As per tradition for the last few years, I spent New Year’s at mylove Agung‘s place. The beauty of spending NYE with his family is that the routine never stays the same, it just always includes the same people—his parents, his brother, his sister-in-law, his 2 nieces, his sister, him and me. This time the family grew bigger with his new brother-in-law joining in on the fun too.
Agung and I cooked a pretty big batch of one-pan pasta, but there was so much food besides too. We were so stuffed by the time the clock struck midnight. I love his nieces to bits and pieces, and it’s so nice to know they feel the same way about me. They’d follow me anywhere and ate our pasta with glee. What cuties!
Usually, we would go hardcore on NYE that we’d be beat on Jan 1 and would just laze around until sundown before I’d go back to my own home. This time I told Agung I’d like to explore Bekasi a little bit for a change, before making my way home. We decided to visit Vida, which is supposed to be an up-and-coming area in town. Unfortunately, the place is still mostly under development and devoid of any interesting entertainment. So we made our way a little bit further…and found a beautiful haven.
I only knew one thing to exist in Vida, which is Tuku—our favourite local coffee shop—and suggested we go there. What I didn’t expect to find was a lush evergreen setting with a garden-to-table eatery and store next door.
As per tradition for the last few years, I spent New Year’s at mylove Agung‘s place. The beauty of spending NYE with his family is that the routine never stays the same, it just always includes the same people—his parents, his brother, his sister-in-law, his 2 nieces, his sister, him and me. This time the family grew bigger with his new brother-in-law joining in on the fun too.
Agung and I cooked a pretty big batch of one-pan pasta, but there was so much food besides too. We were so stuffed by the time the clock struck midnight. I love his nieces to bits and pieces, and it’s so nice to know they feel the same way about me. They’d follow me anywhere and ate our pasta with glee. What cuties!
Usually, we would go hardcore on NYE that we’d be beat on Jan 1 and would just laze around until sundown before I’d go back to my own home. This time I told Agung I’d like to explore Bekasi a little bit for a change, before making my way home. We decided to visit Vida, which is supposed to be an up-and-coming area in town. Unfortunately, the place is still mostly under development and devoid of any interesting entertainment. So we made our way a little bit further…and found a beautiful haven.
I only knew one thing to exist in Vida, which is Tuku—our favourite local coffee shop—and suggested we go there. What I didn’t expect to find was a lush evergreen setting with a garden-to-table eatery and store next door.
📷 Fujifilm X-T100 with Fujinon Aspherical Superb EBC XC 15-45mm lens
C'est La Vida
Although Agung lives in Bekasi and I’d been ’round his family home several times since we started dating, we’d almost never gone exploring the city—only once on this blog, apparently. There are actually a lot of places that I’d like to visit, but Agung is convinced that Bekasi doesn’t have anything interesting to offer. But when we arrived at this site in Vida, he was proven wrong. In a little corner in the middle of practically nowhere, there stand two quaint little shops shrouded in leafy greens and filled with a young crowd. Just like that, I knew we had landed on a gold mine.
As I’ve mentioned before, the reason we came here at all was because of the coffee shop that we’d come to know and love from Jakarta. We thought, if we weren’t going to find anyplace interesting, we could at least get some good coffee. Who knew we would get both in one place? It came as a surprise mostly because the place’s vibe feels significantly different from Tuku’s usual vibe. And to find a local produce shop right next door? It was too good to be true!
Although Agung lives in Bekasi and I’d been ’round his family home several times since we started dating, we’d almost never gone exploring the city—only once on this blog, apparently. There are actually a lot of places that I’d like to visit, but Agung is convinced that Bekasi doesn’t have anything interesting to offer. But when we arrived at this site in Vida, he was proven wrong. In a little corner in the middle of practically nowhere, there stand two quaint little shops shrouded in leafy greens and filled with a young crowd. Just like that, I knew we had landed on a gold mine.
As I’ve mentioned before, the reason we came here at all was because of the coffee shop that we’d come to know and love from Jakarta. We thought, if we weren’t going to find anyplace interesting, we could at least get some good coffee. Who knew we would get both in one place? It came as a surprise mostly because the place’s vibe feels significantly different from Tuku’s usual vibe. And to find a local produce shop right next door? It was too good to be true!
Toko Kopi Tuku
Okay, a little introduction of the shops. First off, there is Toko Kopi Tuku, which is a nation-wide renowned coffee shop originated in Cipete, South Jakarta since 2015. It is dubbed the coffee shop that pioneered the Palm Sugar Latte that took the nation by a storm—now the menu can be found in most, if not all, coffee shops across the archipelago. Nevertheless, Tuku’s own menu has a distinct taste that separates it from its competitors. They source their own beans from their sister company, Beragam, making their coffee authentically local.
Not only their coffee, each of their outlets also adopt the Japanese coffee shop vibe with its limited space that only allows you to pick up your coffee and be on your own way. They don’t make it easy to leave, though, as each branch offers a cozy, homey ambience that makes you want to stay and stay. The limited seating—if available—just makes the whole coffee drinking experience a lot more intimate. This outlet in Vida, Bekasi, however, provides an unusual abundance of seats—with tables—where people could hang out for hours. We should know, that’s what we did.
Sherchle hat // The Beths t-shirt // Tiga Mata Sapi tote bag // thrifted skirt // VOTED socks // gifted shoes
photos of me by Agung
Javara Indigenous Indonesia
Second, there is Javara Indigenous Indonesia. To be honest, we never made it inside the store, because when we stopped by, the place was closed. You don’t know how disappointed I was. From what I could gather, however, this store is a sustainable produce and grocery store—as well as eatery—whose aim is to preserve indigenous biodiversity in Indonesia. Their slogan goes: “Sustaining Forgotten Biodiversity”, which should pretty much sum up their business’s whole mission. Although the store was closed, you could see their menu displayed out front. They offer a wide selection of traditional food from across Indonesia—with insanely cheap prices!
If you make your way to the very back of the area, the path will eventually lead you down a garden store. There you will find all sorts of plants owned by the shop. I assume, you get to either pick out the produce that you’d like to buy right from the garden, or you are expected to wait out front while they harvest the available produce. There is even a chicken coop back here—all the chickens were huddled in one spot because we brought a kitten with us, but more on that later. Agung and I didn’t stay long in the garden, because the mosquitoes were vicious and feasted on our blood the whole time. I’ll definitely come back here.
Toko Kopi Tuku
Okay, a little introduction of the shops. First off, there is Toko Kopi Tuku, which is a nation-wide renowned coffee shop originated in Cipete, South Jakarta since 2015. It is dubbed the coffee shop that pioneered the Palm Sugar Latte that took the nation by a storm—now the menu can be found in most, if not all, coffee shops across the archipelago. Nevertheless, Tuku’s own menu has a distinct taste that separates it from its competitors. They source their own beans from their sister company, Beragam, making their coffee authentically local.
Not only their coffee, each of their outlets also adopt the Japanese coffee shop vibe with its limited space that only allows you to pick up your coffee and be on your own way. They don’t make it easy to leave, though, as each branch offers a cozy, homey ambience that makes you want to stay and stay. The limited seating—if available—just makes the whole coffee drinking experience a lot more intimate. This outlet in Vida, Bekasi, however, provides an unusual abundance of seats—with tables—where people could hang out for hours. We should know, that’s what we did.
Sherchle hat // The Beths t-shirt // Tiga Mata Sapi tote bag // thrifted skirt // VOTED socks // gifted shoes
photos of me by Agung
Javara Indigenous Indonesia
Second, there is Javara Indigenous Indonesia. To be honest, we never made it inside the store, because when we stopped by, the place was closed. You don’t know how disappointed I was. From what I could gather, however, this store is a sustainable produce and grocery store—as well as eatery—whose aim is to preserve indigenous biodiversity in Indonesia. Their slogan goes: “Sustaining Forgotten Biodiversity”, which should pretty much sum up their business’s whole mission. Although the store was closed, you could see their menu displayed out front. They offer a wide selection of traditional food from across Indonesia—with insanely cheap prices!
If you make your way to the very back of the area, the path will eventually lead you down a garden store. There you will find all sorts of plants owned by the shop. I assume, you get to either pick out the produce that you’d like to buy right from the garden, or you are expected to wait out front while they harvest the available produce. There is even a chicken coop back here—all the chickens were huddled in one spot because we brought a kitten with us, but more on that later. Agung and I didn’t stay long in the garden, because the mosquitoes were vicious and feasted on our blood the whole time. I’ll definitely come back here.
Livin' La Vida Loca
Lavi is, by far, one of the friendliest kittens we’ve ever met. Usually, a kitten would be scared of humans. Whenever we’d approach, they would scatter quickly, afraid to be touched. Even a cat would squirm when being hugged or carried. But Lavi did neither. She approached us first and would sit comfortably in either of our arms. She found comfort easily on top of our tote bags, though. I reckon, she’d sleep there for hours if we let her.
After a while, Agung and I decided to take some photos outside of the coffee shop and explore the area. I wanted to see the garden store Agung spotted on the way to the toilet. Not having the heart to part ways with her, we took Lavi with us. That caused quite a ruckus at the chicken coop, as the chickens freaked out when they sensed her. Eventually, we had to let her go, but we soon found she was making friends with the other customers.
When Agung and I arrived at Tuku, we were in awe of the look of the whole area. It was so lush and so green! We were lucky that a couple decided to leave just as we finished ordering our drinks—Kopi Susu Tetangga for Agung, Es Teh Remon for me—and we got two seats by the window. We took some photos of the people outside and chatted about the beautiful place.
Not long after we sat down, we spotted a little kitten making her way under our chairs. I scooped her up and propped her on my lap, a better view for both of us to coo over her. She was super friendly and cuddled to both of us pretty quickly. When she meowed, no sound came out. How adorable! Before long, she settled her tiny little body between our laps and closed her eyes for a cozy nap. We named her Lavi, short for Livin’ La VIDA Loca—get it?
Lavi is, by far, one of the friendliest kittens we’ve ever met. Usually, a kitten would be scared of humans. Whenever we’d approach, they would scatter quickly, afraid to be touched. Even a cat would squirm when being hugged or carried. But Lavi did neither. She approached us first and would sit comfortably in either of our arms. She found comfort easily on top of our tote bags, though. I reckon, she’d sleep there for hours if we let her.
After a while, Agung and I decided to take some photos outside of the coffee shop and explore the area. I wanted to see the garden store Agung spotted on the way to the toilet. Not having the heart to part ways with her, we took Lavi with us. That caused quite a ruckus at the chicken coop, as the chickens freaked out when they sensed her. Eventually, we had to let her go, but we soon found she was making friends with the other customers.
When Agung and I arrived at Tuku, we were in awe of the look of the whole area. It was so lush and so green! We were lucky that a couple decided to leave just as we finished ordering our drinks—Kopi Susu Tetangga for Agung, Es Teh Remon for me—and we got two seats by the window. We took some photos of the people outside and chatted about the beautiful place.
Not long after we sat down, we spotted a little kitten making her way under our chairs. I scooped her up and propped her on my lap, a better view for both of us to coo over her. She was super friendly and cuddled to both of us pretty quickly. When she meowed, no sound came out. How adorable! Before long, she settled her tiny little body between our laps and closed her eyes for a cozy nap. We named her Lavi, short for Livin’ La VIDA Loca—get it?
Lastly, let me talk a little bit about the outfit—because there’s a story (or more) here worth telling. Let’s start from the top! This hat was designed by my ex-teaching assistant, Sherchle—who you may know as the ridiculously funny illustrator. I bought it at Semasa—where we reunited—and it references The Bear, Agung’s favourite series of 2023. I’ve only watched, like, 2-3 episodes of it myself but I’m very enamoured with the concept—and, ahem, Jeremy Allen White. I’ll definitely continue it sometime this year, preferably before season 3 commences. If you asked me in 2013 if I would ever wear a cap on this blog, she’d freak! Who am I?
Now, here’s the most interesting part: the t-shirt! After watching The Beths live in concert at Joyland, I suddenly had the urge to buy their merch. (Hey, that rhymed!) But, after scrolling through their global store for a while, I realised they didn’t offer international shipping to Indonesia—which sucked! It turns out, however, that their Australia store had the merch available—and at a discounted price too!
Without much thought, I asked my ex-work friend—who moved to Brisbane earlier in 2023—if she would be so kind as to facilitate me. She said she would, but how to get the package to Indonesia? After looking far and wide, I was able to find a jastip service—I can’t explain this concept in English, sorry—and, lo and behold! It arrived at my doorstep shortly after Christmas. Yeah, a long-ass story of impulsivity, basically 🤣
I just realised that most of the items in this outfit aren’t secondhand,
but I hope you find comfort in most of them being produced locally.
In fact, the socks are made out of TENCEL™
Lastly, let me talk a little bit about the outfit—because there’s a story (or more) here worth telling. Let’s start from the top! This hat was designed by my ex-teaching assistant, Sherchle—who you may know as the ridiculously funny illustrator. I bought it at Semasa—where we reunited—and it references The Bear, Agung’s favourite series of 2023. I’ve only watched, like, 2-3 episodes of it myself but I’m very enamoured with the concept—and, ahem, Jeremy Allen White. I’ll definitely continue it sometime this year, preferably before season 3 commences. If you asked me in 2013 if I would ever wear a cap on this blog, she’d freak! Who am I?
Now, here’s the most interesting part: the t-shirt! After watching The Beths live in concert at Joyland, I suddenly had the urge to buy their merch. (Hey, that rhymed!) But, after scrolling through their global store for a while, I realised they didn’t offer international shipping to Indonesia—which sucked! It turns out, however, that their Australia store had the merch available—and at a discounted price too!
Without much thought, I asked my ex-work friend—who moved to Brisbane earlier in 2023—if she would be so kind as to facilitate me. She said she would, but how to get the package to Indonesia? After looking far and wide, I was able to find a jastip service—I can’t explain this concept in English, sorry—and, lo and behold! It arrived at my doorstep shortly after Christmas. Yeah, a long-ass story of impulsivity, basically 🤣
I just realised that most of the items in this outfit aren’t secondhand,
but I hope you find comfort in most of them being produced locally.
In fact, the socks are made out of TENCEL™