UCC has always been the kind of coffee shop that’s “daddy” coffee, in the way that a Toyota Camry is a “Daddy Car.”
So perhaps “specialty” is not really the word that comes to mind when you think about the retail chain. And yet, here we are at the UCC in Ayala’s Vertis North mall, having a pour over of single origin Philippine Coffee from Benguet. The coffee itself is rosted a little dark for our taste, but it is deep and sweet like molasses.
This is UCC Clockwork, the Japanese brand’s attempt at a localized third wave coffee shop. Is it successful? Hard to say. People definitely come here, but it appears that most are still ordering the classic UCC siphon brews or iced blended beverages. And even though this pour over is delicious, it’s delicious in a way that could be considered as your daddy’s pour over.
