TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Some 200 meters away from Jalan Kemang Raya, away from the main hangout spots, Goni Coffee found itself out of the spotlight. The small cafe, which measures no more then 4x4 square meters, is located at Jalan Kemang Selatan I.
Despite being rather secluded, the cafe never experienced a lack of customers. Some people would come by to enjoy a cup of coffee or simply order a take away. What interesting is almost everyone that came by are familiar with Goni Coffee's employee, Desi, or Romi, the barista.
"Because [the cafe] is small, the atmosphere is more intimate, including between the customers and the employyes. So its not a surprise if we happen to know our regular customers," said Agam Syar'i, owner of Goni Coffee to Tempo on Tuesday, April 21, 2015.
Agam and Fauzan Umar Ambadar, a co-owner of the cafe, intentionally puts the cafe away from the city’s crowd. In addition to provide a friendly and familiar atmosphere, both Agam and Fauzan intend to apply their personal experience from being a barista in Sydney, Australia. In Sydney, most coffee shops are small in size, which means people can heat what other people next to them are talking about.
The cafe's main blend is the Kintamani coffee from Bali. "Kintami coffee has the most consistent taste," Romi the barista said. "Maybe because the coffee farmers [in Bali] believed in karma, so the seeds they sell has the same quality as the sample seed."
Other alternatives include coffees from different regions of Indonesia, only available in certain period of time.
During the visit, Tempo was having a go at the Long Black, sold at Rp 27,000. The drink is a mix between Arabica and Kintamani coffee, and has a strong-bitter, taste.
Aside from plain black coffee, Goni Coffee also offers other coffee-based drinks, such as Mocha (Rp. 32,000). Mocha is basically Arabica and Kintamani coffee mixed with chocolate powder, giving it a lighter taste compared to the Long Black.
For the food, Goni Coffee has quite an arrangement of delicacies, including spaghetti (Rp 45,000) and hamburger (Rp 50,000), which are a good addition to a wide variety of pastries and waffles. (*)
