Tummy Prosperity: Papiri, The Kinfolk Baby of South Jakarta

Another baby born in South? Wow wow wow! It’s like being back to the baby-boomers era, just that now it’s not human but coffee shops! Yeah, I believe it’s not only me but all of you definitely agree with me that lately it’s like never ending birth of cafes.

Trying to find one around South area, I luckily found Papiri, one of the latest comer residing in Kemang area, precisely at Jl. Benda. A beautifully designed cafe dominated by white color. The wooden furniture and the green plants placed around the corners made it a totally Kinfolk-ish space, a signature theme that’s been flourishing lately. Nevertheless, regardless how often I saw such scenery in any coffee shops nowadays, I honestly admitted that it’s still and (I guessed) would always be lovely, giving such pampering view for the eyes.

Opening at 12pm, exactly when the noon started, I would call it quite a late-opened coffee shop especially considering that people usually preferred to have such drink early in the morning. Yeah, I was just guesstimating that they might want to target different group of people, but for me personally I always loved the early-bird ones.

Standing in front of the entrance door, I somehow had Brood en Boter suddenly popped-up in my mind. The exterior and interior of the two had something similar, which I might not be able to immediately recall in points, yet I could still sense.

What's so special here in Papiri would absolutely be the smoking room, which was fully air-conditioned and elegantly designed like a semi-outdoor space with the glass windows. The end-corner was my favorite, looking so cozy like a private library, regardless I definitely wouldn't be able to stay long there as I hated the smoke.

Not only being spoiled by the homey ambiance, I was also given the warm welcome and responsive service by the barista. She assisted me to find my seat and place my order, and it didn’t take long to have them ready on my dining table.

The choices of heavy meals were still very limited, dominated by pasta-based dishes. I finally ended up with the pastries mentioned on the menu, as well as displayed there at the showcase. Again not much options, yet the general ones were indeed available there :)

Hot Piccolo (IDR 35k)

Would the tiny cup satisfy my coffee palate? Let’s give it a sip. Oops! (Lips sealed) It’s too sour for my taste bud. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to take it as it’s overly acidic. I didn’t mind the strong coffee flavor, yet the bitterness left on my palate wasn’t tolerable for me. Perhaps this would suit those who loved this type of bold coffee, yet it’s not my kind of cup.

Chicken Puff (IDR 35k)

OK, not taking it too seriously and avoiding too much complications, I went for one savory and one sweet pastry. Appearance wise I had to honestly admit that it’s not the most gorgeous one that could immediately make that appetite jump to its top. It looked pretty much like common pastry and I couldn’t highlight something distinctive, so I just put my bet on the taste.

Taking my first bite, I found it okay, coming with flaky skin and tasty filling. The stuffing combined diced-cut chicken with veggies. It’s flavorful enough, but with this price it might be said as quite expensive.

Cinnamon Danish (IDR 25k)

Then came the sweet part with cinnamon as the main toppings featured. I initially expected the icing on top would melt once it’s re-heated but unfortunately it’s not. Well, again it didn’t taste bad, but honestly I expected something more from this danish; more buttery fragrance and stronger flavor perhaps?

In a nutshell, I fell in love with the place right at the first sight. But I did expect much improvement on the foods and drinks so that it’s not only the eyes getting spoiled, but also the tummy getting prosperous.