"Kupat Tahu" Magelang as a President's favorite food

There are some regions in Java, Indonesia which have "Kupat Tahu" as their local food, but, why do many people think this "Kupat Tahu" Magelang is more special?

Anytime I heard a name of Magelang, there were some things that commonly pop up from my mind. Getuk Trio (a typical food of Magelang made from casava), its Indonesia Military Academy (Army) and Kyai Langgeng Park.

Those three things had always glued in my memory for a long time, until I, accidentally discovered "Kupat Tahu" at "Tahu Pojok" food stall ("Kupat" is an Indonesian word means compressed rice cake while "Tahu" means tofu), and so far, I have been there twice to enjoy the delicacy of a typical Javanese dish from a stunning small city of Magelang. And the delicious food has already been installed into my memory about Magelang as well.

As the smallest city governed by a mayor, Magelang lies in Central Java Province and it is merely 17 kms from the great Borobudur Temple. It's close enough for the temple is within Magelang Regency.
If you wish to taste "Tahu Pojok" and you are from Yogyakarta or Semarang, when you enter Sudirman street, Magelang, you will see on the left side is sturdy "Gunung Tidar" (mount Tidar), located in the downtown.
"Gunung Tidar", which is 503 m above sea level, provides not only oxygen but also makes the city cool as well as to save the water conservation, dominated by pine trees, and it's often used by the Military Academy to train their commissioned officers. And some of the locals still believe that the mount used to be haunted.

After a few minutes drive from Sudirman street, you will arrive at "Tahu Pojok" food stall. It's on the left side of Jalan Tentara Pelajar no. 14, before "Alun-alun" Magelang (Magelang town square). It's one-way traffic.
You may wonder to see the food stall is small, simple and look old fashioned which is dominated by a green colour. The owner is the third generation since the business started in 1942.
However, "Tahu Pojok" is Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudoyono, 6th President of Indonesia, and family's favorite food. Actually, it is not surprising for he graduated from Indonesia Military Academy Magelang.

I arrived at "Tahu Pojok" around 4.15 in the afternoon, it was my second visit, it wasn't too crowded because the customers didn't come at the same time, so i could get my seat, but i wouldn't have got a seat if i had come during lunch or dinner time. Then i ordered "Kupat Tahu" and "Wedang Ronde" (traditional Javanese drink with ginger flavor added sugar palm fruit, peanuts and balls of glutinous rice flour stuffed by grinded peanut), but if you don't like "Wedang Ronde", you have other options, such as tea, coffee, soft drinks of "es campur" (mixed ice).

"Kupat Tahu" is one of my favorite foods. It's so delicious. It consists of "Ketupat" (compressed rice cake), sliced fried white tofu, sliced "bakwan" (it tastes like prawn fritter), fresh shredded cabbage, sliced celery, bean sprouts, sprinkled with fried shallots and eaten along with Indonesian dressing made from water, palm sugar, grinded fried peanut, salt, and garlic. While chili sauce will be put on the top, depends on our request, medium hot, hot or without chili.

It's a perfect blend. You can feel the soft of tofu, tasty "bakwan" in sweet and hot dressing (if you like hot), then the cabbage provides freshness as well as prevent to feel nauseated from sweet dressing.