Saudagar Kopi: When People Know What They Sell

Coffee has become a part of our social culture nowadays. Many coffee shop has been opened in every corner of the city. Drinking coffee and hanging out at such places have become a lifestyle for us. Sometimes, it is not always about the coffee. Sometimes, it is about the place where you can spend your time with people. 

But if you are looking for coffee, not just a place to hang out, we would recommend Saudagar Kopi. The coffee shop is located in Jalan Sabang, Jakarta Pusat. 

If you come from Menteng, Saudagar Kopi will be on your left. I would suggest you to slow down as you get on the street. The shop is really small, you might miss it. I myself, came with an ojek and missed the shop.

If you come with public transportation, we would recommend Transjakarta. You can stop at Sarinah shelter and go to the street between Djakarta Theater and Sarinah, then turn left. The coffee shop will be on your left. 

The coffee shop is really simple. In front of the shop, there are some wooden table and seats. You can see pictures of food posted on unpainted wall. But the most interesting decoration is the lanterns. So many lanterns are hung on the ceiling near the door. 

Entering Saudagar Kopi, the smell of the coffee filled my nose. From the moment, I know that this place must have a really good coffee. 

Like the outside, the inside has same theme, industrial look. The wall is unpainted, most of the furniture are made from wood. They also hang some pictures of food inside. They decorate the place with some cute cups, quote board, and the coffee machine itself looks like a decoration to me. 

Not only some cutesy things, on one side of the wall, you can also see a composition of coffee. Espresso, cappuccino, americano, etc. The mural is pretty interesting to me. I think when people come home from Saudagar Kopi, they can make their own coffee based on the info graphic. 

Sitting at Saudagar Kopi, it would feel so wrong if we did not order any coffee. So, my friend ordered Iced Caramel Macchiato.

There is nothing fancy about the look but the taste is really good. The coffee smelled good even though it is not hot. Sometimes, caramel macchiato might be too sweet. This one was not. The caramel mixed really well with the coffee and the foam, formed some creamy texture. I think if you are not really into coffee because of the bitterness, this caramel macchiato will be good for you.

I myself can not drink coffee because i have certain condition. Therefore, I decided to get Iced Lemon Tea with Sorbet. I could say that the sorbet is fine. The sourness of the lemon on the tea is quite dominant on this beverage. The lemon is too strong for me. I would suggest to put some sugar on it. Or, maybe you can mix the sorbet with the tea (which I did not do).

Not only beverages, we also ordered some food. I ordered Roti Baheula Kukus, steamed bread with margarine, sugar, and milk. Baheula means something old-fashioned, something from the past. The dish itself did show that it is something old-fashioned. It reminded me of my mom. She used to made this kind of bread for breakfast when I was a kid. Except, my mom did not steam the bread.

My friend ordered Bakmi Koji Bakso Goreng, noodle with chicken, vegetable, fried shrimp ball, sprouts, and a small bowl of soup. the noodles are great and seasoned well. The shrimp ball was really tasty and had strong shrimp taste. Even though the shrimp ball is fried, it was still soft inside. Overall the was great and the shrimp balls were the star of the dish.

For all that we ordered, we spent about Rp 130.000,- included tax. I forgot to get the price detail. It was a good spent. Good food, refreshing drink, and nice place. I never knew that a good food experience could come from a 3-meters-width coffee shop.