At Kawisari Cafe & Eatery, with all those things, our imagination will let wander a humble village called Kawisari, in Blitar, East Java. Photos courtesy of Kawisari Cafe & Eatery/NOWJAKARTA

From Tugu’s new outlet, we can explore the way of life of the Kawisari people while sipping coffee from its oldest plantation and enjoy authentic food of the villagers.

You’re in a modern city constantly filled with honks, traffic and the rumbling of humans. At Kawisari Coffee & Eatery, with all those things, our imagination will let wander a humble village called Kawisari, in Blitar, East Java with its natural beauty and endless abundance of harvest. Imagine the cool air, dewy morning sunrises and romantic late afternoons at the edge of the lush tropical forests with a steaming hot cup of delicious coffee, freshly harvested banana fritters served with its own coffee flower honey, or very flavourful humble dishes cooked from freshly-picked ingredients from the plantation.

Left: Doger. Right: Candy Blossom Mocha

At this restaurant, we can open the day with a cup of finest Java Robusta coffee from the Kawisari Coffee Plantation founded by the Dutch colonial government in 1870, Pisang Goreng Lempang Lempung (banana fritter) and Pohong Merekah (fried or steamed cassava with fresh sambal). The restaurant provides various rice platter served in bamboo basket—a rare find in the city—Nasi Jagung Tompoh (steamed corn and rice) served with urap sayur (boiled vegetables with seasoned grated coconut), salted fish and fried chicken.

The restaurant is rich in chicken and duck dishes, using only 21-day chickens and ducks to get tender meats. Ayam Goreng Kremes, this crunchy Javanese style of fried chicken is the best main course for lunch completed with fresh vegetables and sambal.

Left: Klepon. Right: Es Tjampoer.

Since it opened earlier this year, the restaurant added a must-try list of Jakarta’s coffee and hangout places perfect for millennials. Out of more than 20 variant coffee drinks, we can also find milk-coffee blend trends, such as typical Indonesian favourites Klepon (house blend espresso, fresh milk, coconut and pandan) and Doger (house blend espresso, fresh milk, coconut and raspberry). We can also freely choose the brew method, from Javanese style, chemex, French press or cold drip.

Dhaharan Pitik

The essence of the restaurant’s food is all about humble and heartwarming from traditional recipes of the villagers. Accompanying coffee time or just pick them as desserts, Kawisari Cafe & Eatery proud to share its traditional munchies to its guests. Dicolenak Enak, inside the bamboo, represents the exoticism of the country. This grilled fermented cassava with palm sugar, young coconut and raisin with granola as topping is perfect for afternoon while enjoying the restaurant ambiance. Not enough? Serabi Mak Mak (Javanese pancake) is one of the reasons to cheer the day.

Kawisari Cafe & Eatery

Jalan Kebon Sirih No. 77
T: +62 878 8319 5051
IG: @tugukawisaricafe
FB: @kawisaricoffee
kawisaricoffee.com

Sari Widiati

Sari Widiati

Sari has been an arts and culture enthusiast for many years. She has written extensively on the arts, travel, and social issues as Features Writer at NOW! Jakarta.