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There’s a coffee stall at the Delicacies Village in Tiendesitas
called Philippine Mountaain Coffee Collection. An appealing layout
includes several types of coffeemakers and a display of pan de sal
available in different fillings. The pièce de résistance are the
shelves of vacuum-packed coffee blends in attractive green packages.
Various coffee blends include the Tagaytay Baraco and Kalinga Gold
(from Luzon, my favorite); the Kanlaon Blend (from the Visayas); and
the Malaybalay Blend (from Bukidnon in Mindanao). Prominently
displayed in the store is a sign declaring, “Charcoal Roasted
Coffee,” which is another term for French Roast, or a dark roast
that’s almost black in color with a very shiny, oily surface. The
coffee is aromatic and wellrounded with low acidity.
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Kape Isla is a little coffee shop with a big
mission: to uplift the quality of Philippine coffee and to increase
awareness about it. The name itself is a quality label signifying
that a coffee product uses Philippine-grown coffee beans.
Situated on the perimeter of Serendra, Kape Isla
is an example of Filipino architectural and interior design. Shelves
prominently highlight the star of the shop: Philippine coffee beans,
blends, and brews. There’s a new bean featured every two weeks as
the Coffee of the Week and profits go to supporting the Philippine
coffee industry.
Brews to try include Kape Isla’s Barako Blend,
Café Amadeo’s Pahimis Blend, and Gourmet’s Blend. Served in
little Styrofoam cups, each of the coffees is dark and steaming and
very, very strong. (Their lattes are incredible, too)
Kape Isla is at G/F Serendra (across Market!
Market!), Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
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I also like buying whole beans from Bo’s
Coffee which stocks a surprisingly wide variety of imported beans
that they roast on the premises at their Bonifacio High Street
branch. My favorite right now is the Ethiopian Sidamo
bean—full-bodied but light with a hint of earth.
Bo’s Coffee is at Bonifacio High Street,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
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It’ll shock some people, but I’m a big fan
of McCafé. Yes, McDonald’s coffee shop. They use Filipino coffee
that’s unlike anything that I’ve tried before: full-bodied with
enough acidity to cut through the milk in the latte, my favorite
drink here. When I’m feeling indulgent, I treat myself to the
Cocoa Steamer. Dark as earth and heady as any brew, it’s so rich
and thickly chocolate that the liquid leaves dark marks around the
cup.
McCafé branches are in Glorietta 3, Greenbelt,
Eastwood and Panay Avenue, Quezon City.
Lori Baltazar can be reached via her website
www.dessertcomesfirst.com or through her e-mail, lori_baltazar@yahoo.com.
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