Pandan flavored latte? Yessir. If that piques your interest, pop by Poblacion’s ABKD to give it a whirl. This simple twist on the classic latte packs a refreshing flavor that’s not as sweet as might be expected. The pandan flavor doesn’t overpower the taste of the coffee, it and goes perfectly well with their food. We paired ours with their crowd favorites, Japanese steak silog and shrimp dragon roll. Adapting to local taste buds doesn’t have to mean lower quality coffee—just be sure to look for shops that highlight their coffee as central to their identity and make sure they still give attention to the quality of their beans. And having a creative barista who’s willing to curate and experiment with their own signature beverage is also a good sign. Like at ABKD, for example. If you’re a daily latte drinker, this will be a nice change of pace from your routine.
Today is our inaugural monthly wrap up, wherein we count off our favorite places from all those we’ve covered. It’s so much fun stopping by the various coffee shops, cocktail bars, restaurants, and even tea places around the region, seeking out amazing and memorable drinks. And of all the great establishments visited, we’ve managed to cobble together a short list of the few who truly exceed our standards. They exemplify a mastery of their craft, ingenuity, and creativity. The four main criteria are quality of service, beverage design, space concept, and beverage philosophy. While these are our tops, we still love many more! So, without further ado, here are our best picks of June in no particular order:
The Old Man, Hong Kong – Simply put, the best bar in Asia (we concur with Asia’s 50 Best Bars).
C-Lounge, Philippines – A totally undiscovered treasure that neighbors Manila Bay’s famously pink sunset.
Cupping Room, Hong Kong – This is the very first coffee shop you should visit when in town.
Congrats Cafe, Taiwan – A concept that should not have worked, but was executed perfectly.
The Giving Cafe, Philippines – Giving Philippine specialty coffee a chance to showcase itself to the world.
For the uninitiated, pairing a rice bowl with coffee is definitely a thing here in Manila. If you’re tired of the open-faced toasts and plain pasta common in your usual upscale neighborhood cafe, then let Caferista spice things up. While there, we pair our coffee tonic with a kielbasa plate and bacon slab rice bowl, and let’s just say that we’re very impressed. Their simple but well-thought-out food menu is viable as a weekly staple for neighborhood folks.
Being a barista is often a side hustle, the baristas here are a mix of part-timers balancing college schedules and full-time baristas who usually have second careers in the art or music worlds. They’ve managed to create a community of regular, like minded customers, creatives in their own industries. College students often choose to work as a part-time barista because it’s a productive way to spend free time during college. You get to meet new people every day while earning extra income and learning a new skill. Working double shifts on both your passion and as a barista can be difficult, but the best ones figure out how to use their creative voice as a tool to connect with customers through meaningful conversations. More often than not, people bond with their neighborhood barista. Relationships like this can help create a flourishing community and build a stress-free environment for both the barista and the customer. A chat with one of Caferista’s baristas is a great example, so drop by for a first-hand experience!
Is lunch time too early to be drinking a beer bottle? It’s possible, but luckily this is actually coffee. During Pursuit Fair this month, we came across an intriguing bottle at The Den’s pop up. On first glance it most definitely looks like craft beer, but upon closer inspection it’s not your usual boozy treat. Instead, it contains a locally-sourced cold brew made with beans from the mountains of Benguet in the Philippines. The art on the packaging is outstanding, representing the origins of their home in Manila’s Binondo neighborhood—often cited as the oldest Chinatown in the world. Since it looks so much like a beer bottle, the lack of carbonation is a bit of a shock. Whether pouring a bottled drink into a glass actually tastes better or not is a matter of debate, but we side on the glass and fully recommend you do so with this drink as well. Partially, that’s to avoid the expectation of bubbles. But that’s also because part of what makes a drink enjoyable is the smell, and if you’re drinking from a bottle you miss out on half the experience. This is particularly true of coffee, and if don’t you agree, just think about how the scent of beans brewing in the morning gets you out of bed.
The Giving Cafe has a focus on storytelling. The interior features hints of the family’s business origins, like the abaca ropes on the ceiling. They started out as one of the few abaca rope manufacturers in the Philippines before growing to become one of the biggest coffee companies in the country. Another way they are starting true to their roots is the food menu, which mirrors a classic Chinese tea house, serving up dishes like fried rice and lemon chicken.
If you want a bang for your buck, TGC’s tasting flight is quite a bargain. It’s basically three pour overs for the price of two. The cafe is also a smart way to learn about different coffees. Baristas here are well trained, with roaster Adrian Vocalan being a National Latte Art Champion, and owner Michael Harris Conlin recently awarded as the 2019 Philippine Barista Champion.
This is probably the only place you can get food like Taiwanese fried chicken along with a shot of espresso in Manila. The Giving Cafe’s meals are mostly comprised of comfort food. Eating here is something we always look forward to, mainly because of how the food pairs with the complex flavors of their coffee. We always try a different meal every time we visit and it never disappoints. On the right is their lu rou fan with Taiwanese fried chicken—it’s a crowd favorite and at 300 pesos you definitely get your money’s worth. (Just look at the serving size, the meat doesn’t even fit in the bowl!). Next is the salt and pepper spareribs, a rice-bowl that balances nicely with the sweet and fruity note of their espresso and the salty flavor of the ribs. It’s a surprisingly good combination. Since their espresso offerings vary in taste, it’s always a good idea to ask the well-informed staff about what food best pairs with which coffee.
Chains shouldn’t compromise quality. It’s an outlook that Toby’s Estate is aiming to prove with several locations across Metro Manila. As one of the first shops in the region to showcase specialty coffee, they deserve credit for what they’ve accomplished so far. Toby’s has inspired their customers to appreciate a better and simpler cup that focuses the coffee itself, raising standards higher than what people were accustomed to. Your options may vary from store to store, and some branches serve up a better taste than others, but all of their stores are familiar and comfortable. You can always rely on them to serve up a no-fuss, daily cup of coffee.
The Toby’s Estate at Century City Mall in Manila is a grab-and-go type situation, sparsely filled with only a few stools lined along the wall and a counter. They offer the standard Toby’s coffee menu and a substantial choice of pastries, but this branch forgoes any meals because of its to-go nature. They put an emphasis on their single origin coffee from Kenya, which is a Black Currant AA. It’s a special blend of beans from different lots within Mt. Kenya and the Central Highlands region. As an iced black, you’ll find tastes of dark chocolate with blueberries and hints of burnt caramel. They also offer some pastries from Bucky’s, a shop worth noting for their famous “Bucky” brownie (although they refuse to call it a brownie). This Toby’s is located near a cinema, so for people who have tendencies of sleeping while watching a movie, the shop might be your new best friend.
A proper cocktail bar situated in Makati Poblacion? Oto is a solid choice. In an area known as the red light district and now the nightlife center of Makati, you’ll notice that Oto is a little bit off from from the strip of bars along the popular Don Pedro street; yet people still make their way around to grab a drink and listen to music from their vinyl record selection. Clearly, Oto has an allure to it. And much like the stripes driven interiors, beverages likes this coffee-themed cocktail have their flavors line up intelligently and in a sophisticated manner.
This is the Pretty Paloma, created by Oto’s barista Larry Andrada. It’s a cold summer drink inspired by the classic Paloma cocktail, which is usually a tequila-based drink prepared with grapefruit juice or soda. But Andrada forgoes the alcohol and instead combines freshly squeezed grapefruit juice with cold drip coffee, simple syrup, mango syrup, and a dehydrated grapefruit slice as garnish. It’s like biting into chocolate candy with a fruity center. The rich flavor of the coffee and its notes of dark chocolate mix with the tangy grapefruit and sweet mango in a refreshing and indulgent ensemble. Oto is set to move to a nearby location quite soon, so head down to their current home in the famous Poblacion neighborhood of Manila while you still can. And while you’re there, be sure to browse their wide collection of vinyl records—Larry will even play them for you!
Hineleban Cafe is no run of the mill cafe. They serve a drink called Kafe Laranja, which was presented at last year’s Philippine Coffee in Good Spirits Championship by their barista Adriane Alcid. It’s an iced shaken long black, sweetened with orange juice and garnished with apples. Even when the caramelized apple isn’t available—like when we visited, for example—it’s still a very good drink. The adventurous among us can even take advantage of an optional shot of whiskey. The Laranja is very refreshing and the taste of orange highlights the bright coffee flavor. Their new location in Poblacion is known to be popular after the sun drops because of the prolific bars throughout this nightlife district in Metro Manila. But Hineleban itself is actually a very quiet and serene place, perfect for regaining your balance.
Harlan + Holden is a lifestyle brand that’s expanding its reach from being a creative but simple and modern fashion brand to investing in the food and beverage industry. This branch, in particular, is called the Rockwell Glasshouse by Harlan + Holden. It’s a cafe in Metro Manila known for its magnificent play on interiors and its surrounding environment; comfy chairs paired with marble and wood tables, floor-to-ceiling glass windows enveloped by trees and plants, and natural light streaming from all corners. It was built to cater to the locals on the posh side of Makati City in the Rockwell area. Their best selling coffees—the cream and brown sugar lattes—are both on the sweet side of the spectrum. They have notes of molasses and milk chocolate that flood your tastebuds. People who don’t like a particularly dark coffee taste should appreciate them.
An interesting take on the classic espresso martini. EDSA BDG’s version is made with coffee liqueur, a shot of espresso, Tito’s vodka, and Disoronno. Pretty standard ingredient list, but it gets interesting with the coffee liqueur, which is made in house. They brew their coffee grounds with heated simple syrup instead of hot water. It’s an unusual method that yields a sweet coffee flavor, similar to Kahlua but with a more prominent coffee bean. It’s also a good way to reduce the oils that usually result from other types of brewing methods. Then they add a shot of their own signature espresso blend called the Dark Matter Theory, which is comprised of half Costa Rican and Colombian origins. The overall taste of the cocktail is sweet with hints of chocolate and cherry, and the texture is very creamy because of the foam that appears after shaking. Definitely a chill way to get some late night caffeine into your system.
