Back when I was in middle school, boba was called bubble/pearl tea and it wasn’t as big a subcultural phenomenon as it is now. Back then, there was only one well-known bubble tea chain restaurant in Indonesia—it’s called Quickly. It used to be my family’s favourite haunts. We would stop by any outlets, even as we were just driving past it on the side of the street. Its selection of drinks and desserts were such a hoot among us. However, at some point as new forms of bubble tea (now called boba) chains started to appear, Quickly started to lose its popularity and its branches disappeared one by one. Then it’s changed its menu a few times—and now it’s back better than ever!
Back when I was in middle school, boba was called bubble/pearl tea and it wasn’t as big a subcultural phenomenon as it is now. Back then, there was only one well-known bubble tea chain restaurant in Indonesia—it’s called Quickly. It used to be my family’s favourite haunts. We would stop by any outlets, even as we were just driving past it on the side of the street. Its selection of drinks and desserts were such a hoot among us. However, at some point as new forms of bubble tea (now called boba) chains started to appear, Quickly started to lose its popularity and its branches disappeared one by one. Then it’s changed its menu a few times—and now it’s back better than ever!
Sipping on Memories
Last weekend Agung took me to the newly opened Quickly Café at Jl. Ahmad Dahlan inside Bakmi Mpek Tjoen—just across the street from Labschool Kebayoran, which is where I went to middle school. Fun fact: back when I was in middle school, Quickly also opened an outlet in the area and it was one of the most exciting things to have happened in my life—although it only lasted for a few weeks.
The Quickly of today is not the same as the Quickly that I knew from back then. After years of re-inventing their menus and branding, Quickly has finally settled into itself in 2017—and regained its popularity during the pandemic. By introducing Quickly at Home, they allow the consumers to experience their products in a whole new way. Their menu has since been revamped as well, which helps build their new image.
Last weekend Agung took me to the newly opened Quickly Café at Jl. Ahmad Dahlan inside Bakmi Mpek Tjoen—just across the street from Labschool Kebayoran, which is where I went to middle school. Fun fact: back when I was in middle school, Quickly also opened an outlet in the area and it was one of the most exciting things to have happened in my life—although it only lasted for a few weeks.
The Quickly of today is not the same as the Quickly that I knew from back then. After years of re-inventing their menus and branding, Quickly has finally settled into itself in 2017—and regained its popularity during the pandemic. By introducing Quickly at Home, they allow the consumers to experience their products in a whole new way. Their menu has since been revamped as well, which helps build their new image.
The café itself is actually really not a café at all. It is a small counter squeezed into a corner inside Bakmi Mpek Tjoen’s restaurant. Quickly itself doesn’t have a proper seating area—there is a long built-in bench on the side, equipped with cushions and electric plugs although without any tables. It seems to be a pretty area to chill while sipping your drinks, although definitely not work-friendly and isn’t really comfortable for long chats or large gatherings. According to the woman behind the counter, we were allowed to order from Quickly and sit at Bakmi Mpek Tjoen’s seating area, although we didn’t choose to sit there in the end.
Today’s menu looks very different from what I was used to back in the day—a lot of my go-to menu was no longer available and, in their place, there seems to be numerous new drink selections that I had never tried before. Agung opted for Taro Milk Tea—as per my recommendation, since that is Quickly’s signature drink—whereas I ended up choosing Red Milk Tea, out of pure curiosity if nothing else. Too bad the boba or tapioca pearls were out when we ordered, so we decided for milk pudding and grass jelly as toppings. The Taro Milk Tea tastes absolutely magical! It is not unlike sago pearls, for some reason, which feels rather homey. The Red Milk Tea was pretty nice too, although its taste feels more forgettable to me. Maybe next time I ought to opt for normal sugar.
The café itself is actually really not a café at all. It is a small counter squeezed into a corner inside Bakmi Mpek Tjoen’s restaurant. Quickly itself doesn’t have a proper seating area—there is a long built-in bench on the side, equipped with cushions and electric plugs although without any tables. It seems to be a pretty area to chill while sipping your drinks, although definitely not work-friendly and isn’t really comfortable for long chats or large gatherings. According to the woman behind the counter, we were allowed to order from Quickly and sit at Bakmi Mpek Tjoen’s seating area, although we didn’t choose to sit there in the end.
Today’s menu looks very different from what I was used to back in the day—a lot of my go-to menu was no longer available and, in their place, there seems to be numerous new drink selections that I had never tried before. Agung opted for Taro Milk Tea—as per my recommendation, since that is Quickly’s signature drink—whereas I ended up choosing Red Milk Tea, out of pure curiosity if nothing else. Too bad the boba or tapioca pearls were out when we ordered, so we decided for milk pudding and grass jelly as toppings. The Taro Milk Tea tastes absolutely magical! It is not unlike sago pearls, for some reason, which feels rather homey. The Red Milk Tea was pretty nice too, although its taste feels more forgettable to me. Maybe next time I ought to opt for normal sugar.
Same Place, Different Taste
Coming back to this area of my middle school always warms my heart. There are so many memories here, even those that were made after I moved to high school, but would come back here from time to time. Back then there were only a few small cafés and eateries nearby, where we would frequent with our friends to share small plates of food just so we could hang out. The menu was never very fancy, just simple things that would appeal to any palate.
Today, the area is lined with numerous sophisticated eateries that look way too cool and pricey to be located next to a school. I wonder if students today would also hang out here with their friends.
You know, middle school was one of my favourite period of life. A lot of people say that early teenage years are the time that shapes us the most—what with puberty being at full fledge and all—but, for me, it was extra special. That was the time I met some of my closest friends, including Uli. It was also the most emotional time of my life—on account of the aforementioned puberty. It was the first time I understood loneliness, yet also the time I made the most friends. It was also the time I lost my mother forever. A lot of good and bad things happened in all those three years, and they were all the first step to shaping me into who I am today.
Coming back to this area of my middle school always warms my heart. There are so many memories here, even those that were made after I moved to high school, but would come back here from time to time. Back then there were only a few small cafés and eateries nearby, where we would frequent with our friends to share small plates of food just so we could hang out. The menu was never very fancy, just simple things that would appeal to any palate.
Today, the area is lined with numerous sophisticated eateries that look way too cool and pricey to be located next to a school. I wonder if students today would also hang out here with their friends.
You know, middle school was one of my favourite period of life. A lot of people say that early teenage years are the time that shapes us the most—what with puberty being at full fledge and all—but, for me, it was extra special. That was the time I met some of my closest friends, including Uli. It was also the most emotional time of my life—on account of the aforementioned puberty. It was the first time I understood loneliness, yet also the time I made the most friends. It was also the time I lost my mother forever. A lot of good and bad things happened in all those three years, and they were all the first step to shaping me into who I am today.
I’m always so happy to show this part of town to Agung. I used to feel like this was our place, our little corner of the earth where we played by our rules. From one crossroad to another, this street was ours. There used to be that little café across the street, where we would all hang out after school. They sell quick and easy food, like french fries and sausages, but we all liked it. There was the internet café on the other side where some of us liked to play video games together, while others preferred the back room because they could smoke in secret. Every Friday morning we would jog all around the area together as part of the school programme and return to the school to watch a performance put on by one of the classes. Sometimes we would stay at school until late to prepare for our classes’ performance—and we’d eat nasi goreng from the food cart. We would often walk all the way to Pasar Mayestik to get school supplies and whatnot.
Now that I’m older I realise that a lot of people didn’t enjoy those times as much as I did. Heck, my middle school life wasn’t perfect, to say the least, but I liked it. It felt really magical to me somehow. I know I’ll never be able to repeat it over again. Back when times were much simpler, and my biggest worry was whether or not my crush would notice me today.
Do you have a place that will send you back to certain period of time?
I’m always so happy to show this part of town to Agung. I used to feel like this was our place, our little corner of the earth where we played by our rules. From one crossroad to another, this street was ours. There used to be that little café across the street, where we would all hang out after school. They sell quick and easy food, like french fries and sausages, but we all liked it. There was the internet café on the other side where some of us liked to play video games together, while others preferred the back room because they could smoke in secret. Every Friday morning we would jog all around the area together as part of the school programme and return to the school to watch a performance put on by one of the classes. Sometimes we would stay at school until late to prepare for our classes’ performance—and we’d eat nasi goreng from the food cart. We would often walk all the way to Pasar Mayestik to get school supplies and whatnot.
Now that I’m older I realise that a lot of people didn’t enjoy those times as much as I did. Heck, my middle school life wasn’t perfect, to say the least, but I liked it. It felt really magical to me somehow. I know I’ll never be able to repeat it over again. Back when times were much simpler, and my biggest worry was whether or not my crush would notice me today.
Do you have a place that will send you back to certain period of time?