A Day in Shibuya: Review Kopi Kalyan and Cinta Jawa Cafe

Soylatte

2 years ago

Salah satu menu di Cinta Jawa Cafe di Shibuya

After moving to the Kanto area, it finally hit me that I didn’t fit into Tokyo’s hustle environment. I don’t know if it’s because I’m used to living in the suburbs for majority of my life in Indonesia and Japan. For me, Tokyo, especially Shibuya is… too much. Haha. It is too overwhelming that I don’t even have proper photos of Shibuya crossing, Hachiko Statue, etc.

But, when I found out that Kalyan Coffee was opening in Shibuya, I was immediately excited to go. This time not with my husband, I went for a girl date or as people call it here: joshikai 🙂

Kopi Kalyan Shibuya, Tokyo

Google Maps: 6 Chome-15-14 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001 (Google Maps)

Because of its branding as an Indonesian coffee shop, I thought it wouldn’t be too crowded. As it turned out, Kopi Kalyan Shibuya was so full that we had to queue for a seat. It seemed like the majority of the customers were Indonesian, although there were also locals. Once we entered, I could easily noticed the change of atmosphere — as if I was being transported to a coffee shop in the middle of Jakarta. Some of the staff can also speak Indonesian.

Of course, you can’t say you’ve been to an Indonesian coffee shop if you didn’t order iced palm sugar coffee, or what’s called as Indonesian White Coffee / KopiKalyan on the menu. We ordered three menus:

Ice KopiKalyan – JPY 650
Matcha Latte – JPY 600
Apple Pie – JPY 700

Unlike most local coffee shops, there’s a lot of hot food here. Perhaps following similar concept to the original shop in Indonesia, instead of pastries or muffins, there are toasts, tempeh crispy, gratin, etc. on the menu.

For Muslims, there is also a prayer room at Kalyan Shibuya. The prayer room is just enough for one person, complete with ablution space. The area is pretty clean and tidy 🙂

Cinta Jawa Cafe Shibuya, Tokyo

Google Maps: Kokusai bld A, 4F, 13-16 Udagawacho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0042 (Google Maps)

After Kalyan, we moved to another location for lunch. Still with the Indonesian theme, this time we had lunch at Indonesian’s most popular place in town: Cinta Jawa.

Not far from Parco Shibuya, Cinta Jawa Cafe is also a must-visit destination for those who want to try authentic Indonesian cuisine. The menu is also quite diverse, from the standard ones like rice or fried noodles, to nasi padang, siomay (Indonesian style fish cake in peanut sauce), etc.

Honestly, after going to several Indonesian restaurants in Japan, Cinta Jawa Yokohama and Shibuya still win out. The chili sauce is just right, not too spicy but still hot. The soup menu is incredibly good. The grilled chicken and duck are also delicious. The sides are great. If you do visit, I recommend coming on a less busy time to get the best dining experience.

Because it is an ethnic restaurant, the menu at Cinta Jawa is relatively expensive compared to most regular restaurants in Japan. To give you an idea: