Okay, so picture this: You find an amazing old building, a famous, historic restaurant, but you're dreaming of turning it into a really cool car showroom. It's perfect! You buy it, you close the deal, and you're ready to start renovations.

Then the local government steps in and basically says, 'Hold up! You can't touch that. That's a protected heritage building; you have to keep it exactly how it is.'

Suddenly, your big plan is totally dead. You're stuck.

Now you have no choice but to keep the business running as a 'historic restaurant' to make back your money. You keep the famous name and the old-school look, but you don't use the original recipes.

And that, my friend, is how you become the next Toko OEN Malang.

Let me tell you.

It's hard to talk about heritage and restaurants in Kajoetangan without mentioning Toko OEN. But let’s be real, the main reason you go to a restaurant is for the food, right? That’s the heart of it.

Unfortunately, that heart kind of went missing. When the new owner bought the building back in 1990—just the building, mind you—he didn’t have any agreement whatsoever with the real Toko OEN trademark family in Semarang.

Despite this, the trademark family can't actually sue the new owner, simply because the Toko OEN building is a protected heritage site. That law ensures the name and the original look of the building legally cannot be changed.

This is why, fundamentally, the current people running the Toko OEN Malang aren't using anything authentic, not the original recipes or even the spirit that the founders, Mrs. Liem Gien Nio and Mr. Oen Tjoen Hok, created.

And that’s why I always say Toko OEN Malang now is just the tangible heritage. You can go and experience the historic building, but you can’t get the intangible heritage—you won't find those authentic, original recipes inside.

Tips

1. You should really check out Jengki 976. The owners have opened their old family home so people can come in and try delicious food and drink made with their family's inherited recipes.

2. Join my walking tour for all the best tips!