Kayo Cosio – Page 3

Jan 25, 2020 Hongkong

Winner Takes Nothing at The Old Man

The Old Man in HK calls it “Winner Takes Nothing # 1933,” named for Hemingway’s collection of short stories the originally published in — you guessed it — the year 1933. In fact every drink cocktail on the menu of The Old Man is suffixed with its namesake’s publish date.

what’s in the drink: Rotovap pink guava gin, baby carrot sous-vide suze, tarragon, blackened carrot bug, soda, dill. As usual with this revolutionary bar, the drink tastes non-traditional and not-what-you’d-expect. Sweet, salty, juicy, fizzy… confusing. And that’s not a bad thing. It’s actually the polar opposite. In fact, we’d probably describe it add a pretty perfect second drink for that evening when you want to have three. And if you’re coming to The Old Man, it’s a good idea to have three at the very least.

Jan 23, 2020 Manila Philippines

Enzo Luna, Run Rabbit Run

Pulling up at a popular bar right after dinner has its benefits. For one, a bar like Makati Poblacion’s Run Rabit Run is usually packed in the evening. Arriving a little early at 8pm, we had the pleasure of chatting with the man at the bar: Enzo Luna.

Enzo is one of the city’s most personable bartenders, and that’s saying a lot. Since we had the opportunity to talk with him, we asked Enzo what his favorite thing to talk about with his guests is.

“Asking about their day is the most used opener,” says Luna. “And from there stems different interactions.” This is the key to both great conversation and great bar service: opening up discussions and listening.

“Mostly the ones I enjoy are knowing what they do as a career or hobbies they have… I get this feeling of wonder hearing stories from different paths and backgrounds. Especially if it’s from different industries.” He goes on to say that various people bring different points of view to the bar — and that’s OK. “People in business and banking to people in environmental protection. Basically, it’s knowing that everyone has their own experiences to share and learn from.”

Keep up the great work, Enzo!

Jan 20, 2020 Coffee Science Editorial

A Gentler But Still Traditional 8.4 Bar (Monday Espresso)

Continuing our gentle pressure profiles that are in our DE1PRO decent espresso machine, we tried a profile called “Gentler but still traditional 8.4 bar.” Decent describes this profile as a recipe that some professional baristas prefer to use because they believe that lowering the pressure just a little from 9 bar down to 8.4 bar produces a better espresso that’s traditional and doesn’t require 100% perfect preparation from the barista.

With 18.0 grams of coffee in, the profile starts extraction with a low-pressure preinfusion for 10 seconds at a pressure of around 4 bars and then climbs to 8.4 bar, staying at that pressure level throughout the course of the brew, for a pouring time of 30 seconds at a temperature of 89.5°C. The total weight of the espresso after extraction was at 40 ml. See the chart below.

Using our house blend beans, the DC7 blend, comprised of Guatemala Huehuetenango, Colombian Supremo, and Northern Philippines coffees, our shot produced an aroma that had a hint of dark chocolate and spices, with notes of molasses followed by a very subtle tobacco flavor, with a tad bit of acidity. The body left a smooth mouthfeel and was more or less balanced. The “gentle flat 2.5ml/second” pressure profile was smooth and sweet but did not make for a balanced flavor.

Aroma: 7.5
Flavor: 8
Finish: 8
Aftertaste: 8
Acidity: 7.5
Body/Texture: 8
Balance: 8
Sweetness: 8

Jan 18, 2020 Manila Philippines

Blind Pig

It’s been eight years since the first speak-easy cocktail bar concept opened up in Manila. Hidden in Legazpi Village is a bar called Blind Pig. Unlike many speak-easy bars, this one actually does have a sign, but it’s written in Braille. Go up to the door and knock.

The bar is dimly lit, and in the dark, you may miss some of the finer details of the space. Walls and ceilings are paneled with metal paneling. Lamps have hidden notecards inside of them. All of which tell a story that’ such longer than. Just eight years. You feel like the founders built a location that was “what they always wanted.” And perhaps that’s why. Little has changed here over time. It was already what they wanted it to be: a secluded and quiet spot in an office district where to sit for hours sipping straightforward, fine cocktails with friends. Sounds good to us.

Ordering off of the menu, we had “The Vision.” Gin, Cointreau, black sesame syrup, celery bitters, egg white, and a little bit of citric acid from a freshly squeezed lemon. From the menu description, it would appear that the recipe actually called for calamansi. But as the bartender explained, they always serve their ingredients fresh at Blind Pig. That means that a freshly squeezed lemon is a better option than batch-squeezed calamansi that was prepped before the start of the evening’s service.
The drink itself was delightfully complex. Balanced and creamy, with acidly hits peeping out from under the black sesame flavors and aromatics. It was also surprisingly strong. A drink that can give you an almost immediate buzz, especially if you’re visiting the bar before having dinner.

All in all, Blind Pig fits into that “oldie-but-goodie” category. Which is perfect. It’s for old-souls. It’s non-sensational. But really? It’s pretty darn sensational.a

Jan 16, 2020 Manila Philippines

Habitual Coffee

Habitual Coffee has been hard at work, raising the standard of specialty coffee in Manila. Over the years they’ve grown in experience, skill, and excellence in service. The owners have kept themselves very much involved in the process of building and expanding the brand from the very start.

Throwing back to 2015. It was a simple coffee bar in the front section of an interior design and lifestyle accessory store in the home depot area of Pasig. And though Habitual did have baristas, it was very much owner-run. Pictured here is Kaye Ong and her then boyfriend, TJ. Two of the brand’s three founders. The third is Raph Garcia, who is the partner who handles Habitual’s day to day business until today. Did we mention that this coffee bar was Aeropress-only? For those who have come to know and love the brand all these years later, know that the dream started like this. It’s very true to the fighting spirit of the Aeropress, that little brewer that could.

Today in 2020, Habitual has three branches. One in Quezon City, one in BGC, and the flagship store in Salcedo Village Makati. You can still order a pretty mean Aeropress brew.

Jan 15, 2020 Philippines

Evening Star at PDT HK

A PDT drink that you can’t get in New York. That’s what I was told when the bar manager recommended this beverage at PDT Hong Kong. Short for “Please Don’t Tell,” PDT New York was the tip of the spear for the speak easy and craft cocktail revolution that’s been running for the past decade. Many who visit for the first time are looking for that authentic PDT NY experience. So it’s interesting to get recommended a recipie that’s unique to Asia.

And what makes it so special? Apparently, it’s a sake — namely, the Senkin “Modern Muku” Junmai Daiginjo Sake — and a plum, which are difficult to acquire stateside. The drink also features a Belvedere Lake Bartezek Vodka, and the Yagi “Tsukigase no Umegenshu” Umeshu. It’s basically inspired by the Vesper, the drink that James Bond “designs” on the fly in Casino Royale, except with a plum and sake twist. The name “Evening Star” is actually the Latin translation of “Vesper.”

Just like a Vesper, it’s strong and packs quite an alcohol punch. The plum notes are very present, rounding out a traditionally aggressive drink, and you taste all of the elements in layers and in harmony.

Jan 14, 2020 Packaging Design Singapore

Homeground Coffee Take-Home Tins

Homeground Coffee is one of those companies that give importance to good design, perhaps just as much as they pay attention to the quality of the coffee they produce. They are known for coming up with creative and playful illustrations and images for their coffee packaging. It’s also interesting to see how often they experiment with different styles and color schemes without losing their identity.

We appreciate it when coffee companies put effort in their packaging design. It shows that they care and pay close attention to how their product comes across from the shelves. Whether we are aware of it or not, design and aesthetics do affect and influence how we choose and buy almost anything.

Let’s take these tins, for example. These are what Homeground Coffee use for their regular roasts. The tin itself is already nice. They chose a gunmetal color that looks basic but classy and covered it with a label in almost the same shade. Text is very minimal but they added tiny illustrations showing the different flavor notes you’ll get from the beans inside. The illustrations are colorful so they really pop out. It’s the kind of design in which they only show you what you need to know and does it well. It’s straight to the point without being too serious.

It also looks modern but is easily appealing to any person of any age. Another detail worth taking note of is how they’ve kept font sizes very readable and not too small, which is usually a problem with minimalist designs. Nothing is compromised. And these are things you only think of when design is important to you. Homeground Coffee sure does show us that.

Jan 12, 2020 Philippines

Clarified Piña Colada at The Shrine of Satisfaction

The piña colada is a staple for any respectable beach side bar. But a special bar deserves a special take on the classic, and this is exactly what La Union’s The Shrine of Satisfaction brings to the table with their Clarified Piña Colada. All the flavors you would expect are present: the rum, the cream of coconut, and — of course — the pineapple, but it appears that all of the ingredient have been through some sort of clarifying process in order to engineer a fully transparent cocktail. It also tastes tighter than a traditional Piña Colada, a traditionally long drink. What does it pair well with? The scent of the fresh sea breeze.

P.S. Also a must try is the Tanqueray Gin and Tonic.

Jan 09, 2020 Philippines

Salamangka

Magic. That’s the theme here in what may be Eastwood City’s best cafe: Salamangka Now, while the theme plays out visually through decorations inspired by mythical creatures, Filipino folklore, what we found particularly enchanting was a delicious pour-over of coffee from Kenya’s Yara Estate.

Yara is known to have a elevation that’s well around 1700 MASL (meters above sea level), and this elevation usually leads to a very sweet and dense coffee. Baristas at Salamangka brew this cup excellently and if you are unhappy with the quality of your cup, they will go the extra mile to make it right. And that “right” cup of coffee? It’s sweet and tangy, with no real bitterness in the cup. This coffee was roasted by E.A.C.H., or Exchange Alley Coffee House in Alabang. (We recently spoke to Gia Palamos, Head Roaster at EACH on our YouTube show, “Let’s Coffee.” See that HERE.)

Salamangka is also a great place to pop into during the day. The wifi is OK, and there are power sockets that you can charge at if you need to use a laptop to get some work done. Baristas will even bring an extension cord to your table if you need one! And as much as we enjoy a great cup of coffee, notable hospitality is often what really makes or breaks a cafe. The service here is itself magic.

Jan 05, 2020 Coffee

La Palma Y El Tucan Espresso

It’s so difficult to turn down a La Palma Y El Tucanproduced coffee, especially as espresso. So seeing it in the hopper at Makati city’s Yardstick Coffee was an instant-order.

La Palma Y El Tucan, a producer from Colombia, has made waves across the specialty coffee scene globally with their exceptional and experimental processing methods. And it seems that there is some sort of global agreement on this matter, as any barista or brewing competition globally — including the prestigious World Barista Championship — will be peppered with competitors showing off a coffee that was farmed and/or processed by La Palma.

Yardstick’s published tasting notes say to expect tastes of mandarin orange, papaya, and honey. I found this to be pretty spot on, with a touch of honeydew too. Visit the cafe on Esteban St to try it out. It’s worth the trip.