The Grind Joe

In the mood for a cup of joe early in the morning? Another new kid on the block's ready to serve you now, The Grind Joe! Located at the heart of Bandung, Jl Juanda, the place's a highly accessible one, allowing you to stop-by and have your quick morning doze. This coffee shop basically takes a space within the complex of Moxy hotel, which's also a newly opened one carried out by Marriott group. 

As the location's very strategic, my friends and I had passed it for multiple times even before our real visit to the space. The outer appearance had got me at the first sight with those grey walls and hanging leaves. The love struck continued when I entered the sizable two-level venue, as the concept was pretty unique and that monochromatic color theme was also there to follow the current hype. Combining grey, white, and baby turquoise, this place totally reminded me of Tiffany & Co., the mixture of colors which always looked soothing for me. What's so peculiar to be called-out was the 'no-sleep-club' corner, having storied seats as if to give you the view of the whole cafe while sipping from your cup. 

Having been there for just 10 days and indeed still in their soft-opening period, the second floor hadn't been used yet and the selections of menus provided were still limited. The pastries were also not available at all times, usually would be ready only by late afternoon as what the barista told us. Since we came quite early, we unfortunately had to find only the empty showcase with no pastries available to be paired with our coffee. Great thing that the barista was smart enough to read the situation and handled it by directing our focus to their choices of beverages. 

Hot Piccolo (IDR 25k)

Seemed to be kind of mandatory order for us in any coffee shop, we did pay a try for the Grind Joe's version of piccolo. I wasn't sure if it's just the cup's shape or it's indeed the real case, but the piccolo's size looked slightly bigger than normal ones for me. 

The taste wasn't bad at all, serving the type of coffee which would suit majority of palates featuring medium-bodied one. It might be not as strong as what I loved the most, yet it's still able to get my palate satisfied. The barista did mention that since the coffee was also made to serve the demand from the hotel guests, therefore they had to pick the medium roast beans to be able to suit those who couldn't take too strong ones as well. 

Cortado Miele (IDR 40k)

Going for something sounded unique, I simply picked the one with most peculiar name. That landed my order to the Cortado Miele, basically coffee with milk and honey. It's cappuccino alike so slightly lighter than the piccolo, just that this one had that sweet taste. As the body wasn't that strong, my preference still went with the first one since my palate could still get that tougher kick from the coffee. Nonetheless, if your preference opted for light coffee which was more for comfort drink, this might suit you better ;). 

Milk and Honey 

Complimentary from the house for us to try!! Actually, the ingredients of this drink was pretty similar to the prior one, but it would be something more special since it contained no sugar and the sweet flavor purely came from the honey alone. Being the signature of the house, this innovative drink did feature cinnamon which was quite uncommon to be found in any coffee shops. I was actually not a big fan of cinnamon when it came to drinks but this cup seemed to be an exception. I now had no single doubt why it's said as the most recommended. This invention was indeed top-notch!! It got me sold since the very first sip! Being served cold, it's refreshing and at the same time spoiling. The natural sweetness made the coffee taste wasn't overpowered and I totally loved the idea of making the milk frozen and acted as the ice cubes giving the cold temperature to the overall cup. Such a creative and lovely one, the cup that definitely shouldn't be missed!!

I was overall stolen by the place, the ambiance, and the Milk and Honey! I could imagine myself sitting all day long by the window enjoying my cups of coffee while working or simply chilling. Moreover, perhaps it's not totally connected, yet I was so excited able to walk along the Moxy hotel, taking Instagenic snaps at tons of corners. Well, The Grind Joe was lucky enough as this reason would also trigger me to visit more often despite that its over 170km away from my place.

Taste: 8/10
Place: 8.5/10
Service: 8.5/10
Price: 8/10

Thanks for reading! :)

THE GRIND JOE

Address: Jl. Ir. H. Juanda 69 (Moxy Hotel), Bandung

Phone: (+62 22) 2052 7475

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun 7am - 9pm

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Kalpa Tree Bandung, the Real Definition of Dining with A View

Independence Day's Eve. Well, sounded weird enough? Or wondering what's in it as apparently people didn't really celebrate it? Yeah couldn't agree more that we have always done the celebration at the Independence Day only. Nonetheless, the 16th of Aug, the day before the whole Indonesian cheered up for their 72 years of freedom, was an extremely important day for Kalpa Tree as they opened their door for the very first time for public. 

Located at Ciumbuleuit area, closed to the well-known Padma Hotel, it was an extremely big cafe with serious attention to its design. This was what I called totality, looking at how they executed the interior very well; high ceiling with beautiful chandeliers, gigantic green yard at the center, hanging plants and standing lamps by the cement tables, and most importantly the highlight of the venue - round wooden bench at the center of the clear blue swimming pool! 

Believe what you've just listened, yes it's swimming pool! The trend of pool in a cafe seemed to have reached Bandung already, so prepare your swimsuit and google and be ready for the water-splash party! ;)

Those coming with children needn't worry much as the spot was complemented with a sizable indoor play-arena, having various toys like slides, hanging bridge, swing, and others. Sitting at the outdoor space, the guests could enjoy their 'satisfying dishes for the eyes', having clear blue sky and fresh green grass right next to your table. Nonetheless, the indoor one wasn't less competitive since it served the same scenery with full air-conditioned room. 

Being a new-born one, the selections of dishes provided was still quite limited. Nevertheless, in terms of the variation it was pretty rich since there were various cuisines including Western and Local ones, for all the groups of appetizers, main courses, and desserts. 

It didn't take that long for having out orders fully served on the table. I appreciated their professionalism in training the waiters and waitresses as they're knowledgeable and responsive enough regardless their short-term experience.

Hot Cappuccino (IDR 28.5k)

Perfect start for the brunch? I would surely mention coffee. It's so important to the extreme that I would call out something's missing in my brunch without it. From Kalpa Tree, my initial trial went to the Hot Cappuccino, which turned out quite too milky for my palate. For those who loved medium-roast beans, you might prefer this medium-bodied cup but for me, I would fancy extra kick in my cup. 

Pandanus Green Tea (IDR 22k)

If you're not a coffee-drinker, you could go for other beverages like tea, juice, shakes, smoothies, and even mocktails. 

Nasi Pedes Ayam (IDR 48k)

Starting with something found locally, we ordered Nasi Pedes Ayam. Though the name somehow gave the implication that the dish would be spicy, it was in fact more to sweet. All my friends did agree with me so it's not my taste bud's bias which was indeed highly tolerant to spicy foods. I was honestly expecting that burning taste on my palate, making me wished it's there served on my plate. The chicken was nevertheless tender and generously given, somewhat saving the whole plate and made it ended up okay. 

Philly Steak Pizza (IDR 73.5k)

Switching to Italian mode, we moved on to pizza and the lucky topping chosen was Philly Steak, the most ordered one by the customers (yeah, I could even spot it myself on most tables and actually that's also the one triggering me to order this dish). 

It was an amusing dish for me as the mozzarella cheese was abundantly served on top and underneath that cheesy layer, the juicy tenderloin beef was flawlessly cooked in cream sauce; a very peculiar one which at the same time was a stunning innovation since this type of sauce was usually matched to pasta instead of pizza. The thin-crust base finally completed the package of delicacy delivered on the plate. The invention couldn't get me spoiled better and I highly recommended it as a must-have when visiting Kalpa Tree. 

Pasta Sambal Matah (IDR 49.5k)

If at first we spoke about Indonesian, then we continued with Italian, the third came with the fusion of the two, presenting Spaghetti with Sambal Matah, one of Indonesia's signature spicy sauce blending chili, shallots, and oil. 

This was another recommended one, having the pasta cooked al dente, and the chicken breast as the main protein being moist and flavorful. One key tip for you when picking this dish, mixed it well before having it, just to prevent you from getting certain part being bland. 

Final sayings, congratulations for the grand opening of Kalpa Tree and cheers to the great jobs delivered at this early stage. Keep satisfying all palates :)

Taste: 8/10
Place: 8.5/10
Service: 8/10
Price: 8/10

Thanks for reading! :)

KALPA TREE

Address: Jl. Kiputih No.37, Ciumbuleuit, Bandung

Phone: (+62 22) 6440 2875 / (+62) 877 6440 2875

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun 10am - 10pm

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