Introduction

The initial idea behind Impressions of Jogja came about during a motocycle trip around Yogyakarta. Seeing a restaurant or warung makan along every street, and numerous penjaja keliling on the street, made me realise just how daunting it is to decide what to eat. Even when talking to someone who has lived in Jogja their entire lives, the question of what to eat is not simple. At the very least, one should know what type of food they're in the mood for, to narrow down the enormous selection. Without a guide, even yours truly was lost, for knowing that I like gudeg is not enough to know where to go.

Further evidence was presented during later discussions with other "bules". In one case, a couple arriving late at night asked where to get a quick meal that didn't contain meat. A later discussion regarded the health issues presented by Indonesian cooking, which is predominantly oil-based, along with how to find food that catered to more fragile palettes or religious and health concerns. Significantly, in the cases of both encounters, Indonesian food was being critiqued using a western standard.

In truth, for those with fragile stomachs, Indonesian cuisine will be a challenge. It is rich in spice and well-known for burning many a bule's tongue. Eating food not prepared in a big restaurant is also likely to present hygiene concerns, which the aforementioned fragile stomachs will also find disagreeable. Many unprepared bules are therefore faced with the need to stick to only the largest and most expensive restaurants.

But, we ask, why visit Indonesia at all if not to sample its true character? The true Jogja is not found in its extravagant hotels and restaurants.

Nevertheless, for whatever truth one hopes to find in Jogja, food is but one challenge and example we use here. The final experience to convince me of the need for Impressions of Jogja was, once again on a simple trip across the city, the sighting of a street sign written in Javanese followed by a discussion of the rationale behind street names. This facet of a city is so integral to its character, yet often ignored because there is no perceived value in it. Why would a tourist care about a street sign?

This is where Impressions of Jogja will differ. We do not wish to serve as a directory of hotels and restaurants, with static pages that tell you nothing more than their locations, nor do we wish to sell you the city as a product. We are not a tourism portal. Instead, we will attempt to give you an honest portrait of Jogja and Indonesia, written with the inquisitive individual in mind. With so much to see and do, what better time to start than now?