Roemahkoe Heritage Hotel has always been one of my favourite places to stay whenever I’ve had the chance to go back to Solo/Surakarta. This small boutique hotel is located in Kampung batik Laweyan, or Laweyan Batik Village. Its ambience is sheer Javanese ambiance and it’s very peaceful. The place has a small quiet restaurant and I’ve never seen anybody else dining there. I like to sit at the restaurant, staring at the old decorations and creepy paintings while holding the menu. It serves dishes typical of Solonese home cooking, such as sayur bening and empal. It’s quite authentic and it very much reminds me of my grandmother’s cooking style. Being there is like being in a time machine. I am brought to the past, back to my childhood memories.
Aside from being helplessly nostalgic while staying there, what I like the most about the place is their afternoon tea/coffee routine. A complimentary cup of coffee or tea will be delivered to your room, along with a small plate of pisang owol. It’s a typical Solonese treat made of fresh bananas, slightly grilled/pan fried to perfection. So far, Roemahkoe serves the best pisang owol I’ve ever had. It’s so good, it’s made me think twice about leaving the hotel during that crucial afternoon tea time! There’s no way I will sacrifice my treat. Other things can wait!
Cooking method
Pisang owol is a deliciously sinful pleasure. This traditional treat is made by pressing the banana lightly with a flat object such as a plate or a small chopping board, and then pan frying it with a dab of butter or margarine, until the banana is beautifully caramelized. The fried banana is then laid on a plate which is already smothered with sweet, thick and creamy chocolate condensed milk. On top of the banana, a generous amount of grated cheese is added and it’s then showered with chocolate sprinkles. Forget about your diet. Calories don’t exist.
It’s funny about what our brain chooses to remember. I can hardly recall what I was actually doing during my countless visits to Solo, but the memory of this afternoon tea remains vivid. I can even feel the excitement of the event, the smell, and the taste. Sadly, our experience with food is often linked with certain places, and when we try to recreate it, it often doesn’t feel the same.
Anyway, I won’t let nostalgia prevent me from enjoying my treat. Pisang owol is too delicious. It’s definitely a must try. You will absolutely love this super sugary and sinful treat!
PrintPisang Owol: Pan-Fried Banana in Butter and Chocolate Condensed Milk
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 13 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Indonesian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Pisang Owol is a criminally sinful treat from Solo, in which an unsuspecting banana is pressed, fried in butter, and lathered with chocolate condensed milk and chocolate sprinkles.
Ingredients
- 2 ripe and firm bananas
- 1 tbsp butter
- Chocolate condensed milk to taste
- Grated cheddar cheese to taste
- Chocolate sprinkles to taste
Instructions
- Peel the bananas and lightly press using a small chopping board or flat plate to slightly flatten it. Set aside.
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a griddle.
- Add the bananas, cook until they turn light golden brown (around 4 minutes each side).
- Transfer the bananas in individual serving plates, drizzle with chocolate condensed milk, and then sprinkle with grated cheese and chocolate sprinkles.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Always use a ripe banana that is still firm. Firm bananas won’t get mushy.
Keywords: Cheese, Quick and easy, sweet