Six Degrees Meet Six Locals in Medan Who Give the City’S Food and Beverage Scene Some Diversity

altitude

six degrees Meet six locals in Medan who give the city’s food and beverage scene some diversity

Words & photography: Suwandi Chandra

the cook

the descendent the living historians the simian protector

The Cook the cuisine’s roots, chef Khairul has made it possible for guests to enjoy his food in a fine Khairul Adnan dining setting. A couple of his bestselling the ladybug Occupation: Executive head chef dishes are kari kepala ikan (curry fish head), of Santika Premiere Dyandra Hotel lontong Medan, mie rebus and kolak (a dessert & Convention made with palm sugar, coconut milk and pandan leaf). Despite enjoying success “I learnt many authentic Medanese as a chef, he still enjoys his mother’s home medan recipes from my mom” cooked meals, especially her bihun balap the thorny one (flash-fried vermicelli). Khairul Adnan, who has been a chef for 20 years, tailors his restaurant menu at the hotel based on real Medan street food but with a Chef Khairul recommends having a traditional dessert difference. While the flavours are still true to at Tip Top Restaurant

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The Descendent The Living Historians The Simian Protector Didrikus Kelana Dirk A Buiskool & Diana Kosmanto Occupation: Third-generation Diana Pardamean Occupation: Production and owner of Tip Top Restaurant Occupation: Owners of export for Orang Utan Coffee Hotel Deli River Medan and Project, Orang Utan Coffee Lab “We are still using the same Restaurant Omlandia wood-burning oven, utensils “We educate coffee and recipes” “All our meals use spices farmers about having and herbs from our garden a livelihood without Didrikus Kelana, or Kus as he’s and fruits grown behind destroying the rainforest” affectionately known, decided to the kitchen” continue his family-run restaurant Diana Kosmanto set up a and bakery business in 2007 instead This husband-and-wife team are conservation group for the of running his own vegetable farm the brains behind Tri Jaya Tour & Sumatran orangutan in 2000, her business. Kus learned the ropes Travel, a specialist in history- and goal being to assure their peaceful from his father and Jang Xie, the architecture-themed tours within coexistence with Sumatran coffee original owner of the business. Since Sumatra. They built an eco-friendly farmers. Diana also markets high 1929, Tip Top Restaurant has played boutique hotel 12km outside quality Arabica coffee at a host to many major events, creating Medan and it’s home to Omlandia, premium to benefit farmers memories not only for Medanese a restaurant that serves Indonesian committed to strict orangutan but also for the Dutch, the city’s one- If you’re curious and Western-style dishes in a conservation guidelines. People time colonial rulers. The restaurant tropical garden setting. Guests can who buy this coffee indirectly still offers a menu of old favourites about Medan’s learn to whip up Indonesian dishes support the Sumatran Orangutan such as the ox tongue sandwich. history, Dirk is the at the restaurant. Conservation Programme. go-to man — he’s Dirk and Diana supports Diana recommends enjoying Kus recommends staying published two the Sumatran Orangutan Orang Utan coffee at the in the heart of nature at Conservation Programme romantic Lady Batiq Café Hotel Deli River books on it via orang utan coffee

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take me there

Santika Premiere Dyandra Hotel & Convention – Medan

7 Jl. Kapten Maulana Lubis, tel : +62 (61) 451 1999, santika.com The Ladybug The Thorny One Tip Top Restaurant Widya Astuty Ucok Occupation: Owner of Lady Occupation: Owner of 92 A-B Jl. Jendral Ahmad Yani, Batiq Café tel: +62 (61) 453 2042 / 451 4442, Ucok Durian tiptop-medan.com “All the food and drink that “My connections with Hotel Deli River Medan we serve here are made | Restaurant Omlandia | durian farmers guarantee with fresh and organic Trijaya Tour & Travel an endless supply to fruits and vegetables” replenish my stock 24/7” 129 Jl. Raya Namorambe, Widya Astuty set up Lady Batiq tel: +62 (61) 703 2967, hotel-deliriver. Medan is durian heaven, a place com & trijaya-travel.com Café because she loves to spend where the fruit is available year quality time with her friends in round. Ucok started out selling Orang Utan Coffee Lab cafés. Her two loves — ladybugs durians at a small night-time street and batik — inspired her to create stall before eventually opening his a motif of the ladybug with batik 51/74 Jl. Wahid Hasyim, own restaurant, Ucok Durian, as he texture as the decorative theme. tel: +62 (61) 451 4360 / 451 4363, felt his customers deserved a better orang-utan-coffee.com Visitors stepping into her café place to enjoy the fruit. He typically can instantly feel the Indonesian spends his evenings interacting Lady Batiq Café heritage. The most popular item is with customers, selecting and sapodilla fruit (also called chiku) opening durians for them. He will mixed with milk. And, of course, the 10 Jl. Hasanuddin, replace any unsatisfactory durian Orang Utan Coffee made using the tel: +62 (61) 8881 3330 at no charge. Ask to have a durian Dalla Corte espresso machine. packed for your flight home. Ucok Durian

Widya loves durians and JETSTAR has great low fares recommends a 24-hour 30/32 Jl. K.H. Wahid Hasyim, to medan. Visit Jetstar.com durian restaurant tel: +62 (61) 8198 59540 / 8137 5061919 to book