Anyone who has been to Melbourne will understand how much Melbournians' lives are steeped in (good, no, awesome!) coffee and all-day brunch food. Good news for coffee and brunch hunters in Jakarta, because one of the best institutions in Melbourne has finally made it to Jakarta. Cheers mate!
Established in 2005, ST. ALi has become an established institution, making its name back home Down Under, as well as internationally. ST. ALi in Jakarta is brought to you by the same people who runs Common Grounds in Jakarta. Choosing its first establishment outside Australia is not a joking matter, so it is kind of flattering to have Jakarta as the chosen city.
ST. ALi anchors down at Setiabudi One, a once sleepy F&B spot for the neighbouring offices and residences. I say once, because with the arrival of ST. ALi, the place will see a surge of visitors keen to get their hands on a cup of Melbourne made coffee and brunch, and the folks who come here will come from all walks of life, from the trendy head-turning folks, to ordinary passersby who's attracted by its open cafe concept. What? Yes, the cafe is open air, just like in Oz peeps.
That (open air concept) is one of the distinguishing qualities which I find highly appealing and very Australian about ST. ALi. Currently, cafes in Jakarta, which are divided into air-conditioned, non-smoking section and smoking section (sometimes outdoor, sometime a separate room). However, ST. ALi, having no glass windows / walls to close up its space, makes it feel airy, spacious, open and easygoing. Behind the main espresso bar, there are tables lining the wall, tall counters, communal tables, a dedicated filter bar. Just a few steps from the bar, towards the cafe exterior, there are a few tables as well, which I reckon must be the smoking area.
That (open air concept) is one of the distinguishing qualities which I find highly appealing and very Australian about ST. ALi. Currently, cafes in Jakarta, which are divided into air-conditioned, non-smoking section and smoking section (sometimes outdoor, sometime a separate room). However, ST. ALi, having no glass windows / walls to close up its space, makes it feel airy, spacious, open and easygoing. Behind the main espresso bar, there are tables lining the wall, tall counters, communal tables, a dedicated filter bar. Just a few steps from the bar, towards the cafe exterior, there are a few tables as well, which I reckon must be the smoking area.
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| The Filter Bar at the center of the room |
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| Matt Perger, Director of Coffee at ST. ALi, doing the filter bar |
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| Ben Morrow, Winner of The 2015 New York Coffee Masters Tournament |
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| Ben Morrow's Latte Art |
The menu stays true to its Australian origins. On the drinks side, there are White (variations of espresso + milk / foam / whip cream) or Black (variations of espresso + water), espresso, filter bar, chocolate based (mocha, etc), juice, tea, shakes & smoothies. Had their Iced Chocolate and it was authentic couverture chocolate (it looks pale, but the look deceives, it's not milky - hurrah for chocolate lovers!)
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| Mocha IDR 50,000 |
And then comes the food, Head Chef of ST. ALi, Mark Richardson was in town last week for the opening week and he was there to present 4 of the all-time top selling dishes a ST. ALi in Melbourne: Omega Love salad, My Mexican Cousin, Koo Koo Ca Choo and ST. ALi Chicken Burger. The food is heavily steeped in brunch food, so come with an empty tummy, because the servings are quite large!
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| Head Chef of ST. ALi, Mark Richardson |
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| Omega Love IDR 120,000 Smoked Salmon with new season potatoes, red onion, green beans, mixed leaves, olives, tomato, tarragon dressing & a soft poached egg |
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 Crispy potato hash with mushroom duxelle, poached eggs, shaved emmental, chlorophyll & truffle vinaigrette |
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| My Mexican Cousin IDR 155,000 Corn fritters with poached eggs, grilled halloumi, corn & cucumber salsa, kasundi & green salad |
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| Deadman Waffles with Bacon & Maple Syrup IDR 100,000 |
Of the food that I've tried over the 2 visits I made to ST. ALi, my favourite is undeniably the Koo Koo Ca Choo, because it's got mushrooms and truffle! I normally don't really like hash browns, because they're too oily, but ALi's version is not and the entire dish's portion is just right. Well, maybe I could use 1 less poached egg, but hey, if you want a real taste of Australia, this is how they do it back home, not more not less. All the other dishes are quite good too, and the portion is large, so I guess that justifies the rather steep price (still not as expensive as it would be in Melbourne though). Too bad, unlike in Australia, we can't ask for tap water here, so you gotta order the mineral water from the fancy looking glass bottles =P
Will I be back? For sure! The place is oozing with the chill Australian vibes, which relieves my sore longing for Down Under (still hangover from my Brisbane-Sydney trip last year).
Sincerely, your hipster foodie ;)
*) Prices are subject to Government Tax & Service Charge
Open Hours:
7 AM - 10 PM (daily)
ST. ALi
Setiabudi One
Jl. Hr. Rasuna Said No.63
Setiabudi, South Jakarta 12920
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