CINDY TJAHJADI: January 2019

"The bean coffee sounded turururururururu while going up and down through the copper pipes above my head. From raw to fresh brew coffee has served. Hmm... Already have your coffee today?"

I am the one who enjoys drinking coffee in many ways, from the manual coffee brew, macchiato, cappuccino, cafe latte, and so on. Since I've fallen to architecture, a cup of coffee was a part of my life. Procaffeinating is the daily habit that I'd love to do every morning. Or... Maybe the Procaffeinating is trending right now! Hang out while drinking coffee is a common activity that people do, that's why there are so many coffee shops right now especially in Jakarta. Starbucks is one of the biggest brands which dominate many areas. I love Starbucks. Their coffee is good and affordable enough to hang out with my friends. I used to say "Bucks yuk" to my friends when I wanted to have a chit-chat with them. Besides that, the near and reachable location made Starbucks is my best option to hang out! How many Starbucks's outlets in your area? Me? Many...

Heard that Starbucks would open the biggest Starbucks Reserve Roastery in the world at Shanghai, made this place as my top bucket list while exploring Shanghai. Honestly, it's hard to find this place. Remembered, mostly China has translated western brands spelling into Mandarin and almost all local people only know the Mandarin one. Like... Mcdonald in Mandarin is Maidanglao, KFC is Kendenji, Starbucks is Xingbake, and so on. And... I couldn't just say Xingbake to get here because there were many Starbucks outlets too in Shanghai! What should I say then?

I've searched the news and its location before, it's been written that Starbucks Reserve Roastery located inside of the Shopping mall. I even didn't know the name of the shopping mall. There were a few shopping malls in Nanjing area and a few of that have a Starbucks too, so which one? I've got lost in one of the shopping malls and thought that Starbucks was the right one, but I'm wrong! :') And... I couldn't just search it too on google maps, too many! Which one? It didn't spell any Reserve Roastery, only Starbucks.

Finally, I decided to ask Starbucks's staff in one of their outlets. Fortunately, they could understand English and speak English! Thanks, God! After getting in conversation in English, I got the right address! Here we go, Shimen Er Lu! Yes, the address is Shimen Er Lu!

Yeay, finally My mom and I found it!

Wondering why it's the biggest Starbucks in the world (for now). Yeah, it's big of course! Big enough to put the big sophisticated coffee roasting machine and make the attraction from processing and preparation of the fresh a cup of coffee to the customers. Big enough to have its own kitchen that shows a fresh bake their bread and cakes. Big enough to display its original merchandises from the drinkware, t-shirt, notes, and etc.. Teavana in here has many variants not like as the other Starbuck's outlets and the serving is different as usual too!

In here, they showed us how the fresh raw bean coffees were being processed from raw, roasting, grinding until it's been serving to our table. The fresh concept that approached us. The process was not A to A or Apple to Apple, they made it interesting and become the attraction for us while visiting here. New way and experience for enjoying the cup of coffee!

Remembered if they wanted to roast new coffee beans ex. like from Costa Rica, the staffs would come out, do some little moves, and applause. Then, the superb cool board names would start changing and showing us the coffee's information. You know what, it's like coding the alphabets and it's so cool! After that, the raw beans would enter the pipe and be processed. I thought that my eyes wouldn't be wrong, something interesting! I just saw the raw beans which had pale color has changed into the brown one after entering the pipe. Was that a super quick roasting machine? Or my eyes were wrong? After that, the beans were going to the big roasting machine through the copper pipes on plafond above us and made some sounds "turururururuuru", showing how fast the beans were going. Somehow it's so exciting! Lol! After roasting, the fresh beans were going to the transparent storages which were near the baristas. Then the baristas readied to grinding and brew freshly to us. No wonder the aroma of coffee was so strong back then, love it!

When I kept checking my eyes, those were the brown coffee, right?

The superb cool board name machine

The copper pipes

New menu! Or... I could say I just could enjoy it here! I ordered Smoked Butterscotch Latte for 52 Yuan. The taste was so different from the other coffee that I've been tried. That was my second favorite coffee after Caramel Macchiato! So unique! That beef mozzarella pizza had a common taste for me. Good but that's it! It's quite pricey, I've bought it for around 75 Yuan. Yeah, the food and beverages' price in here quite pricy than the other outlets maybe because they served those special menus. Pricey but worthy for me, new experience that you should try too! Even my mom loves it too!

My mom tried Peach Tea from Teavana but served with the nitrogen! Wuuuu!

It looked like as a beer and the flavor was similar too like a Peach beer!

Peach tea for 49 Yuan

Bonus: It's quite interesting to see how they served this! Lol!

It's around here, guys!

Okay, guys! Thanks for reading this article! Make sure to not get lost while finding Starbucks Reserve Roastery like me. Lol! In the next article, I will write about the Shanghai History Museum where is located near Starbucks! Wuuuuu

My happy face after finding out this! Lol!

Love from the author,

Cindy Tjahjadi

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" The silent witnesses of the Shanghai's civilization. From the changing times, the journeys, until the RED flag with the five stars arisen in those Classical European buildings. The new history was born."

It's raining outside when I'm writing this post today.

Raining... It always makes me remember everything in Shanghai. In January, the rain kept pouring lightly from the first time when I arrived in China until I went back to Jakarta. My mom and I kept opening our blue and orange umbrellas, holding hands while facing out the cold wind, and feeling cold of course! Lol! Despite that, the rain was pouring so beautifully. It was like snow but it was water when we touched.

Every day in Shanghai, my mom and I just kept checking the current weather in the phone, checking how much cold was, and what place we should visit while face out the wind and rain. Lol! And... Today destination is... The Bund!

The picture above was the old picture of Shanghai which I've seen similarly at Old Shanghai Tea House. History says there had trading activities through the Huangpu river back then. China lost the first Opium War and the Western powers demanded trading rights and they were granted settlements or concessions. Soon wharves and trading houses were set up along the river. A triumph for the British who came to dominate the area. That's why... The architecture style was dominated by the neo-classical buildings.

(https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-bund-shanghai-history-facts.html)

After sawing the old picture of Shanghai it reminded me to Sunda Kelapa in Jakarta. The looks and the history were similar from what I've read and learnt from the school (I wasn't born yet), from Western, Japanese, World War II, to Independence. The colonization, everything was impacted. And, I just could say and smirk 'Woah, how?'

Okay... Back to the bund. :)) The Bund revitalization began in 1986 with a new promenade by the Dutch Architect Paulus Snoeren. The bund is the result of thawing economic policy of People's Republic of China in 1970s and 1980s. Besides of closing the trading activities in this area, the promenade wall is also for restrain the water from the river and to prevent the water flood the city cause by typhoon. Moreover, this area is good to take some photos and selfie with the riverscape, streetscape, cityscape, and the landmark of Shanghai! Wuuuuu! Good idea!

I couldn't... I couldn't... They Could...

They could run in this cold wind and light raining! :')

My mom and Shanghai's Landmark, Oriental Pearl Tower

and the fog weren't embarrassed enough to join the picture :')

The Bund is one of the famous attractions while visit Shanghai. Maybe I can say, the Bund is a must place to visit while in Shanghai! To get here it's quite easy because the government already provide many nice facilities and transportation. From taxi, Shanghai Metro, and City sightseeing bus. Take Shanghai Metro line 2 to get here directly and the subway station is located exactly in the Bund area. Take the red line or blue line of city sightseeing bus for 100 yuan. Take the taxi to prevent mind and heart confuse where is it. Actually, it's easy to get here. Just say Zhongshan road or Zhongshan Lu with the right accent of course, guys! :)

I found something interesting here that maybe can be implemented in Indonesia zebra crossing. Similar to the others zebra crossing but it has a sign to cross (green) for seconds and not cross (red) with camera in front of us. At least we know, we just couldn't disobey this because what we did would be recorded by that thing. It's already be a controller for good! Good idea to prevent the car accident and as a proof for any traffic cases. Also, the form is slim, waterproof, and nice to see along the street.

There's a famous road where is located near the Bund, Nanjing road. The road is famous as a shopping street which sells anything that we need from fashion, home appliances, food and beverages, and etc. Also, from high-branded things to no-branded things or market things. Besides of shopping, along with street or we could still the neo-classical, post-modernism, and modern buildings which forming Shanghai cityscape. Moreover, there are many interesting tourism place and attractions near here too! Such as Jing' an temple, Shanghai museum, Shanghai history museum, Starbucks reserve roastery, and many so on. I can say, Nanjing road is a strategic meeting point to visit many tourism place in Shanghai and also it has 2 subway station in this area which connected to there. So convenient! My mom and I got here from the Bund by walk just for 5 minutes and from there it's all up to our legs where we wanted to go.

The Bund Location, click the image for further information.

The next destination where My mom and I went after Nanjing road is... Starbucks Roastery (the biggest Starbucks Roastery in the world for now) and Shanghai History Museum (the 4.5 star rates museum by tourists). It's near from here, guys!

I'll write about Starbucks Roastery, how to get there, what's inside, and what's the difference with the others Starbucks outlet! See ya in the next article! Before of all, Thanks for reading my article and I'd be appreciate and happy if we can connect by your comments, or maybe you just can say Hi to me! :))

See ya in next article, still in Shanghai

Love from the author,

Cindy Tjahjadi

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"Ye Shanghai, ye Shanghai ni shigi buyecheng. Huadeng qi che shengxiang gewu shengping."

"Night in Shanghai, night in Shanghai, you are the city that never sleeps. Bright lights, the sounds of car, singing and dancing."

Old Organ

The Entrance

Old Shanghai Tea House and Museum, hidden place that I wanted to visit but not sure where the exact location was before. The location was pointed out in Yu Garden area by google maps. But, no signage, no hint, or the other things which show us if we were in the right place. Until we stood on the GPS point, we heard a Chinese classic song was played, that Shanghai classic song above which was played. Not sure if we were right because this place was too dark, old, and located on the 2nd floor. We just trusted the music that pulled out us to go up.

The Interior

"Huanying guanglin!", shouted the middle-aged men to us.

"Is it Shanghai Old Tea Museum?" asked me.

"Dui bu qi, ni shuo shi me?" "Tea?" reply me. "

"Shi. Huanying guanlin!" shouted again.

Huaaaa. So old! The floor was wood planks which sounded a little "krek" when I walked to my seat. Ah, the windows had the old motif trellis which were looked alike as my grandmother's house. The decorations too, I thought she had kinda like that too! The music... I think I've already heard before too in my grandmother's house and I think she loved to sing that song too, the songs sounded familiar. And... The ambience has reminisced my childhood memories successfully. :))

Obviously, the decorations and the things which was displayed here had the historical value. When we just sat down on our seats, the owner told us some historical stories which we didn't understand it, because he spoke Mandarin! :')) (I accepted the kind of you, uncle! :') ) Thanks to the sister who sat behind us, she could speak English and wanted to translate from the owner to us. :')

So... This place is one of the witness of the civilization over the years as like Yu Garden. Even it's not like the other museum which has many historical goods, it has some interesting old historical goods which still was kept by the owner by the generations! Over the years and over the generations, this place is still a tea-salon! Even it's not like nowadays tea-salon to have a tea-time, I should reconsider it due its tea, its ambience, and its price. :)

Jasmine Tea and Almond

My Mom and I drank Jasmine which was recommended by the owner. Firstly, the owner gave us the closed Jasmine.Then, he poured the hot water into the glass. We just should wait for 2-3 minutes until the Jasmine flower has bloomed! I could refill the hot water for 3 times until the flavor of Jasmine tea finished. Lol. The flavor was smooth and light. Maybe because of the suggestion, after I drank this I felt healthier. The thought and the suggestion of Chinese herbal has influenced me as like the Influencer. Lol. The price of 1 glass of Jasmine tea is 85 Yuan and 25 Yuan for the almonds.

Great time, great tea, and great accompany in the afternoon! Would you like to visit here? See the location to get there easily!