“Goedkoop” is a Dutch word for “cheap”, and do you know that there is a coffee shop and restaurant with that name existing in Jakarta? I had been wanting to visit this place for quite a long time, but the plan was never done until last December. It was also a spontaneous visit and we were lucky because it was still early and we got a parking spot. Yes, it can be very troublesome for guests with cars because of limited space of parking area.

Stepping inside, I was surprised to see the spacious place, much bigger than I thought, and the atmosphere is very inviting. The wooden furniture dominates the place, giving a warm, homey ambiance. Honestly I felt like I went to someone’s house and it brought me an instant peaceful feeling the moment I entered the place.

 

 

My favorite area is the main area near the entrance, with an enough exposure of natural light, my photography-taking moments are even better!

 

 

 

 

 

If you come in larger group, don’t you worry because there is plenty of room for you and your companions!

 

 

Goedkoop has interesting story to begin with.

Built in year 2013, it is a proud creation of 3 young women: Thanya, Andra & Vanda. Thanya, who used to live in Los Angeles, loves milk tea, latte art, and coffee culture. Andra is crazy about hot mocha and sweet Pannekoek that she tried during her trip to Tilburg visiting her friend. Vanda, a picky coffee drinker, is a coffee-idealist who is always obsessed with best quality coffee and she knows when it’s not. 
 
Like they said, combining 3 opinions is not an easy task, but hey, the Goedkoop is the sweet result of their collaboration and at least we know that it has been getting good reviews so far!

 

Although Goedkoop has the tagline of “Warung Kopi Belanda” (Dutch Coffee Shop), it doesn’t only serves coffee, but also non-coffee drinks, as well as many selections of food. For example, they have menu of bread/sandwiches, salad, soup, main course, Dutch food, and also desserts. It’s nice to go to coffee shop that serves food, because I can’t just drink coffee without its companions (read: food), LOL!

 

Goedkoop Latte IDR 26,000
Thai tea with espresso shot
I had never known that Thai tea would go so well with espresso, and this is the real example why creativity is as important as one’s skill. The combination between two distinctive tastes mix really well and you can enjoy both flavors of Thai tea and espresso in good balance. Bravo!

 

Avocado Green Tea IDR 29,500

Same as above, the combination of avocado and green tea is surprisingly nice, too. In this case, though, the avocado taste clearly dominates the green tea, but rest assured, you’ll be able to taste both somehow. Only for the curious.

 

Corn Potato Chowder IDR 21,000

This cream soup contains corn, potato, carrots, then sprinkled with popcorn. Yes, you read it right, popcorn. It looks attractive enough (at least for me) and I simply loved the additional popcorn on top. Uniqueness never bores, right? The cream soup is thick enough to be fully enjoyed, and thin enough not to make you sick. If you go with a partner, this can be an ideal starter for two as the portion is quite generous.

 

Huzaren Salad IDR 29,000

Potatoes, smoked beef, apple, carrots, eggs, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, lettuce topped with mayo ketchup dressings and croutons.

 

A typical Dutch salad, a kind of salad that will make you full in seconds. Read the description, it has so many things inside including a carb (potatoes) and variety of fruits as well as veggies. The dressing here is kinda strong with real sourness -and sweetness, of course-. I loved it but I had hard time finishing it.

Warm Reuben Sandwich IDR 35,000

Smoked beef layer on top of rye bread, sauerkraut, horseradish with melted cheese and homemade patate.

 

A beautiful open sandwich, I must say. The melted cheese definitely attracted my first attention and it was just nice to look at! And hello, this comes from yours truly who is not a big fan of cheese, so it must mean something good, right? XD

 

Reuben Sandwich is a type of American sandwiches that is usually composed of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, then grilled between slices of rye bread. Of course, there are many different versions with modifications here and there, but you get the idea.

 

The rye bread was okay, a bit over-toasted perhaps. The smoked beef was nice but not special, but something under the cheese was the sauerkraut (“sour cabbage”) needs to be mentioned! I think it was the main star of the sandwich, as it was surprisingly good. It was sour and crunchy, while most places that serve sauerkraut in Jakarta only makes soggy and bland ones.

 

Oven Crusted Mac n’ Cheese IDR 28,000

The Mac n’ Cheese is not very attractive since it looks so pale and unappealing. But once you scoop it, wow, I was impressed. It’s quite different from American (or instant) mac n’ cheese with bright orange/yellow color, but the taste is actually better. What I can’t enjoy from typical mac n’ cheese is the smell of cheese which is overwhelming and sickening. Here, maybe because everything is made from scratch, I didn’t smell and taste anything like that. However, because it’s cooked with oven, I think it became too dry while I prefer my mac n’ cheese to be a little “soupy” or look like it comes with “sauce”.

 

 

Goedkooop Burger IDR 47,000

Homemade beef patty, caramelized onions, pickles, cheese, tomatoes, chipotle sauce served with homemade patate.

 

As if all those food were not enough for 2 of us, I ordered another signature dish from Goedkoop, the burger. Must say I didn’t regret it at all, as the burger came out to be delicious! The homemade beef patty, for instance, is thick, tender, and juicy, an ideal patty for sure. The other condiments gave various flavors in every bite and have I mentioned about the sauce yet? It was major yum, simple but kicking, made me a happy girl.

 

 

 

My visit to Goedkoop once again clarified that finding good eating places is so random and sometimes unpredictable. Of course I wouldn’t say Goedkoop is a hidden gem as many people already know about it and the popularity is constantly rising, but what I mean is, who even can guess that such good place exists in BenHil area?

 

In the nutshell, Goedkoop is definitely recommended for people who want to enjoy some coffee and food in a comfortable place with very affordable prices. I hope it continues existing for a long time, cheers!

 

*All prices are subject to 5% service charge & 10% government tax

Visited on: 11 December 2014
 
** The Food Escape team are not paid whatsoever for writing this post.
 
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GOEDKOOP Warung Kopi Belanda
Jl. Bendungan Hilir 62
Tanah Abang

Central Jakarta 10210
Ph. +62 21 573 4430
Opening Hours: 

Mon – Thu 10AM – 10PM
Fri – Sat 10AM – 11PM
Sun 7AM – 10PM


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