SURABAYA: Biggest City of East Java

Surabaya, also spelled Surabaja city, capital of East Java province, Indonesia. Situated on the northeastern coast of Java, it lies along the
Surabaya Strait opposite the island of Madura. The canalized Mas River, which is a branch of the Brantas River, flows through the centre of the city.

From the mid-18th through the mid-20th century, Surabaya has been the chief trading centre of eastern Java, Surabaya was controlled by the
Dutch, except for a brief period under the British in the early 19th century. During World War II at 1942 until 1945 Surabaya was occupied by Japan
and heavily bombed by the Allies. Surabaya was damaged again during Indonesia’s war for independence from 1945 until 1949 from the
Netherlands.

Of Indonesian cities, Surabaya is surpassed in size only by Jakarta and has remained the chief commercial centre of eastern Java. Surabaya’s
port, or Tanjung Perak is Indonesia’s main naval station. From its port is shipped the bulk of Java’s chief agricultural products, including sugar, as well
as coffee, tobacco, teak, cassava, rubber, spices, vegetable oils, and petroleum products. The city also has a large fishing fleet. The city’s industries
include shipbuilding and ship-repair yards, locomotive workshops, and the manufacture of textiles, glass, chemicals, beer, cigarettes, and shoes.

Surabaya is linked by rail and road to the eastern and western coasts of Java and is thus in communication with the other chief cities of the
island. It also has major shipping communications with the chief ports of the Indo-Pacific region because it lies along the main sea route from
Singapore and Jakarta to the Pacific and eastern Asia.\

Notable sites in the city of Surabaya include the large Al-Akbar mosque (1868); Airlangga University (1954), with undergraduate and graduate
programs in law, medicine, economics, technology, social and political sciences, and other fields; the Tenth of November Institute of Technology
(1960), which also offers programs in various fields through the doctoral level; a naval college; and the old Dutch colonial Fort Prins Hendrik (1837).
History of SOERABAJA
Words suro “shark” and boyo “crocodile” or Surabaya, in a local myth
comes from two creatures which fought each other in order to gain the title
of "the strongest and most powerful animal" in the area. It was said that the
two powerful animals agreed a truce and set boundaries.
One day, the shark swam into the river estuary to hunt. This angered the
crocodile, who declared it his territory. The shark argued that the river was a
water realm which meant that it was shark territory, while the crocodile
argued that the river flowed deep inland, so it was therefore crocodile
territory. A wild fight resumed as the two animals bit each other's tails. Either
of them won’t the fight.
Another sources comes to a prophecy of Jayabaya, a 12th-century
psychic king of Kediri Kingdom, foreseeing a fight between a giant white shark
and a giant white crocodile taking place in the area, which is sometimes
interpreted as foretelling the Mongol invasion of Java, a major conflict
between the forces of Kublai Khan, Mongol ruler of China, and those of
Raden Wijaya's Majapahit in 1293. The two animals are now used as the
city's symbol, with the two facing and circling each other.
Alternate derivations proliferate: from the Javanese "sura ing baya",
meaning "bravely facing danger" or from the use of "surya" to refer to the
sun. Some people consider Jayabaya's prophecy as being about the greatest
war between native Surabayan people and foreign invaders at the start of the
war of independence in 1945.
Another story tells of two heroes who fought each other in order to be
the king of the city. The two heroes were named Sura and Baya. These folk
etymologies, though embraced enthusiastically by its people and city leaders,
are unverifiable.
Culinary at Soerabaja
As a metropolitan city all types of Indonesian cuisine and other international restaurants have presence in Surabaya. However, as the capital of East Java,
cuisines from this province dominate the culinary culture of the city. The famous food of Surabaya are Rawon, Rojak cingur, Semanggi, Lontong Balap, clams satay,
mussels and rice cake. East Javanese cuisines include, variety of processed fruits, crisps tempe, Bakpao telo, Bakso Malang, Rawon, Tahu campur lamongan, Ciwie
noodles, tahu takwa, tahu pong, and getuk pisang, pecel madiun,and many more.
Lontong Kikil, the cow’s foot soup. Out of the 5 different Surabayan foods, this one really can’t be missed as it is the must-have food for many of the Javanese
people in East Java when they have a big party or wedding.
Like many other areas in Asia, almost all parts of a cow are edible, including the foot, which in fact is one of the fattiest parts. If you are in Surabaya, it’s a
mercy if you miss eating ‘lontong kikil’, the thick and savory beef soup with ‘lontong’ and ‘kikil’, the cow’s foot.
Now you don’t need to attend a wedding party to eat it. You can go to ‘Jalan Kutai’, where you will find a ‘food truck’ a four, or more wheeled vehicle
functioning as a food counter named ‘Lontong Kikil Kutai Jaya’, which has tables and chairs for customers. It is open daily till 11pm.
Different from lontong kikil, Lontong Balap is the yummy bean sprout soup with ‘Lontong’. Lontong balap is the iconic food of Surabaya. No wonder people
from other parts of Indonesia always look forward to eating lontong balap, as this is one of the things Surabaya is most famous for.
It’s brown beef soup with lontong (Javanese rice cake), bean sprouts, fried tofu, and ‘lento’, topped with fried shallots. For the most popular ‘lontong balap’
among the locals, go to ‘Lontong Balap Pak Gendut’, a ‘warung kaki lima’ (the term for a food stall located on the roadside), located on Jalan Kranggan. The stall has
been there since 1956 and is always packed with ‘lontong balap’ fans, especially during lunch times.
The iconic Food of Surabaya
As a big city, Surabaya has a various kind of cultures, foods, arts and also
their unique. Surabayan Local food are Rawon, Rujak cingur, and Tahu lek lets talk
until detail about it. First is Rawon a dark beef soup, served with mung bean
sprouts and the ubiquitous sambal. The dark Rawon may be one of the darkest
soups in the world. It’s an absolutely savory black beef soup, where the color is in
contrast with the purely white steamed rice that always comes with it. The dark
color comes from a type of herb named ‘kluwak’, made of processed ‘kluwak’
nuts, which also makes the rawon tastes a little bitter. For a popular rawon in
Surabaya, go to the restaurant ‘Depot Anda Fit’ located on Jalan (meaning Street)
H.R. Mohammad in West Surabaya.
Second, Rujak Cingur or the spicy salad with beef lips. A marinated cow
snout or lips and noses (cingur), served with boiled vegetables and shrimp
crackers. It is then dressed in a sauce made of caramelized fermented shrimp
paste (petis), peanuts, chili, and spices. It is usually served with lontong, a boiled
rice cake.
Rujak cingur is considered traditional food of Surabaya. Indonesia has
several types of spicy salads, but ‘rujak cingur’ (sweet beef lips and spicy salad) is
hard to find, except for when you travel to East Java. It contains raw vegetables
and fruits, like cucumber, pineapple, and young mango, including those that may
be hard to find in your country, such as kale (similar to spinach, but crispier) and
‘bengkoang’ (jicama, a type of root plant which is crispy and watery).
Beef lip (the upper part) is the indispensable part of this spicy salad, As the
main ingredient in the spicy gravy is a type of fermented shrimp named ‘petis’,
which is dark and fishy. Many ‘warungs’ (small dining places or food stalls) serve
this specialty, but if you happen to be in Surabaya Plaza Mall, go to a restaurant
named ‘Rujak Cingur’, located on the 2nd floor.
Last but not least, let’s talk about Tahu Tek or the delicious supper omelet.
This is the most common ‘supper food’ in cities and villages throughout East Java,
sold by food hawkers on a tricycle modified as a mobile kitchen. It’s an omelet
made of eggs that have been scrambled together with bean curd, and then deep
fried before the omelet is topped with a sweet and savory peanut gravy (the
same gravy with ‘rujak cingur’) and ‘krupuk’. You can only find ‘tahu tek’ after
dusk, as that’s the time when they go down the streets and hit the bamboo gong
(it sounds like ‘tek tek tek’, and that’s the word ‘tek’ comes from) to attract
people to come out of their house and buy the food.

Treasure Place at Surabaya
Treasure means places that have a wonderful landscape. This is several
places at Surabaya that have a wonderful scene. Firstly, we talk about The
Heroes Monument (Indonesian:Tugu Pahlawan) is a monument in Surabaya.
It is the main symbol of the city, dedicated to the people who died during the
Battle of Surabaya on November 10, 1945.
This monument is 41.15 meters tall and is phallus-shaped. It was built to
commemorate the events of 10 November 1945 at the Battle of Surabaya. It
is the venue every November 10 for the commemoration of the events of
1945, when many heroes died in the war of independence.
The first stone was laid by Sukarno, the first Indonesian President,
accompanied by Surabaya Mayor, Doel Arnowo on 10 November 1951. It was
officially opened one year later, also by Sukarno, on 10 November 1952
witnessed by Surabaya Mayor, R. Moestadjab Soemowidigdo.
The building consists of 2 floors, with exhibitions symbolizing the spirit
of the Surabayan people's struggle. There is an auditorium on the second
floor. The museum contains reproductions of documentary photographs, and
there are dioramas that present eight events that happened around the 10
November 1945
Secondly, we talk about Jalesveva Jayamahe Monument or can be locally
referred to as Monjaya is a Statue of an Indonesian Navy officer wearing
Ceremonial Service Dress, complete with his sword of honor, staring far to the
sea as if he's ready to challenge the ocean's tide and storms.
The statue is standing tall above a building, the total height of the
building and the statue reaches 60.6 meters (approximately 198 feet and 9
inches). Jalesveva Jayamahe Monument representing the nation's future
generation's optimism towards the accomplishment of Indonesian dream.
The monument's name is taken from Indonesian Navy's motto in
Sanskrit Jalesveva Jayamahe which means Our Glory is at the Seas. The
construction started in 1993 by Indonesian Chief of Naval, later continued by
Indonesian National Force Admiral Muhamad Arifin and designed by I
Nyoman Nuarta. Other than as a monument, this building is also functioning
as a lighthouse for ships or vessels at surrounding sea.