Roaster and award-winning barista Andrew Tandra still remembers the spark that ignited his passion for coffee: a cup brewed from the Panamanian Esmeralda Geisha beans—a varietal well-known for its vibrant sweetness, acidity and floral notes—which he tried when studying at ABCD School of Coffee. “I never knew coffee could taste like this,” he recalled with awe over the bean’s flavour profile and its sensitivity to subtle tweaks. Not long after, he kickstarted his eponymous roastery, Andrew’s Roastworks (or A Roastworks for short).
Started out in 2018 as an attachment to the neighbourhood bakery founded by his late grandfather, Papa & Mama, A Roastworks reopened solo in December 2024 at its flagship store in Green Ville, West Jakarta, inhabiting a refurbished three-storey space previously occupied by the bakery, complete with the added experience of a specialty café on the second floor.
Upon entry, one would be greeted by the first-floor roastery area, where hundreds of kilograms of coffee beans rest in burlap sacks and airtight containers. Over forty types are stored in full display, sourced directly from farmers across Indonesia and producers from overseas plots in Colombia, Panama and Ethiopia (to name a few); though only five to six of these varieties are roasted at the same time and can be bought from their dedicated retail space, kept in seasonal rotations to maintain the freshness and bring out the best quality of each bean.
Upstairs at the café, decked in an industrial setup with stainless steel and wood accents, is where one can have a taste of Andrew’s creations—whether as single origin filter coffees or in handpicked blends that can be enjoyed as black or white cuppas.
The rotation of single origins, treated with a light roast, include the citrusy, buttery Indonesia Sumatra Ribang Gayo Musara Ateng Super and the vibrantly floral Ethiopia Chelbesa Kurume, each one carefully picked and served during their respective prime season. Espresso blends, meanwhile, are designed based on each bean’s textural compatibility and flavour combinations, like the familiar profile of chocolate and nuts in Black and Gold—serving as the base of the custom blend at Kurasu’s Jakarta outlets, one of A Roastworks’ long list of clients alongside Fragments and Pizza 4P’s. But there are also ones informed by memories like the Purple Haze blend, carrying notes of purple fruits like grapes, raisins and prunes, inspired by one of Andrew’s trips to Amsterdam.
Under Andrew’s direction, everything is served in such a way that brings out the natural sweetness and profiles of each bean, without additives beyond fresh milk or syrupy infusions that would mask their flavours. “For me, coffee should taste like coffee,” he explained. “The most interesting thing about it is how each variety can taste different from one to another, and how fermentation and other processes bring out different flavours out of them.” This treatment also applies to their lineup of ceremonial-grade matcha by Malaysian brand Niko Neko Matcha, which includes Kiku—a high-grade blend of Yabukita and Saemidori tea cultivars with umami pistachio notes and a clean aftertaste.
To accompany these drinks, those who come with an empty stomach can also delight in a lineup of homemade plates. The O.G Carbonara boasts a serving of homemade pasta doused in a rich egg yolk-and-cheese emulsion topped with crispy guanciale. Those with a more localised palate might prefer Mama Rosa’s Ox Tail Soup, a spice-forward and hearty dish derived from Andrew’s family recipe. End on a sweet note with the signature Tiramisu, an indulgent medley of creamy mascarpone and their Essentials espresso blend, while enjoying vinyl records from Andrew’s personal collection spinning from the listening corner.
With a cocktail bar coming soon, complete with a new dinner menu and a wine list, there’s much to offer at A Roastworks that goes beyond their cuppas. They have achieved this while maintaining a simple and straightforward concept that doesn’t really hide much from the customers, proudly displaying their roasting process right at the front door. And if the intermingling of elderly and young regulars at the café should say anything, it’s exactly the kind of unostentatious experience that the Green Ville neighbourhood not only appreciates, but also wholeheartedly embraces.