..It's a journey after all.. : Food and Travel Blog based in Jakarta: cafe review
Showing posts with label cafe review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cafe review. Show all posts

Monday, 17 June 2013

Pipiltin Cocoa : a little too late.. (depending on how you see it)

I believe there are always two sides to every story, two ways on seeing how things go and two ways to decide which side you are on. A little epiphany caused by my own idiocy on the term of what so called 'a little too late', put me into some thinking about perceiving it into two perspectives. It may get a bit out of topic from reviewing Pipiltin, but if you have the spare time to carry on reading, I hope it'll amuse you..

SELF-IDIOCY :
For starters, I was given two discount vouchers to enjoy Pipiltin's artisanal plated dessert. Despite the fact that I had been looking at it for more than a couple of times, I failed to realize that there was an expiry date. I came just a few days after and innocently handed the vouchers to the confused waitress. A little too late.. In here, the term late has turned into something permanently wasteful. There's just nothing you can do about it to make things right, to make it the way you want things to be.. A little too late, when the 'little' makes a big difference..

If you let yourself see things from the other side :
The trend of serving deconstructed and plated dessert has existed for quite a while in the international food industry. Although, we are a little too late in tailing this trend, Pipiltin has managed to stay only a little too late, in other words, still has the chance to catch up as it is the pioneer which serves plated desserts in Indonesia.. This fact, in fact, contradicts to my first perspective. The term a little late became almost apologetically fine. Unlike my previous story, Pipiltin has the chance to catch up and make things right. I assume, soon, there will be new cafes copying the same thing.. Soon..

For what it's worth, this is a spontaneous brief post. For what it's worth, I hope you get what I meant. I hope you can see things from the other perspective, from a better perspective for a better insight. Okay, enough procrastinating.. Here's the deal..

A dessert cafe which serves their own bean to bar processed chocolate!
First thing you will see is their own chocolate factory. I even saw the cocoa beans myself!
The cafe is placed on the second floor.. So up up you go..
Filled with wooden furniture in an industrial minimalist interior, the whole place screams simplicity as its best. They are definitely trying to sell their products, not only the ambiance itself. It'll be perfect if they put on some classic jazz songs.. 
Just for a quick view of the whole place.. Plus that poor forever alone Caucasian (who seemed really sad).. 
This big poster tells you the simplified steps of chocolate making..
The menu with animated cocoa beans..
Colorful macarons and flavored chocolates were presented in the middle of the cafe. A good strategy to lure the sweet tooth to spend their money on these babies..
Earl Grey Tea (25k)
Spicy Cinnamon Chocolate (33k). It's really spicy. Well, not in a 'fiery I wanna kill myself' way. It's the perfect drink for a cold rainy day! The mild cinnamon heat gave that extra 'mmph' which differentiates itself from a normal hot chocolate..
Devil Chocolate Brownie (45k). Well well, I am a sucker for desserts. Brownie topped with velvety, slightly thicker chocolate lace and a scoop of double vanilla ice cream. Completed with some crumbs I couldn't exactly tell what it's made from, but to sum things up, I had a brownie sugar rush!
Tabanan Chocolate 64% (50k). It is a completion of mousse, spiced creameaux, chocolate pearl, and dehydrated chocolate mousse (as written in the menu). But since we might have a difficult time in guessing which one is which, I make my own version of explanation. The foam : I could barely taste any scent or flavor. Chocolate balls : Inside was thick chocolate filling. The caviar-like : the chocolate pearl (Guessing), but it was also kinda bland. I'm assuming it's made to balance the sweetness from the chocolate balls. The lump of what looks like little balls of poo : well, it was yummy, in spite of what it looks like. Last but not least, there were those slabs of whatever that is, instantly melts when put it inside your mouth. Ouh, as if it weren't enough, you'll get that little pop rocks-like that will explode in your mouth.. 
Well, two plated desserts seemed reasonable to be gobbled by two people. I, in one perspective, was very optimistic in finishing both. On the other hand, my so called zombie companion, hated the idea of ordering all chocolaty desserts (Now you know who ordered the hot chocolate and who ordered the tea).

I hate to admit, but Mr.zombie was right. My burning optimism seemed to cool itself down.. I was so hyped up from all the sugar rush before I can finish the whole thing and found myself sick of the sweetness. In which I can now add a third conclusion, the third case of seeing things: Your mind plays tricks on you!! LOL

Pipiltin Cocoa
Jl. Barito II no.5
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pipiltin-Cocoa/518558441524346?fref=ts

Friday, 26 October 2012

little rendezvous at Sabang 16

Last week, this guy in the picture, who happens to be a coffee lover, asked me to have a little rendezvous with him at Sabang 16.. When I googled about the place, it turns out that Sabang 16 is located at Sabang Road number 16B, which is also easy to be spotted cause it's located next to Kopitiam Oey, which happens to be owned by Mr. Bondan Winarno, our national famous foodie, and it's almost at the very corner of the Sabang Road itself, just a few metres away from The Baked Goods..


Why Sabang 16?

Well, it serves good coffee with a reasonable price...
They serve nothing heavy except for Indomie, our national instant noodle, or some fries and chicken wings
People always boast about their famous Kaya Toast
I just happened to be in the mood to be an explorer, going somewhere out from my neighborhood area

So it's 7 p.m and when we arrived there were no empty seats. Yes, the place is small enough that when someone is talking, I think all the people inside might have a good chance in hearing it, especially when you are sitting next to their table. The red wall inside, which is very contrast to the white paint from outside, accentuates the darkness of the night. It's pretty easy to be attracted to this small cafe when you are just walking by as the clear window glass allows you to glare at the whole interior inside. Decorated with photo frames and paintings hanging on the wall, the small space blooms coziness. I did not expect to get any intimacy in here considering the small space, but somehow the atmosphere given from Sabang 16 was intimate enough (if you know how to control the volume of your voice and everybody seemed to be in control of theirs)



Can you tell where I am? See how little space they got, yet people keep coming and going from endless time to time..
Desperate for coffee, yes, we both were desperate.. And we happened not to notice that it was 7 p.m. I wasn't even hungry, but we ordered two meals and two cups of coffee.

Simple one page menu
Aceh Gayo coffee (18k). Quite acidic.. Feel free to ask the waiter about the coffee choices..
Papua Nabire ala Vietnamese coffee style (18k). Papua Nabire is the mildest coffee they have
Stir all that condensed milk
The famous kaya toast (16k). The bread is quite thick compared to the usual kopitiam kaya toast. 
Yes, look at that glistening slimy sweet shiny beautiful kaya.. MY PRECIOUSSSSSS 

French Toast (14k). Not bad, not bad at all for a little cafe like this. The bread is dipped in egg milk batter before processed and served with honey and a touch of cinnamon 
I even get to spend some time enjoying oldies American poetry.. This happens to be a real candid photo..
Well, this one, I was just being plain narcissistic
In a weird way, I love the fact that this place is small. The idea is simple. A small down to earth space serving good coffee and good Kaya toasts with never ending customers pouring in at day and night and night and day.. If you need to kill time, give this place a visit. Be adventurous with the coffee choices. Order a sweet treat to accompany your cup of caffeine.. You might find this place as comfy as how I found it.

Sabang16
Jl.KH.Agus Salim (Sabang) no.16b Jakarta Pusat
twitter : @Sabang16
Open daily at 7am-11pm