Sorak Sorai - Fancy Place, But Only For Recreational Visit

The first time I noticed this coffee shop was during my morning jog routine. It was the first day I passed through a new route, and I saw a brand-new building that I was not familiar with.

Bad First Impression

Funnily enough, I’ve had a bad first impression of this coffee shop because I’d attempted to visit it twice and failed both times. Why?

The first time around, it was the week they opened their business for the first time, and we could not get a seat without a waiting list, so my wife and I bailed.

The second time, we’re greeted by a very rude parking staff when we’re just about to enter the building. Again, we bailed.

Third Time the Charm

Fast forward three months. As hype cooled off, so did the high demand. And finally, I think it’s time for both of us to try again. This time, all is smooth like butter.

Now that we’re in, we can finally see what the place is all about. Turns out, it’s pretty good!

Staff is accommodating and kind, and the vibe is pretty good. The place is indeed pretty, with the understated fanciness that defines this newer generation. Everything is flat but textured, aesthetically pleasing as well.

I haven’t had the time to enjoy the second floor at that time, but I’d say I enjoy what I saw on the ground floor. We can see the barista section smack dab in the middle, square and visible from all sides. Although not the food kitchen, with a small outlet on the back right corner for the server to pick and deliver the meal.

Coffee Mocktail Tastes Great!

I didn’t pick classic style drinks this time around, and prefer to pick the mocktail instead. I forgot the exact coffee mocktail we had, but both have the base of a citrusy note, and both are cold brew. I think mine has some honey and watermelon in it.

Presentation is also really good for a local coffee shop standard. We got garnish and small watermelon bites for me and mango for my wife.

This drink is what makes my wife prefer the fresh, cold brew/mocktail style coffee now. Before, she always preferred a latte, but I think after years of drinking it, one can get bored with it.

Food is Unfortunately… Meh

Let’s be fair here. The presentation is still very great. Food looks beautiful on the plate with a cool ceramic plate and electroplated cutlery. Portion also not bad for the price (yes, still expensive for the local standard, but for what is supposed to be an upstate coffee & dining experience, it’s okay).

But I guess we picked the wrong menu or had the incorrect expectation. I don’t know what the western menu tastes like, as both my wife and I picked the Indonesian menu (It’s Maranggi Skewer Set and the Taliwang Chicken Set). But both have a disappointing taste. The way I describe it is an attempt to make the traditional menu more fusion-like with a Western palate in mind, and then fail miserably at both.

Taliwang chicken doesn’t have the usual strong herb smell, even as it arrives warm, and the Maranggi set had a very sweet taste but an unnatural kind of taste, almost like they didn’t use cane sugar but either a sweetener or steviol.

The Final Star Down… Because It’s LOUD!

Food taste aside, I like the coffee and non-coffee drinks here. So I almost could say it would be quite ideal if you wanted to have out-of-office work experience… Except that the music here is unbelievably loud!

Probably bearable if you’re just working and don’t forget to bring a headset with you, but meetings? Forget it. It is so loud that even with noise cancellation, it doesn’t come through very well.

Maybe on the second floor? But I haven’t checked that, so I can’t say for sure.

Conclusion

Maybe you notice, but I like to rate coffee shops based on the coffee taste, the vibe, the food, but also how well it acts as a place to work. Well, for a remote dev like me, it’s natural that WFH brings its own set of problems, including severe boredom at home.

So I rate whether a place is good for work or not very high, and can knock a star just by having loud music that’s not suitable for meetings. And unfortunately, Sorak Sorai is the best example I can give when I said music is too loud.

So in total, I give it 3 out of 5 stars. Coffee is 5, vibe is 5, but knocks a star for the subpar Indonesian food and another for loud music.