On the Independence Day, 17 August 2026, a new expression of Indonesian dining arrived in the heart of Yogyakarta as ROSO Restaurant Yogyakarta opened at Grand Hotel De Djokja with a seven-course dinner that brought together chefs from Bali and Java.
Chef Ketut Gede Arya Prima Udayana and Chef Komang Kardana of ROSO Restaurant Bali joined Chef Kolibin, head chef of ROSO Restaurant Yogyakarta, for an opening menu designed as a journey across the archipelago. The evening marked not only the restaurant’s arrival, but also the continuation of a culinary story that began in Sanur.
An expression of Indonesian gastronomy in Yogyakarta
Housed within Grand Hotel De Djokja’s colonial heritage building, ROSO Restaurant Yogyakarta is the sister restaurant to ROSO Restaurant Bali, carrying the same philosophy, “The Finest Expression of Indonesian Taste,” into a city whose own food culture is inseparable from history and tradition. At ROSO Restaurant Yogyakarta, that heritage is approached as something to be experienced rather than simply preserved, with regional recipes, ingredients, and stories interpreted through contemporary hospitality.
The restaurant is conceived as a house of Indonesian gastronomy, with its name inspired by the Javanese idea of roso, encompassing feeling, intuition, and human connection. Its dining programme moves between seasonal degustation journeys and regional specialities, inviting guests to encounter the archipelago through food while remaining connected to the cultural context behind each dish.
A journey across the archipelago
The opening dinner at ROSO Restaurant Yogyakarta unfolded less like a sequence of culinary memories, moving across regions and traditions with each course. It began with Tempe dalam Gegurit Rasa, which turned the familiar tempe into delicate amuse-bouches trilogy: Lemper Tempe, Tempe Coin, and Tempe Cone. Though rooted in an everyday Indonesian staple, the presentation introduced new textures and forms, finished with the fragrance of fresh basil. The course offered an early glimpse of ROSO’s approach: familiar flavours are retained, while technique invites diners to look at them differently.
The menu then travelled to North Sumatra with Salmon Naniura, drawing on one of Batak cuisine’s most distinctive preparations. Once a royal dish, naniura cures fish rather than cooking it over heat. Here, premium salmon was prepared with a blend of more than 20 indigenous spices including andaliman, retaining the aromatic complexity of the tradition while giving it a contemporary presentation. For many diners, it was also an introduction to a dish that remains relatively little known beyond North Sumatra.
Rujak Tuna shifted the story towards Indonesia’s eastern islands with cakalang herbs broth and tropical fruites, before the meal returned to Java with Soto Lenthok. This reinterpretation of a familiar Javanese soup presented a clarified free-range chicken consommé with sous-vide chicken and cassava lenthok, distilling the comforting character of the dish into a lighter, more precise composition.
Bali followed in Lobster Base Genep, where butter-poached lobster met the deeply aromatic base genep, charred leek, basil, and kaffir lime oil. The dish drew its character from one of Bali’s defining spice blends. Ingkung by ROSO continued the Javanese thread with 24-hour sous-vide free-range chicken, burnt coconut sauce, ingkung jus, crisp chicken skin, and kaffir lime leaf oil.
The final savoury course, Sampi Menyat-Nyat, returned to Balinese flavours through slow-braised US Prime beef short ribs, young jackfruit, local seeds, and sambal embe crumble. Rich and deeply spiced, it carried the warmth of the island’s home cooking into a more composed setting.
Representing Yogyakarta’s royal kitchens, Manuk Nom closed the dinner by harmonising fermented sticky rice crème brûlée, pandan coconut namelaka, pineapple confit, and melinjo praline with caramel sauce.
An experience beyond preservation
For Grand Hotel De Djokja, ROSO Restaurant Yogyakarta forms part of a wider ambition to make heritage something guests can actively encounter. General Manager Andreas Kahl says, “ROSO embodies what we aspire to offer at Grand Hotel De Djokja, an experience deeply rooted in Indonesian culture while presented with world-class hospitality standards. We believe that Indonesia’s culinary heritage possesses a richness and depth worthy of standing alongside the world’s finest gastronomic destinations. Through ROSO, we invite guests to discover Indonesia in a way that is more immersive, personal, and memorable.”
Director of Food & Beverage and Executive Chef Philip Walasary emphasises that the responsibility begins with understanding what lies behind each recipe.
“Indonesian cuisine is remarkably rich and complex. Its layers of spices, distinctive aromas, and bold seasonings give every dish a unique character. For this reason, the culinary talents behind ROSO cannot approach these dishes lightly. They must understand the history behind each recipe, appreciate the cultural values that shaped it, and rediscover the flavours that resonate deeply within our memories, flavours that remind us of childhood, home-cooked meals, and the irreplaceable culinary identities of each region.”
The opening menu will continue beyond the launch, giving diners the opportunity to experience the collaboration while selected inspirations from ROSO Bali remain part of its ongoing culinary story. In that sense, ROSO Restaurant Yogyakarta makes heritage something to be tasted, understood, and carried forward, one dinner at a time.
ROSO Restaurant Yogyakarta is now open daily from 6am to 10.30pm, WhatsApp +62 811 2941 600 for reservations.
