Sunset Rollercoaster ft. OHHYUK - Candlelight

 

Whatever happened that night 那夜僅限那夜 We just won’t recite 我們不會回味 Now those moments we’d had 將共度的時光 All snuffed out like those candlelights 連同燭光吹滅 All snuffed like candlelights 連同燭光吹滅 Left up to broken memories 讓記憶淪為斷片

Kau Ingin Istirahat

tidur panjangmu berakhir karena cahaya liar menggerasak celah matamu

rusuh, kau terbangun memegangi kepalamu

benda itu terasa berat dan panas seperti batuan neraka

bagai pedati tua yang keberatan, kau kumpulkan kesadaran dengan penuh kerepotan

cermat kau seka yang sempat bergulung di tepi mata

mengantarnya, menyimpannya rapat di tempat paling rahasia di kamarmu

kau lagi-lagi berbicara sendirian

dan aku tahu kau tidak suka itu

di antara yakin yang kau pertanyakan

dan percaya yang kau ragukan

aku ingin hari ini kau terpejam tanpa keresahan

SAWO COFFEE AND ROASTERY BANDUNG

the cute little cup of tea

Hello, friends. How're you doing? 

I really hope you're doing okay and great. I know it is impossible to stay sane and completely unbothered by the fact we're living in the middle of a Covid-19 pandemic but really I wish the best for you and your family's wellbeing during this hard time.

Today marks the 53rd day of me not going to school and the 9th day of social distancing. I was supposed to go back to Jakarta last week but they decided to prolong the holiday as a precautionary measure to avoid the spread of coronavirus. How do I feel? Mostly I'm just bored or feel nothing I guess. Some days I woke up in the middle of the night feeling anxious about how's life gonna be tomorrow. Honestly, I worried a lot about my parents and grandparents but the rest, I was just sleepy all the time. There has been so much to talk about life during Covid, sure I'll write that in a separate post but today let's just think about happy places instead of grieving bad days.

simple outdoor seating with a carpet of gravel stones

As one of the hottest tourist spots in Bandung, Jalan Braga lives in this beautiful charm that never fails to attract more and more people to come there. It's like the street remains the same when in fact, it changed a lot. Sometimes it's so hard to keep up with these rapid changes in Bandung but as a birthplace to new-found concepts and ideas, I actually wasn't surprised because this is what this city is all about. Sawo is the change I notice the most when I went back to Braga last month. Located across Starbucks Braga, the coffeeshop stands under the roof of a 2-floor white building with its delicate interior design. The concept is so different from coffee shops nearby like Toko Kopi Djawa or Upnormal which is so determined to preserve the original shape of the building (which is fine). Sawo took a big move as a newcomer to the coffee game as there were already multiple options of coffee stops in Braga. Even though they're still young, Sawo is always packed with teenagers especially on the weekend.

the indoor area is quite big but there are only 25-30 chairs inside

I ordered Lemongrass and Ginger Tea the first time I went there (probably because I watched too much TV the day before. 4 weeks ago, our health minister said Indonesia won't be affected by coronavirus as we're accustomed to drinking herbal tea and jamu which established a strong immune system. He also denied research coming from a Harvard epidemiologist who said coronavirus has possibly hit the country by the time he released the study *facepalm* --yeah look at us now, 4 weeks after, we're struggling sooo hard with 10% death rate--). Anyway, because I came a bit early to the shop (it was only 9 or 10 in the morning), I sat on a hot seat where there is a table for two with an electricity socket. They had amazing mixtape, which I think is as important as how good the coffee tastes, along with fast internet connection (most important important). The only problem I found is the electricity socket, unfortunately, couldn't hold the weight of my bulky laptop charger. I need to prop the charger up so it could function as usual but I could not hang long so I decided to use the remaining battery. 

Pain au Chocolat

One day I came again there and ordered Iced Sea Salt Chocolate and a butter croissant because I haven't had anything for breakfast. I had zero expectation to both drink and meal but I got to admit, it was -so far- one of the most perfect combinations to indulge in the morning. The croissant was warm and moist it almost impossible to believe that there's a perfect croissant like this in a local coffee shop. The chocolate wasn't that sweet like St*rb*cks' signature chocolate because it was made of 59% dark chocolate and the hint of sea salt made a little twist to the taste. It feels ... so comfortable to drink this one. They had various options of coffee ranging from espresso-based to manual-brewed ones. They also had this Es Kopi Sawo and Es Kopi Aren in their kopi-susu range. As someone who doesn't drink coffee, I usually choose between manual-brew tea or ice chocolate.

coffee stations with a small display of bakery and cakes

They have a couple types of tea leaves but what excited me more was they have multiple choices of chocolate drinks. There are Milk Chocolate, West Java 60%, Sulawesi 72%, and Sea Salt 59% available. The percentage is the amount of pure cocoa contained in the drink: the higher the number the bitter it'll taste. I am so happy to find this kind of option because rarely I saw something like this, especially in a local coffee shop before.

what Sawo had but other coffee shops didn't: well-thought furniture and simple-cut wall decors

Besides its great beverages and food, Sawo is a comfortable nest for those who just wanted to talk over coffee and also to college students who seek a cozy place to study (except on weekend). The indoor area is quite big but they have very limited seats inside. I don't know what's the reason but other coffee shop managers (like me, for example, hahaha) maybe will add 3 or 4 extra tables with extra 8 chairs (business-wise.....). Yet at the same time, the lack of chairs and tables clearly made the room broader so both customers and crews were comfortable to walk around. 

The relaxed mood was built by well-thought choices of furniture, wall decor, indoor plants, and warm lighting set-up. Its sleek interior design captivated people to utilize this place as an Instagram-approved coffee destination. I won't deny, people come to instagrammable places these days! This place usually packed by the weekend so make sure you come early if you want to try the place out.

Sawo on Saturday night

Sawo Coffee and Roastery Bandung
Jl. Braga No. 76
Bandung

Verdict
Pros
1. Big space, prime location, comfortable ambiance

2. Great F&B

3. Electricity sockets available (sockets couldn't hold the weight of bulky charger laptops, recharge your laptop first if you  don't want to take any risks of not being able to use the socket properly/ask the crew to help you out)

4. Affordable

5. Good and nice service from the crews

Cons

1. No parking space for cars and limited parking space for motorcycles (park your car in the mall across the cafe)

2. Limited seats, packed and quite loud on the weekend

3. Gravel stones in the outdoor area made it's quite dusty outside, be careful if the dust gets into your cups/plates

Comfort Food at Imah Babaturan Bandung

Imah Babaturan simple welcome sign

Two weeks ago, I went to visit a small local diner located behind the hustle-bustle of Balubur Town Square Bandung called Imah Babaturan (Imah Babaturan is a Sundanese term to a friend's house). This time I tagged along my boyfriend cause we've been wanting to visit this place for quite a while. Obviously, it was his first time there but not mine. Yet, because I haven't been there for about six months (or more?), it felt like my first time all over again.

The welcome gate where you could read a brief of their history

Imah Babaturan is located at Jalan Kebon Bibit No. 3 Bandung. They define themselves as an old-school coffee-shop (warung kopi) albeit they are more famous with their home-made cuisines. Various choices of simple and comfort foods you usually encounter at the top of dinner table at home are ready to be served starting from 7 in the morning every day. I should thank my friend Ulay because without her excessive Instagram-stories and rave about this place, I would never find this gem two years ago.

The indoor area is the area with white wall, separated by the sliding door with the outdoor area which is the one with blue wall

The place is quite small for a diner but comfortable enough to shelter about 50 people at once. The shape of the building clearly shows us that it is a house turned into a business place. They use old-fashioned school chairs and benches that are mostly repainted in blue. Walls are painted in rustic style and some parts were left unpolished just like common warungs nearby our house. Not so picturesque and far from sophistication but this set-up really emphasized a modest feel as if I was literally visiting a friend's house. Divided into two parts, we could choose to be seated outdoor or indoor. I'd prefer outdoor area at any time unless heavy smokers flocking there (no offense but I have a terrible problem when breathing cigarettes' smokes). Indoor area is air-conditioned and restricted for non-smokers only. When rainy days come, the outdoor space is a perfect spot to indulge in the best dishes while enjoying the cold mist that goes down slowly outside (yes, I'm still a sucker for cold places).

Cashier guy looking so serious behind his 'bar'

Spot this blackboard in the diner where you could see chef's recommendations

Every dish is made promptly after you place the order. That's why in the middle of a lunch break or on the weekend when the diner is full, you have to be extra patient as every dish is made individually. This is not a fast-food chain so please bear with them. The most unique part of Imah Babaturan is because they have 2 kinds of main course menu which are the everyday menu and the weekly menu. The everyday menu consists of meals you could order every day because they are practically available throughout the year. On the other hand, they also have a weekly menu that consists of specific/curated dishes available only for the specific week. The weekly menu will change every week and will vary depending on the cooks and owners' choices.

Cumi Sambal Kemangi

Bebek Bumbu Hitam that comes with chunks of bala

We ordered Nasi Cumi Kemangi, Nasi Bebek Item, Tongseng Kambing, and Bala-Bala Sambal Kacang. More than plenty for two but we had no other choice cause everything is so tempting. My favorite is Nasi Cumi Kemangi which basically grilled squid cooked with sambal bawang and sprinkled with lots of fresh basil leaves. The squid was juicy and chewy at the same time. It was perfectly seasoned that I undoubtedly approve this meal as my personal super favorite in Imah Babaturan. It's delicious, savory, and also super hella spicy as every dish with sambal should be. D had his warm steamed ricewith Tongseng Kambing and Bebek Item along with a nice basic omelette. I could see he was struggling with the spicy sensation coming from the meals as he bathed in sweat all over his face. Eventually, he enjoyed them too of course with a help of kerupuk kaleng and perpetual glasses of ice tea hahaha. Note that most of the dishes are spicy but if you want, you could ask the chef to make it less spicy for you. What shouldn't be skipped too is everyone's favorite: Nasi Cumi Cabe Ijo which is steamed rice topped with a generous amount of squid cutlets cooked with green chili. This is also spicy but far below the spiciness index of Cumi Kemangi.

Temulawak Extract, Cold Brew Coffee, and Apple Cider in a beer-like bottle. The temulawak extract is sweet and will be best served chilled.

If you feel like having something lighter, they also have Bala-Bala Sambal Kacang (vegetable fritter with peanut sauce), pisang/singkong/ubi goreng (banana/cassava/sweet potato fritter), or Ketan Susu (sticky rice with milk gravy) which is also great at taste.

Old camera display placed on a shelf inside the diner

I always have an amazing dining experience here in Imah Babaturan. This is probably one of the best places to go when I crave something simple and warm. Oh, they're also available to order through ride-hailing apps like gofood and grabfood with limited choices of meals. Don't forget to give the driver extra tips or drinks cause I'm sure they will have to wait quite a long time.

Cheers,
R
-----

PS: If you're lucky, the Tabebuia tree in front of the diner will bloom with pinkish sakura-like flowers once a year. I once came there when the trees were on a full-bloom making it even prettier.
PSS: The krupuk kaleng (crackers inside the hanging tin) is free of charge. You could have as many kerupuk as you want.The most delicious one is the one inside the middle tin.

2020, Eventually ..

"The day is long but the year is short.."

I cannot find any suitable words to represent how my 2019 was other than those words above. Many things happened along with life lessons and wisdom to learn. But most of all, this year taught me how important it is to stay true to ourselves more than to others and more than before.

In 2020 may we be courageous enough to be unapologetically ourselves, and as Harari said, may we keep our fears under control and be a bit more humble about our views.