What does it take to build a life, and a business, far from home?
Meet Jordan Setiawan, an Indonesian entrepreneur in Melbourne who transformed his student journey into a thriving career in hospitality. After arriving in 2019 with limited English, Jordan faced Melbourne's strict COVID lockdowns, lost touch with his Indonesian community, and struggled to find his place. But through coffee, resilience, and a reconnection to culture, he co-founded Mr. Summit Café and recently launched the new Indonesian eatery, Kantin Kita. His story reflects the challenges and triumphs of the Indonesian diaspora: building dreams overseas while staying rooted in identity.
On this episode, Jordan Setiawan joins Billy Adison Aditijanto on The Perantau Podcast to talk about reconnecting with Indonesian identity, battling burnout as a café owner, and why food is his bridge between Melbourne and Indonesia.
This episode is entirely delivered in English.
The views expressed by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, the podcast or any organisations they are affiliated with or mentioned.
Chapters:
Intro (00:00)
Identity and disconnection (01:12)
Hospitality career and starting Mr. Summit Café (03:16)
Burnout and imposter syndrome (08:10)
What Sets Mr. Summit Apart (13:30)
Southbank's new Kantin Kita (16:53)
Reconnecting with Indonesia through food (20:13)
The Next Chapter: Returning to Indonesia (22:10)
Quickfire Q&A (25:25)
Closing Thoughts (28:22)