As usual, every trip with this group always ends up with food and more food. The original plan was just to congratulate one of the members on the birth of their grandchild — but honestly, that was just an excuse. The real purpose was to travel, explore, and enjoy some quality time together.
We left at 7 AM from Magelang, passed through Yogyakarta, and took the new Prambanan toll road just to try it out. We exited at the Gondangrejo toll gate. And then… we got lost at Pasar Gede. That’s where the culinary adventure truly began.
Pasar Gede welcomed us with all its chaos and charm. We found pork soup, dawet, tengkleng — and that was just the start. I personally ended up at Kedai Kopi Pak Agus. The ambiance there was super classic, with that distinct, authentic coffee aroma filling every corner of the room. It felt like stepping back in time.
After that, we finally headed to our “main goal” — to congratulate the family on their new grandchild. Mission accomplished, quick and warm.
And once that was done, the real adventure began.
We decided to go to Tawangmangu. But when we got there, the sky opened up and it was pouring rain — heavy and relentless. So we only managed to hop out for a quick shopping stop and a restroom break before getting back into the car.
Then we made the call to head back to Solo and continue our food hunt. This time, our destination was Sate Babi Ong — a legendary pork satay spot that’s incredibly famous. And yes, it lived up to the hype.
We also made a quick stop at Toko Oleh-Oleh Orion, a legendary souvenir shop that’s been around for ages. You can’t go to Solo without picking up something from Orion, right?
On our way home, we decided to pass through Salatiga. And of course, we had to stop for wedang ronde at Ny. Ong. The ginger broth was strong and spicy — you could really feel the kick — and the rice balls had that rich, satisfying peanut flavor inside. Perfect for a cold evening.
After slowly enjoying every last sip of that wedang ronde, we finally hit the road back to Magelang. Tummies full, hearts happy, and another trip added to the memory book.
Anna Wong
Cheerful Traveller's Diary 