Tips and Tricks : Café Hopping Jakarta

One of the reasons why I was compelled to visit Jakarta was to check out the café scene in this bustling town. I do not consider myself as a coffee connoisseur (not in public, at least), but that did not deter me to join the bandwagon and got myself into a one way ticket to Hipsteria.

The café culture in Jakarta is definitely booming, and I've made my pick to some of the commonly recommended ones, and the ones that feeds the phone camera well. I sound like a broken record, but I would say it again anyway, Jakarta's traffic condition can be a nightmare. Don't let that deter you however, with a little guide, you should be able to mobilize around like a local for your coffee fix.

Map Your Grounds

Jakarta itself is generally divided into 5 division (North, South, East, West and Central). Knowing where's where in advance would give you an advantage to the places to visit in terms of logistics. Getting around (and if you are not driving yourself), do consider Uber and the Blue Bird taxi (the most reliable taxi service in Indonesia).

Bro Tips : While I prefer the usage of Uber over taxi anytime, the disadvantage comes when it hits the rush hour carpooling time, where it is mandatory to have 3 passengers (including driver) in the personal car, so if you are travelling solo, it could impose a challenge (the driver might have to take a longer, alternative route, something that taxi drivers wouldn't have to).

South and West

I will be featuring some of the cafés that I have visited during my short trip here, so it is fair to say that these are NOT all of the cafés that Jakarta has to offer (heck, I did not even cover the Eastern part of Jakarta as well as the neighboring town of Tagerang). None the less, if you are around the Southern neighborhood, you would be able to find some decent coffee and hipster hangouts here.

Woodpecker Coffee

I navigated my way to Woodpecker Café before the rush hour kicks in for a light breakfast, and was not disappointed by its dainty but cozy place to dine in or have a cuppa. Coffee here are decent, and you'll be pleased with some of the cute chairs over here (secretly hoped that I have some home too). The cafe is well lit, ideal for any food photography (or OOTD if that's your thing), and they do have a separate area for smokers. I had the simple butter croissant (IDR 25k, MYR 7.40) and Flat White (IDR 30k, MYR 8), which is fairly cheaper than what I would normally spend in KL. 

Woodpecker Coffee, Jalan Panglima Polim V No.23, Kebayoran Baru, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta, Indonesia

Opens Daily, 0700 - 2100

One Fifteenth Coffee

           

15 minutes walk away from Woodpecker, comes One Fifteenth, another early riser café, that opens at 7 a.m. (legend says), which makes it ideal for those who needs their caffeine fix before hitting to work or so. The spacious interior and communal ambiance makes this place a great place to meet and catch up with friends, or seclude yourself to work or study. The specialty coffee available here, wouldn't hurt either, right?

One Fifteenth Coffee, Jl. Gandaria 1 No. 63, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta, Indonesia
Open daily, 0700 - 2100

Dia Lo Gue

Heading further towards the south east, would be this shop-artspace-coffee fusion place, named Dia Lo Gue (unsuspecting tourist like me would call this place Dialogue, but locals call this place as Dia Lo Gue, a play on the words Dia (he/she), Lo (you) and Gue (me) in Indonesian language). I'll be completely honest, the main reason why I came here was for the Instagrammable stairs, which was supposed to be one of the attraction here but it was under renovation when I got there (gah!).

Dia Lo Gue / Interior

I did however catch up with a local friend here and enjoy the spacious area here (not to mention that they have commendable art displays here for those art enthusiasts).

Dia Lo Gue, Jl. Kemang Sel. No.99A, RT.1/RW.2, Bangka, Mampang Prpt., Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta, Indonesia
Mon - Fri, 0930 - 1800
Sat - Sun, 0900 - 1800

Dia Lo Gue / Interior

North and Central

Now towards Central Jakarta, before making your way to visit the Welcome Monument, National Monument and the National Gallery of Indonesia, do drop by to Kosenda Hotel's 127 Café that is located nearby the lobby. Yes, this place would not be categorized as a hipster café for sure, but 127 Café do make it up for its posh seatings, and they do serve decent coffee as well. I had a drink called "Up to You" (because quite frankly, YOLO), and it turned up to be a hazelnut latte. Didn't see the connection between the name and the flavour, but oh well.

127 Cafe, Jalan KH Wahid Hasyim 127, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta, Indonesia

Open 24 hours

127 Cafe

10 minutes drive away from 127 Café is another sought after café name Tanamera. This award winning café pride themselves for using local beans, and apparently specialized in single origin coffee brewing. Plus, they have an array of cakes here to choose from. The only challenge here, is that the place is exceptionally small and does appear cramped, but that is also Tanamera's charm, a small sized café but packs a punch.

Tanamera Coffee, Thamrin City Office Park Blok AA No. 7, Jl. Kb. Kacang Raya, Central Jakarta City, Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia
Opens daily, 0700 - 2000

Tanamera Coffee

Heading far north towards Kota Tua, lies the oldest cafe (presumably in Jakarta) named Café Batavia. The dutch facade of the building where this café is located gives the impression that it is a cafe of grand proportion, and indeed it was. They have a menu of European and local Indonesia range, but being the most visited café by tourists, their price point is indeed slightly higher than regular eateries in Jakarta. Having said that, a few minutes walk away from Café Batavia is another highly recommended café (well, more accurately restaurant and bar) to savour the local cuisine at a lower price point (without compromising on taste, for sure).

Cafe Batavia, Jalan Pintu Besar Utara No.14, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta, Indonesia
Mon - Thurs, 0800 - 0000, Fri, 0800 - 0100, Sat, 0700 - 0100, Sun, 0700 - 0000

Historia Cafe, Jl. Pintu Besar Utara, Pinangsia, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta, Indonesia

Opens daily, 0900 - 1700

Left Top - Bottom, Cafe Batavia
Right Top - Bottom, Historia Cafe

I had the Ayam Bumbu Kecombrang (Torch Ginger Flower Spiced Chicken, served with rice) for IDR 45k (MYR 13) and Sarsaparilla van Indomesie (the fanciest name for Sarsi Cap Badak here), for IDR 32.5k (MYR 9.65).

Last Supper? Koultoura Coffee

Now, heading far west to Western Jakarta, is where Koultoura Coffee is. Probably the highlight of my Jakarta café escapade, this double storey café has that semi-industrial vibe, with touches of wood and steel in its interior, and interesting mural paintings and hanged paintings. If that is not hipster enough, I do not know what is. I initially targeted for the Cold Brew here but alas, it was not available. None the less, I settled for a good cup of Flat White, and a chocolate peanut butter cake. I was contented enough.

Koultoura Coffee

Koultoura Coffee, Jalan Taman ratu Indah Blok AA2 no 33, Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia

Opens daily, 0900 - 2200

I believe that there are more to explore in Jakarta on the café hopping avenue, do let me know which other cafés to visit if I am back to Jakarta (I guess pretty soon, hopefully?)

Giveaway & Watch Review : JORD Wood Watch Delmar

Watches are not just timekeepers; 

Watches are statement pieces, 

Watches speak to the style and personality of the wearer. 

JORD watches tell more than time.

It is safe to say that I have never been accustomed to hand-crafted wood time pieces, until JORD came along. JORD, from St.Louis complements authentic wood with the watch that speaks to modern accessory and fits to one's lifestyle, be it fun or formal.

Styling with JORD

The DELMAR series is inspired from the Delmar Loop, St. Louis which prides on this district's inclusive nature that makes one feels like home, celebrating individuality regardless of one's culture or clique.

DELMAR stood out for me for its quality woven patterned, tuxedo white carbon fiber display. I chose the Red Sandalwood because I was visually drawn by its maroon tone. The frame and straps are meticulously hand crafted with natural red sandalwood and pretreated with tung oils (or China wood oil, which makes the watch splash proof)  

Bro Tips : DELMAR comes in a selection of Bamboo, Green Sandalwood, and Dark Sandalwood as well.

The JORD watch packaging comes along with a beautifully crafted wooden box (an impeccable accessory on its own), the wood watch clutched to a dainty pillow, additional wooden links for the strap, standard instructions and a one-year warranty card.

Unboxing the JORD watch.

Upon placing order for your watch, you will be given an option for sizing the watch to fit your wrist perfectly, otherwise fret not as forgiving additional links allow you to size the watch to your liking. I channeled the inner watch-smith in me when I had to resize the strap at home (impressed by the fact I skipped the trip to the local jeweller with my uncanny attention to delicate details towards this luxury watch).

Stylish wear piece

Magnifying to the watch's fine details, the J for JORD is prominently found on the clip of the watch, the back of the watch and the crown to adjust the time needle. That being said, branding at its best crafted meticulously and instantly recognizable when worn (am not complaining either when people do ask about the watch, and by showing them up close, I let the watch itself do all the talking).

A quick DELMAR watch movement specifications

Citizen Miyota 2035

Display: hours - minutes - seconds

Tuning fork type: quartz crystal

Frequency: 32,768 Hz

Accuracy: +/- 20 seconds /mo

Battery: silver oxide SR626SW (equiv)

Drive system: 2-pole stepping motor

The light weight of the watch means there is no need to strain on hand movement with the time piece, making it a perfect complementary accessory to bring out and about. The woody texture of the watch fits organically on layouts (and/or OOTD) for social media photography.

Wood Situation

Give Away 
In conjunction of the review, there will be a lucky draw for all readers for a chance to own one JORD watch for your own. One lucky winner will walk away with USD $129 e-voucher and all participants will get a USD $20 e-voucher (Terms and Conditions apply).

To enter

1. Click on the JORD Discovering / Ivanium Giveaway banner above.
2. Fill in your details and you are in the running.

Fine Prints

1. The giveaway runs from the 1st till the 8th of April 2016. 
2. The contest is a collaboration with JORD, selection of winner is done by Jord entirely and unbiased.
3. By entering the contest, your details are consented to JORD.
4. The winner would be announced by Jord, whereby the $129 e-voucher winner will receive the prize and to be used by 14th of May 2016. The $20 e-vouchers consolation entries are to be used by the 15th of July 2016.

Update

Congrats Ronnie Lau for winning the $129 e-voucher, and $20 for all the other participants.

For more info of JORD and wood watches, do click on the link/banner below. :)

JORD Wooden Watches

Discovering : Jakarta

Keeping true to my annual Indonesia visit streak, I managed to snag some flight tickets to Jakarta courtesy of #OLDTOWNDestinations collaboration of Old Town Kopitiam, Tiger Air and Igersmalaysia.

The Instagram picture that scored the free flight ticket :3

While this is not my first time to Jakarta, I felt that due to work commitment, my previous trip did not do justice to experience what Jakarta truly has to offer. After the monologue debate with myself, I decided, heck, why not pay a visit to the capital of Indonesia.

Legend says that the traffic in Jakarta is a challenge for city maneuvering, I cannot argue with that fact I must say. Having landed in Soekarno Hatta International Airport in the evening (and after detouring out in Singapore by refusing to stay in the transit area for more than 7 hours), I was exhausted and I wanted to directly to head to my accommodation located around 10 minutes drive (minus the traffic congestion) from the Tugu Selamat Datang (Welcome Monument), one of the landmarks in Jakarta.

Decided against using the cab service and attempting Uber for the first time, I spent Rp 77,500 (Approximately RM 24) for a 45 minutes drive, it's definitely a wise, thrifty call.

Bro Tips : If cab is your thing anyway, do go for the Blue Bird taxi service, they are more reputable and most unlikely to short change and/or extend your travel route and meter fare.

Casa Living Serviced Residence , Setiabudi

I managed to book this service apartment room, Casa Living for RM 71 per night, I guess it is worth it due to its location and the fact that this place is relatively new.

Sundays are meant for family day, and that means most of the generic tourist attraction would normally be packed.

Bro Tips : Beware of Car Free Days on Sundays, from 0600 - 1100, where cars are cordoned off on the main avenues of the city, Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Thamrin, from Senayan area to Monas (translates - the busiest streets in Jakarta)

One of the main reason why I targeted Jakarta was that I wanted to experience the cafe scene in this bustling city, and I did managed to get to quite a number of them (in one day).

Rustic Indonesian dishes Flatlay (sorry, Instagrammers do what Instagrammers do)

After the so called traffic embargo in the morning, I met up with a friend and he introduced me to his favorite, local Indonesian joint named Pondok Laguna, where I was introduced to several local food I've yet to tried, namely the Ayam Bumbu (Spiced Chicken) and Tahu Kipas (Tofu stuffed with Prawns and Vegetables). I am fairly certain that I am a newly appointed fan of the tahu kipas (no pun intended).

MonDecor

Slotted next was to one of the lesser visited, modern arts museum in Jakarta known as Art-1 New Museum or the MonDecor. This place is fairly moderate in terms of the art displays, and I guess that is one reason why this place may not draw as many crowd/visits. None the less, the space here is ample and ideal for art seminars, workshop and art appreciation (if those fancy you).

Tugu Selamat Datang

Notable landmarks in Jakarta should seal the validity of your presence here. The Tugu Selamat Datang (Welcome Monument) and Monas (National Monument) are around 10 minutes drive away from each other. The Monas is erected at the Merdeka Square, at 132m and it is a symbol of independence struggle for the people of Indonesia. There is also an observation deck open at the peak of Monas, but it is best to head there early as the crowd there can be overwhelming.

Monas (National Monument)

Bro Tips : If places of religion interest you, you may also visit the Istiqlal Mosque as well as the Jakarta Cathedral, a contrasting presence of two religion close to each other. 

It also pays to visit the Kota Tua of Jakarta. This Old Town, also known as Oud Batavia, is inherent of its buildings with Dutch architecture facade, and it's a UNESCO heritage location. Do note the Wayang Museum, Post Office as well as Cafe Batavia, the oldest surviving cafe here.

Kota Tua

Bro Tips : There's also some Bank museums here, notably Bank Museum Indonesia and Museum Mandiri to visit.

Bro Tips : For lunch or quick bite, you may drop by at Historia, reasonable priced food that serves local food and it's cafe social media worthy.

I then made my way, braving the after work rush to South Jakarta to meet up a close friend for dinner. They said if you can pronounce the food, don't eat it. The exception of course, is when you have a local friend to recommend the best of the local food (despite it being in a non-rustic place like a mall), but hey, local food savored - Checked, company of a good friend - Checked, what more I could ask for.

And that sums my Jakarta trip, albeit the itinerary could be tweaked to maximize my time here but I am contented enough. I'm sure to look forward to revisit Jakarta, if not any part of the greater Indonesia.

Airport Situation at Soekarno Hatta International Airport

Bro Tips : Tiger Air flies 3X per day from Singapore to Jakarta.