Samakamu Kopi, The Pink Wall of Kuningan

If you’re thinking that I was trying to flirt with someone, no guys I surely wasn’t. It’s the name of the newly opened coffee shop located at Satrio. It’s somehow funny for me as they used that name, and put a crocodile as the logo (well, if you knew what I meant *wink*). 

Talking about the exact location, it wasn’t a hard one to find. I bet you all know Sampoerna Strategic Square and thus I would recommend you to use this well-known building as your key guidance since the cafe was right across the building. Occupying a space next to DHL, it’s actually a shophouse which was gorgeously transformed into a cutie pinky cafe, matchy matchy with my blog background *pardon my OOT*. 

The baby pink color married to white and complemented by nature touch via the decoration, made the space become such a stress-reliever. Everything looked so ‘zen’ for me and I wouldn’t mind sit there spending my long hours. This kind of feminine and spoiling bedroom color I’d always been dreaming of. Well, I believed in next couple of weeks this ‘pink wall’ would surely be a trending topic where everyone wanted to have at least one snap. 

I wasn’t sure if they did want to keep the menu simple by providing very limited selections of menu, not only for the beverages but also the foods. Despite they did carry the last name ‘coffee’, bluntly said what’s on the menu were simply black coffee and milk coffee, served in the guests’ choice of hot or cold. Other than that, non-caffeine drinker could go for chocolate or green tea latte. 

Hot/Iced Kopi Sama Kamu (IDR 18k)

Sold at very affordable price, actually both the hot and the cold version were exactly the same except the temperature for sure. The ingredients combined coffee, milk, and brown sugar; and please don’t expect beautiful latte art on top of the cup as you wouldn’t get any :). Speaking about the taste, I wished I could have bolder coffee flavor in my cup, as this one was like in between; neither milky not strong bodied. 

Nevertheless, if I had to make my choice between the hot and the cold one, I would go for the cold, from which my palate could get more of the brown sugar taste. One tips from me, request it to be served with less ice to get the bolder flavors of the elements. 

Nougat Spongecake (IDR 18k)

For those whose tummy could never get full without rice, sorry guys but you had to be pleased by snacks only here. Most of them were sweets though occasionally they might have savory ones as well. From the trio flavors of sponge cake, I went for nougat which was said as the most favorite, serving the crumbling flavor peanut toppings on top of the fluffy spongecake, and buttercream layer at the center. It’s okay-ish, but still not to the level that could beat similar ones from other places which had been on my top list. 

Doughnut with Icing Sugar

Woooww! Classy enough? Yesss! I couldn’t be happier when I knew this old-style light bites was also available there. I was initially not aware of its existence till the barista told me that when I ordered two drinks, I could get this ‘Snow-White Doughnut’ for free. What a surprise! Giving more happiness than than getting something free, it’s actually quite good, coming with the right moist texture and not going too much with the toppings, being covered with the all-time favorite icing sugar. 

Being the new cute kid on the block, it would absolutely raise the curiosity of the crowd. If you’re one of them, just ensure you came at the right timing, knowing the location was kinda famous for heavy jam especially before and after office hours in weekdays ;)

Taste: 6.5/10

Place: 7.5/10

Service: 8/10

Price: 7.5/10

Thanks for reading! :)

SAMAKAMU KOPI

Address: Jl. Dr Satrio 18B, Kuningan, Jakarta

Phone: (+62) 81 2879 90168

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun 7am - 7pm

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Neoma

Earlier occupied by Osaka Moo’s Lippo Mall Puri outlet, I believed you’ve passed this place before or prolly have dined in there as well. This sizable 3-storey space surely was visible and accommodative for bigger group of people. You might be not familiar with the name, but that’s totally fine as they’re indeed just there for 3 weeks, even not yet celebrating their grand opening. Nonetheless, they’ve been more than ready to serve the dishes freshly crafted in the kitchen to fulfill your hunger. 

The place felt homey, especially the first level where they had the swing-alike seats. The space was also suitable for bigger family, having long communal table at the center. It’s also a great idea to place the beverage bar at the center, where people could enjoy the life show of their beverage being processed from scratch. 

The interior blended monochrome colors, wooden pattern, as well as some touch of marbles. On several corners they made racks next to the walls, where coffee-making equipment, tableware, as well as green plants were beautifully displayed. Surrounded by glass windows, you could enjoy the view of people passing by as well as clear blue sky. My sweetest spot would doubtlessly be the ratan swing next to that window where I could enjoy the outside scenery while simultaneously get the snapshot of the whole cafe. 

Previously owning a cake shop, the owner this time wanted to spread the wings to savory dishes. As they’re still in soft opening period, the choices of dishes were pretty limited and kinda dynamic as she’s still trying to figure out the best set to go with. Most of the options were Western-themed, and dominated by pasta-based ones. 

Rigatoni Pie (IDR 65k)

I initially thought this would literally be a pie with rigatoni coming as the toppings; yeah that double carbo dish which was usually sinful yet pleasant. Surprisingly it’s rigatoni pasta being round-shaped like a pie, then dressed with beef ragout and mozzarella on top. The pasta was cooked al-dente, but unfortunately the sauce needed that ‘stronger kick’ of flavor as it’s pretty bland for my palate. I was hoping the sauce could get infused to the rigatoni, so I could enjoy mix of flavors in each spoon, instead of like eating 2 separated dishes. Nonetheless, there’s always reason to be thankful; they’re pretty lavish for the toppings especially the mozzarella!

Chicken Lemon Cream Linguine (IDR 72k)

Another pasta, but this one was prolly more on the mainstream side, serving another al-dente cooked one, linguine! I was always in love with anything creamy for Western dishes and bluntly speaking I put much hope into this one as I could usually easily be pleased by this type of sauce. However, I guessed they needed to make the mushroom lemon cream sauce to be a bit salty and adding more flavors into it as it seemed to not deliver that surprising taste to make it stand out. Again toppings wise I had no issue and was even delighted by how they’re royal for the mushroom and the chicken cutlets. These pan-seated protein pieces were tender and yummy, and luckily became the extra flavors to complement the carbo. 

Chicken Florentine (IDR 82k)

Now it came to the turn of the one that’s distinctive from the first two. Mashed potato came as the substitute to the pasta, being served with pan-fried chicken, sautéed spinach, and tomato pesto cream sauce. Not only the components were different, the taste was exceptional as well, featuring richer combination of spices. The savory taste was boldly presented and the creamy sauce did came as perfect pair to the other components. Thanks to the sautéed spinach which wasn’t only healthy but never failed to spoil my palate. Nyuummm!

Red Velvet Cake (IDR 45k)

*sorry for missing the picture*

The beautiful one in red which had ever been a massive trend, and managed to survive till now. When you first entered the venue, you first got exposed to the sweets displayed on the showcase next to the front entrance. Initially being a patisserie before coming up with this cafe, the choices of desserts they served were quite abundant. 

The cake size pretty much explained the price. The taste was actually okay but it’s slightly too dry. I guessed they might want to wrap the cakes upon being sliced to keep them moist. 

Layered Cheesecake (IDR 40k)

If the earlier one was my friend’s choice, this was mine. It reminded me of old-style cheesecake with simple sponge cake combined with layers of cheese cream in between. Pretty similar problem to the earlier, it’s also bit too dry and I thought the cream layers were more to butter than cream. If I might advise, I wished they could substitute it with creamier ingredients to avoid people getting nauseated. 

Thai Mille Crepes 

Yeay! Complimentary from the house <3. Gorgeously presented mille crepe with the decoration of elephant on top, representing its origin - Thailand. Being a big fan of Thai Tea, I had my high expectation set on this slice and thankfully it did go beyond. The bold Thai Tea flavor blended in well with the smooth crepes. I was in love with the texture, being at the right stage between light and dense. Simply said, it’s a slice of non-mainstream indulgence. 

Hot Butterscotch Latte (IDR 40k)

Unique flavors which I couldn’t commonly find in all places always captured my attention well and made me not able to resist trying them, not to exclude this Butterscotch Latte. I knew it’s syrup but surely there’s no harm in trying. The coffee taste was medium-to-strong bodied one, but not acidic, exactly like what my taste bud loved. The fragrance was delightful as well, but the syrup doze might be too much causing it to be too sweet. Next time I would surely request for less syrup and I believed it would be my cup of perfection!

Hot Double-shot Cappuccino (IDR 42k)

Opting for the standard one, but adding extra shot, my friend got his ultimate satisfaction as the coffee was awesome! Well I guessed this place would be on out most fave list for coffee now ;)

Despite Neoma didn’t call itself as coffee specialist, surprisingly what I loved the most from this place was its coffee. I was also pleased by how nice and open the owner was in getting the inputs from the guests, especially during this soft-opening period. I couldn’t wait for the grand one, when they might come with more new stuffs and surely much better improvement.

Taste: 6.5/10

Place: 7.5/10

Service: 8/10

Price: 7/10

Thanks for reading! :)

NEOMA

Address: Lippo Mall Puri GF @ The St. Moritz, Jakarta

Phone: (+62) 811 88888 14

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun 9am - 9pm

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Kaca Jakarta

When I heard the name Kaca, I was wondering what it would actually mean, then I got my complete understanding once I arrived there, standing right in front of the venue. It might be pretty tricky to find as there’s no single signboard showing where the cafe actually resided. Luckily they put their phone number on the Instagram account so I could give’em a call and right away find it. Yep, it did mention that the cafe was next to Fortune Spa right across Citiwalk, but the missing name there gave me a doubt on which one would actually be it. Well, prolly should be taken into consideration by the owner ;)

The building was literally covered by glass windows and looked more like an office building than a cafe. I wasn’t sure if indeed it used to be an office but now transformed into a cafe, but from the conversation I overheard (oops sorry), apparently there’s a reconstruction planned on the venue itself. The current one had pretty much represented the name though and I found it so funny looking at their takeaway paper cups using the tagline of ‘Sudah ngaca belom?’.

It was a gigantic space, designed like joint living room with different setting for each table. I wasn’t sure if later when they redecorated the space they would let it be like this or they might make several private rooms as the size did allow them to do so. It was very convenient and I loved to be in a spacious coffeeshop as it gave me the impression of being free and relax. 

The big coffee bar became the order point as well and the center of attention as they displayed the pastries to accompany your caffeine cups at this particular corner. Croissants, cakes, simple sponge cake and even traditional savory snacks were there sitting in arrays. 

For the ones whose tummy could only get satisfied by nothing but rice, there were several main courses serving Indonesian cuisines with rice as the main carbo, such as fried rice, grilled rice, and others. 

Hot White 5oz (IDR 33k)

The house looked very confident with their beans when they knew you’re a coffee lover. The barista asked me if I was more into black or white and I surely opted for the latter. Yep, better go light on weekend ;). As usual, the common choices were there and I went for cappuccino. I was enchanted by this premiere trial as my cup gave that fruity flavor with light acidity at the first sip, but clean after-taste in the end. The body level also suited my liking well, being at medium, close to strong level. Great opening of the day!

Pandan Gula Melaka Cake (IDR 38k)

Having been stuck for awhile in the dilemmatic moment when I had to choose one from the 3 selections of the sliced cakes, I finally picked the most peculiar one, Pandan Gula Melaka! Yeah, this was also the one they called out as their signature and most favorite. OK, let’s give it a try then. 

Though I did think it’s bit pricey with the quite tiny slice, but the taste wasn’t bad. It’s kinda similar to pandan sponge cake, but probably a bit more dense. I did wish it to be slightly more moist, but I was impressed by the gula melaka layers in between and on top. The sweetness from it well complemented the other flavors and the additional shredded coconut made it go better. Somehow I felt like eating either putu or klepon, but in the form of sliced cake. 

Almond Croissant (IDR 22k)

I was almost ordering another sliced cake, when I spotted this Almond Croissant and somehow felt it shouted to me that I shouldn’t miss it. The appearance looked so tempting with that crumbling almond layer on top. I was totally a lame in this and I guessed my tongue worked faster than my brain, and ‘Bump!! It’s there in the order!!’

Smelling the hypnotizing aroma only could already tell me how distinctive it would turn out. Slicing it for the first bite got me more excited as I could get exposed to the crushed almond paste stuffed in this crunchy golden-brown layers. Seriously, hands up!! I couldn’t love it more than I did in this first attempt. Such a mesmerizing one, that made another bite seemed unstoppable. Flawless combination of butter, almond, and milk flavors in an exquisitely-served pastry!

I wouldn’t say too much anymore, I could just simply wish this ‘glass house’ was just next door so I could wake up to this beautiful indulgence every day <3. One thing for sure, I’m looking forward to being the first customer munching your almond croissant in the newly reconstructed outlet!

Taste: 7.5/10

Place: 7.5/10
Service: 8/10
Price: 7.5/10

Thanks for reading! :)

KACA JAKARTA

Address: Jl. KH Mas Mansyur 129 - 130, Jakarta (next to Fortune Hotel)

Phone: (+62) 811 120 7779

Operating Hours: Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm, Sat - Sun 9am - 6pm

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