TIMES JAZIRAH, MALANG – Unlike western community, bread was considered as a snack or an additional meal for the local community of Indonesia. And in Malang, they have Roti Bien, a nice fluffy bun with a slight of traditional taste. 

This bun is no longer a new comer in bakery industry. It was established by a couple from Malang in 1998. "But Bien was also a short for our name, Binko and Endang," Endang Ester Purwanti said on Sunday (12/3/2023). 

Endang was originally came from Malang, East Java. Her husband and she deciced to try their luck in 1998 and established their first bakery in Jakarta, athe capital city located in Western part of Java Island. With her grandmother recipe she made the bun and distributed it around the capital city. 

"Back then I distributed it around Jakarta, but now I let my son to manage the store, and here I am, back in Malang, the original place where the bread was first created," Endang added. 

The Nature of Roti Bien 

Beside the short name for the two couple's name, Roti Bien also has a literal meaning in the local language. Roti means bread and Bien means old, so the two words combined means old taste of bread. 

The granny's recipe they used has made the bun has such distinctive original flavour. Though the filling has been elaborated to match the modern taste, the dough still has the same flavour just like the firat time they made it. 

As for now, the bun came with several variant of fillings. Let's say date, durian, chocolate,  peanuts,  and spicy chicken. All will satisfy your palate and makes you want some more. 

The baking process has also been kept to make the flavour stay original the way it used to. It keep the fluffiness of the roti which will make it meltdown on your palate. It will taste like you were just eating a cloud of bun with refreshing and trmpting you to keep munching on it. 

Roti Bien has more Branches in Malang 

Endang trust her son Ajar Ajiatma Prayogi Isham to manage her business in Malang. He asked her son to help her manage all the stores and develop the stores to be bigger. As for now she already has around 4 chain of stores in Malang. 

You could find these stores at Jalan MT Hartono, Mal Olympic Garden (MOG), Malang Town Square (Matos) and on the East gate of Malang Kota Baru Railway Station. All will give you the same old taste of this special bun. 

"Our goal in the future is to be able to open a chain in every mall and railway station in the country. And we have started it in this city, the original place where the bread came from," Endang added. 

To Endang, Roti Bien will bring back the legitimate childhood memories. And she would like the tourists to taste the traditional flavour of local bread. And railway station as well mall will be a perfect place to start this plan. (*)