Locaāhands Dining Club, Surabaya

Compared with other players in Surabaya cafe scene, I would say Locaāhands is one of the brands that have been consistently growing at a promising rate. Recently, it had opened a second outlet on Jl. Jawa, which goes by the name Locaāhands Dining Club. The ambiance feels more 'serious', resembling a Masterchef-owned restaurant. I liked that they had a day-and-night concept, with different menus for both. Brunch menus are served from opening to 4pm, while sharing sides and desserts are available all day.

Push through the glass door entrance and you will be greeted with minimalist wooden furnitures, warm lighting, and several open counters for coffee, desserts, drinks and hot kitchen. They actually have a mezzanine floor but I'm not sure if it is functioned. Otherwise, it will be a great spot to get a bird-eye view of the ground floor.

Badak Pooteh - IDR36,000

From the drinks menu, you will find almost all the usual suspects, but one thing that stands out is the Badak Pooteh. It is actually Badak (sarsaparilla) drink topped with seasalt foam. When you stir it, the fizzy drink will turn to a beautiful pinkish hue.

Es Kopi Gurih - IDR38,000

I kinda regretted not having gibraltar and ordered the more mainstream Es Kopi Susu Gurih (perhaps I was lured with the word 'seasalt foam'). The drink had a weird astringent aftertaste, and the culprit was definitely the espresso. I presumed it had been over-extracted.

Bacon Naan Kit - IDR68,000

This dish reminded me of the naanwich at the now-defunct FIX Cafe Singapore. An interesting concept indeed, as you would probably see more sandwiches around anywhere than naan with toppings haha. It would be perfect if the naan was served warmer.

Ekgee 2.0 with Pork Bacon - IDR68,000

The egg was a little too watery, and together with the wet mushrooms they created a rather unpleasant mouthfeel. The thinly-sliced meat though, felt more like pork ham than bacon. The chimichurri was also too salty, so it did little to balance out the dish. As for the sourdough, Locaāhands' version is still the best in town, so no doubt on this one. Verdict: this dish belongs to my 'no-repeat' list.

Ruby Pistachio - IDR42,000

If you still need some sweet stuffs, fret not, they have varieties of dessert on the display. The pastry was not the soft type that I like, but pretty tough like pie crust so it was a bit difficult to cut. I love that it was not too sweet and cloying, just right to wrap up the whole dining sesh.

Overall, it is not hard to see why Locaāhands Dining Club has done very well among the local crowd. First, their brand is established. Combine that with aesthetic interior and a mix of classic and fusion dishes, and there goes a winning combination. With the prime location, access is beyond easy, while the hospitable service contributes a plus point. All staffs were definitely well-trained and prompt to cater your needs.

If anything, I would like to rant about the noisiness of the place. Well, of course I have no right to blame the management, it is purely myself feeling irritated and upset. So there was this group of customers behind my table who chatted noisily and laughed loudly. I did not mind the crowded situation at all (I am talking about the large number of guests coming that time), but considering we were not dining in a warung, I did not think this was acceptable. My cousin and I even joked that we felt like eating at a food court coz we could barely hear the background music. Smh, I could not imagine somebody started cachinnating like that while I was sipping on a glass of wine during my dinnertime — it would be a complete mood-wrecker.

-

Jl. Jawa 6

Surabaya, Indonesia 60281

+62882009926116

IG: locaahands_

Opening hours: 7am - 10pm