Bandungers have to thank Noah’s Barn for bringing the renewed spirit in coffee exploration. Within a year after the arrival of Noah’s Barn, several artisan coffee shops emerged and Chez Moka being one of them. Of course, its initial appearance is colored with experiments on micro batches of foreign coffee beans as the main attraction but will it be able to stand the test of time with its small capacity?

While other coffee shops boast their capacity and other advantages, Chez Moka survives well with its small size but with hearty atmosphere. Even so, I have to say this at the very beginning of this post. What disappointed me during my last visit was that Chez Moka let too many open air inside to ruin the smell of coffee. But not just that, smokers are also welcomed inside. Not only that it disturbed other non-smoking visitors but it may also jeopardize the coffee beans quality. Hopefully in the future, Chez Moka will consider to always close the door, put the ‘no smoking’ sign, and then try its best to obey the sign and obey and obey and obey.

On the bright side, it felt lively at Chez Moka – welcoming people, friends cheering each other, good selections of coffee, La Marzocco Linea, and a shot of Black Hole – a signature drink from here. I was immediately asked to try this particular drink – a shot of espresso with neat mixture of lemongrass-flavored syrup (if I reckon right) and simple syrup. The trick is that you have to drink half of the glass first to get the espresso punch with a touch of lemongrass and then continue to finish the drink and feel your palate cleansed by a refreshing shot of lemongrass and the sweetness from simple syrup. Neat!

My mood back then made me not to have the usual manual brew thingy, therefore I decided to see the work with the machine. I was intrigued with another signature ‘Lattegato’ drink, which I think is the latte version of affogato, but instead I chose the original version for my wife who recently fell in love with LIN’s vanilla ice cream made with liquid nitro and sunk within the goodness of espresso. Much to my disappointment, the ice cream wasn’t solid enough when presented and dominated the glass instead of sharing it evenly with the espresso. Lucky, my wife didn’t mind as Diamond’s vanilla ice cream, no matter how generic the taste is, never fails to deliver that smile even for me.

Lastly, the date ended in a sweet note came from a cup of the good old flat white. So, no matter how clouded the place was with cigarettes smoke, I found myself happy that there are more options for good coffee now in Bandung. However, as coffee business is a whole different, complex world aside from what the usual F&B world I see everyday, I still want to put my faith on Chez Moka. It does has its potentials although I think in coffee business, you really have to keep it up always with the challenge and to try to aim what any coffee shop could ever asked for – planting, roasting, and brewing at the same time. So, first thing first, throw the ashtrays out, close the door, and let’s brew that jo!

—–

CHEZ MOKA

Halal-friendly

Some menu suitable for vegetarians (non-dairy products)

Address: Jalan Sawunggaling no. 2, Bandung – Indonesia

Opening hours: Everyday, TBA

RSVP: N/A

Spend: IDR 25,000 – IDR 30,000 / person