Hidden Low Profile Japanese Cafe & Eatery Owned by Real Japanese Living In Indonesia
In Indonesia, cafe/coffee shops with Japanese style/concept based involving ornaments, menus, and interiors are not difficult to find especially in urban areas, cafe/coffee shop. However, most of those places are rarely owned by real Japanese. The owners are commonly a local who loves or has a strong interest in Japanese culture/style. But what if there is a place where it is owned and managed by a real Japanese person and located in an unusual area?
During my visit to Cinere, Depok, West Java, I was looking for a place to zip for a coffee and do a little bit of work. I searched on Google Map for a nearby coffee shop and found that this place was the nearest. The place is called Sinchan Cafe and had great positive ratings on Google. However, when I checked the location and spot, I was a bit curious as the access to get there was kinda hidden. It's not located in a busy commercial area or vibrant hangout spot. Instead, it is in a quiet neighborhood. The road to get there also needs to pass some narrow streets and corners. Despite the condition, I still decided to check it out. Moreover, I am interested by its name "Shinchan" which refers to a famous old comedy manga & anime, "Crayon Sinchan" which became my childhood memories and the positive reviews must tell if there is something special I could get from this place.
When I arrived, I expected the place to have at least Shinchan cartoon graphics or ornaments on it. However, the front side doesn't show any Shinchan ornaments; instead, the decoration is much simpler and more traditional, with a Japanese lantern, Japanese-style red fences, and a simple painting of a traditional Japanese couple; it looks a bit like a school, in my opinion. The name sign itself looks very simple, not using stylish font/design. Overall, the front look design gave me the impression that the place is independently designed by its owner and does not involve any professional cafe designer/consultant. Although the overall aesthetic could be refined further, the positive reviews must be more than just about appearance. So, I still keep my curiosity and excitement to discover more.
A friendly, humble couple greeted me, the wife is local and the husband seems to be Japanese or any East Asian ethnic. I had some conversation with them and it turned out that the husband is real Japanese and his name is Mr. Sinchan which is also used as the name of the place. Ahh...now I know why the name in Sinchan but no any Shinchan cartoon ornaments at all. They met when the wife worked in Japan as foreign workers, felt in love, married and recently moved back to Indonesia then decided to open this cafe. The husband can speak basic Indonesian (Bahasa), I spoke mostly with the wife. She told me if the majority of their food and drink ingredients are real Japanese either they import it straight from Japan or purchase it in local Japanese supermarket. Hearing this statement kinda convinced me if the menu must be great ! I think I just found one of the unique strengths that this cafe had to offer.
I looked at the menu and found out if the price are actually quite affordable, a cup of coffee cost you around 20 - 30,000 IDR (around 1 - 1.5 USD) and a portion of meal / snacks cost around 20.000 - 60.000 IDR (around 1 - 3 USD), pretty great value for authentic food and beverages. As I had my lunch already, I ordered Taiyaki (traditional Japanese fish shaped cake dessert) and their signature coffee - Coffee Shincan (black coffee with creamer) to accompany my chill, cant wait to try !
The first bite of the Taiyaki really made me stunned ! The cakes layer are soft and dark chocolate filling felt so melted in my mouth. Combined with the coffee which also made and offer a great blend of black coffee bitterness and cream sweetness, it just made my afternoon chilling more flavorful. It's definitely 10 out of 10 for me and made me want to go back again to try their other menu and on the next visit I would like to try their heavy meal such as Katsudon, Okonomiyaki, etc. I went back to the couple again and had more conversation, according to them many of the visitors are either common people who wants to chill with coffee, Japanese food lovers even Japanese culture/language clubs. The last group are become their regular and they love to come not only to enjoy the food and drinks but also to meet with the owners and practice their Japanese language or exchange culture. Great menus plus the friendliness and humbleness of the owners who are native Japanese I would say are the main strengths of this place despite its minimalistic design and hidden location. No wonder it gots up to 5 stars in Google reviews. That's all my share from today, perhaps the message I had from visiting this place is "dont judge the book by its cover", quality matters over appearance. Really looking forward to go back again to try their other menu and curious if there are anything new with the decoration as they said they still decorate the cafe step y step. Anyone of you who are in favor of Japanese menu, culture and wish to practice your Japanese with native speaker, I strongly recommend this place !
Business information :
Kafe Shinchan
Jl. Solok 3, RT.04/RW.09, Limo, Kec. Limo, Depok, West Java, Indonesia
Operating hours :
Wednesday : 10.00 am - 09.00 pm
Thursday : 04.00 - 09.00 pm
Friday : 02.00 - 09.00 pm
Saturday - Tuesday : closed