From Bean to Bar: Exploring the Fascinating Journey of Indonesian Chocolate! 

We LOVE chocolate at Yabbiekayu Restaurant, and we’re pretty sure you do, too! When you have a cup of coffee at our restaurant, it always comes with a tablet of premium dark chocolate on the side. The mild sweetness of this delicious confection perfectly complements and balances the bitterness and nuttiness of coffee. We also use premium dark chocolate and white chocolate couverture to create our mouth-watering desserts: Dark Chocolate Espresso Mousse and White Chocolate Passion Fruit Mousse.

“Indonesia is the world’s third largest producer of cacao beans, but for most of history, a vast majority of them were exported to other countries.
It’s only recently that we’ve seen an increased interest in locally produced chocolate.”

Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, the dried and fermented seeds of the cacao plant. Native to present-day Mexico, this tropical plant was first introduced to Indonesia in the 16th century by the Spanish. The cacao plant has adapted to the fertile soils of the archipelago, and become an important commodity. Indonesia is the world’s third largest producer of cacao beans, but for most of history, a vast majority of them were exported to other countries. It’s only recently that we’ve seen an increased interest in locally produced chocolate.

For most of our chocolate needs, we rely on Chocolate Monggo, Jogja’s first artisan chocolatier. Established in 2005, Chocolate Monggo makes premium couverture chocolate from cacao beans and other ingredients (such as fruits and spices) grown in Indonesia. Their commitment to using only locally-produced, natural ingredients is the reason why we think their products align with our paddock-to-plate philosophy! We also think that the name of the brand reflects the warmth and hospitality that we want our guests to experience when they dine at our restaurant. Monggo is a Javanese word that means ‘please’. When you visit someone’s house in Jogja, your host will usually serve you a cup of hot tea or coffee and say “Monggo…”, which means “Please, enjoy.”

If you’re a foodie and want to know more about the history and the production of chocolate, a visit to Chocolate Monggo is a must! Their brand new factory and museum compound is conveniently located in Kasihan, Bantul, only 15 minutes from our restaurant. You can also purchase chocolate bars and pralines at their store, and enjoy various chocolate-based beverages and desserts at their cafe.