WIJILAN GUDEG: Nasi Gudeg Komplit Special Bu Lies

DID YOU KNOW? Yogyakarta until this day is ruled by a sultan. Cool ayt?

And there is a food made for royalty, fit for royalty--- they call it GUDEG.
It is no surprise therefore that it is the most popular dish in Yogyakarta. It can be found in every place in city. Actually, Yogyakarta is sometimes referred to as Kota Gudeg or City of Gudeg. Don't be surprised therefore if I keep talking about this food in my Jogjakarta series.

Gudeg is made from young jack fruit boiled for several hours with palm sugar and coconut milk. Additional spices include garlic, shallot, candlenut, coriander seed, galangal, bay leaves and teak leaves.  It is also called Green Jack Fruit Sweet Stew. Gudeg is usually served with white rice (nasi gudeg), chicken, hard-boiled egg, and tofu.

There are two kinds of Gudeg. Wet and dry gudeg and there are variations in taste depending on where you are in Java. They also sell it in Solo (more watery with lots of coconut milk) and East Java (more spicy).Yogyakarta-style is sweet. Family friendly. haha!

Gudeg Restaurants in Wijilan Yogyakarta

In search of the best Gudeg in town, we hired a becak to take us to Wijilan which they say is the most famous Gudeg center in Jogja. It is located in the east side of the Yogyakarta Kraton (Sultan's palace). We took becak from Malioboro area to here for 30,000 Rupiah.

There are more than 17 gudeg restaurants in Wijilan. It was Thursday night when we came here so there was not so much crowd. Quite a disadvantage because I couldn't tell which among them are popular. I reckon all of them offer almost similar gudeg versions so we just picked one based on good ambiance. We ended up in stall 8A -- Hj Bu Lies.

Aside from the general type of gudeg I mentioned earlier ----the spicy, the sweet and the coconuty--- there are also different versions depending on what component you like to go with your gudeg. You want liver added? Another version. You want an egg? Another version and another price.

Here's what's in the menu so that you have an idea.

Nasi Gudeg Krecek Tahu/ Temple --Rp 8,000 

Nasi Gudeg Krecek Telor --Rp 9,000 

Nasi Gudeg Krecek Paha Bawah--Rp 15,000 

Nasi Gudeg Krecek Ati Ampela --Rp 15,000 

Nasi Gudeg Krecek Kepala --Rp 15,000

Nasi Gudeg Krecek Paha Atas --Rp 23,000 

Nasi Gudeg Krecek Paha Sambung --Rp 25,000 

Nasi Gudeg Krecek Dada Sayap --Rp 25,000 

Nasi Gudeg Krecek Komplit -- Rp 30,000 

Nasi Gudeg Krecek Komplit Special Bu Lies --Rp 35,000

Exchange Rate as of writing:

10,000 Rupiah = 37.95 Php = $0.85

THE VERDICT

Wijilan Gudeg certainly has a "royal" appeal to it, not in photos but at least in person. If it could talk, it would say " I am a proud food". But a dish is tested on on its taste. I enjoyed eating it for sure and the individual components certainly taste of sophistication. The issue I have in it though is that some of the elements overpower the other. I know that Yogyakarta gudeg is sweet but this one is too sweet the only thing I could remember the next day is the sweet taste and not the gudeg itself.

Nasi Gudeg Komplit Special Bu Lies

I find it weird but I though I liked the ordinary gudeg I tried in Prambanan for lunch that same day. Maybe because it was only 10,000 Rupiah that I felt like, if this is 3x more expensive, then it should also be 3x more delicious. It wasn't. It was good, but nothing to wow for. Then again, the becak ride to Wijilan, the relaxed ambiance in the restaurant and the experience of being there was a pleasant experience.

If you ask my other two companions what they think. Well, we ended up eating in McDonalds malioboro and Jco the next day. I guess the Wijilan Gudeg experience made them feel that they already had enough of local dishes at that moment.

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