My First Time Trying Pandan Ice Chocolate

That afternoon, I accompanied my husband as he left for work; the plan was that during my lunch break, we would head to my sister’s house. We left together that morning, intentionally setting out a bit earlier since the drive from our house to his workplace takes an hour. To save time, we decided to leave together. While waiting for him, I stopped by one of his favorite cafes. He’s invited me here a few times, but I rarely come—usually, he’s working and I’m just tagging along.

The café isn’t far from his office, so it’s very safe to wait here. The place is cozy, and definitely cool since the indoor area is air-conditioned. The outdoor area is also quite spacious, so smokers can choose the comfortable outdoor atmosphere.

Besides that, the menu is very diverse, but this time I just had a light snack and a simple drink I’d never tried before. It was pandan chocolate ice—it seems like this will be a unique treat to savor later. Here, they don’t just serve drinks; there are also some snacks available, usually served in the afternoon. Since it was early afternoon and the weather was starting to get hot, I intentionally ordered a cold drink.

The pandan chocolate ice cream was originally meant to satisfy my curiosity; it was quite affordable at IDR 20,000—just over $1—which I thought was a very reasonable price for a city café.

My order arrived shortly after, and I was so curious about the taste that I gave the drink a shake. I immediately opened the plastic cup so I could get a better look at the contents.

The chocolate flavor was more dominant than the pandan, and they added just a little pandan paste. I think if the pandan flavor were just a bit more prominent, oh, this would definitely taste absolutely delicious. Not that it’s not good—the drink is tasty, the sweetness is just right, and the flavor is unique—but in my opinion, the chocolate still tends to dominate; I think they’re trying to make the chocolate flavor stand out more in this drink.

As for its unique appearance, it’s quite simple; if I hadn’t tried it, I would’ve just thought it was regular chocolate ice. I think the final presentation plays a big role in its appearance—they should add pandan syrup as a topping in the cup so the green hue comes through. It would look even prettier and more appealing, and customers would definitely notice that this drink combines two flavors.

Well, since it’s hard to find snacks here in the morning, I brought some from home—specifically “rubek kelapa,” a traditional Acehnese market snack. It’s really delicious; it’s one of my favorites, and I’ve never made it myself. I think I should try making it at home.

I highly recommend this place for you to visit; it’s very comfortable, and the drinks and food are incredibly diverse. Plus, all the dishes here are delicious, and the coffee here is perfect for coffee lovers.

This place is located in Lhokseumawe City, at the Panglateh intersection in the Banda Sakti subdistrict.