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
So many Coffee places in Jakarta ! Indonesia is in the Top 5 Coffee producer in the world, no wonder there are so many Coffee Shops in the city... It is not difficult to source coffee beans here. Anomali Coffee is a small and upscale coffee chain with 4 outlets in Jakarta and 2 in Bali. The different outlets in jakarta are mostly located in the South of the city. They claim themselves to be "Kopi Asli Indonesia" whick means Original Indonesian Coffee. It is one of the competitor of Liberica Coffee . What I like about this place ? Well it's quite intimate, the coffee is good and the service is pleasant. It's hard to tell the difference between two types of coffee when you are not a connoisseur. But each time I tried a beverage here, I was not disappointed. I had a Sandwich and a Vanilla Eclair and it was also quite tasty, with a reasonable price (30 000 Rp for the Vanilla Eclair). Last but not least, the WiFi connection works quite well there
In Pacific Place Mall, on the fourth floor, you have the possibility to enjoy a nice coffee at Liberica. That's what I did last time I went there. This place really looks like Starbucks but in a more elaborated way: Modern decor, cozy area, coffee to order at the counter, american pastries... This small coffee chain is Indonesian and currently has 5 outlets (Pacific Place, Kemang, Gandaria City, Central Park and Cilandak Town square). The name Liberica is taken from a rare coffee bean variant of Liberica beans. The main difference with Starbucks is that you can buy Beers and Wine. This is a weird concept when you think about it, Coffee and Wine ! Liberica Coffee in Pacific Place Pastries & Beverages Barista area
QQ Kopitiam is a chain of cafés with locations in several malls in Jakarta. "Kopi Tiam" is a Malay word for simple coffee houses in Singapore and Malaysia. They serve coffees, teas and easy-to-prepare dishes. QQ Kopitiam follows that idea but it is more upmarket, at least in the atmosphere. I visited the branch in Fx Lifestyle Center on Sudirman, which is very well located inside the mall, just by the entrance. The design is vintage/colonial and it seemed nice to me at first. I noticed many imperfections though: TV not working, plastic flowers, bad finishings, etc... Apart from the location, I was not really happy with my visit: The service was very slow as only 1 person was handling 8 tables. The WIFI was not working too. The menu is limited and offers mostly Indonesian/Malay street food dishes. I tried the Nasi Goreng and it tasted just average (around Rp40k net). Overall: I would not particularly recommend QQ, except for their usually strategic location
Monolog Coffee PIM Monolog Coffee Front Bakery Monolog Coffee Drinks Menu Monolog Coffee Food Menu Monolog Coffee Bar Counter I went to Monolog Coffee in Pondok Indah Mall. This Coffee place is located at the very end of "The Street", the Dining area of Pondok Indah Mall which closes at 12:00 PM. I have been attracted by a nice Bakery at the entrance with mostly Croissants and some American Pastries like Cheese Cakes or Carrot Cakes.
Djournal Coffee Bar is a Coffee place located in Grand Indonesia Mall. This Coffee place belong to the Ismaya Group, owner also of Social House , SKYE Bar & Restaurant (Menara BCA) and DragonFly Club (Graha BIP) . You will easily find Djournal Coffee since it is located close to the main West Mall Entrance of Grand Indonesia. But you will definitely get lost in Grand Indonesia Mall since it is quite big ! This place is a good alternative to Starbucks but with a more trendy side. The prices will be the same as in Starbucks though. Good service and pretty crowded coffee place. I would recommend it for the terrace, facing Plaza Indonesia Mall entrance. There are 2 other Djournal Coffee at CILANDAK TOWN SQUARE Main Lobby and SUMARECON MAL SERPONG GF.
JJ Royal Bistro is located in Senayan City Mall, not to confuse with JJ Royal Brasserie, located in Lotte Shopping Avenue. JJ Royal Bistro is a Restaurant, Bar and Bakery located in Senayan City Mall. This chain belongs to Foodie Habit Group, the same group that owns JJ Royal Coffee and the sugar Gulaku. When you first get in JJ Royal Bistro, you are amazed by the decor. It is so colourful and exentric ! They have colourful portraits hanging on the walls (and on the ceiling!) and they have Elizabeth chairs by famous designer Philippe Starck. So a lot of money spent on the decoration of the place, which is very attractive when you don't know the place. Plus anywhere you are in the Restaurant, the colourful Geisha is looking at you...