There’s sad news for homesick Indonesians and Hell’s Kitchen foodies — the much-loved Warkop NYC has left Hell’s Kitchen for Greenpoint, Brooklyn, after delighting West Siders with traditional coffee and cafe shop cuisine for just over a year.
“After a year showered with huge support and love”, Warkop announced the end of their time in Hell’s Kitchen via an Instagram statement. “There are many stories and memories we have shared in this humble place. But we are on an exciting journey!”
The cafe, which opened in March 2022 between Lucky’s Burger and Toribro Ramen, quickly gained a reputation as the go-to for Indonesian warkop cuisine — a combination of coffee shop, convenience store and ramen bar, including a large selection of Indonesian specialty foods, sodas and snacks as well as traditional Indomie noodles.
Back then, co-owner Omar Joenoes said, “We wanted to open in the melting pot of New York. Asian food in New York is everywhere. We want to establish ourselves here to get more exposure from local New Yorkers, and introduce our Indonesian culture to NYC.” Expats living in Indonesia and fans of the cuisine immediately recognized Warkop’s commitment to authenticity, with Post-Its on the walls declaring the cafe the real deal: “Ah, finally an Indonesian place in Manhattan,” read one, as another noted “Indomie is life! — Random Dartmouth student passing through NYC.”
Fashion designer and Hell’s Kitchen resident Jasmine Chong was also a fan, telling W42ST in March: “I think there’s something to be said about bringing Indonesian comfort food to Hell’s Kitchen, and also bringing that comfort to local Indonesians here who can make their own, but would rather have an Indonesian person cooking for them.”
The team at Warkop revealed that the operation would be reopening in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in August, but they will miss their first home in Hell’s Kitchen. Wrote Omar of the change in a post on Instagram: “It’s true that luck makes friends with good people… who can sit and eat tofu together — CEOs, officials, shipmen, entrepreneurs and students that all became friends over the past year. Warkop is only one year old, but the prayer is the same. Long live the goodness!”