UCC brews

The UCC House Blend

A good number of my clients and siblings like dining in UCC restaurants and cafes, so I've had several opportunities to enjoy their coffee. Because their coffee is relatively expensive for the regular-sized cup they come in, especially if you're having a meal as well, I've stuck to the basics. 

They have the "light" UCC House Blend at P109.00, their "moderate" UCC Blend at P139.00, and their strong brew, Sumiyaki, at P169.00. All three are are siphoned -- within full view at the beverage counter -- and watching them prepare the coffee makes you just a wee bit more excited to have a taste. As promised, these variants are "full bodied coffee with perfect levels of acidity, aroma, and smooth flavor intensity". 

They use the siphon method and serve it freshly-made.

I've gone back several times, even on my own, of course, and even tried having a second and third cup when I had to hang out with a book once. I was coffee-solved for the day *tremors*, haha.

Nothing like lingering in a cafe with a coffee buddy like my sis.

Exotic Blend Coffee, Greenbean Organic Coffee Co.

It's no longer a treat to get good coffee in hospital premises, and that is really super. For years, I've had to take those from vending machines, mostly Nescafe and even more of instant concoctions from the canteens and cafeterias. But good hospitals know how much good coffee is appreciated, if not by patients, then by their companions. 

I discovered GreenBean Organic Coffee at the ground flr of St. Luke's Medical Center CHBC in Q.C. The coffee is good enough, and certainly a lot better than instant or brewed but sitting for hours in some hospital restaurants. Their coffee -- Exotic Blend and Organic Decaf -- is imported from the Irving Farm Coffee Co. in NY, U.S.A., and served always freshly brewed, hot or ice blended, with creamer, milk, or soya. Your choice.

I just think it's so appropriate to have organic stuff in a place promoting wellness. Bravo to Dr. Bunagan who I was told owns the coffee station. How about going all the way and serving the coffee in recycled paper cups?

I tried the iced version, too.

Tokyo Cafe

For me, if a restaurant has the word "cafe" in its name, it has to have coffee. Good coffee, at the very least. Even if they've added the word to mean casual dining or to communicate the "diner" experience.

Although not the highlight of their menu (get ready, they don't serve traditional Japanese food) -- good chicken, steaks, pasta, pizza (they have salmon for the last 2, yes!), salads, and sandwiches -- Tokyo Cafe does have coffee. Very good coffee. I love eating at a restaurant that gives diners the added pleasure of staying in an extra half hour to cap a meal with their own house brew. Imagine how much nicer if they have a list of coffees! It's become a habit to move to another venue for coffee, but I give an extra star for those that proudly offer their own good brew in the menu. In the case of Tokyo Cafe, they really should, anyway.

They have other variants, but I've only tried the three brewed coffees: Tokyo Blend, a sweet and "mild" brew, their "sour-ish" House Blend, and their strong Sumibi Yaki, all very good, which makes me always wish they offered refills. Just like their food, the coffee is not cheap at P89.00, but considering you won't need to line up and order a more expensive cup at the nearest popular coffee stop, it's not too bad.

It wouldn't be my usual choice, but instead of a cup of brew, one can opt to end a meal with a light coffee dessert -- i.e., coffee in some other form. Refreshing and light, their cold coffee jelly is served topped with whipped cream. 

Have that after their big servings of their entrees, and have the same buzz as a cup of freshly brewed coffee... if something cold is what gives you comfort after a meal. Not bad, at P38.

I've only eaten in their branch at The Venice Piazza, McKinley Hill, at the Fort, but I've seen them sprouting up in restaurant clusters and malls. I have had no regrets, so far. 

Coffee Jelly dessert at Mesa

It was an extremely warm day, and as much as I wanted iced coffee to cap the sumptious Filipino lunch with my work-mates, I went with the next-best option: Coffee Jelly with Vanilla ice cream. Just the right amount in a martini glass, that I could still enjoy it on a full stomach. It had the bonus of two wafer sticks (barquillos), so that there was a mix of rich & creamy, delightful crunch, and light & refreshing caffeine in every spoonful. Yum. 

Brewed Coffee, Sonia's Cupcakes

oops, missed taking a shot while the froth was still set

Nothing can be worse than a pastry or confectioner's shop serving bad coffee, or none at all. That's a fab detail Sonia didn't leave out. I wouldn't have dared having any of Sonia's delectable-looking cupcakes with their choice of toppings, had I not noticed the choices of coffee they had on their menu board. (Great job!)

So I tried their house brew. They serve Lavazza coffee and the blend and variant they served was just so good. The right strength and flavor to go with the sweetness of their specialty cupcakes. Great idea!  so got one teeny-tiny cupcake -- not the ones with butter icing *shudder* or whatever else they top most of the cupcakes with, but a cheesecake swirl (sorry, couldn't remember what it was called) to compliment my coffee. If you haven't tried the pastries or even visited the place, Sonia's Cupcakes is at Serendra, The Fort, Taguig. You'll have to burn all that sugar, might as well join the runners in that area after.

Philippine Mountain Coffee/The Charcoal Roasted Coffee

Tiendesitas is along C5 in Pasig

In the dining area of Tiendesitas, the sprawling split-level open-air shopping, leisure, dining center that boasts of local specialties, is a stall proudly selling brewed coffee and bags of coffee beans.  For their brew, they offer three variants sourced from different mountainous parts of the country:

1. Mild coffee from Malay-Balay, 
2. Medium-strength from Tagaytay
3. Strong from Kalinga 

I've tried both the Tagaytay and the Kalinga coffees, brewed on the spot with a drip-type coffeemaker, and served in a no-nonsense mug with matching ceramic jars for powdered creamer, brown sugar, and plastic stirrer. 

Although lacking in presentation and customer service, I thought the coffee can stand on its own -- each cup fresh, hot, and full-flavored.  Yet, in spite of the good beverage in front of me, I sat sipping forlornly in one of their upholstered metal garden-type sets, because it was a humid day, I was surrounded by pet stores and dogs "malling" with their proud owners, therefore sniffling with allergic rhinitis, and Tiendesitas' dining area was noisy (which is common). I suddently sort of longed for the lively banter and eye contact one could always count on from chirpy and expert baristas. I guess after sampling which coffee variant you'd like more, I'd say get a pack to go because this coffee is best brewed and enjoyed at home.  

(Soy) Peppermint Mocha, Starbucks

It's here! It's back! Starbucks heard our wishes and hopes and gave us back the joy of Peppermint Mocha. I've had only this since I heard about the return. Will I go through the entire process of collecting stamps for the diary that will probably run out? 

The Starbucks diary is a secret fetish because I got one every single year but never got to use any of them beyond March. Well, once till June. Don't ask me why -- maybe it's the size, then when they made a skinnier version, it competed with a really fab notebook I got that Christmas. Maybe it's the lined pages. Still, I couldn't help but feel compelled to get one again this year -- sucker, I know -- because I like that it's covered with fabric and especially after the cute hard-sell of the barista: "We brought back the coffee coupons!"

Soon I will have for a collection, partially-filled in Starbucks diaries. One day, I will use them for telephone messages, scratch paper or as a scrapbook. Who knows? In the meantime, I will have a Peppermint Soy Mocha as much as I can this Holiday season. Then, I'll start hoping and wishing for the joy of Gingerbread Latte for next year.