Kedai Filosofi Kopi

Reminiscing our 9th grade Indonesian language class where Dewi Lestari's (Dee) 'Filosofi Kopi' anthology became a mandatory reading for everyone in the class. With +Marsya Anindita who also attended the same class as I did, we decided to visit Kedai Filosofi Kopi for the sake of the memory of the book and our little class back then. Neither of us, however, had watched the movie, but we still remember pieces of the stories. Right after lunch at HolyRibs! we drove away to the vicinity of Blok M Square. Entering the coffee shop that was pretty packed at the time, we finally got seated on the high stool facing the road after getting our order upon the counter.

Espresso (IDR 20.000)

The espresso is served on a very little portion, it doesn't even fill more than half of the little cup they had served it in. Along with the espresso is a glass of cold mineral water to neutralize the acidity of the coffee. Upon receiving our order by the counter, the waiter made sure that my friend was used to drinking coffee because "the espresso will be so bitter". I think that is what she expects, going into a coffee shop and ordering a decent cup of coffee. The problem is that tone of the staff at the time were pretty condescending, added with the fact that they had us waiting for quite a bit on the counter and later took our orders without any greetings and all. Talk about hospitality.

Red Velvet (IDR 35.000)

Naturally I picked out the non-coffee order, this time opting out for their Red Velvet. It is always interesting to try out red velvet-flavored things because the only thing that distinguish them is the chocolatey flavor and that the title itself is vague in my opinion. Filosofi Kopi's particular beverage was served on a lidded paper cup and it tasted very similarly to Milo. The color was really red, but all the flavor I got was chocolate milk; not very surprising since 'red velvet' in concept is really unclear, but I was expecting something a little more unique than this. 

Despite its interior not being like what I expected - a warm, woody, dimmed ambiance, the decór of the shop itself was very interesting. Even on the window seats the decor was comfortable, especially because we visit it at day time so natural lighting became a good friend. The decal on the window (which I just found out is a newer addition to the store decór) is a unique design and I sort of regretted not getting a whole picture of the 'PENCERITA' decal. The actual order itself were pretty good and its well priced, but I don't think it is very special. There were no cards given to us to explain the meaning of our coffee choice as what were told by the books :(

I definitely enjoyed my visiting Filosofi Kopi for the experience, it was indeed a pretty little coffee shop. The menu was pretty straightforward, but coming in with expectations over the book it does not really met. Try coming here and get a lot of beautiful shots, everyone here came for that same reason that you'll get used to being the background of a few Instagram pictures (especially if you were seated by the windows like I did!). The one main thing to note is that they need to improve their service. Although the appearance of Rio Dewanto in this cafe is highly unlikely, if you come in for the vibe, you'll be one happy customer.

Kedai Filosofi Kopi

Jl. Melawai 6 No. 25

Kebayoran Baru

South Jakarta

Tuku Toko Kopi at Cipete

Tuku is a little (and I really mean it by little) coffee shop in Cipete Raya that is located next to Alfamart, located on the same row of Sophie Authentique. Around the vicinity were also Toodz House, whose management is the same with the one of Tuku's. With its name and quality, Tuku has been catching up to its predecessor in serving quality goods, although this time Tuku offer mainly one product: a good cup of coffee. Priced at IDR 5.000 - IDR 35.000, the shop aims to serve coffees to all type of consumer; even for a non-coffee enthusiast like me. Even without any proper seating settings, the place is a comfortable place to chat on the bench, although admittedly not for a long time like people would do in other coffee shops as there was no table to accommodate you here.

Kopi Susu Tetangga - Small (IDR 10.000)

Kopi Susu Tetangga consists of a café latte topped with brown sugar on top. This is my brother's order and this is one of their most value-priced items on the menu. The coffee came in five minutes after our initial order. The coffee was aromatic and brown sugar adds a rich type of sweetness that helps me cope with the richness of the coffee.

Waffle (IDR 10.000)

Waffle is one of the side menu provided in the shop, with its slices alongside other snacks is placed on the display. When I came in there were waffles, fried bread and chocolate cake on the display but the waffle looked the most appetizing. I ordered two for my brother and I and it comes fluffy after the two slices were reheated and topped with castor sugar. The waffle, however, does not have a crispy outer layer that I expected and came out pretty mediocre.

Ginger Latte (IDR 25.000)

This is my personal order, a more creative coffee from the menu. Despite not being a coffee enthusiast it will only be right if I test out the coffee when visiting a coffee shop so I decided to order a milder coffee flavor and opt for a latte instead. The staff actually recommends the peppermint mocha, yet I was curious of this ginger latte and the staff promised me that the latte will be "spicy". I was convinced and the coffee in the end was really spicy! The flavor of ginger is not just 'hinted' but it will really hit you, especially on the throat. I added more sugar to make the flavor of coffee and ginger more subtle. The mixture of both flavors are not overpowering one another and really were aromatic, my regret is that why didn't I order the hot version of this drink.

Even with a single bench to accommodate a limited amount of people either waiting for their coffee take outs -- or dine in, which I did at the time since there was only one other person on the communal bench; Tuku has a nice ambience that is typical to what common coffee shop is like, only to be differentiated by its size as the concept of this joint is actual to provide take out rather than to encourage people dining in. With such a price and even free flow of infused water, Tuku is a nice place for a quick pitstop for a good dose of coffee. Would even love to try out their non-coffee beverages next time!

TUKU

Jl. Cipete Raya No. 7

Fatmawati

South Jakarta

tokokopituku@gmail.com

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The HolyRibs at Panglima Polim

It is a beautiful Sunday and I'm meeting up with my bestfriend +Marsya Anindita, initially planning to eat out at Mandala at Jl. Wolter Mongonsidi, however I suddenly remember that The HolyRibs open early on the weekends! Since its opening, The HolyRibs opens daily at 5.00 p.m. but lately their weekend service begun earlier at 11.00 a.m. so we decided to go there instead. The HolyRibs is one of the new establishment by Chef Afit, one of the co-founder of the original Holycow! in Radio Dalam that had also branch out in other restaurant establishment such as Loobie Lobster and HolyGyu! in the past. As HolyGyu and the neighboring Loobie Lobster at Panglima Polim are now closed, The HolyRibs filled out their empty spot. Located next to Sam's Strawberry Corner, it is very accessible through Wijaya and it is nearby other hip restaurants in South Jakarta.

Coming in at 11.30 a.m. there's only one other table filled in. We chose the one second nearest to the window panel which is just right by the entrance for better lighting and to avoid the air conditioner directly facing our food. We got our food at a fairly decent speed before other people came in, accompanied by the busy sound of the servers and cooks preparing for their service we finally had our big big lunch. Also, you can read Marsya's review on her blog here.

U.S. Beef Intercostal 300 grams (IDR 95.000)

This is Marsya's order consisting boneless beef ribs. As for the sides she chose french fries that goes along with the beef, coleslaw and the barbecue sauce served here. This menu here is definitely for those who doesnt want to get messy eating good amount of ribs, and despite the look it was actually very filling as Marsya did took her time finishing off the last pieces. The flavor of the ribs here are generally similar as it is all glazed in The HolyRibs signature barbecue sauce, in which the story you can read here.

Combo Backribs (IDR 185.000)

After 5-minutes worth of Google search and looking at several reviews of The HolyRibs their combo really is the most intriguing as it consist of 900gr (measurement of the raw material) of the restaurant's signature bone-in ribs accompanied with a roasted chicken leg as well as their spiral sausages. For the sides I picked out the mashed potatoes, while the coleslaw is served alongside with the barbecue sauce and are the basic sides for every menu here. I've never said this ever to any food served upon me but I emphasize that this portion is HUUUUUUUUUGE and with the price it really really is an amazing value. I can say that this can be shared among 3 people; but being a beast that I am I finished it all by myself with such struggle that I think I can almost shed a tear. My friend did help a bit, but really we were all struggling to finish it all. Even this picture doesn't do justice to the portion of the combo.

In regards to the food itself, the meat on the ribs really were so juicy and tender and it easily falls out the bone. You can just push it with a fork and eat it right away without the struggle of cutting it in. Their signature barbecue sauce is really unique but a little too sweet for my taste and I find the lack of acidity on the beef and the coleslaw too. I also really liked the chicken leg, it was fairly seasoned and cooked until the skin is golden and has a good crunchy texture on its skin. The sausage were also a delight and it is juicy, falling out of its grill stick easily. The mashed potato is similar to the ones I had at HolyCow! it is cheesy, buttery and good fit for this meal. I cannot imagine having this with french fries as the french fries is certainly the heftier potato sides in comparison to the mashed potatoes.

Overall I really liked the food although I was a bit overwhelmed by the sweetness (or perhaps its just the crazy portion of the food I ordered), maybe some salt and pepper on the table might help with that. The staff were friendly and they did recommend my friend that the four-piece ribs is easily sharable for two but he gave me no warning with the Combo order, maybe he looked at me and thought to himself "I bet she can easily do it.". Thank God I went in with an empty stomach that day. A lad besides me need a little more encouragement from the chef himself to finish the Combo dish that he also ordered. The chef also personally deliver one of the dish to our table with broken Indonesian and greeting us with "selamat makan!".

Cherry Soda (IDR 25.000)

Initially I ordered their root beer under their flavored soda beverages submenu but as they were out of stock, I picked out the cherry cola instead. The price of the beverages here were pretty reasonable but the drinks such as lemon tea and sweet tea are no longer refillable (a sad news to all of us).

I wish all the best for The HolyRibs, I hope it will always improve and improve for the better. If you're interested in coming here, watch for the crowds as the restaurant is usually packed that you might have to queue. The time we were done with our lunch, there's another party waiting for our table right outside. The restaurant do can fit a bunch of people, but really, the seats are running out as they really are living up the hype.

The HolyRibs

Jl. Panglima Polim V No. 21

Melawai

South Jakarta

085814081408

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Bank of Blood Milk Beverage

In the past couple of years there were growing amounts of bazaar around Jakarta selling various types  of goods, including food and beverages. Many people are now focused on going to these bazaar for the sole purpose of buying some food and beverages, including myself. But with the rising  competition, it is harder to go around for a look and it is best to go to a bazaar with some booths in mind. After looking at pictures of Bank of Blood multiple times on Instagram, I gotten curious and so I decided to try their product that I bought during AgendaJKT event at Kemang Village.

Minions Blood - Banana Flavor (IDR 35.000)

This banana flavored milk is titled 'Minions blood' due to the color of the drink fitting the Minion character, banana as their favorite food and the color yellow that can both be associated by banana and the color of the Minion itself. The description of the 'blood' is on point. I really like the banana milk as it is sweet and true to the banana flavour, but to the others it is said to be a bit too sweet.

Hulk Blood - Green Tea Flavor (IDR 35.000)

The Hulk Blood beverage is made out of green tea flavored milk. The matcha flavor is very subtle and the drink was not too sweet. My brother like this more in comparison to the banana one. The hulk blood by its description were said to provide relaxing effect and increased energy that is often associated with green tea. The color weren't too bold, meaning they don't use great amount of coloring in their beverage which can go two ways: first that it is healthy or that it looks pale and doesn't look so convincing. In my case Iwish the color were even deeper.

The straws were unique as it comes in a transfusion blood bag container. The straws can be easily opened and closed with a tic and added another uniqueness to this drink. As a fan of sweets I really liked Bank of Blood products, but some other may disagree as it is too sweet and gimmicky. In any case, I would like to try out their other flavors especially the red velvet as its red-colored milk really looked like some truly convincing blood!

Bank of Blood

bankofbloodid@gmail.com

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Lotteria at Fatmawati

The particular branch of Lotteria in Lotte Mart Fatmawati is the closest to my house and is one of the first Lotteria that opens in Jakarta, branching out from Korea. As the market is close to my house I often went here and at the same time visit Lotteria to get some food. Lotteria is located on the left side right from the entrance and can even be seen through the glass from the outside since it is placed on the front-corner of the building. This time I decide to document some of my usual order, and I often goes to Lotteria for they flexible payment options from cash to credit cards.

Special Chicken Set B (IDR 43.182)

The special chicken set consist of rice, coleslaw, one piece of hot spicy chicken, one spicy sweet chicken and one drink. This is a value meal since it comes in a good portion. The fried chicken always comes out hot and crunchy, both had a touch of sweetness and spicyness in it. When you eat the dish as a whole it's not too overwhelming since the coleslaw that is topped with tomato (and mayo, I believe) cut some of the heftiness of the sauce. I prefer the spicy sweet chicken more to its compartment, but the hot spicy chicken that is seasoned with gochujang were also a pretty good sauce to the chicken. The general idea of Korean fried chicken is just one amazing concept and it really suits my liking.

Shrimp Burger (IDR 25.455+)

I also picked out their Shrimp Burger à la carte, this is one simple dish and is a bit on the sweet side. The sweetness of mayonnaise in this dish is overwhelming the sweetness from the shrimp and the lettuce does not really do much. It is an okay burger, but they were out of their Shrimp Balls at the time and decided to change it up into this. The stock of the shrimp balls has always been a problem here since this is not the first time they were out of the dish.

I cannot say much about service since it is a fast food restaurant but the staffs had always been nice in greeting me and such. The place is also clean that there are no dirty tables as it were cleaned up pretty quickly. The price were reasonable and they have a lot of promotion which is nice. Also, they have electrical plugs in its rounded table, also completed with free WiFi service. It is good option for your hunger needs. 

P.S. the loud Korean music on the background can either be uplifting of annoying -- you decide.

Lotteria

Lotte Mart Fatmawati

Jl. RS Fatmawati No. 15

Fatmawati

South Jakarta

+6221 75910888

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