The Ayam Kalasan from Kopiku is a generous and aromatic dish. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
I love Indonesian food, but there aren’t a huge number of places to get it in Canberra – Kopiku Caffe at O’Connor Shops is an exception. The neighbourhood cafe has a short menu of Western staples – think brunch classics, burgers and sandwiches – but those ‘in the know’ come here for their excellent range of Indonesian dishes.
Since opening around five years ago, the cafe has slowly but surely been adding more and more dishes to its Indonesian menu, and it’s got a handful of monthly specials that rotate regularly. The Indonesian menu started with around five dishes and now has a whole page of options.
In addition to well-known dishes like Beef Rendang and Mee Goreng, the rotating specials allow diners to experience Indonesian dishes that are lesser known in Canberra, like Batagor (fried dumplings in a peanut sauce) or Pempek (fishcakes stuffed with egg, served with Kopiku’s ‘secret vinegar sauce’).
Visiting for lunch, I was briefly tempted by classic favourite Sate Ayam (chicken skewers in a peanut satay sauce) but instead chose the Ayam Kalasan: marinated fried chicken with sides.
Kopiku’s Indonesian menu is the real drawcard of this neighbourhood cafe in O’Connor. Photo: Kopiku/Facebook.
I’ve previously enjoyed the comforting Soto Ayam (shredded chicken and vermicelli noodle soup) and the Mee Goreng with stir-fried noodles and fried egg, which is absolutely nothing like what you get in the packets!
Sitting outside in the dappled sunlight of the trees, I sipped my coffee and had a quick sticky beak at what other customers had ordered (one of my favourite cafe pastimes). It looked like most of their customers were, like me, ordering from the Indonesian side of the menu.
My dish arrived, and it was big! A whole chicken leg, fried and topped with kremesan: fried flakes of onion and lemongrass. A mound of rice, a few pieces of fried tofu, a small salad of sliced cabbage and carrot, and crispy peanuts and anchovies finished off the plate with a ramekin of chilli sambal on the side.
Now, I should have known better, but I upended most of the chilli sambal onto the rice and mixed it through. WOW, that chilli has a real kick, but it is so delicious. Sweating, nose streaming and gulping down water, I probably should have added the chilli in moderation, but at the end of the day, I have no regrets. The gorgeously aromatic kremesan perfumed the crispy chicken and the fresh vegetable salad offered a nice counterpoint to the fried elements of the dish.
I absolutely love the peanuts and crispy anchovies that accompany Indonesian dishes: it’s such a perfect one-two punch of umami and texture. Each element makes every bite just a little bit different, so you never get bored from start to finish.
Kopiku is a casual, friendly neighbourhood favourite. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Hoovering up the dish, I went about my afternoon with a satisfied belly and lips tingling ever so slightly with the memory of chilli.
The monthly specials are a great excuse to come back to Kopiku more regularly, but no matter what you order, you can be sure that the portion sizes will be generous, the dishes will be affordable, and the service fast and friendly. And, most importantly, the food will be absolutely delicious (just go easy on the sambal!)
Kopiku Caffe is located at O’Connor Shops: Unit 1 of 5 Sargood St, O’Connor. They are open from 7.30 am to 3 pm daily.
Visit their website or follow Kopiku Caffe on Facebook or Instagram.
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