Food & Clubs

Coffee beansBorie, the easy going Buginese "Coffee Chief" at the Jakarta Coffee House, says of the history of coffee "Looking back historically, coffee berries were brought from Ethiopia to the Arabian Peninsula (Today's Yemen), marking the first instance of coffee cultivation. From there, coffee was transported to Turkey where coffee beans were roasted for the first time over open fire. The roasted beans were crushed, then boiled in water, creating a crude version of the beverage we enjoy today. And that's the reason I decided to use a roasting machine from Turkey."

He adds, "Initially, I wanted to establish a coffee roasting company with at least 8 machines but my friends insisted that I set-up a cafe for a hang-out. So here I am with my partner, running Jakarta Coffee House, in operation since March 11, 2011. I call my venture the Micro Coffee Roaster by focusing primarily on Arabica Specialty Coffees."Turkish made roasting machine

Upon entering Jakarta Coffee House on Jalan Cipete Raya, South Jakarta, one comes across an intriguing interior concept mixing country style with coffee warehouse, providing a friendly and warm atmosphere. Borie explains, "My partner and I shared ideas for the interior's concept and we're really proud of the outcome."

Jakarta Coffee House has consistently provided the best of 100% Arabica Specialty Coffees until now and features various types of Arabica coffee, including Organic Aceh Gayo, Sumatra Lintong, Sumatra Mandhailing, Java Raung, Bali Kintamani, Toraja Kalosi, Papua Wamena, Flores Bajawa, Luwak and their very own Si Petung.

Inside Jakarta Coffee HouseBorie shares some of his early memories about coffee," When I was just a kid playing Nintendo in Surabaya, I used to see my mother fry coffee at 11 am daily. She fried it until it became very black. Once my mother stepped out of the kitchen and I snuck in by accident and discovered that the coffee was sweet. Later, I learned that it was actually the character of Toraja coffee. Of course back then, I didn't know what type of coffee it was."

He continues, "Then I got a job at a coffee producer in East Java and my job was to sort good from bad beans manually. Bad, or cracked beans are left aside, often consumed by insects, then processed further and marketed as instant coffee or packaged sachets. So, when you drink instant coffee, you know where it's from now." After his initial commercial experience, Borie went on to taste various coffees through his significant exposure to major coffee businesses in places like Thailand, Bali and Singapore.Display of coffees

Borie aspires to position Indonesia's coffee in the best light possible while at the same time run his business following a comprehensive and rigorous system, from farming all the way to distribution. He continues enthusiastically, "I always strive for the best, to make Indonesia's premium coffees only available in our country, not like what we see happening now, where great coffee can only be found abroad. I want foreign visitors to enjoy our premium coffees by visiting our beloved archipelago. All local roasters must unite to make this happen."

Jakarta Coffee House roasts its coffee everyday, starting at 9 am with a total of eight roastings per day. The average roasting process takes 17 minutes, utilizing a modern, Turkish made roasting machine. Borie comments, "The machine itself needs to be warmed-up first for about 20 minutes. A proper standard must be followed. The amount of beans in a kilogram will determine the most suitable temperature for proper roasting. So, the appropriate temperature depends on the actual weight of the coffee beans."

Another angle of Jakarta Coffee HouseAt Jakarta Coffee House, visitors can enjoy coffees prepared in various ways. But coffee is also available in packs for take home self-indulgence. Borie comments, "We have a 2-hectare coffee plantation in East Java which we named Si Petung, after the late farmer who cultivated it. The most important thing in the coffee business is quality control and I conduct this myself to ensure our continued high quality."

Si Petung is highly recommended for a sweet aroma and smooth, mellow flavor that culminates in a clean, well-rounded sweetness and lengthy finish. Budi, a freelancer in the movie industry, is a regular patron at Jakarta Coffee House. He comments, "I enjoy various types of coffee here and I definitely always have kopi tubruk or black coffee. It's the best." Meanwhile, Radix, who used to reside in Surabaya, shares this, "I am learning a lot about coffee from a coffee diehard like Borie and honestly, I still need to adjust to the full enjoyment of a cup of kopi tubruk."

A cup of Si Petung

Jakarta Coffee House

Jalan Cipete Raya No.2

Jakarta Selatan 12410

Only smoking area

Open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Price $ $

Free Wi-Fi

*All photos by Adji Soedibjo