Brewed Coffee, Max Brenner

Have you ever been to Trinoma mall, in Quezon City, on a non-working holiday? Caught the first screening of Wall-E with my fam, then met up with a friend after lunch. Parking was already bad even shortly after 11am, so you can imagine the crowd when we came out of the cinema. Close to the frenzy of last-minute Christmas shopping!

My friend C and I had documents to complete and a quick catching up session, so we needed coffee, a table, and none of the noise that surrounded us during our search for a good place to spend our short meeting.

Not surprisingly, the old dependables -- Starbucks (all three branches), The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and Figaro -- were already full and actually SRO. Good thing there was Max Brenner's -- a walk-in, 3-wall small (about 8 tables) on the cinema level.

It's absolutely the place for chocoholics, that time of the month when girls crave for chocolate, and for consolation via a comfort drink in one of their hug mugs (more of that next time). But since we needed coffee and didn't want to blow P180 or something on hot chocolate (this can be shared, though), we had their brewed coffee --- only P88! I was delighted to discover they had coffee -- I never went past their list of chocolate drinks before -- and they offer about 5 variants: plain brewed, decaf, latte, double espresso, cappuccino. At least that's what I remember.

No queues, good thing, and a waiter with a buzz cut (hey, I thought they were supposed to be clean-shaven) invited us in with a smile, showed us to a clean table in a good spot and took our orders, leaving us with the menu in case we wanted something else (like a super expensive cookie) to go with our coffee.

We didn't wait long for our coffees to come. The beverages were really hot, C had to add some cold water to get her first sip without scalding her tongue. We each got a packet each of white and brown sugar, but no creamer or milk, which we had to ask for. They ran out of non-fat, but it wasn't a big deal at this point, especially when the server gave us this bit of news with an apologetic smile and quickly came back with our mini cups of warm milk. The coffee was very good, just the right strength, slightly acidic, and full-flavored. For me, it was excellent.

The music wasn't bad, but I honestly can't say it was good --- anything was actually a relief from the noise of the mall.

All in all, we got to do what we planned on doing. Now I know where to get a good cup of brewed coffee when all the other places don't work. Who knew? I don't usually go to a Chinese restaurant for a Paella.

P.S. I believe Max Brenner has closed most, if not all, of their outlets here in Manila, 25 Feb '11  :((

Brewed Coffee, Figaro

Figaro used to be one of my fave coffee places. I would meet most of my clients and friends there. I would also opt to get my coffee there after a visit to the MMPI office in Ortigas Ave, Pasig City, for my writing assignments instead of the other nearby coffee place, also because they have this list of delectable real food to choose from -- yummy muffins, a really good sans rival (my little oscar, I think, is how they call it), generous servings of pasta and freshly assembled and panini-pressed sandwiches. I am also crazy about their bread pudding with vanilla custard.

The lighting in Figaro is warm and cozy, and probably because they serve real food, they have more of those curved cane chairs and marble-topped tables than easy chairs and couches. So, it's relaxing, but you won't get too relaxed you'd stay all day. 

Back when I was working at The Fort in Taguig (y2k), I had a non-fat latte from Starbucks in the morning, then a flat white coffee from Figaro after lunch and in mid-afternoon... every single day. That's how much I loved their coffee.

If the local coffee expert I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs were to be believed, they have the best-tasting coffee among the bigger coffee places, because their coffee is not freeze-dried, packed, and sent here from another country. They're grown and packed here, served as close to the date packed, and ground right before being served. 

I ordered the plain brewed coffee last night, instead of the latte or cappuccino because for some reason that baffles me, esp since most Asians are lactose intolerant, they haven't had non-fat, low-fat milk and/or soy either for many months now. With a latte, the milk would be about half the cup, so that's a lot of whole milk to take for people who can't take milk. It really would be unfair to let coffee lovers order fresh-brewed world-renowned barako coffee with packets of powdered creamer. So please bring back the non-fat and/or low-fat, and start serving soy!

It's not that I didn't like the coffee, which I found a bit more on the acidic side. I probably was looking for the fuller taste of espresso, which I believe is what they add the milk to for the lattes. I'll try that next time.

Oh, and maybe -- something can be done to perk up the personality of the staff in some of their branches. A ready smile always helps. A person standing behind the counter always helps, too. I was unfortunate enough to have had to call out, "hello?!" after clearing my throat a couple of times before one broke away from the coffee machines (there were two of them, one just watching) or the room behind to take my order. 

I can't believe I am giving Figaro a lower rating than Burger King, but they're not in the same category. And just for this piece, it was probably more the experience than the coffee that got to me. I will definitely go back and order something else, hopefully, with non-fat milk.

Regular BK Joe, Burger King

Yes, I order coffee in fast food restaurants. Better than soda, right? Many times, it's just, you know, fast food coffee. I learned not to expect much.

I was surprised to learn that Burger King decided to up the ante a notch with their coffee. Summer last year, I tried their Big Joe, upon the recommendation of one of my brothers. 

It's brewed coffee, yes, but they have began serving it in three variants: regular brewed (sorry, I forget what they call it), turbo, and decaf, as printed on the other side of the cup. Other fast food joints would also have these choices on the cup or the lid, but for what? They have only one type of brewed coffee, which may come in two to three shades, depending on how long it was left on the warmer. 

Unlike other fast food coffees, the BK Joe comes in a better, sturdier cup, with a lid that has a raised drinking spout, which can be opened and resealed with a snap. I love that their coffee also comes not with a packet of non-dairy creamer, but with those little brown sealed cups (like in hotels and planes) with milk in them.

I tried both the BK Joe regular (I already had two coffees earlier that day) and the turbo (on a day when I badly needed coffee to keep me going). Not bad... In fact, they're very good. No grey color and you won't grow hair on your chest with every sip. I was told it was Gourmet Coffee's Mountain-grown Arabica, one of my faves since late college.

Try their cuppa-joe with BK's NY Cheesecake or Apple Pie. If you have a sweet tooth, have their sundae or Hershey's choc candy pies instead. Whichever -- the coffee is good, so it won't matter. 

I would have it anytime over the coffee of my all-time fave fast food restaurant (because I used to work there and wolf down those two-all-beef-patties-special-sauce-lettuce-cheese-pickles-onions-on-a-sesame-seed-bun and large fries, with a sundae for dessert, when health and fitness were not yet life's challenges), which differs from branch to branch, and from crew shift to crew shift, even if quality and set standards are two of their business mantras. 

Mudshake Original Cappuccino

Here's something with the rich creamy flavor of cappuccino but a different kind of buzz.  Introduced to me by my bro A during our trip to Subic, it is vodka-based (which I love and can have because I'm over 21) and a fab chilled drink. 

It gives quite a punch, which reminds me of Mule, something that became such a hit during the rave party period shortly before the turn of the century. Unfortunately, with the same speed it rose to fame, Mule's popularity took a nosedive to obscurity. What makes Mudshake better is it is creamy and flavored with coffee and/or chocolate, resulting in something like a black russian, or the Bailey's and vodka concoction served at several launch events. 

A warning for the younger ones, below-legit-age, and those with little or no control over their alcohol intake, this could be dangerously traitorous, because the creamy flavor candy-coats the strong hit of the vodka. 

One bottle gives a good enough buzz for one person, but with ice, you can enjoy half a squat glass of each flavor -- cappuccino, chocolate, mochachino, if I remember right -- within the bounds of a bottle's content. 

This drink is good only for those who like coffee, chocolate, and vodka. If you're only a coffee and/or chocolate lover, stay away from this wolf in sheep's clothing.

Tall Cafe Mocha, Bo's Coffee Club

I've been intrigued by this coffee place for some time now, but never really got the chance to try it out. These days, at about P70 at least a pop, experimenting with coffee is just not worth it. 

Glad I did venture beyond my comfort zone today, though. With 2 hours to burn, I needed a cup with just a bit of chocolate for a the feel of a hug on such a rainy, glare-y afternoon. 

The tall cafe mocha looked yummy with the swirl of frothy cream and chocolate syrup on the top. I loved that it was steaming hot... perfect for the weather. I couldn't wait to take a sip, and did just that before remembering to take a snapshot first.

It was a bit too chocolate-y and sweet for my taste, but the espresso I did get to taste was rich and full-flavored. All in all, I'd add a half star to my four-star rating.

Apologies to Bo's Coffee Club for the bad photo.

Brewed Coffee, Gram's Diner

I was so happy to be served a good cup with my breakfast at Gram's Diner in Rockwell, Makati yesterday morning. It was good enough for me to request for a refill, and then another still.

Nothing can ruin breakfast for me more than coffee that's been sitting at the percolator for an hour, then passed-off as freshly brewed to go with your first meal of the day. Virtual mud, in consistency (well, maybe smoother and more watery), in color, and in taste -- no matter how much milk or creamer you add. This remains a frequent downer for me in several of Manila's restaurants and fastfood places, in spite of the coffee-lizing of our city.

Gram's Diner's coffee had a familiar smell and taste to it -- I knew it had to be my mom's fave for years -- Gourmet. This was confirmed by one of the servers. "Specially made for us, from Batangas, po," she proudly added. Maybe it was this comfort factor that made me consume so much for breakfast. The only time the smell and taste changes at my parents' house is when they occasionally shift to Starbucks' Varona, at my youngest brother's request.

It helped a lot, too, that the diner's servers, even if they were a bit overwhelmed by the deluge of breakfast and brunch crowd, still had ready smiles everytime they visited our table.

Fab way to start the day. Did me well all the way through my gruelling spinning class at 6pm. Three cups of coffee -- I felt the need for my next caffeine fix hours later, close to midnight, which I got at Starbucks. Soy mocha, naturally. I'm a creature of habit, what can I say?

Brewed Vanilla Latte, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Mother's day, we headed straight to this fave coffee place to cap the long dinner of rich neo-Asian dishes. It was practically next-door, which added to its appeal. 

Recommended by their very helpful barista, the brewed Vanilla Latte has more coffee than steamed milk, as opposed to the espresso Vanilla Latte, which has more steamed milk -- naturally, espresso coming in a strong shot. I was told that if I wanted more of a coffee taste thank a milky taste, the brewed variant is what I should order. I believe the words, "stronger coffee" were used. But isn't a shot of espresso stronger than a cup of regular brewed coffee? Anyway...

I loved it. The milk did not drown the coffee taste a bit. The vanilla flavor, which I love (it's even my favorite scent, but that's another thing altogether) helped bring an instant warm-all-over experience. The added joy for me was it wasn't very sweet.

Like I mentioned before, I normally order a chai latte when I visit this place, so I believe I have never actually tasted -- or remember having ever tasted -- their coffee. It was good and smooth. It smelled fresh, so I guess it's freshly ground, but it had this bitter after-taste, in spite of the vanilla and the milk. If I have my terms right, it's had a strong acidity factor. To double-check, I had a bit of their plain brew; the bitter after-taste was from the coffee, not the vanilla syrup.

A good discovery, which I'll try it again soon. Perhaps not so late in the evening.