The newly opened One Fine Day, located within Kelapa Gading’s now barren Gading Batavia entertainment area, is a coffee house in disguise — a hang pad where coffee enthusiasts of any background can wind down while sipping on a cup or two of freshly brewed beans.

Considering its location, that the café attracts as many visitors as it does is testament to the strength of positive word-of-mouth.

One Fine Day co-owner Bonar Marlens’ passion for coffee is a matter of happenstance.

As a younger man, the 33-year-old was all about the sweets, constantly snacking on saccharine treats and syrupy drinks. In his 20s, he was diagnosed with diabetes. This, he says, forced him to seek a substitute vice.

Bonar’s uncle had a hobby of brewing amazing quality coffee at home and soon enough, Bonar, who had previously been unable to stand the taste of coffee, was drawn in.

He began to learn about the different tastes of coffee — from the variety of beans to the various details of brewing.

In a way, Bonar explained, he challenged himself to develop an obsession with something that had no sweetness element.

From there on, Bonar became a coffee-devotee. He never sweetens his coffee.

It wasn’t until he found a fitting business partner in Vega, an old high-school friend, that One Fine Day was born. The name came from a term that Bonar used on a sticker that decorated his cars.

“The difference between us and most other, what you’d call ‘coffee houses’, is that we also offer a slew of other fancy drinks. We don’t solely rely on coffee,” explains Bonar, who is open to encouraging visitors to try out the many other coffee houses around the Kelapa Gading area — many of which are run by acquaintances.

He did acknowledge what makes One Fine Day stand out.

“Our coffee won’t make your stomach growl. We don’t roast our own coffee here, so we rely on our own personal taste to blend. For instance, we utilize a medium roasting method for our house blend of Gayo and Java.”

Amid its comfortable, industrial-styled décor — classic decoration mixed nicely with brick walls and a good amount of self-made lights décor and tables — One Fine Day also boasts a selection of meals and serves an assortment of flavored and classic teas, as well as flavored latte.

“We’ve got pork grilled cheese; our ‘Breakfast for Champion’ consis ts of pork meatballs, stuffed with mozzarella cheese and Bolognese sauce, sunny side up and croutons — Those are some of our customers’ favorite dishes,” Bonar says proudly.

Every visitor to One Fine Day should try two of the cafe’s best drinks: “Our strong Piccolo, served warm with milk and our Iced Taro Latte, which a lot of people love.”