Written by Rahma Yulita | Read in Indonesian

Indonesia has long been famous for its rich culinary specialities, each carrying interesting characteristics and stories from their regions of origin. Naturally, various restaurants and eateries emerged, becoming a place of choice for people to spend time with friends, colleagues, closest people and family while enjoying food.

Talking about restaurants, there are several interesting facts that we can explore, one of which is the history of restaurants and how such a concept prevails until today. According to historical findings, restaurants have existed since 500 BC, or during the era of Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.

In Ancient Greece, people used to buy ready-made or cooked food at thermopolium, a place similar to fast-food eatery where “hot” food was cooked and sold. During the period of the Roman Empire, establishments called popina were a popular place to serve snacks and wine.

At the beginning, restaurants were just a place where people come and buy ready-made food. They have not yet adopted the kitchen brigade system, a system where a restaurant employs more than one person in the kitchen to maximise production efficiency. This system was only introduced in 1989 by French chef Auguste Escoffier.

Over time, restaurants evolved from their original function as a place to eat into a profit centre; such as restaurants in hotels. The concept of franchise restaurants is also gaining popularity, followed by restaurants that provide experience beyond eating.

The latter type of restaurant offers a concept that focuses on giving consumers a memorable dining experience. For example, they can eat and hang out, study and do other things as they eat. Another type of restaurants, namely concept restaurants with specific themes, has also emerged.

This trend is further propelled by the increasing importance of social media, such as Instagram, which often hypes places or dishes with unique aesthetics (Instagrammable). As a result, more and more people come, not only to try the menu, but also to enjoy the experience.

Concept is the key to innovation development 

One of the examples of concept restaurants is brought by Sarirasa Group. Since 1974, Sarirasa Group has never failed to uphold its commitment to presenting Indonesian culinary delights.

This commitment is not only realised through the local dishes it offers, but also through the concept of each of its restaurants.

Sate Khas Senayan and TeSaTe, staying true to their name, have various types of satay and other local specialities, especially from Java and Bali. While through GOPEK, Sarirasa highlights Peranakan cuisine.

In 2024, Sarirasa expanded its reach in the Indonesian culinary scene by introducing a new concept, namely fast-food, where customers come and order, get their food and pay. This concept is quite different from the group’s existing restaurant brands.

One of the thought-provoking aspects about the restaurants under the Sarirasa Group is how they present their concept thoroughly, starting from the interior and exterior to the menu and employee uniforms.

For example, Sate Khas Senayan restaurants have black walls which represent charcoal, an essential material for traditional satay grilling. Their wooden roof is a representation of the satay skewers, which are made of wood. The walls are adorned with traditional puppets, symbolising the Javanese culture, which correspond to the Javanese cuisine they offer.

Despite relentlessly developing concepts in each of its innovations, Sarirasa remains steadfast in its main commitment to preserving Indonesia's culinary heritage. This is the reasoning behind its selection of cultural elements in every innovation.

Pantura: A fresh concept for nostalgia

Speaking of innovation, Sarirasa Group undoubtedly has its own way to attract consumers through the Indonesian-style restaurants and local specialities it presents.

This year, Sarirasa is trying something new, something out of the box, but still close to the hearts of Indonesian culinary enthusiasts by opening a restaurant called Pantura. The concept embodies its name, Pantura, serving local foods found along the Pantura (Java north coast) route. 

"The CEO of Sarirasa is a connoisseur and fan of Javanese specialities, among them are [food] from Kudus city, the hometown of Mr. Benny Hadisurjo. This is the main inspiration for the menu at Pantura," said a representative of Sarirasa.

Pantura was once a popular provincial road on the island of Java. Unfortunately, it is slowly being overlooked due to the presence of a new toll road network. Sarirasa is reluctant to let Pantura's culinary specialities become extinct and forgotten.

"Therefore, we present cuisines from the Pantura region; the coast of West Java, Central Java and East Java, which many people have memories of, especially during homecoming."

Ironically, dishes like gandul and sroto are getting more and more difficult to find in the area. The presence of the Pantura restaurant by Sarirasa Group, located on Jl. Tanjung Duren Raya No. 83, Jakarta, is expected to preserve this local cuisine.

Presenting a more segmented specialities

Carrying the spirit of nostalgia, Pantura is a fresh concept compared to other Sarirasa Group restaurants as it offers more segmented dishes, namely food from the Pantura area.

Some of its key dishes are pindang Kudus, sroto Sukaraja, tahu tek, telur kribo, sweet potato fritters, banana fritters and kopi klotok. Through a comprehensive curation process, these menu items are also expected to be a means to introduce and preserve Pantura's specialities.

For the record, for its tahu tek dish, Sarirasa uses self-produced tofu, namely non-genetically modified organism (or non-GMO) tofu. This tofu not only has a special taste, but is also a healthy food. Sarirasa also produces its own bean sprouts, making the dishes fresher.

Another interesting point is that this new concept is more quirky compared to other Sarirasa restaurants. The concept of nostalgia is also an equally important focus. “Not only from the menu side, but also from the ambience, interior, even to the murals, with wayang characters created by local design studio Karyarupa,” Sarirasa explained the intriguing concept of Pantura.

To create the right ambience, the restaurant uses zinc, blue tents and clear roof that are the distinctive features of food vendors along the Pantura road. For the service side, Pantura adopts the self-service and not the table service system considering that the foods are served quite promptly.

Pantura will be a new fresh, out-of-the-box breakthrough from the numerous innovations that Sarirasa has done during its 50 years of operations as one of the pioneers of Indonesian speciality restaurants. So, we are waiting for Pantura to reach all regions in Indonesia!

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