I know that most people congregate at a Starbucks outlet or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf outlet when they want to discuss what’s brewing in the world; but I also knew that a number of other hip cafes exist in this city. And I was determined to track them down.

I took a list of places with me, and went to the first one on Jl. Barito called Bakoel Koffie. As I walked into this little café, I felt a sense of warmth; I think it was all the wooden furniture and the yellow lighting. This place has 8 small square tables and a counter with bar stools, should you wish to feel you’re at a bar. Bakoel, a word meaning a traditional Javanese basket, sell their own beans – Heritage 1969 (a Sumatran blend), the Black Mist ( Sulawesi beans) and the Brown Cow (A Sumatran and Javanese blend) . I was advised that the first two were best black, while the Brown Cow was great to have with milk. I ordered a Cappucino and noticed they also offered a small selection of cakes, sandwiches and bagels (already). The attendant or barista, as they are called these days, fixed my coffee with the usual gigantic brewer you see in cafes everywhere while I got myself a table by the window, so I could contemplate the world and look a bit cool. My cappuccino, which was served rather ordinarily in a cup, was really tasty; it was full-bodied, aromatic and quite stimulating. They have three other outlets in the city, in Cikini, Kemang and Pondok Indah Mall. I hope they have more customers in those outlets, because I was solo in Barito. One thing though, when I asked for a glass of water, they wanted to sell me a bottle of mineral water. Cafes are supposed to serve water with coffee; coffee dehydrates you and it is always good to have a glass of water afterwards. I politely refused the mineral water and paid my bill, which came to Rp. 18,200. Not bad for a good cup of coffee. The average price for a coffee at this place is anywhere between Rp. 17,000 and Rp. 25,000, which I think is reasonable and it is comforting to know that when you need a break from pet shopping on Barito, there is a little spot to gather your thoughts. Right, on to the next place on my list.

Tornado Coffee is a tiny café next to a traditional Indonesian restaurant called Para Para on Jl. Bangka Raya. The two places share the same owner and the same toilet. It has 5 small tables inside and 4 outside. Yes, you can sit out in the open, and if you are a smoker, you have to. The barista here was a very friendly girl and she claimed that she would make me the best non-fat cappuccino in town. That was a bit surprising – a café that has non-fat milk and we are not talking Starbucks or Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf either. Tornado also sell their beans (Arabica) and the blends are categorised as Light, Bright and Dark. My cappuccino was made of the Bright blend and it truly was a delight to drink. It was however presented in a paper cup, not a proper cup. I then tried the water test. I asked for a glass of water and guess what? I was given a huge glass of water from an Aqua dispenser and I did not have to pay for it either. I met up with a friend here, and again, we were the only customers perhaps because it was early afternoon. I was told Tornado gets quite packed in the evenings because it is popular among the Kemang rich kids; they regard it as a place to convene before setting out to paint the town. It doesn’t offer any snacks or cakes as such, but the restaurant is right next door. My cappuccino cost me just under Rp. 20,000 again and if I had opted for a large, I would have got a humongous cup of coffee, which would have only cost me about Rp. 3,000 more. Not a bad deal, eh?

I rattled southwards of Kemang in a Prestasi and came across a place called Dakken Coffee & Steak – a labyrinthine café with lots of horsey art. I was led at a light canter through this café and finally to my table. I plonked myself down on a sofa ready to let the caffeine work its charms. Dakken had tables galore and a very nice ambience with its French windows overlooking a garden terrace with yet more tables. The menu boasted a variety of coffee blends, including the Costa Rica Terrazu, Guatemala Volcan, Panama Bouquette, Sumatra Mandheling and the Sulawesi Kalosi. Coffee extremists can also buy their own beans but I wonder what they would make of the variety of inexplicable coffee drinks available, such as strawberry and durian. They even have something called Dakken Carachia, a lychee juice and caramel confection. I took all of this in, asked for a cappuccino and then pondered Coffee and the Absurd. As I was visualising essence of stallion coffee, my cappuccino arrived in a massive cup with a massively miniscule cookie on the saucer. There was some cinnamon overkill happening here too – a stick plus powder, but the coffee itself was alright. Other plusses included the atmosphere, and Dakken’s famous cheesecake. The prices were average; I paid just over 18,000 for my cappuccino and about Rp 8,000 for my Aqua. Yep, no free water.

My next venture was to check out a couple of cafes at Plaza Senayan. The first one was Coffee Club, which was tucked away in the corner of the ground floor of this shopping mall for the rich, famous and bored. This café was seriously popular with crowds of caffeinated customers. It had a nice feel to it and they offered a wide selection of coffees from Jamaican Blue Mountain (one of the very best as any coffee connoisseur will tell you) to Ethiopian Yirgachaffee (coffee with just a hint of blackcurrant). They had a rating scheme for each

coffee – for body, acidity and aroma on a scale of 1 to 5. They also had a variety of teas and meals – not just snacks and desserts. I ordered a Sumatra Mandheling, which apparently has a high body, low acidity and high aroma. They brewed the coffee in a syphon and mine arrived with a tasty shortbread cookie. Sure enough, the aroma was high. I took my first warming sip and felt soothed and comforted. It was truly an awesome cup of coffee. It cost me about Rp. 24,000, and this was one of the lower end coffees. A cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain could cost you almost Rp. 40,000 including service and tax. The service was a tad iffy. This might just be the perfect place to take a coffee aficionado, provided his patience is in sync with his palate. And oh yes, if you want water here, they’ll hit you up for an Evian. Me? I was out of there in a flash.

I made my way to the third floor of Plaza Senayan, to Tator Coffee Boutique. When I got there, it was almost impossible to see an empty table – there were people everywhere. I was alone this time, so I asked for a table for one. The waitress grabbed a table and chair from somewhere yonder, and voila, I had a table for one. I was then presented with a menu; yes, it was a café where you didn’t have to go to the counter to order, they brought it to you. The menu boasted two blends of Toraja – the Arabica blend for those who like their coffee strong and the House blend. I asked for a cup of House and sat there reading my book. A few minutes later, the waitress arrived with a water-filled syphon and a jar of coffee. I thought, okay, I have to do this myself. She then put some coffee into the siphon, lit a fire underneath it and disappeared for a couple of minutes. I was quite taken in by the bubbles in the syphon and the way the coffee was being filtered to mix with the water. This place is a must for ‘Dexter’s Laboratory’ fans, I thought. Then my waitress came back, jangling some beads hanging down the front of her uniform (quite Christina Aguileraesque), placed a cup on the table, stirred the coffee in the syphon and poured it out. Once I was done absorbing the wonder of it all, I took my first sip. Man, it was strong, even though I had opted for the supposedly lighter one. I could taste its richness and power, and it certainly shook me up. I wanted to get up and do things. I wanted to work out. I wanted to meet the Pope. I wanted to save the world. But I thought I should probably finish it and pay my bill first. It was a rather expensive cup of coffee; I paid about Rp. 30,000 for it, but it was well worth the experience. Tator also offers a variety of teas, a selection of snacks, cakes and meals but the items on the menu didn’t look very enticing. Oh, and they failed the water test. Yes, you have to buy a bottle of mineral water to wet your whistle after the coffee. I wondered if I should visit any more places but decided not to because I might not sleep for a week. Since I was all wired and all set to go after that potent cup of coffee, I headed to a bar; I thought I would save the world from there

Bakoel Koffie
Jl. Barito II, no. 11
Jakarta 12130
Tel: 7228353

Tornado Coffee
Jl. Bangka Raya A3
Kemang, Jakarta 12730
Tel: 71792662

Dakken Coffee & Steak
Jl.Kemang Selatan no. 150
Jakarta 12560
Tel: 78837628

Coffee Club
Plaza Senayan, Ground Floor
Jl. Asia Afrika no. 8
Tel: 5730910