Brewed Coffee, Cafe Azul, Ateneo de Manila

Yep, they're one and the same. Sweet Inspirations, that Katipunan, Loyola Heights landmark and fave student hangout, is the coffee shop-restaurant behind Cafe Azul in Ateneo's Moro Lorenzo gym.

I always order coffee there, no need to move to another place for that after a meal. I also always have coffee there when I have a slice of their NY Cheesecake, a 'super pwede-na' not-necessarily-gourmet-or-the-best-in-the-metro good cheesecake, which I happen to love. 

That they are a no-pretenses cafe (group) that serves good food with student-friendly prices has always been a dependable fact. For under P150.00 you get a satisfying brewed coffee-NY cheesecake fix. While waiting for someone at the Ateneo, while taking a break from the traffic along Katipunan, to end one of their tummy busting meals (esp their famous mongolian barbeque), but please, not after working out at the Moro Lorenzo Gym.

Their coffee is always freshly brewed, very good, and for the price, I'm not complaining. When I'm in any of the two branches, I can fool myself into thinking I'm a student busy with a book instead of a mom waiting for her kids to come out of school or just needing a coffee-cheesecake fix.

Cafe Americano, Cordillera Coffee, University of the Philippines

Vargas Museum, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Q.C.

My husband and I took our son to U.P.'s Vargas Museum to view some of the works of Amorsolo and his contemporaries during WWII, part of the Amorsolo Retrospective 7-Museum Exhibition. It was a school requirement, but a good time as any to infuse some culture into our weekend. 

It was such a treat for me to discover an al fresco coffee place right there at the left corner of the museum calling to me as we got off our vehicle. Cordillera Coffee, hmmm, seeing it printed on all the canvass umbrellas over each table. I've heard and read only good things about this coffee brand so far Coffee for a cause, if I recall. I just had to try it. The thought of savoring a steaming cup of the local brew didn't leave my mind throughout our educational half hour or so in Vargas Museum's 2nd floor. Sorry F.C. Amorsolo, sir. So right after re-claiming my purse at the reception area, I headed straight for the cafe.

Ok, I won't get too effusive about the service, which was not so great, or the food, which was not so great, but the ambience -- how cool can it get? Right outside a University Museum and with lush greenery running along the driveway parallel to the side dining area? Beautiful wooden tables and chairs, and runners with the unmistakable weave and colors of the North adorning each table. No smoking allowed, even if it was outdoors. I see why. It's a good venue for quiet talks, post-exhibit discussions, moments of solitude, writing, or just finding some creative inspiration.

The coffee? Super! I got an Americano, and it was delivered to our table with steamed milk and muscovado. I was not disappointed at all. It was full-bodied, looked like it was very strong, but was actually very flavorful, and almost cocoa-ish. It didn't have any of that sour aftertaste of some full-bodied coffees I've had. A really pleasurable brew.

Now I know. I'll definitely crave for this coffee, so I know I'll be back there. I will absolutely get myself a pack of their coffee for my own use at home next time. I wish, though, that  I didn't have to take so much time setting up for the photo. By the time I took the shot, the froth had already began to subside. My apologies.

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.