Surabaya Through the Eyes of a Caffeine-Addicted Weirdo: Pros, Cons, and Where to Find Decent Coffee
let’s get one thing straight - Surabaya smells like kretek cigarettes, fried tempe, and existential dread at 3pm. I’m writing this sticky-fingered at a plastic stool warung after my fourth es kopi susu, watching a guy parallel park his Honda Beat while carrying a live chicken. Welcome to Indonesia’s second city.
*the bitter truth about surabaya’s coffee scene
Look, if you think you’ll find Tokyo-level precision pour-overs here, you’re gonna cry into your kopi tubruk. But the third-wave spots are creeping in - shoutout to Klinik Kopi near Tunjungan Plaza with their wild Sumatera anaerobic fermentation beans. Pro tip: Local grandmas make better javanese coffee than any hipster barista. Overheard at 7am: "They charge 35k for americano? I get same from gerobak cart for 5k!" (true story).
why your wallet will thank you
My one-bedroom apartment near Wonokromo station? 3.5 million IDR/month ($230). Grab bike everywhere for under $1.50. Street food meals under $2 if you avoid the bougie Pakuwon Mall areas. But here’s the kicker - Surabaya’s got Indonesia’s second-highest GDP growth (4.82% last year) while somehow still feeling like everyone’s just winging it.
the cons no one warns you about
• Monsoon season turns roads into noodle soup. Saw a Honda Civic get swallowed by a pothole last Tuesday (not really, but close).
• That "safe city" rep? Yeah, until your phone gets yoinked from your Grab bike. Local subreddit’s full of saltier-than-Balinese-sea stories.
• Work visas? Good luck. Digital nomads mostly do border runs like it’s some dystopian game show.
Wildcard fact: Surabaya means "shark-crocodile" in Javanese folklore. Perfect metaphor - this city will chew you up but in a way that makes you crave more. Someone on Kaskus forums claims the best soto ayam is at a stall that only appears during lunar eclipses. I believe them.
Final drunk advice from a becak driver: "You want real Surabaya? Go to Pasar Atom at 4am. Buy socks. Eat rawon. Don’t ask why."*
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