Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – This is the story of Saiman, a Betawi man who became a successful restaurant entrepreneur in the Netherlands. At first, she was just a servant brought by her employer to work in the Netherlands.

However, fate ultimately led Saiman to become a restaurant businessman in the Netherlands. What's the story?

The story begins in 1919. Saiman, who was originally Betawi, was invited by his employer to work in the Netherlands.

For Saiman, this step was the only way to reunite with his wife, Soedjirah, who had been in the Netherlands since 1914 or five years earlier. The wife in the Netherlands was also invited by her employer.

Years of working with an employer in the Netherlands made them both feel at home. When the master wanted to return to Java, they refused to come along.

This married couple prefers to live in the Netherlands. Even though he had to leave his whole family in Indonesia.

As a result, the two of them started a new step there by working at the Twed Restaurant. Fadly Rahman in Homeland Taste (2023) tells that the two of them worked as a cook and waiter.

During the working period, they absorb a lot of knowledge and skills. Capitalizing on this and the savings they had, they then took a bold step: running their own restaurant business.

“On November 1, 1922, they finally decided to build a hotel and Javanese food restaurant,” wrote Fadly Rahman.

The restaurant was named “Roemah Senengati” which was founded in The Hague on November 1 1922. In Fadly Rahman's notes, the restaurant was led by Saiman.

Meanwhile, the chef is fully controlled by Soedjirah. The waiter was a Malay student named Sarpin.

Since its inception, the restaurant has consistently sold typical Indonesian food, including rice, vegetables, gado-gado, pecel, vegetable lodeh, satay, fried chili sauce, ketupat, lontong, and various types of cakes. Everything is sold at prices starting from 1.50 guilders.

According to Fadly Rahman, the restaurant has had many customers along the way. They come from across professions, ages, religions and countries.

“Roemah Senengati, which serves traditional Indies dishes at relatively affordable prices, makes this restaurant a popular place for gatherings among workers, students and Muslims from the Indies. Various events such as Idul Fitri celebrations and celebrations are also often held there,” wrote the historian.

Apart from being cheap, this success is also achieved because Saiman runs a restaurant with European quality. That is, even though it was founded and managed entirely by people from colonial countries, Roemah Senengati operates with European-style management standards, starting from administration, financial management, to employee career paths.

Apart from that, the restaurant's location also brings its own advantages. The reason is, The Hague is a city inhabited by people who have worked or visited Indonesia.

So, to overcome longing and adapt to changes in lifestyle, they can still taste typical Indonesian foods. One of them is by visiting Roemah Senengati, which is often also called Waroong Djawa.

Based on these factors, Roemah Senengati has succeeded in becoming a famous restaurant in The Hague. This popularity ultimately succeeded in raising Saiman's name, as a well-known restaurant entrepreneur who previously worked as a servant.

[Gambas:Video CNBC]

(mfa/sef)