I used to protest back then—wondering why I had to go straight to the restaurant to help sell food right after coming home from school. But now, I understand why my parents raised me that way. The benefits turned out to be truly long-term.”

Yuli Asmoro is now continuing the business pioneered by her mother, Sriyati, namely Rumah Makan Garang Asem Sari Rasa (GASASA), one of the legendary culinary destinations from Kudus that has stood since 1977. Highly sought after by locals and out-of-town tourists alike, the journey toward earning the title of a culinary icon in the “Cigarette City” (Kota Kretek) was not always smooth.

For decades, Yuli’s small family ran the business out of a rented space before finally managing to buy the property in 2007—the exact same year her father passed away. That moment became one of the most emotional turning points in her life.

“There was sadness because my father left us, but there was also relief because what we had been renting for so long finally became our own. At least after that, we no longer had to worry about rent costs,” Yuli recalled when met by a Poultry Indonesia journalist at the GASASA restaurant in Kudus on Thursday (May 7).

Despite once resenting having to help out after school, Yuli now feels that her parents’ tough upbringing provided the essential foundation for her to successfully run the renowned eatery today.

“Alhamdulillah, our parents’ hard work is now bearing fruit. This restaurant has become an icon in Kudus. It’s not just the locals who come looking for us; guests from out of town often specifically request to bring dishes home from here,” she said.

Maintaining the Original Recipe

Far from being an overnight expert at managing a restaurant with such a big reputation, Yuli had to learn through self-taught observation from a young age. She chose to directly watch her mother cook in the kitchen, noting down every single spice measurement so that the food’s flavor remained well-preserved and consistent.

“Since I was a child, I learned by watching my mother cook. Back then, Mother still cooked using intuition (feeling), so I tried to match those measurements and weighed them myself,” she explained.

As long as her health remained excellent, all kitchen operations were controlled by Mrs. Sriyati. However, because Yuli had been involved and helping out for a long time, the shift in responsibility did not catch her off guard when her mother’s health eventually declined. Instead, the real challenge came not from the cooking process itself, but from maintaining flavor consistency.

“When it first shifted to me, Mother was still handling the kitchen and everything was still done by intuition. Then Mother fell ill, and the responsibility transferred fully to me. From that point on, I started using exact gram measurements, but it turned out there were still changes. It really is completely different between intuition and a scale; what I weighed yesterday at a certain amount would somehow yield a different result when weighed again today,” she muttered.

Yuli realized that even the smallest change in raw ingredients, right down to the brand of salt used, could instantly alter the flavor. Because of this, she remains loyal to the exact same products her mother used in the past. Even if she is forced to switch due to supply shortages, all measurements must be adjusted from scratch.

Aside from the spices, the selection of free-range chicken (ayam kampung) is not done carelessly. According to her, not all ayam kampung are suitable for garang asem, as the texture of the meat and broth heavily dictates the final outcome of the dish. Yuli selects small free-range chickens aged 4–5 months—neither too old nor too young.

“If the chicken is too old, it usually takes a long time to cook and becomes oilier. The color of the broth won’t be white; it turns a bit yellow, making it more suitable for opor or soto. If it’s too young, the meat tenderizes too quickly, so the tomatoes won’t even be cooked through by the time the chicken is already done,” she said.

This article is an excerpt from the Profile section of the June 2026 edition of Poultry Indonesia magazine. Read the full feature in the June 2026 Edition of Poultry Indonesia Magazine. To subscribe or for further information, please contact: https://wa.me/+6287780120754 or sirkulasipoultry@gmail.com

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