This Indonesian Coffee Shop Puts a Glam Twist on High Tea

The newest contender in the Bay Area’s frill-bedecked world of afternoon tea has all the accoutrements an Anglophile could ask for: dainty finger sandwiches, elegant three-tier cake stands piled high with fresh-baked cakes and pastries and, of course, actually good tea.

The only difference? At Kopi Bar and SanDai’s monthly Indonesian-inspired high tea series in Walnut Creek, finger sandwiches come spiced up with a hit of sambal. Scones and croissants are infused with pandan or rose syrup. And the tea itself comes sweetened with condensed milk by default, just like how you’d get it in Singapore or Malaysia.

The events are the brainchild of chef Nora Haron, and they’re very much in keeping with Haron’s overarching vision for Cali-Nusantara cuisine — food that draws on the flavors of the region encompassing Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. In March of 2023, Haron and owner Amanda Toh Steckler opened Kopi Bar as an Indonesian-inspired coffee shop, specializing in croissants and other Western pastries that incorporate Nusantara flavors and ingredients.

Inspired by coffee culture in Bali, she also creates original drinks for the shop, like a coconut cappuccino and the “Kopi Avocado” — a blend of fresh avocado, coconut condensed milk and espresso. “It’s so, so good, and we sell so much of it,” Haron says.

Just a week after Kopi Bar’s launch, Haron and Toh Steckler opened SanDai, a full-fledged Nusantara Californian restaurant, right next door. It’s one of a handful of new spots in the East Bay serving modern, California-inflected interpretations of Indonesian, Singaporean and Malaysian food.

The high tea events — which are really afternoon tea, if we’re being technical — were born during a rough patch this past spring, when walk-in business had slowed to a trickle at both the coffee shop and restaurant. International Women’s Day was coming up on March 8, and Haron thought about the women in her life who love going out for afternoon tea. Back in Singapore, where she grew up, British-style tea parties were a hugely popular remnant of the island’s colonial history. She remembers attending a particularly grand high tea at Raffles Hotel where they served local foods — mee goreng and nasi lemak — along with little Western finger sandwiches and desserts. There, too, well-dressed guests would sip their tea with their pinkies out.

So, Haron thought, “I want to do a one-day high tea to celebrate women — just one day, let’s do it.” After she posted the event, tickets sold out by the end of the day. Thinking she might be onto something, she scheduled a high tea service every week for the rest of March — and the entire run sold out in two days. Now held on a monthly basis, the high tea series continues to rank among the restaurant’s most popular events. Earlier this summer, after the new season of Bridgerton came out, Haron put together two Bridgerton-themed tea parties, and “Oh my God, that thing went nuts,” she says. The outfits alone were a sight to behold.

The newest edition of the series has a Bollywood theme. Haron says she had the Indian diaspora on her mind after watching recent footage of the ultra-glamorous, Bollywood star–studded Ambani wedding (“I was obsessed with it!”) and because of Vice President Kamala Harris’s emergent presidential campaign. (Haron is of Indonesian-Indian descent; her grandfathers on both sides of the family were Indian.)

More than anything, the Bollywood event is meant to be a lot of fun. The tea parties take place in SanDai’s sunny front room with open French doors, and Haron says she goes all out for the tablescapes and decor. For this edition, she expects many of the attendees will come decked out in their finest saris and lehengas. A Bollywood dance instructor will give guests a crash course in the expressive, high-energy moves they may have seen in their favorite Indian blockbusters.

Foodwise, Haron says the Indian theme nods to the deep influence of Mamak (i.e. Tamil Muslim with roots in India) cuisine in Malaysia and Singapore. As with her previous high tea events, Haron will serve a full three-tier spread of California-Indonesian pastries, cakes and finger sandwiches, except with more Indian flavors. The hot ginger tea with condensed milk will be spiked with cardamom. Finger sandwiches will feature chicken curry instead of chicken with sambal, and cucumber chutney instead of plain cucumber. There will also be samosas, mee goreng (a Mamak Malaysian noodle stir-fry) and lentils with roti. Nearby restaurant The Essence will supply a variety of Indian sweets.

The event is likely to sell out quickly, Haron says, but those who miss out this time can look forward to similarly sumptuous takes on afternoon tea in the coming months — a reprise of the Bollywood theme, perhaps, and an Arabian Nights-inspired cross-cultural edition.

“And I would love to do a full-blown Indonesian one where everyone comes in their kebaya,” Haron says.

The Bollywood High Tea at SanDai and Kopi Bar will take place on Sunday, Sept. 1, noon–2 p.m., at 1526 N. Main St. in Walnut Creek. A limited number of tickets ($65) are available online via Eventbrite. The set menu includes a mimosa (or Prosecco) and a choice of coffee or tea. For updates on future high tea events, follow SanDai and Kopi Bar on Instagram.