BlackBean Cafe, Renon: Cheap Comforts, Loud Traffic, Soft Feelings

12:29 AM

Assignment: turned in.

Brain: still typing in the air.

Friends: “makan?”

Me: *emotionally sobbing in yes.*

So I finally left my blanket kingdom and met the outside world at BlackBean Café (Jl. Tukad Badung No.7, Renon). If you hear cheering, that’s my social life respawning

Vibes (and the sacred blururu ritual)

Street glare, scooters, traffic that whispers “Surabaya nostalgia” for no reason.

Love that for me.

#1

#2

#3

Got bored already? :D

Oh please don't!

#4

Already arrived, even it has a twitter account!

#5

Cute entrance, casual crowd, and walls so photogenic I briefly considered theft

(I didn’t… but I considered).

#6

#7

#8

#9

my friends ordering 2 Chicken Teriyaki dengan nasi, 1 Spaghetti aglio olio (i'm so curious with the name) and me ordering the chicken wuss :D

#10

I just lavvvv the wall. I just thinking to take it as a souvenirs

I'm serious

#11

Bonus: magazines to flip while you pretend you didn’t just come for cheap carbs.

What we ordered (student wallet safe)

Teh Tarik IDR 5k

Pulled tea, foamy top, my inner auntie approves.

Cheaper than my coping mechanisms.

Chicken Wuss (snack)

crunchy, salty, disappearing.

Not the legendary Surabaya version, but still a happy fidget food.

Chicken Teriyaki + Rice IDR 15k

Comfort in a box. Sweet-savory glaze, enough portion to shush a small spiral.

Spaghetti Aglio Olio (Indo edition) IDR 15k

Garlic-forward, a little spicy, very “kos life but make it dateable.”

I finished it without negotiating with myself. That’s rare.

Hidden hero: No tax on the bill.

I repeat: no tax.

My calculator felt unnecessary for once.

Why you’d like BlackBean (even if you’re picky but deny it)

Cheap, filling, fast. Nothing pretends to be fancy. Everything pretends to be lunch.
Menu variety for simple cravings: rice bowls, pasta, snacks, teas.
Low‐pressure atmosphere to exist, overthink quietly, then take one more bite.

Tiny guide for first-timers

Pair teh tarik + chicken wuss if you’re snacking;
Go teriyaki + rice when you’re one surviving from collapse;
Add aglio olio if you’re sharing… or if sharing is a myth.

The part I pretend not to say (but I’m saying)

I came for cheap food;
I stayed because sitting under bright café lights with people who text “otw” is sometimes the only proof that the week actually ended.

BlackBean fed me and also… paused me.

I needed that.

Verdict: 10/10 for budget therapy disguised as dinner.

Would I return?

Yes, especially when assignments stop pretending they’re not multiplying.

See you, Renon. I’m out of the blanket. (Temporarily)

Ikkel

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