I’m Spellbound in a Natural Place, Kebun Bambu Restaurant

I’m Spellbound in a Natural Place, Kebun Bambu Restaurant

By Tiara Ristyana

 In 2013, my family and I went to hometown to meet our relatives in Comal, Central Java. Have you heard about Comal? Comal is the name of sub-districts in Pemalang, Central Java. "Comal" is the name of a river in the area of Comal. Comal is very close to Pekalongan, the famous town with Batik in Central Java or we often called it “Kota Batik”. 

It was 2 pm when the sun was so bright and the street was so crowd. We decided to park our car in the roadside near the school and traditional market. I stood in a silent for a minute and looked around. Comal...it was very different. I felt everything was so unpretentious. I saw the people who used a pedicab as their vehicle to go the traditional market and they brought a basket made of plaited bamboo. Another thing that I saw in there; most of the doors of their house were made of wood which was carved in a different motif. It became my special signal if I went to my hometown “If I see those, it means I already arrive in Java”. 

Suddenly, the sound of the horn from a big truck made me shocked in a daydream for a moment. My mother called my name for several times, she wanted to asked me to find a restaurant near the street because we were hungry and need to rest. We found a restaurant, named “Kebun Bambu”, a restaurant near the “SMA 1 Comal”. Kebun Bambu restaurant is located in Ahmad Yani Street No. 33A Comal, Central Java. When I entered the restaurant after that my step paused for a moment when I saw the natural beauty of this restaurant. The waitress approached us while she asked where we wanted to seat.  We sat under the hut, a small hut made of wood covered with the roofs. 

I saw everything in detail. Started from the table which made from a wood, the waitress, the clothes which the waitress wore, until around of this restaurant. The tables made of the thick wood which was on the edge of the tables were not mashed in order to make it looked artistic and traditional. There was also a “kentongan” (a drum made from bamboo or wood) which the function as a tool to call the waitress. 

The clothes which wore by the waitress was captured my view. They used a unique uniform. For her clothes, they wore a traditional kebaya which is often used by Javanese. They weren’t wearing pants, but they were wearing a brown batik fabric with a very beautiful motif. 

Javanese is famous with their polite behaviour and soft when they are talking with someone. This is what I saw and heard when the waitress approached my table and asked what I wanted to order. It made my heart feel surprised, astonished, and said "it turns out that there is also a restaurant that not only preserved the traditional elements but also still retains the character of Javanese".

I really enjoyed the environment at the Prima’s restaurant. On the behind where my family and I ate, it can be seen a spacious garden with green grass and beautiful flowers which were planted there. The wind blows the leaves and flowers sway and made me think how beautiful nature that God created. What a beautiful nature!

After I ordered “Kepiting Soka”, a special food in Kebun Bambu restaurant, we decided to go home. Before we left the restaurant, one of the waitresses came close and invited us to come to the Batik and Souvenir shop in this restaurant. After everything was done, we left the restaurant and the waitresses said “Thank you for coming, we hope you can come back to the Kebun Bambu Restaurant.” they said that with a smile and spoke with a heavy Java.