Grand Hotel De Djokja – The National Heritage Collection is proud to serve as the venue partner for Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy 2026, a celebration bringing together Indonesia’s culinary richness, the talents of Indonesian chefs, and stories of flavour from across the archipelago.
As part of the programme, Grand Hotel De Djokja welcomed gastronomy enthusiasts staying at the hotel to experience its heritage setting in the heart of Malioboro. Their culinary programme began at Wiji Restaurant, where Pan-Asian flavours meet the Dutch-Indies heritage of Yogyakarta. The Taste of Nostalgia menu brought together memorable heritage dishes with Dutch-Indies culinary influences, offering a taste of traditions that have become part of Yogyakarta’s shared culinary memory. The guests later embarked on a special gastronomic journey at ROSO Restaurant. Located within Grand Hotel De Djokja, ROSO is a contemporary Indonesian gastronomy restaurant that brings together the country’s spices, recipes, and culinary memories in a refined presentation.
Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy 2026 creates a meeting place for flavour, culture, and appreciation of Indonesia’s culinary heritage. At ROSO, this celebration was expressed through two collaborative dinner experiences featuring Indonesian chefs with international experience who remain deeply connected to the roots of the archipelago’s cuisine.
“The vision of Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy 2026 is to bring gastronomy from local roots to global recognition. Today’s travellers are not only interested in flavour; they also seek the stories behind the food. Our mission is to make Indonesia’s gastronomic richness a tourism attraction that supports quality and sustainable tourism,” said Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana.
“Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy should serve as a platform to elevate the aspirations of people across the industry, from upstream to downstream, and to work together in supporting local economies in gastronomic destinations,” added Vita Datau, Founder of the Indonesia Gastronomy Network.
On 30 September 2026, ROSO presented Pulang, a seven-course dinner bringing two chefs together at one Indonesian table: Chef Agus Hermawan and Chef Philip Walasary. Inspired by the spirit of Two Chefs. Many Islands. One Indonesian Table, the dinner was a creative collaboration between Chef Agus Hermawan, Executive Chef at Michelin-starred Ron Gastrobar in the Netherlands, and Chef Philip Walasary, Food and Beverage Director and Executive Chef at Grand Hotel De Djokja.
Across seven distinctive courses, the chefs brought together flavours from Maluku, Java, Sunda, and Batak traditions in a cross-regional dialogue that reflects ROSO’s spirit: creating space for Indonesia’s many stories to meet at one table. Pulang is more than a theme; it expresses a return to one’s roots, the home kitchen, local ingredients, and ancestral stories carried in every spice and cooking technique. Three dishes offer a particularly vivid expression of ROSO’s philosophy:
Tuna Kohu
This opening dish from Maluku takes Chef Philip Walasary back to memories of Ambon: the sea, fresh fish, coconut, citrus, herbs, and chilli. At ROSO, Tuna Kohu begins the meal with a reminder that the stories of Indonesia’s islands can be presented with elegance while remaining true to their origins.
Sop Matahari
Originating in Solo, Sop Matahari reveals the gentle, measured, and elegant character of Javanese cuisine. Its flower-like form opens to a delicate broth, reflecting ROSO’s belief that Indonesia’s culinary richness can also be found in balance, precision, and a quiet elegance that lingers.
Mille-Feuille Colenak
This final course returns the journey to Sunda through cassava, fermentation, coconut, sugar, and fire. Reimagined in a contemporary style, Colenak pays tribute to a simple flavour that has endured for generations—long before gastronomy had a name. It affirms ROSO’s commitment to preserving Indonesia’s culinary memories and bringing them into today’s conversation.
The culinary journey continued with a second dinner, Timur, a special collaboration between Chef Philip Walasary and Chef Glenn Erari. Inspired by the stories of Maluku and Papua, Timur invited guests to journey through the sea, sago, fire, and the flavours of home – a tribute to the culinary richness of Eastern Indonesia and its close connection to nature, tradition, and community identity.
Through Timur, ROSO once again opened its table to stories from Eastern Indonesia. Each dish paid tribute to ancestors, local ingredients, and traditions passed down through generations, while placing regional flavours at the heart of the dining experience. Three dishes capture the spirit of this journey:
Sagu Bakar
As the opening course, Sagu Bakar places sago at the meeting point of Maluku and Papua. A crisp sago shell, smoked fish, kenari nuts, and colo-colo introduce the aromas of the sea and smoke as the first expressions of Eastern Indonesia at the ROSO table.
Papeda
Papeda presents sago in a soft, comforting form, paired with fish, yellow broth, basil, and citrus. This dish shows how ROSO gives a familiar taste of home – simple, close to the sea, and rooted in togetherness – a place in a thoughtfully curated dining experience.
Bakar Batu
Inspired by Papua’s Bakar Batu tradition and the spirit of gathering around a shared meal, this dish features beef short rib with tubers, smoke, and spices. Through a contemporary composition, ROSO translates generosity, togetherness, and the tradition of communal dining into a tribute that remains close to its roots.
Andreas Kahl, General Manager of Grand Hotel De Djokja, shared his enthusiasm for welcoming distinguished guests of Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy 2026: “Through Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy 2026, Grand Hotel De Djokja strengthens its role as a home for cultural encounters and meaningful experiences. Set within a 115-year-old heritage building that has formed part of Yogyakarta’s journey, the hotel is an ideal setting to celebrate Indonesia through the most universal of languages: flavour.”
At ROSO Restaurant, Indonesian cuisine is presented with renewed pride. Rich spices, carefully considered techniques, and stories from across the country come together in a dining experience that brings Indonesia to the world while staying true to its roots and spirit.
About ROSO Restaurant
ROSO Restaurant is an Indonesian gastronomy restaurant at Grand Hotel De Djokja, Yogyakarta. Through modern interpretations that honour traditional roots, ROSO presents the richness of the archipelago’s flavours, celebrates local ingredients and distinctive Indonesian spices, and shares culinary stories passed down through generations.
Reservation Information
ROSO Restaurant welcomes guests daily from 3:00 PM for Afternoon Tea and Dinner, offering an elegant setting to discover the rich culinary heritage of Indonesia. To reserve your table, please contact us via WhatsApp at +62 811-1201-911.
The post From Yogyakarta to the Archipelago: ROSO Restaurant Presents a Culinary Journey at Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy 2026 appeared first on Indonesia Expat.