Tourists flock to the West Java capital of Bandung to delight in the city’s shops, restaurants, and its eclectic collection of coffeeshops. Bandung is packed with cosy places to nongkrong, the Indonesian concept for hanging out over a long period of time with great friends, good atmosphere, and tasty coffee and snacks.
Two Hands Full has captured what it is to be a contemporary Bandung coffeehouse. Traditional Indonesian coffee culture from high up in the mountains to the seaside is defined by a darkly roasted bitter taste and copious amounts of sugar. Inspired by their travels abroad to and visits to coffeeshops in Berlin, Copenhagen, and Melbourne, Two Hands Full has brought a more refined and European palate to Bandung.
Hidden away in a brick building without so much as a sign, their own roastery is positioned right at the entrance of the cafe, just to remind you that they are serious about their coffee. Not only do they roast and brew some their own coffeebeans, at their training facility provides brewing methods not only with espresso machines, but also in Kalita, Aeropress, and French Press brewing methods.
Like their brewing methods, the food menu is just as diverse. Ranging from healthy breakfast bowls to banh mi sandwiches and heavy burgers, Two Hands Full has become a firm brunch favorite.
A short walk from the entrance of the Djuanda Forest Park, Armor Kopi Leuit harnesses the air and atmosphere from the surrounding mountains and forests to provide a more traditional Indonesian coffee experience. That’s not to say that the coffee itself is exclusively traditional. Manual brews, cold brews, V60, Vietnamese drips, Arabicas, Robustas, Liberica beans, and a variety of teas fill up a packed beverage menu, which doesn’t include an array of Indonesia’s favorite snacks – fried bananas, cireng, fried corn fritters…basically all the sweet and salty deep fried things Indonesians just love to nibble on all day long.
A rather unique quirk of Armor Kopi Leuit is the ordering procedure. After you make your order at the coffee bar, you take a cross-legged seat in a pagoda or on one of the many logs and when your drinks and snacks arrive, the waiters will come out screaming your name in order to find you. Rather than taking anything away from the gentle atmosphere, it seems to just add a little bit of Indonesian idiosyncrasy.
Bandung’s coffeeshop movement is sprinkled with a lot of cafes like Spadaa. Tucked away in the smaller buildings away from the busier commercial roads, Spadaa offers cosiness rather than space, and features a short but succinct menu of coffee, juices, sandwiches, and a few desserts. Spadaa does it with a little bit more style though. Located in an atrium behind a bright pink wall, another torn down wall separates the shabby-chic indoors from the garden outdoors where you’re served through a window.
With a bakery, a separated section for smokers and vapers alike, wooden boxes for your bags and purses, Spadaa even caters to its foreign visitors by providing free mosquito repellents. It seems like they’ve thought of every little detail to make sure your stay there is as comfortable as possible.
Nestling itself in between two tall buildings near Pasteur, Tambuhak refers to itself as a food and beverage garden that is as much of a food court as it is coffeehouse. While at one end of the long garden six containers are stacked on top of each other that house the cafe, gelato bar, and rice bowl kitchen, further down the garden are five food stalls (or grobaks) and a mini market where you grab drinks out of the fridge yourself.
Tambuhak’s main draw is that it is a completely open-air garden that lights up at night with its over the top collection of fairy lights. The second draw is that it operates like a self-service food court, keeping prices low by discarding all service tax and encouraging customers to explore and sit inside, outside, and even on top of their colorful containers.
In the midst of the increasingly popular Riau area where there seem to always be new bars and restaurants popping up every day, Two Cents remains as one of the major draws for students and family alike. It is bustling with movement, energy, and enthusiasm. Brightly lit and covered in wooden panels and colorful murals, the positivity of the space is infectious.
Their experimental and fun approach to coffee is what makes Two Cents stand out the most, with their menu containing strange concoctions like the Basil Espressotini and Orange-Honey Latte Macchiato.
