Continuing previous post about Jepara short trip, well this one's exactly a day after it. My friend and I had the entire morning-afternoon free before our flight at around 4pm, so we decided to (again,) try to make the most out of our 6 hours remaining time :)

Our short culinary journey in Semarang starts in Jl. Karanganyar. It's easy to go here, just ask for direction to SMA Kolese Loyola, then there you got it. All three popular culinary destinations are here! Sorting from my most recommended, here goes:

Paimo's Leker

Leker is my favorite snack back when I spent 11 years living in Jogja, so it becomes essential part of my childhood memories :p So I think I know what good leker tastes like. But what I used to have earlier in Jogja was just ordinary leker, the one you can always find in almost every corner of school backyard, which is a single thin crepe layered with chunk of bananas, chocolate, caramelized sugar, and condensed milk, then folded to half-rounded shape.

But this one, Paimo's Leker, surprised me. Like, a lot! Established in 1978, up until now they have so many variants for filling, with prices ranging between IDR 1.000,- to IDR 14.000,-. From your ordinary thin sweet leker: choco-banana, choco-nuts, condensed milk, cheese, cheese+sweet corn, cheese+abon (shredded beef jerky, kinda :p) etc, to thick savory leker: combinations between egg, tuna, cheese, mayonnaise and sausages.

Discover Central Java: Semarang in 6 hours

And things just got better. I mean, who would've thought to put mozzarella cheese & sausages as a filling for leker? Haha. Way too fancy for a street food-stall. Mr. Paimo himself made quite an attraction every time a customer ordered this. And my pleasure to capture the whole making process. Check this out, now i'm drooling!

Warung Makan Asem-asem Koh Liem

After all, leker is considered 'snacks'. If you want to have a nice & fulfilling meal, walk another 20 meters from Paimo's Leker and stop by Warung Makan Asem-asem Koh Liem. They're famous for this particular menu: "Asem-asem Daging" (i'll translate it as.. Hot & Sour Beef Stew :p) for IDR 17.000,-. Actually it's more of a fast food restaurant where they display all ready-to-serve dishes, and customers can pick anything they like. They also have lots and lots of side dishes, but mostly pork contained. Read somewhere at the internet that their buttered frog leg & squid is also a must try, but again, I'd considered myself a sustainable foodie for not eating frogs. (well because it's nasty, lol).

Rujak Marem Pak Man

While you're still at Jalan Karanganyar, walk again from Warung Makan Asem-asem Koh Liem for another 100 meters, and here's your healthy dessert. Rujak Marem Pak Man. What else could be healthier than having fruit 'salad' after meal? Plus it's only IDR 10.000,- for 2 people portion. Fresh, clean, generous, and the dipping - oh so good!

Kepiting Cak Gundul 1992

After load full of three-course breakfast earlier (which started from 9 to 10.30AM), we're still heading for lunch at 12PM anyway! Haha. That gives another 1,5hrs gap to prepare ourselves for the next meal, which was spent in Semarang's most notable gifts & souvenirs shop in Jalan Pandanaran. Yes, we got loaded with Bandeng Juwana, Lumpia Semarang, Wingko Babat, etc. Total tourist-like :p

Anyway, my friend took me to Jl. Jend. Sudirman #1 where we had crab fiesta for lunch. 2 sweet & sour jumbo crabs + 2 rice and 3 orange juices costs us around IDR 176.000,-. I love Semarang!

See you in another short trip.

Cheers!
Ume

Tweet me @umay.