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.
