KESUMA Restaurant — Restaurant in Yogyakarta

Discovering Kesuma Restaurant in Jogjakarta was like unearthing a true culinary treasure. It's definitely a hidden gem that beautifully showcases the depth and richness of Javanese traditional fine cuisine, expertly blending historical recipes with modern presentation.

Kesuma offers a wonderfully wide menu that spans the culinary landscape from colonial-era influences to contemporary interpretations of old Javanese dishes. Our dining experience began with a selection of both meat and fish cuisines, and each dish we tried was not only good but remarkably authentic in its preparation and flavor profile.

The undisputed star of our dinner, however, was the chicken with thick coconut gravy, known as "areh." This dish was a revelation: melt-in-the-mouth chicken meat infused with an amazing, complex flavor profile derived from a symphony of mixed spices such as anise, ginger, cloves, and many more. While we found it to be a bit on the sweeter side – characteristic of Javanese cuisine's generous use of palm sugar or sweet soya – this dish was absolutely delicious, and the sweetness was beautifully counterbalanced by the fluffy and savory rice served alongside.

To conclude our meal, we indulged in a delightful banana-based dessert, which was a fitting and equally great end to our culinary journey.

Beyond the exquisite food, the experience at Kesuma is elevated by its incredibly warm and welcoming staff, who make you feel right at home from the moment you step in. The ambiance itself is a charming blend of hominess and nostalgia, contributing to a truly memorable and immersive visit.

Kesuma Restaurant truly lives up to its billing as a hidden gem, offering an authentic taste of Javanese culinary tradition presented with elegance and warmth. It's a must-visit for anyone seeking a genuine and delightful Jogjakarta...

Didn't honour our reservation.

We called on 23 Dec around 6pm to make a reservation for our group (13 pax) on 24 Dec evening. We called 2 more times to ensure that our reservation was confirmed.

On 24 Dec noon, we got a call from Kesuma (Ibu Anisa) to let us know that our reservation has been canceled. We were very disappointed, as we had repeatedly called to ensure that our reservation had been confirmed. Bu Anisa told us that the man who took our reservation hadn't been aware that the restaurant has been fully booked for the 24th evening. Upon further conversation, she told us that a lot of their staff had gone on leave. So we don't understand if there wasn't any space for us or there aren't enough people to work at the restaurant?

We understand if the restaurant is busy, we wouldn't get upset if our reservation was turned down in the first place. Calling us at noon on the day of our reservation to cancel our booking is poor management and service. we already planned our evening around our booking at Kesuma and now, not only we had to look for another place to eat, we had to replan our evening.

this has been a very disappointing experience with Kesuma. We saw negative reviews of the restaurant on TripAdvisor and took it with a grain of salt. however after experiencing first hand, it seems kesuma does not have the capability to manage many customers at the same time. very disappointing indeed, especially our guests from Singapore and Australia have been looking forward to eat there.

we will never attempt to go...

I say this kindly, with ZERO intention of offense: this place caters to the sanitised palates of tourists. I was looking for a nice dinner spot in Yogya and was convinced after the many excellent reviews. The food came. I took a bite and went "what in the unspiced bland world is this?!" Then I realised that the restaurant was quickly filling up with tourists and ONLY tourists. And it hit me then, the reviews were also written by tourists and I hadn't paid attention. I feel completely duped by the previous reviews of this restaurant, because EVERY single dish I ate was under-seasoned and completely lacking in the rich depths of flavours that is the hall mark of good Indonesian cuisine. And that rendang everyone raved about? It was the most watery and unappealing rendang I've ever eaten in my life. I think the ambience is beautiful, and the service was good, but that doesn't make up for this very inauthentic representation of Indonesian food. I begged forgiveness from my South-East Asian ancestors for consuming this meal, because I left thoroughly unnourished, and unsatisfied,...