Busy veranda: A view of wedangan Omah Lawas on Jl. Dr. Supomo.

Surakarta’s iconic wedangan have embraced modernity with some owners using vintage houses or developed café concepts to lure in hundreds of visitors every night.

Asightseeing trip to Solo or Surakarta would not be complete without visiting a wedangan or hik, roadside food stalls offering traditional foods such as nasi kucing (rice with various sides wrapped in paper or banana leaves), jadah bakar (grilled sticky rice cakes), marinated tempeh and tofu, grilled quail eggs and sweet hot tea.

In addition to the wedangan sellers who occupy the sidewalks, many have now also adopted café or residential sitting room concepts.

Comfort food: Food is presented in a modern wedangan.

Cangkir Blirik in Banyuanyar, owned by Isnan Wihartanto, for instance, has a style that is both vintage and ethnic. Isnan spent over Rp 50 million (US$3,750) to convert a house inherited from his parents into a comfortable wedangan. He even visited a number of villages to find traditional furniture, lamps and blirik cups — abstractly painted green tin cups popular from 1960-1970.

“I want visitors to feel a homey atmosphere, so I use sitting room chairs for guests instead of long benches,” he said, adding that he uses both social media and friends for promotion.

Open from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m., Cangkir Blirik has about 200 guests every evening — a number that rises to 250 on weekends.

Other modern wedangan eateries that currently garner popularity include Café Tiga Tjeret, Waroeng Kroepoek, Playground, Lawang Djoendjing, Omah Lawas, Wedangan Pendopo and Angkring Solo — all of which boast comfort designed for their respective markets.

“Wedangan basically offers a place for chatting, so it is the ambience that we sell. Food and drinks are just complementary. It’s how we make customers feel at home that counts,” said Aries Yani Herwasto, the owner of Waroeng Kroepoek.

Aries totally reconstructed an empty building belonging to his business partner, Jimy Jitu, on Jl. Dr. Radjiman to create Waroeng Kroepoek, a venue that targets families and youths. They cooperate with sate kambing Pak Manto, a popular stall selling grilled skewered lamb, and offer live music, free Wi-Fi and even run monthly lotteries to attract customers.

Waroeng Kroepoek, which has operated for a year, is visited by around 200 guests daily from 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. and has 150 menu items.

Elsewhere, Wedangan Pendopo, located in the Mangkubumen settlement area, attracts customers through its traditional Javanese house. Husband and wife Totok and Ustiani said they bought the house from their neighbor. With a vintage style ambiance, the building’s interior resembles that of old Javanese nobility.

Entering the restaurant, visitors can enjoy several Javanese musical instruments and the soft sound of classical Javanese tunes. Ustiani also cooks her loyal customers her own food, offering them her classic tea and sego jangan ndeso (rice and fried tempeh with relish).

Elegant Javanese style: The front view of wedangan Lawang Djoendjing in Kadipiro.

Omah Lawas on Jl. Dr Supomo also has a classical look. Utilizing an old house located on a compound measuring 2,300 square meters, it is managed by four partners — all of whom were assigned by its owner, who now lives in Jakarta. One of the managers, Hartoto, said the café was designed with spontaneity.

“We just arranged the interior to match the building to create this vintage touch.”

Café Tiga Tjeret on Jl. Ronggowarsito, Ngarsopuro, was among the first modern wedangan spots in the city. Set up by Andang Apri Hardanto and several 1986 graduates of Santo Yosep High School in 2012, the eatery uses an urban café concept along with live music.

“Our urban style doesn’t abandon tradition. As we target young people, the blaring music is characteristic of Tiga Tjeret,” Andang said.

These mushrooming modern wedangan eateries may reflect promising business prospects. Each visitor normally spends Rp15,000 to Rp 25,000 for food and drinks.

Arries of Waroeng Kroepoek said he earns around Rp 20 million ($1,500) in gross income per night, while Hardy Deras, the owner of the popular wedangan Lawang Djoendjing in Banjarsari, claims to have some 300 visitors every night, earning between Rp 21 million to Rp 30 million ($2,250) in gross income per day.

Modern wedangan eateries usually offer 150 to 200 dishes with prices ranging from Rp 1,500 to Rp 10,000. They usually cooperate with dozens of suppliers that provide the dishes, taking around 10 percent of profits.

“Wedangan eateries are particularly distinguished by their tea. Unless it has a special flavor, customers are unwilling to return,” Isnan of Cangkir Blirik said.

Traditional wedangan still rule

A Among the hundreds of wedangan eateries all over Solo, Bung Klithik in the Sambeng area is one of the legendary traditional wedangan or hik stalls still surviving.

Since the 1970s, this stall has always been crowded, especially from 6 p.m. to midnight. “Roadside wedangan stalls have now mostly become home-based,” said Bung Klithik owner Samino, referring to the challenges in competing with modern cafés.

“In response, since January, Bung Klithik has opened 24 hours, pioneering the round-the-clock wedangan business,” he said.

Samino has expanded his stall by not only providing long benches and mats on the sidewalk but also by allowing guests to relax inside the house.

“Hik stalls are different from restaurants. Drinking tea, chatting and relaxing in tranquility is the soul of wedangan that most cafes are lacking,” said Samino.

Sharing his view is Siyung, who runs Wedangan Gareng in Kerten. Opening on a terrace, his stall has many visitors from 9 p.m. to midnight.

Numerous dishes: Customers pick their desired dishes at Waroeng Kroepoek.

Another traditional wedangan not to be overlooked is Mbah Wir in Purwosari, Laweyan, Central Java. The hik, initiated by Wiryo Sumarto over 50 years ago, has long been well-known for its signature ginger drink, jahe gepuk. Beaten ginger is mixed with lemongrass and crystalline sugar in a glass. Some 300 of these drinks are sold every night at Rp 8,000 per glass.

Since Wiryo’s passing, this legendary hik, managed by his children, maintains jahe gepuk as the prized menu item, while promoting a different kind of nasi kucing, one that is wrapped in banana leaves instead of paper as is common.

“Most importantly, never disappoint customers, particularly in providing service,” said Mardiami, the late Wiryo’s daughter.

— Photos by JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi

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