Map the Story #4 - Gegarang Resto, the Perfect Choice for Enjoying Gayo Specialties

Still vivid in my memory is how exciting my family's journey was as we explored the region of Aceh Tengah District, which truly offers breathtaking natural tourist destinations. Additionally, I discovered that the Gayo region also boasts a culinary scene that delights the palate, and one of the places I visited to enjoy local cuisine was Gegarang Resto, located approximately 3 km from Takengon City, which can typically be reached in about 7 minutes. The restaurant is situated in a valley with hills on either side, covered in diverse vegetation, offering a refreshingly green view that soothes the eyes.

‎‎^{Front View of Gegarang Resto}

‎At the front, we see and then enter a building like a pavilion with a wooden structure covered with thatched roofing, and inside there are tables and chairs for visitors to enjoy their meals. Further back, there is a seating area that is still within the same space, and here the cashier desk is also located. Beyond that, the kitchen area where various food and beverage orders are prepared is immediately visible.

‎On the right side of the main building, there is a path leading to another dining area, which retains the wooden building concept with tables, chairs, and floor seating. Another sight that restaurant visitors can enjoy is the many carp in several ponds, ranging from small to large, as well as turtles in a separate area.
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‎^{Dining area with tables and chairs}

‎^{Dining area with floor seating}

‎^{Carp ponds}

^{Directions to other dining areas}

The path continues to the back of the restaurant, where there are other dining areas shaped like a stilt house. However, during this visit, we chose to sit at the floor seating area in the main building, where a server brought us the menu to order our food. We chose to order asam jing, an authentic Gayo dish, somewhat similar to asam keueng in Acehnese cuisine or asam padeh in Minangkabau cuisine.
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All fish, lobster, and squid can be cooked into asam jing, which is seasoned with a mixture of tamarind, gelugur, red chili, shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, and turmeric leaves, all of which give off a distinctive aroma and whet the appetite, especially when served with warm rice. So we ordered asam jing tilapia, which costs 30,000 Rupiah (13 Steem) per serving, and for drinks we chose iced sweet tea, priced at 6,000 Rupiah (2.6 Steem) per glass.

‎^{We chose a floor seating at the front}
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‎Since we arrived on the weekend, there were many visitors, so we had to wait patiently for our order to arrive. Therefore, I decided to perform the zuhur prayer first at the prayer room available, located in the middle of the Gegarang Resto premises. I performed wudu using the cold mountain water, which made my body feel refreshed, and near the wudu area, there were several toilets available.

	Toilet rooms

	Prayer room

‎After finishing our prayers, the food we had been waiting for finally arrived, so without waiting long, we immediately tasted the dishes that had been served before us. The fragrant aroma and appetizing appearance made us eager to savor every bite. In no time, the plates that were once full were now empty. After satisfying our hunger with food and drinks, I headed to the cashier to settle the bill, and with full stomachs, we continued our journey with joyful hearts.
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