US cinnamon roll chain Cinnabon has finally opened their first store in Indonesia, and I definitely underestimated the hype as I found myself queueing more than 30 minutes on a weekday for their famous buns.
Officially opening in mid-June, Cinnabon’s first Indonesian outlet is located in Grand Indonesia (GI) mall. Though it’s located in the heart of Jakarta’s commercial district, I do hope that Cinnabon will spread its goodness to other parts of the capital because the demand is evidently there.
There are three bun variants offered by Cinnabon Indonesia, namely the Cinnabon, Chocobon, and Caramel Pecanbon. They come in three sizes: Classic, Minibon, and Bonbites (IDR26,000), the latter of which is only available for the OG. There are also Roll-On-The-Go (IDR28,000), designed to be eaten with a fork, and the crispy Cinnachips (IDR26,000).
The buns range from IDR26,000 and IDR28,000 for the Minibon Cinnabon and Chocobon, respectively; IDR36,000 and IDR38,000 for the Classic Cinnabon and Chocobon; to IDR30,000 and IDR42,000 for the Caramel Pecanbon in Minibon and Classic sizes. All prices are before taxes and surcharges.
Cinnamon rolls have been a hot commodity in the past couple of years as many local bakeries offer their own takes for the sweet treats. The first time I went to Cinnabon in GI, the outlet ran out of rolls and they only sold them later in the evening, so I decided to try their Iced Cinnamon Roll Cappuccino (IDR52,000 for the large cup). It was pretty sweet with a strong cinnamon kick, and I felt like gulping iced coffee while chewing a cinnamon roll at the same time.
However, I didn’t go home empty handed at that time because a kind employee gave me a heaping sample of warm Chocobon, which made my heart swell with happiness. While it’s not too sweet, it tasted more like a gooey chocolate bread instead of a cinnamon roll with chocolate.
My second visit to Cinnabon also came with a surprise as I had to queue more than half an hour on a weekday before lunchtime. The hold up, it seemed, was caused by customers only being allowed to place an order once the staff were done baking a batch. At the time of writing this article, each person was limited to two pieces of Classic and Minibon each.
After patting myself on the back for queueing for this review, I ordered a Classic Cinnabon, a Minibon Chocobon, Roll-On-The-Go, as well as the Mochalatta Chill (IDR38,000 for the regular cup).
The Mochalatta Chill is described as a “a chocolaty drink with a coffee kick,” topped with a heaping serving of whipped cream. It’s more like an iced chocolate drink with a dash of coffee flavor, though I doubt it was refreshing for a midday treat as it was pretty thick and I had to gulp lots of water after.
While I had already tasted the Chocobon, the Cinnabon was damn near perfect for me. It’s not overly sweet and all that you probably ever dreamed of a Cinnabon came true thanks to the buns and the fragrant cinnamon, which was complemented by the icing. Personally, though, I feel the Classic size is still pretty excessive for me.
The Roll-On-The-Go, which is served in a cup, is slathered with caramel sauce, yet the cinnamon flavor is still strong enough to stand out amid the sweetness.
Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with my first Cinnabon experience in Indonesia, though I’ll opt to wait until the hype dies down to order their buns again.
FIND IT
Cinnabon
Grand Indonesia East Mall 3A floor, Central Jakarta
Opening hours: 10am-10pm, daily
Transit: Bundaran HI MRT
US$1=IDR14,835
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