Fresh and healthy: Farmers sell organic fruits and vegetables at The Bale Restaurant in Lembang, West Java.

Lembang in northern Bandung, West Java, is a popular place to visit for those who crave mountain scenery and cool weather.

Lembang also offers unique culinary experiences that are not to be missed, including at The Bale Restaurant.

Located in Lembang’s Mulberry Hill area, The Bale offers an all-inclusive culinary tourism package, centered on healthy food.

Visitors can harvest their own vegetables on its 1,120-square meter farm, which is managed in cooperation with dozens of local farmers.

“At present we have 12 types of vegetables,” The Bale Restaurant director Heni Smith said at the launch of the eatery last weekend.

The farmers supply the restaurant’s vegetables and fruit, which are grown without using chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The same holds true for the chickens bred and raised on site.

“We cannot provide beef and fish yet,” Heni, whose menu comprises traditional food and western cuisine, said.

The dishes range from appetizers such as pumpkin soup and salads, to main course specialties like kecombrang (spicy) fried rice and bruschetta spaghetti, as well as fresh fruit desserts.

“The prices begin from Rp 50,000,” Heni said.

The restaurant’s design is inspired by the traditional Javanese building style called joglo, featuring an interior that has no partitions, enabling diners to enjoy the scenery of Bandung’s Mount Tangkuban Parahu and Mount Burangrang while enjoying their exquisite meals.

“The best time to enjoy the scenery is at sunset,” she said.

In addition to serving healthy food, Heni also strives to help local farmers market their produce. The owner of The Lodge Maribaya tourism zone also allows farmers to sell their products at the resorts under her management.

“At The Lodge Maribaya we sell produce every day, while at The Bale we do it on weekends or when there are programs,” said Sopiar, a 38-year old farmer who has grown vegetables without chemical fertilizers or pesticides since 2003.

The offer to sell their produce to tourists, noted Sopiar, had given farmers a chance to develop their own markets. The majority of farmers in Cibodas village, Lembang district, West Bandung, deliver their produce to traders.

“They have their own buyers, like supermarkets in Jakarta and Bandung. By selling on our own, we can directly interact with buyers,” added Sopiar.

Organically grown vegetables are indeed more expensive because of the longer process and time that goes into cultivating the crops.

“Their growth isn’t as fast as vegetables grown using chemical fertilizers so they require more attention. But our products are definitely healthier,” said Sopiar, who grows beets, corn, romaine lettuce and spinach and donates part of his profits to his neighborhood for water management.

Heni’s cooperation with local farmers has provided a solution to the difficult task of marketing organically grown vegetables and fruit.

“I’m fond of healthy food. After chatting with the farmers I found that their vegetables didn’t sell well. So there was an opportunity to open the location near resorts,” Heni said.

— The writer was invited by The Lodge Group to visit The Bale Restaurant.

— Photos by JP/Arya Dipa

________________________________

Popular

Indonesia on brink of losing Lake Toba’s Global Geopark status

Diponegoro and the birth of Indonesian nationalism

Prabowo targets 20 million free meal recipients by mid-August