Irvan Helmi and Muhammad Abgari: Coffee duo

Irvan Helmi and Muhammad Abgari (with glasses). Tyler GniewottaWhat does the combination of a degree in mechanical engineering and computer science have to do with a booming boutique style coffee business in the nation’s capital?

Well, nothing according to the duo behind Anomali Coffee in Jakarta, but after speaking to the pair behind one of Jakarta’s hottest coffee shops it seems as if most of their late-night study sessions at the University of Indonesia were actually spent analyzing the mugs of “liquid black gold” in front of them rather than the books, which can apparently serve equally well as coasters.

Irvan Helmi and Muhammad Abgari met in high school and are the first to admit that plans to open a coffee shop didn’t even exist in those days.

They both grew up in coffee adoring households so the product was in no way new to them, but it wasn’t until a reunion around eight years later that the pair started to get the ball rolling on what now has become their life’s passion.

“My grandmother always drank a lot of coffee, three cups a day, one with every meal,” said Irvan, citing his family as a reason for the obsession that appears to have rubbed off on him also.

“She chose a mix between Java and Toraja, always 50:50!” he added, shedding some light on the origin of his borderline anal-retentive tendencies pertaining to what’s inside his cup.

Although Indonesia is the world’s third-largest supplier of green beans for one of the world’s most popular drinks, not to mention the fact that the drink is often referred to as “Java” after one of the archipelago’s largest islands, it can be notoriously difficult to find a quality cup of coffee in the country.

The pair saw a gap in the market previously dominated by the all too famous pre-manufactured packets and the infamous kopi susu straight from it’s foil package into your cup with its debatable sugary goodness, often leaving the drinker wondering if coffee is, in fact, one of the ingredients.

Since the opening of their first shop in Senopati, South Jakarta, in 2007 their business has expanded to four locations across the city, while simultaneously their original 5 kilograms coffee roaster has also quadrupled in size to match the growing demand.

They maintain that their obsession with quality has been a key characteristic of their success, yet it has also been the largest hurdle to overcome along the way.

“The hardest part is to get a consistent quality with the beans … the first batches we got all had defects in them,” shared Irvan with a look of frustration that is all too commonly associated with early beginnings in a new field.

This has led to a far more all-encompassing business model than they ever expected, the range of their involvement literally goes all the way from the soil to the cup.

“We’ve been in the business six years and we’re still learning, when we go to visit the famers’ plantations we’re like big kids playing in a park,” joked Muhammad.

Yet when discussing the work involved in dishing out quality cups of coffee on a consistent basis all joking is put aside. The pair outline how they are involved in every aspect along the way from the soil, plants, fertilizing, harvesting, fermenting, roasting and finally brewing the coffee in order to “tune up the taste” to meet their rigorous standards.

“The farmers we deal with tend to be ‘the poorest of the poor’, they are trapped in a situation dealing with middlemen who generally only pay one-third of the market price,” according to Muhammad. But the pair aim to change that through a key element in their business model involving a deeper relationship with the producers resulting in a mutually beneficial situation; higher quality for the consumers and better pay for the farmers.

“What’s good for us is good for them,” he added, smiling at the fact that “our farmers even use BlackBerry now.”

This ethical practice has resulted in a feat that may previously have been deemed as next to impossible — the pair finally seem satisfied with the results of their quest for the perfect cup.

Upon being asked for the ultimate Indonesian coffee recommendation from one of those at the top of the field, Irvan’s face swells up with a look that reflects his offence taken and disappointment with the question.

“That’s like asking a parent who their favorite child is.”

He was, however, open to providing several suggestions to the would-be coffee connoisseur in Jakarta.

“If you want to taste the best qualities of coffee, don’t add sugar, not even a grain.”

In another one of his near poetic ramblings on the beauty of coffee, he explained that coffee already contains fructose and caramelized carbohydrates, thus the natural sweetness will come out if you just give it a chance.

“[Tasting coffee] is like when you walk into a dark room after being outside in the sun, your eyes need a chance to adjust, by the third sip you will experience the honest taste of the brew.”

His partner Muhammad admits that he, like many Indonesians, is also endowed with the Javanese sweet tooth and suggests that a cup of Java roast served in its traditional style with the grounds at the bottom of the cup will continue to sweeten the longer you let it sit, bringing a new, sweeter flavor every sip along the way.

For those not fortunate enough to live near one of their existing locations you may not have to wait long, the two have plans to expand to Bali in the coming year and future plans involve simply seeing where their business takes them.

“We just went with the flow and here we are now, enjoying ourselves along the way,” concluded Muhammad.