Tummy Prosperity: Caffeine Longing Satisfied at Kopi Kalyan

Super ear-catchy name! That's the first thing coming into my mind when I first heard of this coffee shop. I didn't know what's actually the intention of the owner in choosing this name, if they did mean 'kalyan' as 'kalian' or yours, or it had other meaning than this. In my personal thought, Kopi Kalyan meant your coffee, showing that it's indeed dedicated for you.

If you're not used to the design of coffee shops recently, you might have mistakenly think that the venue's still on progress of establishment. Cement walls, cement tiles, mostly covered in grey. If my face was turned into emoticon, it would definitely show the lovestruck character now! And if you were those who typically went to coffee shop for ootd-spot hunting, those lovestruck emoticons could turn to be multiple ones as Kopi Kalyan provided TWO (yes you heard it right. TWO) semi-outdoor spaces with perfect design for those beautiful candid shots. Semi-transparent ceiling, small-rocks covering the ground, small wooden round tables, and monochromatic 'unpainted' walls; what else would you wish for <3 <3 !

As the guest had to order and pay prior to have the dishes, the bar became the first spot to hit. The 'tukang kopi' (read: baristas wearing t-shirts with huge 'tukang kopi' remarks at the back) greet me right away and assisted me to decide what to go for. The tasty-looking croissants and soft cookies occupied the showcase wonderfully, bringing me into my typical sweet-tooth dilemma. The menu made it become even more complicated, offering two more desserts there. Finally, I managed to come up with my order, choosing the most good-looking croissant and randomly ordering one of the dessert menus without even knowing what's in it.

Chocolate Almond Croissant (IDR 25k)

Compared to its surrounding neighbors which were there in the display, this one was the star with most appealing look. Sold at IDR 25k, it was actually quite pricey in my view especially looking at its quite petite size. Putting that aside, I then went to the moment of truth for every filled croissant I had, the 'unveiling the content' part. Cutting it into two pieces, I sadly had to frown since the chocolate paste just filled small part of the pastry, leaving the rest being empty. Hence, I had to enjoy half of my croissant without chocolate :( . Fortunately, the crunchy and palatable pastry came as the curer. If only they could be more generous in giving the chocolate filling, perhaps I would be more willing to let go the pennies spent for this ;) .

Banana Cream Pie (IDR 50k)

This second one was actually the one coming from the dessert menu. It was one of the two dessert menus available in Kopi Kalyan. I went for this as the other one was just brownie, which I thought was more mainstream. It was kinda difficult to explain about this dish as I had love-hate relationship with it. Why did I say so? Because initially, what I had in mind for Banana Cream Pie was pie-shaped dessert with round pie/tart as the base, then banana and cream on top. While what actually came was fresh cuts of banana, topped with banana cream and slices of dark chocolate crust. Well, it was my fault though as I didn't pay attention on the menu, which clearly gave the description about the dish, that was fully aligned with this dessert's actual appearance and ingredients. Again, back to why I said that I had love-hate relationship with this dessert, because despite the fact that I was surprised with how it actually looked like as it's not as what I expected, I was astonishingly in love with the taste! Honestly speaking, it was quite simple yet the combination brought-out was enjoyable, pampering both my taste bud and my tummy. The slightly sweet fresh cuts of bananas were faultlessly complemented by the sweeter banana cream. Moreover, the sweet flavor was then balanced with the slightly salty and bitter dark chocolate crust. Giving even more indulgence, it's not just the blend of flavors which went well, but also the combination of texture; bringing together smooth cream and crunchy crust. Though I also perceived this one was again kinda pricey, I should admit that I enjoyed it till the last bite.

Hot Cappuccino (IDR 30k)

Hot Piccolo (IDR 24k)

Continuing to the beverage part, which was basically the main purpose of my sister and I came to Kopi Kalyan, the coffee to satisfy our weekend caffeine longing. Hot Cappuccino (IDR 30k) and Hot Piccolo (IDR 24k), the dynamic duo to be tried in any coffee shop when we're being first timer. Having my very first sip, I could directly tell that I would for sure have my next visits for the coffee. Both cups flawlessly suited my coffee preference; medium-bodied, not overly acid, and clean after taste. I didn't know if I got it correctly as I forgot to ask the barista as well, but I thought they used different bean for the cappuccino and the piccolo, with the cappuccino being slightly more acid than the piccolo. Yet still, both were so good that I could promise I would be a loyal customer, particularly for the coffee. Agreed with the name, the barista could proudly say 'This was surely your coffee or Kopi Kalyan (kalian)!'. Oh and one more thing! You would get the lovely light and moist pandan sponge cake as a compliment to the drink you purchased.