Hey Kuro Green Garden Residence
One of my favorite salt bread brands in Jakarta Hey Kuro just opened their second location at Green Garden Residence last week. What made this location different than their first outlet in PIK is that in addition to their delicious signature salt breads, they also offer a variety of coffee and non-coffee menus that you can enjoy inside their cozy cafe. The cafe is actually conveniently located inside Ola Padel so you can play padel and get some salt bread or coffee from Hey Kuro in one trip.
If you don’t already know, Hey Kuro specializes in savory and sweet mochi salt breads (I believe they’re the first one who sells mochi salt bread in Jakarta). The brand first started in August 2024 by two sisters who were inspired by the food they tried during their travels which led them to experiment with different recipes in their kitchen. Their salt breads is one of their most successful recipes as well as their mochi that is made from scratch daily, making everything taste deliciously fresh.
The cafe has a very nice charming facade with Kuro (the black cat mascot) painted on one of the windows.
Fun fact: Do you know that Kuro means black in Japanese and black cat is considered lucky especially for women and businesses? That’s why the owners picked Kuro as their mascot. Then why Hey Kuro as their brand? Because they wanted to create something that feels friendly and welcoming and something as simple as a ‘Hey’ is definitely one way to conveys that. So when you say Hey Kuro, it almost like you’re casually calling out to a cute black cat you want to be friends with.
I went to the Hey Kuro Green Garden Residence last week during their soft opening. When I walked inside the cafe, one of the owners immediately greeted my with a smile and it felt like I’m meeting a friend who I haven’t seen in a while. What’s funny though, I never actually met her in real life prior to this meet. I got to know her because she follows me on IG from a couple of years back. And then one day, she messaged me about trying one of her products from her other bakery and that’s how we got to talking online. At some point, we also found out that we have mutual friends in real life which was a pleasantly nice surprise. So after all these years, it was really nice to have finally met her at her cafe in real life.
🍞 Mochi Kinako Custard (29k)| 9.5/10
One of my favorite flavors from their sweet salt bread lineup. The mochi (all their mochi actually) has that nice soft chewy bouncy texture that I really like and the kinako custard is also very good. I usually get one of this every time I buy something from Hey Kuro.
🍠 Crazy Mochi Ube (29k)| 9/10
The mochi-style salt bread is really soft and chewy. On the outer part, it’s coated with fluffy ube castella and on the inside there are ube ganache and real ube paste. Not too sweet and tasted really nice. I enjoyed this one.
The interior is pretty spacious, decorated with modern chairs, simple wooden furnitures and shelves and warm lighting that make it feels like I’m hanging out at a friend’s cozy living room.
🌼 Floral Tea (35k) | 9/10
Chrysanthemum Tea, Rosemary
A light and refreshing drink. The chrysanthemum was fragrant with underlying hints of rosemary. The Rosemary was not too strong and actually complimented the chrysanthemum giving it an added layer of flavor and a fun sensory experience. The lightest option out of the non-coffee options if you want something not too sweet and without milk. My favorite out of all the drinks I tried during this visit.
🍫🥥 Coco-a-Nut (39k) | 8.5/10
Cocoa, Coconut Milk Blend, Cocoa Powder, Sea Salt
This chocolate drink is not as sweet as it looks like actually. They use coconut milk as well so it tasted a little smoother and lighter than the usual chocolate drink. Perfect for one of those days when you crave some sweet chocolate drink but don’t want it to be super sweet. My second favorite out of all the drinks I tried during this visit.
🍵 Macha Nana (60k) | 8.5/10
Ceremonial Matcha, House-Blend Milk with Caramelized Banana
The Macha Nana tasted like a light dessert drink that reminded me of Banana Pudding, but not as heavy or as thick as Banana Pudding though. The banana flavor wasn’t too overpowering so you can still taste the matcha flavor. And the body is light enough so you don’t feel super full drinking one full glass of it.
☕ Kumquat Mont Blanc (55k) | 8.5/10
Batch Brew with North Sumatran Cream, Topped with Orange Zest
If you know me, you know I don’t usually drink coffee. But the barista was saying that their coffee is not too strong and I should try this one and so I did. And I’m glad I did because it’s actually good. The cold brew arabica is not too bitter and strong and the cream was super good. They nailed the texture and the flavor of the cream and the orange zest really brighten up the whole sip. A very balanced drink where everything works together. I’m no expert in coffee obviously but I really enjoyed this one and wouldn’t mind having this again on my next visit.
🍞 Mochi Miso Caramel (35k) | 9/10
(Top Left) One of their new sweet flavors. The miso ganache and salted caramel sauce actually have that salty and sweet flavor combo that makes every bite tasted fun (although it’s still more on the sweeter side than the saltier side). I like the contrasting textures of the softer fillings and mochi inside and the crunchy wheat puff toppings on this one too.
🍞 Truffle Mac ‘n Cheese (35k) | 8/10
(Top Right) New flavor in their savory salt bread lineup. The Truffle Mac ‘n Cheese filling is pretty tasty and generous. I think portion-wise, this was one of the bigger ones and a fairly fulfilling piece of salt bread.
🍞 Flossy Salty (28k) | 8/10
(Middle Right) The chicken floss is actually a bit too spicy for my weak self who can’t handle my spice but it was pretty good. My dad actually ended up finishing the rest of this one. He enjoyed it and also said it’s good.
🍞 Luncheon Crunch (35k) | 9.5/10
(Left one the plate) I’m a sucker for all things with luncheon meat so when I saw they have this one on the new flavors lineup, I was super excited. And yes, it was gooood. The chicken luncheon meat was not too salty and it went well with the salt bread. If you have it at the cafe, they’ll actually give sweet mayo sauce on the bread. But since I took mine to go, I told them not to put the sauce on top so it won’t get soggy. Even without the sauce it was still good for me. Will definitely order again the next time I go visit.
🍹 Floral Pandan (38k) | 8.5/10
Chrysanthemum Tea, House-Made Pandan Syrup, Basil Seed
(Top Right) Sweet and refreshing drink that’s perfect for a hot day in Jakarta. The pandan flavor was fragrant and took center stage of every sip. What makes this drink interesting is that you get that hit of Chrysanthemum flavor at the end. And the basil seed added an extra layer of texture to the drink. I actually enjoyed this one too and I imagined this could also be the perfect drink to have when you play Padel.
If you’re looking for a salt bread spot that offers coffee and non-coffee menus inside a cozy cafe where you can hang out at around West Jakarta, I’d definitely recommend Hey Kuro at Green Garden Residence.
Hey Kuro Green Garden Residence
Address: Jl Green Gdn Residence No.2 Blok C5, RT.3/RW.4, North Kembangan, Kembangan, West Jakarta City, Jakarta 11610, Indonesia
Hours: Monday to Saturday 10:00am - 07:30pm | Closed on Sundays
Instagram: @heykuro.id
