a glass.
Why use the word “neighbor”? Andanu, or Tyo as his friends and family call him, said that the coffee shop was established to cater the coffee-drinking habit of his neighbors on Cipete Raya.
Before the President’s visit, Kopi Tuku had been talked about by Jakarta’s coffee lovers at the social media. Tyo said that the President’s visit boosted the coffee shop’s fame. Previously, Kopi Tuku’s Instagram account had 15,000 followers on Instagram. Now the account has 20,000 followers and counting.
“I had no idea why the President chose to come here. He said that Gibran, who might have went here before, told him about it,” said Tyo, adding that he does not personally know Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Jokowi’s oldest son.
Kopi Tuku customers currently come from all over Greater Jakarta. Johan Farhad, 34, came all the way from Cibubur with his family. “My wife asked me to come here. As it turns out, the coffee here is great,” said Johan, adding that he grew up in a coffee-drinking environment back in his hometown in Gresik, East Java.
Kopi Tuku looks modest on the front side. The shop with its white bricks looks small amid the lines of hotels and restaurants on Cipete Raya. In its main lobby, there is only a desk to make orders and payments and a glass cabinet to display snacks. Benches for customers are available on the hallway beside the lobby. Kopi Tuku also has branches at Pasar Santa and Bintaro Sector 1.
Support
For Mutinah and Tyo, Jokowi’s visit means more than just to taste the meals and drinks their respective shops have to offer. Rather, it indirectly means a show of support for local businesses and products. Mutinah said that she prayed for Jokowi to be able to resolve the country’s multitude of problems.
(NEL)
