Sensory experience using nostalgic flavors to create emotional connection | Jakarta, 2025
Concept
"Main Kerumah Teman" (going to a friend's house)—not just visiting, but that specific childhood feeling of being welcomed into someone else's home.
Taste and scent have a way of bending time. A sip of something too sugary takes you back to that kitchen, where you and your best friend swore that mixing every soda from the fridge made the ultimate drink. The first bite of something warm reminds you of the way their mom always had snacks ready—no matter the day, no matter the reason—as if she knew that food wasn't just food. It was an invitation to stay a little longer, to feel at home in a house that wasn't yours.
The Menu
Drinks designed to spark childhood memories—creating immediate common ground between strangers and softening social barriers before conversation even begins.
My Role
Founder, Creative Director, Producer, Host
Concept Development: Identified "nostalgic comfort" as emotional core; developed "main kerumah teman" theme rooted in Indonesian childhood memory; strategized sensory design as primary experience driver over visual spectacle
Partnership Strategy: Sourced and partnered with Hakuji Tearoom for their expertise in Japanese tea ceremony and omakase service; structured collaboration to blend their refinement with Indonesian nostalgic warmth; negotiated omakase format as intentional experience design choice
Menu & R&D Direction: Outlined creative brief for 4 omakase coffee and matcha drinks; defined flavor profiles around familiar, nostalgic tastes (childhood sweetness, warm comfort, "stay a little longer" notes); worked alongside Hakuji team through recipe testing and refinement to ensure each drink served emotional narrative
Creative & Design: Created all design assets reinforcing nostalgic, homey aesthetic; designed spatial experience around intimacy and comfort (lived-in, not curated); directed visual identity to support sensory focus rather than compete with it
Content & Marketing: Developed social media strategy and created all content; crafted storytelling around memory, belonging, and cultural specificity; shot and edited all photography and video maintaining cohesive brand identity
Production & Hosting: Coordinated full event logistics and operations; hosted guests from doors open to close, guiding them through omakase journey; managed real-time experience flow to ensure emotional pacing
Community pop-up removing socio-economic barriers through spatial design | Atlanta, GA 2024
Our Mission
Our mission is to host intentional, impactful events that promote connection and creativity. We proudly collaborate with and support small businesses, offering an alternative to the impersonal nature of many corporate-owned establishments. Friend of a Friend also provides spaces for creatives and hobbyists, inviting individuals—especially those in their twenties—to share their passions, no matter how big or small, whether they have a platform or not.
My Role
Founder, Creative Director, Producer
Concept Development: Identified cultural insight (Asian doorstep shoe racks = community gathering) and behavioral problem (status markers prevent genuine connection); translated into spatial design solution
Partnership Sourcing: Secured Beaneka Coffee collaboration, aligning with mission to support small businesses and Indonesian farmers; negotiated space with artist Youwon to integrate her work and create intimate, lived-in atmosphere
Creative Direction: Directed all brand identity and design assets with design team; ensured shoe rack functioned as hero visual element and primary behavioral trigger
Production: Coordinated F&B development and execution, managed timeline and logistics, hosted full event from setup to close
Content Creation: Shot and edited all photography and video to establish cohesive visual identity across social platforms
FRIEND OF A FRIEND VOL. 1
Inspired by Asian gatherings and the sight of a crowded shoe rack, our first event begins at an overflowing doorstep. Shoes of all kinds—slopes, mules, heels, boots—are placed together, each telling its own story.
We step inside, greeted by a friend of a friend and offered a drink that sparks a childhood memory. It’s a space to slow down, make new connections, and appreciate the little things that bring us together.
