The Case of Warung
What happens on days between cooking and publishing a recipe?
What happens when I do not cook?
What happens when I feel like I have nothing to cook?
display at a warung in Gianyar, Bali.
I work (as a copywriter by day - sigh; that’s how I spend my life, cooking and working) or if I have money to spare, I’ll tap Gojek and get some Go-food (oh how I miss the convenient life in Indonesia or I’ll have a date by myself at a warung - devouring food and chatting with the owners.
I won’t say I’m a hardworker, because my approach to life has been “santai kayak naik gunung” (I only like beaches when it’s sunset or sunrise time). But I do approach work as a play and learning ground where I could meet people, have a nice chat and discussion with them, and learn a thing or two that not many people don’t bother to learn. As a freelance copywriter, I have taken projects from clients of various backgrounds; skincare and beauty, fashion, SDG related works, food, and Indonesia’s traditional craft and textile. Through them, I have learned about listening to people, approaching them, and learning what makes them passionate about their work. It is fascinating to see them sharing some parts of their world to me and letting me interpreting what they’ve been doing all their life.
I do not relate to the word career. For me, I’m trying to see the world in many perspectives, translating them into a tangible form for you to read. I’m trying to build a path so others could walk safely and explore the world in a different way. Either through writing some little company and struggling artists’ profile, the fascinating matriarchy story of Minangkabau’s head-dress and the layout of their house, or through Indonesian recipes that are not documented well (now you know why I haven’t written any recipe about Rendang, Sate, or Gudeg).
Warung Tuak (sweet rice wine) by the side of rice paddies in Gianyar, Bali.
Laklak Biu (Biu = Banana = Pisang) by Men Bayu at Penebel, Bali. Woke up early in the morning to drive 1 hour from Ubud to Penebel just to devour this Laklak cooked over clove wood on an Anglo!
It’s the food in warungs by Jalur Pantura, warungs where bike driver, shopping mall staffs, and locals get their food, in houses located outside the big cities; far from the Padang restaurant that becomes a safe-option anywhere you go in Indonesia (it’s halal, it’s usually good, and it has many options so you’re not limited to a few choices), and in the wilderness where getting spice or rice is difficult.
When I have nothing to cook and nothing to write, most likely, I’ll make a little journey to a warung. The writing, recipes, and sometimes, how I present the food is a combination of how I adore the stacks of plates displayed at warungs, Nasi Campur of mixed everything on the display put together on the plate (my basic combination is: Sambal, Oseng Sayur 1, Oseng Sayur 2, and Tempe) sambal made personal by the hands of the warung’s owner, and their story of how they get through the day - shared over a cup of kopi tubruk.
