It was a hot and dry Sunday afternoon as three women and a man were busy preparing food in a kitchen under a small bamboo hut next to a building in Serpong, South Tangerang. The building itself is located some 100 meters from a plot of land lush with trees on Jl. Keramat Beringin.

It is a restaurant called Warung Tuman, founded by husband and wife Eko Sulistyanto and Nanin in March.

The couple aimed to create a traditional atmosphere and bring people back to nature. Visitors can choose to have their meals served at a table inside the building, on benches under the trees or while hanging out in the kitchen.

To get there, do not rely on an app-based map as it could lead you to another road across the river next to the restaurant.

“The journey to reach the place is already an experience for patrons, so I suggest people call me for directions,” Eko told The Jakarta Post.

“The name tuman is derived from a Javanese word that means liking or fondness. Not only will people like the outdoorsy setting but they will grow fond of our food. We have special dishes that can’t be found anywhere else,” the 50-year-old added, laughing.

He referred to two of the restaurant’s most popular dishes: calabalatuik (boiled-grilled tilapia soaked in spicy coconut milk) and smoked stingray mangut, which is also cooked in coconut milk.

All dishes on Warung Tuman’s menu were created by Nanin herself, who at first was not sure that her food was good enough to be sold. She finally gained confidence once she got approval from one of the best cooks in Nanin’s life, her mother.

“The calabalatuik’s recipe has been passed down from my father’s family in West Sumatra. When my siblings and I were kids, we only ate it during special occasions and only our parents could cook it,” Nanin said as she prepared the dish.

“I never thought that I would be able to share this food. I’m making people happy while at the same time preserving my culture. My late father must be very proud,” she added with teary eyes.

Starting with only close friends as customers, the couple now employs five people to help them in the kitchen, as well as a cashier. Eko manages the restaurant while Nanin is the head chef.

The restaurant  is open every day at 10 a.m. and closes whenever the dishes sell out. According to Nanin, that usually happens around 2 p.m.

Despite the restaurant being new, Eko and Nanin said their marketing efforts had been boosted by social media. Given that they are confident with the travel and food experience they offer, customer testimonies are the best promotion as they spread quickly through the internet.

Most customers at Warung Tuman, Eko said, learned about the place from their friends’ recommendations posted on Instagram.

After spending the week in the concrete jungle of Jakarta, Pamulang, South Tangerang, resident Betty brought her family to get in touch with nature and find comfort in traditional cuisine at Warung Tuman.

As soon as she reached the kitchen to place an order, Betty called her children to come over and have a look.

“Come here. Look, the kitchen’s walls are made from bamboo, just like your great-grandmother’s in Yogyakarta,” she said. Betty told the Post she rarely opted for shopping malls as a place to spend the weekend with her family.

“I want my children to always be close with nature, to learn and enjoy traditional food,” she added.

Another customer, Sekar, who came with her husband all the way from her house in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta,  said she learned about the place from her friend’s Instagram post. 

“My favorite is the smoked stingray mangut,which is a Javanese dish and I’m from East Java. Although it’s not too similar to the one my mother made when I was a kid, it’s enough to ease my homesickness,” she said.

Also in South Tangerang, people can also find other restaurants with a back-to-nature concept. There is Warung Cere Bu Tini, in which people can enjoy their food in gazebos by fish ponds.

The place also offers traditional fish-based dishes, fried tofu and tempeh, various sambal and lalapan (fresh vegetables). The fish is caught from the pond after an order is placed.  

Jakarta’s other satellite city, Bogor, West Java, has plenty of places to eat surrounded by nature.  

Situated 190 to 300 meters above sea level, Bogor has the perfect temperature for such tourist attractions. Bukit Air Resto, Saung Kuring and Kebun Teduh restaurants, to name but a few.

There are restaurants in Jakarta that apply a similar concept. However, due to limited space, people can expect to see more artificial decorations and gentrified menu items. To name a few are Talaga Sampireun, Warung Mang Engking and Jimbaran Lounge.

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