The best places for a sip of tea in Jakarta
The best places for a sip of tea in Jakarta
Susanna Tjokro, Contributor, Jakarta
A great deal of scientific evidence has been gathered on the health benefits of drinking tea. According to some experts, drinking one or more cups of tea a day can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and some types of cancer.
Besides the health benefits, there is also much to be said for the advantages of sitting down to cup of tea to forget, if just for a few blissful moments, the tensions and problems of everyday life.
With all this in mind, come take a tour of just a few of the best places in Jakarta to sip a good cup of tea.
Fountain Lounge
Grand Hyatt Hotel, Mezzanine Level, Jl. Thamrin. Telephone (021) 390 1234. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.
If you find that mass-market tea bags leave something to be desired in terms of flavor, you will love this place. Here you can order a cup of tea brewed from tea leaves. The tea is served in a special tea pot with a built-in "presser" that holds down the loose tea.
The tea is displayed in jars and there are fruit flavored teas such as wild strawberry, apple, lemon, mango, peach, wild cherry and black currant. They also have a selection of Husk Herbal Infusion teas, with names like Digest, Harmony, Calma, Revive and Dream. All of the teas cost Rp 35,000 for a pot.
I chose Calma, which proved to be a bit bitter for my liking, though the aromatic bouquet was quite enjoyable.
They also serve refreshing fruit-flavored iced teas in large glasses.
Fountain Lounge also has a selection of snacks. The crispy fried cuttlefish balls (Rp 45,000 for six balls) is pricey but delicious, and is a favorite.
One loyal customer said, "I like the Fountain Lounge, mainly because I can see Jakarta by night through the windows while I sip my hot tea."
Coffee Club
Plaza Senayan, First Floor, Jl. Asia Afrika. Telephone (021) 573 0910. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Mix together a cool crowd, tasty food and great coffee and you have the Coffee Club, according to fans of a minimalist style cafe.
And despite its name, Coffee Club also sells a varied selection of teas. Their selection includes Oolong Chinese tea, Japanese tea, Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Jasmine, and hazelnut tea (served with milk).
The chamomile tea (Rp 17,000 for a small pot) smells delightful and has a gentle sweet taste. Add a little honey and you have a very good cup of tea.
The berry tea also smells delicious, though it was a little sour for my taste. The peach tea, though, is a distinctly flavorful tea.
Looking for Indian tea? Try the Nilgiri -- meaning Blue Mountain -- from southern India (Rp 16,000), with its delicate fresh taste.
Coffee Club also has some very good cakes, including a Blueberry Cheesecake and a Chocolate Tiramisu (Rp 18,500).
There is one drawback, however, and that is the cigarette smoke, which even in the non-smoking section can prove difficult to avoid. But if you can ignore this, Coffee Club is a good place for a cup or two.
Saint's Alp Teahouse
Mal Ciputra, Fifth Floor, Jl. Letjen S. Parman, Grogol. Telephone (021) 568 1484. Open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Located in a clamorous mall, this place offers friendly service and exotic tea. However, if you only frequent chic cafes this is not the place for you, as there is nothing special about the interior. But if you want a wide selection of good teas at reasonable prices, you'll love the Saint's Alp.
You will find such exotic teas as Ice Roasted Oolong and Ice Roasted Ti Kwan Yin (Rp 8,750 for regular and Rp 11,500 for large).
"Ice roasted" means that the traditional charcoal roasting process has been used on semi-fermented Oolong and Ti Kwan Yin teas (Ti Kwan Yin is also known as Iron Buddha).
This delicate roasting process increases the distinct aroma of the charcoal scent, and guarantees a rich and intricate finish to the tea. Or that's how the waiter explained the meaning of "Ice roasted".
And if you get a little confused by some of the terms here, don't hesitate to ask the friendly waiters. I asked a few questions and was rewarded with some free jasmine tea jelly!
The honey green tea with pearl tapioca (Rp 10,750) is served chilled. The tea was fine, but I found the tapioca pearls too chewy. But in some countries, such as Taiwan, adding tapioca pearls to drinks is the trend.
They also offer food here. The green tea noodles with fried cuttlefish balls is rather good and costs only Rp 14,500.
"I want good tea and appetizing food, and this place has them both at reasonable prices," said one regular visitor.
Lobby Lounge
Kempinski Hotel, Ground Floor, Jl. Sudirman. Telephone (021) 251 0888. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Offers both tea bags and loose tea, with no difference in price. If you prefer the latter, you must inform the waiter when ordering, or they will give you a tea bag.
A small tea pot costs Rp 18,000 and among your choices of tea are jasmine, Oolong, English Breakfast, chamomile, Earl Grey and Japanese green tea.
For the fruit-flavored iced teas, the Lobby Lounge only serves tea bags. The flavors you can choose from are mango, strawberry, orange, lemon and peach.
The waitress informed me that my delicious iced mango tea was made using Pickwick tea bags. It came in a small jug (Rp 22,000), with some diced mangoes swimming inside.
One guest said, "I like the fresh iced teas and the soothing ambience."