Brunch at Caloria

Hello! I'm here with my first (and maybe the last) restaurant review. A not-so brand new hang out place for people in Surabaya, Caloria. Located in Dharmahusada, the cafe radiates a garage ambience, with a touch of modern but rusty design. It's my first time visit, but upon arrival, I found 1 thing I dislike, the lack of an adequate parking lot. I imagine in its most crowded hour, it will be hell difficult to find a space for your vehicles. 

However, parking space aside, when I stepped in inside the cafe, I have to admit I kinda like it. The cafe is designed nicely, it feels like you're inside a basement, a well-decorated one. It was holiday season, almost time for Christmas when I came, so the whole cafe was filled with Christmas ornaments.

We were greeted politely by the waiters, and they took us to a table. Oh, even the tables have artsy feelings. They put their special menus and table's number on wooden animals decorations, the one we usually use to put photos or any kind of paper. My table was guarded by a cute orange cat. :)

A well-ornated room, and attention to details, the cafe has impressed me so far. Next, let's look at their menu. There aren't many, they mostly serve western cuisines, and some fusions as well. The price is pretty high for food, the cheapest you can get is maybe fries, around IDR 30k. Main entrees, on the other hand, starts at IDR 40k up to more than 100k (mostly for steaks). 

I ordered some chicken that's on their 'Chef's Special' menu, which costs IDR 73k (excluding 5% service charge and 10% tax).  I totally forgot what the name of the chicken was, but basically you get a chicken thigh, grilled and smeared with honey and olive oil. It's served with fries and baby broccoli. Pretty 'simple' for IDR 73k, but it tastes okay. Definitely not the best on their menu. My sister ordered oglio olio, and it wasn't the best olio I've tasted, but not the worst. So, they cook their food pretty well, in my opinion.

When you go to any restaurants or cafes, you're bound for a visit to the restroom, to fix up your make up, wash your hands, or just to do your business. It's inevitable. And in some restaurants, restrooms are the least hygienic and comfortable part. Some fancy restaurants don't give tissues, have a very small compartment, or even worse, smell awfully toxic and dirty. But Caloria, again, puts some thoughts on this area.  It's a mixed restroom, with only 1 toilet, so I imagine the line will be long when the cafe is packed with people, but luckily I came in the afternoon, there were only few people there, so I could take some pics and observe their restroom comfortably. I was surprised to see a big teddy bear greeted me the second I entered the room. Along with a giant mirror hung on the wall, the restroom doesn't feel like a restroom at all. The surprise didn't end there. When I got into the toilet, again, it put me into a minute of silence just to admire it. The wide, roomy toilet resembles the inside of a sauna, with wooden bench and all. Yes, there's a big wooden bench occupying half the toilet area,  and on the wooden bench are some cushions, and, guess what, 2 big teddy bears, fully dressed, fully adorable enough for me to steal and take them home. Unfortunately, you can't get away uncaught with 2 big teddy bears on your hands. :') Yes, the toilet is clean, provided with tissues, and a bench. I'm not quite sure why you need a bench and teddy bears watching over you, other than turning the toilet into a long photo session (for girls, especially). The bench area, however, is still under construction, so we're not allowed to sit on it. I don't know what they'll do to the bench, it looks pretty much done for me. 

The giant teddy bear at the front, before you enter the toilet. The wall is decorated with a quote "We aim to please. You aim too, please."

You can sleep on it. They give you cushions and 2 cute teddy bears, after all. 

I enjoyed my brunch, I didn't hate the food, I love the interior, and I keep wanting to go back to the toilet (?). The service is good and quite professional. I didn't have to wait for too long for my food to come, partly because there weren't many people there. Things might change when the cafe is packed. I walked out of the cafe happily. My tummy was satisfied, it didn't hurt me financially, and I took many decent photos. So, next time you want to have an afternoon break, you might as well try Caloria. Charge your phone before you come, there are a lot of spots to take pictures. It's a 2 story building, so I assume they can accommodate crowds, and are also available for private dining party. 

A selfie with the giant miss teddy is a must. :)

Caloria 

Jl. Raya Dharmahusada Indah 87, Surabaya

Operational Days:

Mon - Thu: 11 AM - 10 PM

Sat - Sun: 11 AM - 11 PM

Contact: 031 5997420