Cantik Manis and the Memories of Jajanan Pasar

Designer: Tiny Studio

Scope: Publication

Publisher: Spoons and Tiny Studio

After leaving readers fully satisfied with the bold and outspoken Pedas, Spoons and Tiny Studio now serve a dessert course – sweet and gentle, yet no less playful. Cantik Manis is the second publication in Rahel Stephanie’s series with Tiny Studio, led by Design Director Ratta Bill and Art Director Nadine Hanisya. The book offers deeply personal stories (and, of course, recipes) centered around jajanan pasar – the traditional Indonesian sweet snacks commonly found at celebrations, family gatherings, and early-morning cake markets.

"What began with a simple pleasure for the eyes soon turned into a craving for its taste."

For Indonesians – or anyone who grew up in Indonesia – jajanan pasar carries an abundance of memories. In childhood, these treats were often the highlight of celebrations and family trips: their soft, comforting textures, vivid colors, beautiful forms, and unmistakable sweetness. Through the eyes, jajanan pasar are not merely food; but are visual treats. As we grow older, we may forget just how beautiful (and sweet) they truly are. This book rekindles those memories, reminding us of a time when we could approach the world with a sense of visual play and wonder.

When Cantik Manis first arrived on our desk, we were immediately captivated by its packaging. A cover resembling the decorative paper doilies often found beneath cakes at Indonesian celebrations wraps around a book layered much like kue lapis itself. Even before opening it, one can almost taste its sweetness – and the ants wandering across the opening pages seem to agree.

Within its pages, Rahel Stephanie explores a range of beloved jajanan pasar: Cantik Manis, Nagasari, Bolu Kojo, Klepon, Kue Lapis, and many more. Through the writing, each delicacy is introduced not through detached documentation but through intimate and personal memories. Readers are not simply fed information and recipes; they are invited into Stephanie’s relationship with each sweet treat. In doing so, the book evokes a particular longing for childhood, for home, for those moments when jajanan pasar appeared on the dining table as symbols of warmth and togetherness. If Pedas revealed Stephanie’s bold and powerful side, Cantik Manis reveals her gentler one without diminishing her strength as an Indonesian woman. After all, women have always contained both.

And the book’s design and artistic direction translate these sentiments beautifully and consistently.

Tiny Studio’s ability to play with design elements is hardly in question. There is no “safe” layout here; every spread seems to embody sweetness itself. Drawing its color palette directly from the vibrant hues of jajanan pasar is an inspired artistic decision, one that instantly triggers memories while feeling feminine and beautiful, yet never losing its confidence, particularly when the colors merge into gradients. From beginning to end, these colors remain present, complementing one another throughout the publication.

The graphic elements appearing across the pages might prompt readers already familiar with Tiny Studio’s work to think, “This feels so distinctly Tiny.” Yet when those signature touches are stitched together with the book’s broader visual language, the pages no longer belong to the studio. Instead, they belong entirely to the traditional sweets being celebrated.

Since Pedas, Tiny Studio has demonstrated an ability to capture food from unexpected perspectives through their photographic treatments. In Cantik Manis, each jajanan pasar is photographed with an editorial sensibility, accompanied by carefully selected props that enhance its beauty. Nadine and Ratta also push further into explorations of color and form – showing how translucent tapioca pearls and purple-blue jelly can complement the pink tones of Nagasari, or how Klepon can resemble a striking arrangement of green gemstones set against a soft lilac backdrop.

So beautiful. So sweet.

Once again, Spoons and Tiny Studio have created a publication that offers a different way of experiencing food. Cantik Manis is nostalgia held in the hands, a sweet delicacy with no expiration date, deserving a permanent place on all of our kitchen tables.