BrownBag (Sandwich and Coffee)
By
Tibs
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Brownbag is a small restaurant serving sandwiches (all the classics), some popular main courses and drinks (mostly coffee). They also serve Macarons and Poffertjes. The place is comfortable, with soft lounge music, the wifi is fast, and the waiters are professional. My sandwich was a bit expensive and small (74,000rp including tax for the Roast Beef) but it was fresh and good. Overall : I recommend Brownbag for any quick meal at any time of the day if you are staying near Menteng. Update: After a second visit to Brownbag, I realized they only have one CD for the music. Brownbag Jakarta Menteng Central Jl. H.O.S. Cokroaminoto No. 78 - 80
In a hedonistic city like Jakarta, having a cup of coffee is more than just personal sensory indulgence. People go to cafés and coffee shops to see-and-be-seen, meet the celebrity owner, or even to get free WiFi. With such diverse consumer demand, no wonder many of these places got lost in fancy décors, so-called seasonal blended beverages and artisan-desserts, and forgot the one thing that (should) really matters : a proper cup of coffee. Amidst all the craziness, here are 10 places where you can still be sure your coffee does not come from a sachet (in no particular order, except perhaps the possibility of you ever being there before you read this). Anomali Let’s start with the easy one. With 6 locations in Jakarta and Bali, Anomali is probably Indonesia’s answer to the invasion of foreign chains like Starbucks. And the good news is, they are selling real coffee – not milk/dairy creamer based beverages disguised as coffee. It’s a one-stop shopping for single-origin Indone
TWG (The Wellness Group) is a distributor of quality teas founded in 2008. On their logo, which is a copy of the one of Mariage Frères, it is mentioned the date 1837 but it is obviously a deception. They also have some words written in French such as "Mélanges Exquis" or "Grand Crus Prestige", probably aimed at making consumers believe it is a French brand. But TWG is from Singapore and there is no shame in that. Part of their marketing strategies is the creation of high-end boutiques / restaurants / tea salon. There are already over 40 branches around the World, especially in Asia (only 1 in Europe and a few in US). The ideas is to position TWG as a luxury company by opening in premium locations, with a chic design and fine dining service. I had TWG Teas on several occasions and they were good for a non-expert like me. It seems to me that tea is a basic product, a commodity and I don't think there are "Grand Crus" like there are with
I discovered Chicory Cake Shop & Café randomly while heading to Kuningan from my home. Located on Jalan Sumenep, in the heart of Menteng, they serve a whole range of European pastries: Tarts, croissants, almond combs, choux and financiers. Decorated in an old-fashioned way with wooden bistro tables and chair, it really looks like a tiny "salon de thé" as we have in France. The Pastry Chef is an Australian and he is the one who makes all the pastries everyday. Chicory is surfing on the trend of the French Bakeries and Café recently opened in Jakarta like Paul Bakery in Pacific Place Mall or Eric Kayser in Plaza Senayan. This place is different as it is not a franchise. The quality standards are just as high in my opinion, just like the ones you could get in Europe or in other 5-star hotels in Jakarta. The price is a bit high though, around Rp50,000 for a pastry. Overall: Chicory is a recommended neighborhood pastry shop. It is great for meeting a close fr
Oh La La Maison is an upmarket version of the Oh La La cafés. It is located in Mega Kuningan in the ground floor of Bellagio Mall. It serves mostly French food, French bakery and French pastries with some other popular Asian and Western dishes. The design of the place is not extraordinary but it is neat. It features a wooden parquet, decorative tiles and various pictures or paintings of France on the walls. I tried the Honey Dijon Chicken Baguette (72,000k++): The whole sandwich was good enough but the bread was very soft and unfortunately not tasting like a real French baguette. I also had a Chocolate Croissant (20,000++), which was really big and again, far from tasting like an authentic Chocolate Croissant in France. In spite of the disappointing food, I still enjoyed Oh La La Maison. The waiters were very attentive and friendly, and the general atmosphere pleasant with good lounge music and a busy crowd.
Bakerzin is a long-time favourite dessert restaurant in Jakarta. I had never visited it until recently, in the Central Park branch. The place was very busy and I could not get a table nor a waiter until a few minutes. My first impression was that everything was very confused and unorganized. The manager of the restaurant may have seen that I was getting impatient and he started to take care of me, which really improved the whole experience. The menu is not just a menu, it is a full book with photos and text. My initial plan was to eat, but the pictures didn't look appetizing. I just took a Strawberry Juice and a Cherry Flan. Both were very average and they didn't match with the expectations one could have about Bakerzin considering its prices, its marketing, its locations (high-end malls), and its success. Overall : I will not try Bakerzin again. Opening hours: From 10am to 10pm every day (following the mall schedule) Contact Details of Bakerzin Restauran
Giyanti Coffee Roastery is located on Jalan Surabaya, in Menteng. This place is so cozy ! It is not only a regular coffee place it is a real roastery. What does it mean ? Well, basically when you get in, you will find 2 big coffee roasters. Fresh coffee is sourced in many islands of Indonesia (Toraja, Aceh Gayo, Flores, Java, Padang among others) and is roasted every week in the coffee place. That is why the place is closed on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. The place is quite small actually but that what makes it unique and very comfortable. The owner of the place is always here and he will advice you on what kind of coffee you should have, depending on your tastes and on your mood ! I tried the Gluten-free pastries and that was good, even though I cannot really tell if it was actually gluten-free or not... Price are standard here even though it will be slightly cheaper than a coffee in a Starbucks in a mall. Other particularity of this place: there is a table soccer (or &
I recently discovered LapisLapis Sunter (multi-layers in Bahasa) located in the North of Jakarta (Jakarta Utara), near Kelapa Gading. Let´s face it, Sunter is not a regular place to hang out for expats or food lovers, but if you happen to be in this area to grab a coffee or for lunch, I strongly recommand LapisLapis Sunter.
Paul Bakery is now open in Jakarta, since December 2013. It is located right outside of Pacific Place Mall, near the Galeries Lafayette Department Store. You have 2 entrances : one for the Restaurant, if you want Dine-in, and one for the Bakery and Pastry shop. You also have a second outlet in Plaza Indonesia. I know Paul Bakery in France which is a widespread Bakery chain. Outside of France, it has a more high class positioning. I went there for Lunch and I took a "Croque Madame", a sandwich with cheese, turkey and egg sunny side-up, with a salad on the side. There was nothing fantastic about it. I took an Orange juice as a Drink and it was very watery, I could barely feel the Oranges ! In my opinion, the food in the restaurant is average, there's nothing fancy about it ( except for the price). On the opposite, the Bakery side is very good. They have a whole range of French and European bread which are among the best in Jakarta ! Same thing for the Pastrie