Kooma Bakery Plaza Senayan

Kooma Bakery is a an artisan Japanese Bakery that first opened in Jakarta last September at Plaza Indonesia. They sell 30+ variety of Japanese breads made with imported premium ingredients from Japan that are baked fresh daily using Japanese traditional technique called ‘Yudane’ that resulted in a very soft, light and fluffy texture for all their breads. 

“Yudane 湯種（ゆだね) is a traditional Japanese approach to breadmaking that is sometimes referred to as ‘water roux’. This technique involves the use of mixing flour and water together. A simple step that makes bread go from good to great - soft, fluffy and stays just as pillowy and fresh long after baking.” —Kooma Bakery

With the variety of delicious breads that they have and the affordable price, people lined up bright and early for these breads, causing the shop to often sells out as early as 11 am (they open at 10 am). And six months after the successful opening of their first outlet at Plaza Indonesia, Kooma Bakery opened its second outlet just earlier this month at Plaza Senayan. And yes, they still sell out as early as 11 am at this location as well so make sure you go early if you want choose from their full line up of breads. 

My first visit to Kooma Bakery is actually to this Plaza Senayan location. I was with my friend who already went during their grand opening a couple of weeks ago and told me that I should try this new bakery that just opened at Plaza Senayan that always sells out their stuff shortly after they open. Since we arrived at Plaza Senayan early—we arrived at the mall around 9:55 am, five minutes before the bakery opens—we ended up lining up in front of the store to get our hands at these delicious breads. We’re actually the first ones in line and after we lined up, there were people who joined in behind us and it was quite a bit of a crowd. Not super long, but pretty long for a weekday I’d say. 

When the clock hit 10 am and the staff opened the store, everybody was just rushing inside to pick their bread. I was pretty shocked at people’s enthusiasm honestly. But I guess it’s understandable because there’s limited quantity for each bread and there were already quite a number of people who were bread hunting with us. And tell me why I entered the store having no idea what this bakery is all about (and have no intention of buying bread when coming to this mall honestly) and ended up walking out of the bakery with almost 300k worth of bread. I blame my friend really for introducing me to Kooma. Just kidding. I’m glad she did because the bread variety that they have are really unique and uncommon and it made me want to try everything. Plus she gave me recommendations on the good ones she tried already and before I know it, I ended up with two full trays of bread (she even helped me carry one of them). Because it was so hectic, not all the bread that I bought I took pictures of (and vice versa) and remember the jot down price but I’ll put the reviews on the ones I tried below.

Tuna Onigiri (28k)

Black Sesame Yuzu (25k) | 6.5/10

Was excited when I saw this flavor since I’m a sucker for all things black sesame but I don’t think this combo works for me. Flavor-wise, I think for me the yuzu flavor was a bit too overpowering so it’s more citrusy than earthy. If you like citrus flavor, you’ll probably enjoy this one. But if you’re like me who were expecting more of a dominant black sesame flavor with hints of yuzu, you might be in for a surprise.

Kare Pan (25k)

Honey Bear

Purple Sweet Potato Bun (25k) | 8.5/10

Purple sweet potato coating on the outside with sweet potato paste and chewy, stretchy mochi on the inside. Not too sweet and definitely a hit for sweet potato lovers. Pretty good!

Melon Pan

Sesame | 9/10

The black sesame paste is really nice and earthy and not too sweet. Love this one. 

Yuzu | 8/10

The bread has a nice and fluffy texture and the yuzu jam and cream combination is tangy, light and refreshing. Also not too sweet.

Matcha Azuki (25k)

Hojicha White Chocolate (26k) | 9/10

There’s no filling on this one but I kind of like that about this bread. The hojicha and white chocolate combo works really well and it’s not too sweet. One of my favorites from my haul.

Mochi Peanut Chocolate | 9/10

Love their mochi. It has a satisfying nice, soft, chewy bite. The combination of the peanut and chocolate also works well. 

Sausage Roll (28k)

Almond Roll

Also, I was looking forward to try their signature Shio Pan (salt bread) but unfortunately they weren’t ready when we were there. Maybe next time. Overall, their bread is really soft and fluffy, even when I ate some of them the next day (and even some the day after that) and their mochi texture is really nice and chewy. And the flavors that they are offering are not something that you usually find at other bakeries. If you’re ever in Plaza Senayan (or Plaza Indonesia) and happened to pass by Kooma Bakery, definitely recommend you to try their breads. A whole lot of variety of flavors and sizes and great for breakfast or snacking. 

 

Kooma Bakery Plaza Senayan

Address: LG Metro, Plaza Senayan, Jl. Asia Afrika No.8, RT.1/RW.3, Gelora, Kecamatan Tanah Abang, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10270, Indonesia
Hours: Everyday 10am-10pm

Instagram: @koomabakeryid

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OHSCENT Hannam • 오센트 한남스토어

OHSCENT (오센트) is another one of my personal favorite Korean perfume brands that has been around for more than a decade now (I believe they’ve been around since 2015). Their product line includes room diffuser, incense, fabric perfume, car air freshener, perfume sachet, hanging perfume, and hand cream that have really pleasant scents and designs. OHSCENT also often do collaborations with different brands to create unique limited quantity set of collections.

OHSCENT Hannam store (오센트 한남스토어) is actually their newer location that was opened in April 2024. This store is definitely bigger than the old one, giving visitors plenty of room to browse and try out their products that are neatly displayed around the different rooms and shelves inside the space. 

I still remember the first time I stumbled upon their old shop in Hannam-dong and saw their unique collection of car air fresheners that were on display. Back then, I don’t think a lot of places sold those so it made quite an impression on me. Now, every time I see a unique car freshener, it’ll always reminds me of OHSCENT.

I came to the store to bring my friend who’s into perfume and never heard about this brand before. We browsed around for a bit before ended up buying some stuff from the store to bring back home. I bought a bunch of their perfume sachets as well as their hand cream and gave them to my friends as souvenirs from my trip. Definitely recommend you to check out this brand if you’re looking for a good Korean perfume brand.

 

OHSCENT Hannam • 오센트 한남스토어

Address: 서울 용산구 이태원로49길 20 1층 102호
Telephone: 0507-1305-1517
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 12:00-20:00 | Closed on Mondays

Instagram: @ohscent
OHSCENT Website

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Hvala Jakarta

If you’re a Singaporean or an Indonesian who has been to Singapore, there’s a good chance you’ve probably heard of Hvala (pronounced as ‘fa-lah’), one of the OG matcha spots in Singapore that has been around for more than a decade. With five locations in Singapore, they are now expanding beyond Singapore and opened their first international location in Indonesia.

Hvala Jakarta opened their door to the public yesterday (Sunday, April 19), bringing their matcha creations from Singapore to Jakarta. The cafe occupies a pretty spacious building with matcha bar, indoor and outdoor area with ample seatings for solo patrons as well as bigger groups. 

Their menu focuses on a variety of matcha drinks and desserts that are similar to their outlets in Singapore. For their ceremonial matcha powder, they offer four different choices for you to choose from. Three of the powders—Hikari, Sei, and Haru—are from Japan and one powder—Panda—is from China. And instead of the usual 3-4 grams matcha powder per cup, at Hvala they actually use 7 grams of matcha powder per cup with the option of additional extra shot, topping it up to 9 grams per cup. You can choose anything from straight matcha, tea latte, flavored tea latte, ice blend, cold brew, to brewed tea and pair it with the selections of desserts, gelato and sliced cakes that’s on the menu. 

I came here with my friend to try their matcha drinks and desserts and here are what we ordered:

🍵 Iced Sei Matcha Latte (140k) | 8.5/10

Advanced Ceremonial Grade. Notes: Nori, Cocoa, Toasted Nut.

Their Iced Sei Matcha is very balanced. Tasted all the flavor notes and it wasn’t too bitter. Enjoyed this drink.

🧇🍨 Dairy-Free Waffles (120k) | 8.5/10

Dairy-free waffles drizzled with golden syrup, with a sprinkle of fragrant genmai (toasted rice). Served with a gelato scoop. 

The waffle has a bit of a chewy texture and not too sweet. For the gelato, we chose the White Chrysanthemum Sobacha and the Matcha °3 gelato. I think this was my first time trying a White Chrysanthemum Sobacha flavored gelato and it’s actually pretty good. It’s a little on the sweeter side for my personal preference but still okay if you eat it with the waffle. The Matcha °3 gelato actually balanced out the sweetness pretty well because it’s not too sweet. Overall, this is a great dessert for sharing.

🍨 Warabi Mochi with Black Sesame Gelato (110k) | 10/10

Warabi mochi served with a gelato scoop.

So excited for this menu because I got two of my favorite things in one cup and they didn’t disappoint. This was really gooood. They nailed the Warabi mochi’s texture and flavor and it has the right amount of sweetness. The black sesame gelato has the perfect balance of nuttiness and sweetness as well. Will definitely order this again next time I go back. 

🍵 Ice Blend Hojicha (120k) | 9.5/10

Another one of my personal favorite. Their Ice Blend Hojicha was goood. I actually enjoyed this the most out of all the drinks we ordered (but also a disclaimer, in general I think I prefer hojicha than matcha). It’s not too bitter and the nutty flavor was well balanced. A great choice for a dessert drink, especially on a hot sunny day.

🍵 Iced Sakura Matcha (100k) | 8/10

Was skeptical at first and thought that I wasn’t going to like this one because I tend to not enjoy floral flavored drinks too much but it was actually pretty enjoyable after I tried it. There’s definitely a hint of that floral flavor in the matcha, but it wasn’t too overwhelming so the matcha flavor still shone through. A good option if you want something light and floral that reminds you of spring.

🍵 Iced Banana Pudding Matcha (120k) | 8/10

The banana pudding is vegan.

First time trying Iced Banana Pudding Matcha and at first I thought it’s going to be matcha with hints of banana pudding flavor. But surprisingly, the banana pudding flavor really came through. This tasted like a dessert drink and a little heavier than the other matcha drinks that we ordered. If you like Banana Pudding, you’ll probably enjoy this one.

All and all, I really enjoyed the drinks and desserts that we ordered. Service was also pretty good during our visit. The staff was friendly and attentive and we didn’t really wait too long for our orders. Other thing to note, parking space is limited in front of the cafe but they have valet available for your convenience. 

Given that the matcha craze still going on right now, Hvala Jakarta is probably going to be one of the go-to spots for matcha enthusiasts in the city.

 

Hvala Jakarta

Address: Jl. Kyai Maja No.59, RT.2/RW.5, Kramat Pela, Kec. Kby. Baru, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12130, Indonesia
Hours: Everyday 10am-10pm

Instagram: @hvala_idn

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FELT Coffee Cheonggyecheon • 펠트커피 청계천점

FELT Coffee (펠트커피) is a Korean coffee brand that has made a name for itself in the Korean coffee scene. Started as a roasting factory in 2015, FELT Coffee has been supplying high quality coffee beans that are sourced directly from farmers around the world to coffee shops across the country. They also have opened well-designed cafes where customers can enjoy their specialty coffee made by experienced baristas in a more casual setting. 

FELT Coffee Cheonggyecheon (펠트커피 청계천점) is one of the two locations they have in Seoul where you can go to for their good cup of Joe. Located alongside Cheonggyecheon Stream (청계천)—a 3-minute walk from Gwanghwamun Station Exit 5 (광화문역 5번출구)—the spacious cafe has a clean, modern, minimalist interior that’s decorated with wooden furnitures and eye-catching deep red floor-to-ceiling theater curtains that are covering the walls.

I came here on a rainy Wednesday night after grabbing dinner at a nearby restaurant and the place was pretty quiet. Given that the cafe is surrounded by office buildings and tourist attractions that usually close in the evening (and it was raining) the lack of crowd was understandable. The cafe’s probably busier during morning or daytime I’d imagine. My friend’s coffee was pretty good and so was my Black Milk Tea. We stayed for a bit to talk and for introverts like us, the atmosphere of the quiet cafe was actually pretty enjoyable. 

With the majority of cafes in Seoul that usually open pretty late, FELT Coffee Cheonggyecheon (펠트커피 청계천점) is one option you can go to if you want to grab a morning coffee because they open at 8 am. Their coffee is pretty good and you can buy their beans to take home or for souvenirs if you are visiting Seoul.

 

FELT Coffee Cheonggyecheon • 펠트커피 청계천점

Address: 서울 중구 청계천로 14
Telephone: 02-3789-5946
Hours: Mon-Fri 08:00-21:00 | Sat-Sun 10:00-21:00 | Last Order: 2045

Instagram: @felt_seoul
Felt Coffee Website

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Boseung Hall Hongdae • 보승회관 홍대직영점

Boseung Hall Hongdae (보승회관 홍대직영점) is a Korean restaurant that’s specializes in Korean traditional soups and well-known for their delicious Sundae Gukbap (순대국밥). The restaurant is located near Hongik University Station (홍대입구역) Exit 8, a 2-minute walk (172m away) from the subway station making it easy for locals and tourists alike to find the place (and I’m pretty sure if you’re visiting Hongdae, there’s a good chance you’ll pass by this place). The interior of the restaurant is decorated with wooden furnitures and has about 35 seatings on the first floor. It’s one of those no-frills places where the service is quick, the food tastes great and you leave with your stomach full and satisfied. 

I don’t know if I have mentioned this before but I am a sucker for soups. So naturally, when I’m in Korea, I usually try to eat as much soup as possible because they do be tasting better in Korea (imho). And after eating a bunch of different soups, I have a list of my favorites and Gukbap (국밥) is included in that list alongside Gomtang (곰탕) and Galbitang (갈비탕).

What do the three have in common you may ask? Their broth already has that rich, deep, umami flavors when served so I don’t have to self-seasoned my soup before eating (like let’s say Seolleongtang 설렁탕 or Samgyetang 삼계탕 where you usually have to self-seasoned the broth with salt and pepper) and it always make that first sip of soup super satisfying. 

If you don’t know already, Gukbap (국밥) literally means soup (국 ‘guk’) with rice (밥 ‘bap’). It’s a hearty Korean dish consisting of rice and meat (usually pork) already submerged in pipping hot, savory milky broth that is served on a thick, black earthenware pot called a ttukbaegi (뚝배기). Koreans usually associated Gukbap with a fast, comforting, and affordable meal and a lot of places that serve Gukbap are usually specialty restaurants that have served the dish for generations.

Boseung Hall Hongdae is no different. Started with one small shop in 1987, Boseung Hall has been serving gukbap made with high quality ingredients for almost 39 years and has expanded their brand to multiple locations across the country. Their location in Hongdae is actually one of the spots I frequently passed by but never tried until two years ago when my friend who’s also a soup enthusiast agreed to try this place that has been on my ‘To-Try List’ for a while. We got there a little before 10 pm on a Friday night and there was a line in in front of the restaurant. Not too bad though because I’ve seen longer/bigger crowds waiting before, especially on the weekends. We waited for about 15 mins before finally got seated. 

Placed our order using the tablet order system on the table (and they do have the English option so ordering for non-Koreans shouldn’t be a problem) and our food came out 5 minutes later. Super quick service.

For the banchan, they serve kimchi (김치), Korean garlic chives (Buchu 부추), cubed radish kimchi (Kkakdugi 깍두기) and fermented shrimp (Seujot 새우젓). Pretty standard for a gukbap place and they all tasted good.

🍽️ Sundae Platter (접시순대) ₩7,000 | 9/10

If you never had sundae (순대) before, sundae is essentially Korean blood sausage filled with vegetables, glass noodles, and pork intestines. We ordered the sundae platter to try because we’re curious on what the three different sundaes taste like. Honestly, I don’t know what’s the difference between these three, but the flavors definitely reflected in the colors. The darker sundae has bolder flavors while the lighter sundae has lighter flavors. But they all tasted good though. I liked them all. Easily one of the best sundaes I’ve had in recent times.

🍽️ Sundae Gukbap (순대국밥) ₩11,000 | 9.5/10

The Sundae Gukbap includes various pieces of sundae and slices of boiled pork inside the ttukbaegi with seasoned red chili paste (dadegi 다대기) and (what I think is) perilla seed powder (deulkkaegaru 들깨가루) on top. The broth was savory and umami and the red chili paste and perilla seed powder definitely added an extra layer to the overall flavors. No additional seasoning was needed from me because the taste was already spot on. Super flavorful and comforting and oh so gooood. Pro tip: eat every spoonful of the gukbap with different banchan combination and you’ll get different flavors from each bite. Definitely recommending this menu if you want to try this place. They also have the spicy option if you want it spicy (I ordered the regular one and there’s a bit of a kick for me who doesn’t really eat really spicy food) or if you want to get the large portion, it’s available for an additional cost of  ₩2,000. 

Also, if you’re not into sundae, you can always order their Suyuk Gukbap (수육국밥) which only consists of the boiled pork slices and not the sundae.  

Other menus that they are well-known for is their Ppyeo Haejangguk (뼈해장국) which is a spicy Korean pork bone soup that’s usually the cure for hangover for Koreans (ramyeon option—Haejang Ramyeon 해장라면—is available for this one too) and that’s also why this place is a popular spot for people to go after drinking. 

Anyways, at the end of the meal, we were fully stuffed and super happy with the food (we were so happy that we actually went back again 4 days later for the second time during that trip). If you’re in Hongdae area and want to get a great soup, Boseung Hall Hongdae (보승회관 홍대직영점) is definitely a place that I’d recommend for you to try. Plus the place is open 24 hours so it’s also a perfect spot for a late-night dinner or a post-drinks meal.

 

Boseung Hall Hongdae • 보승회관 홍대직영점

Address: 서울 마포구 어울마당로 131
Telephone: 02-322-8111
Hours: Open 24 Hours

Instagram: @boseunghall
Boseung Hall Website

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