BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – I made my way to the old part of Palermo neighborhood in the heart of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Often called as Palermo Viejo, this neighborhood is home for various restaurants and cafés.
In the corner of Thames y Nicaragua, I found a small quaint coffee shop named LattenTe, I heard about this place from many reviews and testimony from their happy customers. It’s time to try 🙂
As Indonesian in Argentina, it was to my surprise being greeted by “Halo, apa kabar?!” (well, instead of Hola! Que tal?!) by the co-owner, Zehan Nurhadzar, from behind the counter. Zehan, a native Indonesian who’s been living in Argentina for many years. Well, it’s an Indonesian rendez-vous in the coffee shop!
Hi Zehan! Would you tell us a little bit about LattenTe?
LattenTe is the first specialty coffee shop in Argentina officially. I started it with my business partner Daniel Cifuentes whom I went to university with back in Russia. It wasn’t easy at the beginning to introduce the new culture to the people, but seeing it today it was worth it.
Do you think there’s similarity between coffee culture in Indonesia and Argentina?
I think both countries love drinking coffee. But espresso based drinks are more common in Argentina and have been drank longer.
What’s the best part of working (and owning!) a coffee place?
Having the feeling of fulfillment of knowing that:
- We have made a very special place for some people to come and become an important role in the community.
- People love our coffee, they appreciate it and it makes them happy.
- We help the community by creating jobs.
- We contribute in the big part of specialty coffee culture – educating customers about coffee, not only the drinks itself but a lot more than that.
What’s your hope for LattenTe?
We had just started our own coffee roastery back in august 2017. Our goals now are to supply specialty coffee beans to small businesses who would appreciate such quality just like us.
(Bey)
