We are always excited to try new cafes and coffee shops in Bandung and Marka is no different.
The cafe is set over 2 floors with loads of natural light, concrete and wood. It’s a typical cafe scene in Bandung and Marka really does a good job of providing a modern yet comfortable space.
On the lower floor there are a couple of swings for children and we noticed that this was a selling point for some customers who were happy to have a second coffee while their kids played.
We ordered the chicken sandwich, karaage chicken, a magic and iced lime ginger tea. And overall we though it was just OK, but with massive potential.
Firstly I have to say that the magic was sensational and I’d happily come here again for that. I’d even highly recommend it to my friends it was so good. The lime ginger tea was tasty, but Susan couldn’t really taste the ginger.
Now onto the food. Bandung cafe food has traditionally been very poor. But recently there have been a few cafes trying to do better and they’re now charging high prices for it. But for high prices, we expect quality. And to be honest, the quality still doesn’t justify the price. And Marka, sadly, is no differently
The chicken sandwich was disappointing. Each component of the sandwich when tasted in isolation was quite good. Especially the bread. The bread was awesome. But the ingredients of the sandwich managed to seep down to the bottom slice of bread and make it soggy. Like really soggy so that it became mush. No one wants to eat mushy bread.
I sort of expected the sandwich to be edible with my hands, but that wasn’t possible mainly because it was extremely wet and the chicken was chopped into tiny pieces. Perhaps I should have asked first, but I was kind of expecting a big chunk of grilled chicken. I think that would have been preferable. All in all, nice components, but not a dish I could recommend.
The karaage was coated in salted egg wash of some sort. The karaage was enjoyable and on its own was very good. But again, as a dish, it failed. Mainly because it’s served with rice and a dollop or coleslaw and nothing else. So your mouth kind of gets dry and you sort of need a beer to wash it all down with. Which is what you would do in a bar in Japan.
Perhaps the karaage would be better served as a special snack with some dipping sauces, no rice, no coleslaw.
We were really impressed with internet speeds here. We consistently got speeds of 26mbps down and 5 mbps up despite a busy cafe. There are also plenty of tables to work from and a few spots with electricity sockets.
This cafe has so much potential. It really does. Someone here knows what they’re doing when it comes to food and coffee. We just think they need to adjust a few of the menu items so they work as whole dishes and they will be well on their way to being one of the best cafes in Bandung.
We look forward to whether they hit the mark in the future.
Marka Coffee
Jalan Talaga Bodas 32, Bandung
(0813) 1331 7009
Instagram: @marka.cafe
Opening Hours: 08:00 – 21:00 (Sat until 22:00)
Magic: Rp25.000
Iced Lime Ginger Tea: Rp25.000
Chicken Sandwich: Rp65.000
Karaage Chicken: Rp40.000
* Add 15.5% tax & service