Bread & Bean PWNS All Other Coffeeshops

Happy almost-Easter everybody! This is probably my favorite holiday of the year (well, next to Christmas). One of the best things about it is that because everyone's out of town to enjoy the long weekend, the city streets are clear as day and I can drive from Alabang to Quezon City with no sweat. Which brings me to today's topic.

Bread & Bean is coffeeshop, bakeshop, and restaurant all in one.

Living in the South, I am usually hesitant to travel further than Makati for recreation (by that I mean eating out). Ortigas, San Juan, and Quezon City are places I usually pass up because of the hellish amount of traffic that can be expected along EDSA. To make things easier, I just stay within fifteen kilometers of my house.

But there are some exceptions. Bread & Bean is one of the few (another one is Everything at Steak). This little coffeeshop along Jose Abad Santos street in San Juan is of those places that I'd gladly and willingly go back to, traffic or no traffic.

L-R: Classic Hot Chocolate (p80), Choco Peppermint Fredoccino (p100),
Capuccino (p80), Dark Choco Fredoccino (p100)

Even though there are so many coffee shop chains close the South, Bread & Bean gives you a different experience. The area is laid back, with warm wood decor and, comfy chairs, and friendly personnel. But those just the extras. Besides the general homey feel, they also serve excellent coffee, breads and cakes.

My all time favorite is the Choco Peppermint Fredoccino, a cool and refreshing frappuccino blended in with minty chocolate bits and topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.

The mango cake slice is lovely.

They also have a selection of mouth-watering cakes (pictures as proof!), all reasonably priced at 60-80 per slice. Another Bread & Bean feature is that their breads are baked fresh daily. The very tasty (and my favorite) ham and cheese loaf is a treat. Sorry, I don't have a photo of the bread section, just head over and try their fresh breads yourself. You won't be disappointed.

FACEBOOK PROMO:

Look at what I saw posted on their wall-

Like and share the Bread & Bean fanpage (link below) and get a cake when you visit, absoulutely free. Just tell them your name when you get there (won't hurt to tell them you heard about them from BaconTunaMelt).  Pretty sweet deal, imo.

Bread & Bean Cafe

Location: Unit 3, Citiplace Building Jose Abad Santos Street, San Juan

Other info: Bread & Bean Cafe Facebook Page

Map:

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Cute Coffee Art at Kape Isla

Saturday nights are usually capped off with a favorite drink at a popular coffee joint (yes, that one). One night, we deviated from the norm and took a chance on a newish cafe  in the city called Kape Isla. Situated in a relatively obscure corner of Serendra, this little green coffee shop doubles as Echo Store, an organic shop that sells, well, organic stuff.

Coffee art!

We ordered our drinks and while waiting, we took a look around the shop which sells environment-friendly items (like bags made from recycled paper!). The entire place had a very eco-friendly feel to it, with its wooden furniture and green color theme. When our drinks arrived (in mugs instead of disposable cups), we were pleasantly surprised (and not to mention highly amused) that each one had a different "design".

Kape Capuccino (p85)

What's better was that the shop wasn't crowded at all on a weekend (I had gotten used to needing to wait in line to get plain coffee). This is possibly because from the outside, you really wouldn't know that it's a coffee shop until you take a closer look (I'm really glad we did).

Hot Chocolate (p85)

Also, we were expecting to spend more than usual because of the shop's location (Serendra isn't exactly known to be cheap). For a pretty decent-sized mug, they charge less than your average coffee shop. When you're in the area, try Kape Isla instead of the more crowded coffee shops. They serve reasonably priced coffee with very cute coffee art. Make sure to check out their environment-friendly goods while you're at it.

Kape Isla / Echo Store
Location: Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Contact info: (02) 901-3485
Other info: Kape Isla Website

Cafe Demitasse is Super! - Delightful Davao (Part 2)

To cap off our first night in Davao, we headed over to Kuya K (my cousin and Davao local) 's favorite hangout, Cafe Demitasse. This homey cafe is actually more than just a coffeeshop because besides their famous cakes and coffee based drinks, they also serve some superb nachos and a host of other main course orders.

For that night, we were there for a purpose- to stuff our faces with the famous Super Nachos and sample all the cakes they had to offer while sipping coffee to help digest the feast we had at Jack's Ridge earlier that night (IT MAKES SENSE TO US, TO PZL NOT JUDGE).

The cake display at Demitasse and the sinful Mudslide Frappe (p130 18oz.)

As if we were hungry, we ordered a couple of some mouth-watering cake slices from the many that were on display. We picked the Moist Chocolate Cake with Custard Filling that everybody loved so much (we had to order a couple more slices) because of the lovely combination of chocolate and custard, which was surprisingly light and not too overpowering.

There was also a slice of Blueberry Cheesecake, which wasn't spectacular (but it wasn't bad), the interesting Choco White Mousse which turned out to be plain, and a slice of Banoffee Pie, which was just okay (but I still like Banapple's version better).

Clockwise from top-left: Moist Chocolate Cake with Custard Filling (p110),
Blueberry Cheesecake (p110), Choco White Mousse (p105), Banoffee Pie (p110)

As if those cakes weren't enough, we ordered more nomz (our stomachs are bottomless pits). Of all the noms ordered that night, I have my favorites. Here's my top three:

Snickers (p65)

1. Snickers cake

Each slice is only sixty five pesos. It wasn't huge but to me, this cake is worth more than it cost. Imagine a Snickers bar with a chocolate cake base and you'll know what this cake tastes like. I could kiss whoever thought to make this.

Super Nachos (p150)

2. Super Nachos

These famous nachos shouldn't be passed up if you're ever at Cafe Demitasse. Again, I think this order is worth more than the price. A big plate is filled to the brim with crispy corn nachos topped with a generous serving of ground meat, chopped up tomatoes and onions, and a healthy sprinkling of grated cheddar cheese. It also has a side of cheese dip, in case the overload of rich flavors on the plate isn't enough for you. The Super Nachos is super worth it.

Mocha Caramel Latte (p80 8oz.)

and lastly,
3. Mocha Caramel Latte

The coffee was pretty good (better than Starbucks) but what boosted this order's rating is the ultrafabulous presentation. Just look a the picture, the mug has a teddy bear drawn on the foam! How cool is that? The first cup of latte that we got had hearts as foam art, while cute, it just can't level up to the teddy bear foam. We had a theory (that we didn't get to test out) that the foam art becomes more complex the more you order. This order even came with a side of iced gem biscuits. So cute!

~

I can understand why Cafe Demitasse is a favorite hangout for many locals, the ambiance is homey,  the servers are extra helpful, the prices are affordable and the nomz are absolutely fantastic! They have free WiFi too. If you're in Davao, you MUST check out Cafe Demitasse. From that one visit, it has become my favorite coffeeshop in the city (I'm wishing and hoping for a Manila version).

Click here to read all entries in the Delightful Davao series.

Cafe Demitasse
Location: 727 F. Torres Street, Davao City
Contact details: 082-282-2828
Other info: Cafe Demitasse Official Facebook Page

Serye - A Filipino Coffeeshop and Restaurant

Although a third world country, there is no scarcity of swanky restaurants in the Philippines. Peppering major areas of different cities across the country are hundreds of restaurants that boast of a variety of foreign cuisines. What I find slightly disconcerting is that there seems to be a preference for foreign nomz when eating out.

Even with something as simple as coffee, we patronize foreign flavors and franchises. In a country where Starbucks is mainstream and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is the alternative, it's not very often do you find a local, Filipino-themed cafe like Serye.

From the same family that brought us local favorites Aristocrat and Reyes Barbecue, Serye Cafe Filipino is a coffeeshop doubling as a restaurant that caters to Filipinos' love for good food and good coffee.

They have a branch at Santana Grove, one of my favorite hangouts in the South, and it's become one of those restaurants that I go back to time and again. My family was there just last week for a simple Filipino lunch.

Hototai Soup (p235, good for sharing)

To start the meal, we got an order of the Hototai soup for sharing. They also have this at Aristocrat (a sister company) and it has always been a family favorite. The tasty soup is a slightly thick broth with shrimps, dumplings, and cabbage in the mix. It's a classic.

Sisig (p245)

Sisig has become a staple in most Filipino restaurants and it isn't any different at Serye. Served in a circular sizzling plate, Serye's sisig is topped with onions and crunchy chicharon bits with a side of chili sauce.

Boneless Chicken Barbecue (p320, half chicken)

The specialty of the house is the Boneless Chicken Barbecue. The half chicken order consists of two juicy slabs of boneless chicken marinated in their signature peanut sauce, served with java rice and a side of atchara. Serye's sister companies, Aristocrat and Reyes Barbecue, are also famous for the same nutty barbecue sauce.

Too bad, I didn't order coffee during my last visit. The Serye coffeeshop deserves another post all on its own. They're famous for their siphon-brewed coffee that's freshly prepared each time you order. The cafe has a menu of traditional Filipino drinks that you don't see in a lot of coffeeshops like the salabat, kapeng barako, tanglad tea, pito-pito, tsokolate as well as a wide array of classic coffee drinks.

With its homey couches, classy interior, good service, and local food, Serye is a coffeeshop and restaurant that you'll surely appreciate.

Serye Cafe Filipino
Location: Santana Grove, Dr. A. Santos Avenue, Sucat, Paranaque
Contact Info: 826-9317
Other Details: Serye Cafe Filipino Facebook page

Bag of Beans, Tagaytay's (In)Famous Coffeeshop & Bakery

Still on a Tagaytay hangover, we went back just a weekend after the last roadtrip, with family in tow this time.

One particularly interesting stop that weekend is a quaint (not so) little coffeeshop along the main road of Tagaytay called Bag of Beans. We weren't particularly hungry then but we stopped by anyway for a coffee break and light snacks.

Clockwise from top left: Bag of Beans storefront, bags and

bags of coffee beans, one of Bag of Beans homey garden set,

and Bag of Beans resident kitty cat

What's a coffeeshop without heartwarming coffee? The shelves at the bakery were lined up with bags and bags of coffee beans of different flavors with prices ranging from p200 to p300 per 500g packs. And although they didn't have it that weekend, Bag of Beans is the only place I know of that sells Civet (cat poop) coffee. It's what they're actually most known for.

Bag of Beans' Freshly Brewed Baraco

(p90 per cup; p105 for bottomless)

If you're a coffee junkie, you'd surely enjoy the option to go bottomless on their strong coffees for a reasonable price. Not bad if you're going to while away the time reading the newspaper or chatting while enjoying your coffee and the cool Tagaytay weather.

Some pastries and pies that we ordered to go with the coffee-

Breads & pastries of Bag of Beans:

Cinnamon loaf, Choco roll, Chicken empanada

Desserts: Apple Pie Alamode (p135) and Strawberry Cheesecake (p135)

Everything was delicious, special mentions deserve to be made for the Apple Pie Alamode and the Strawberry Cheesecake. The Apple Pie Alamode arrived freshly baked and warm, it was a whole mini pie instead of a regular slice of a bigger pie. The Strawberry Cheesecake is noteworthy too. While the strawbery jam topping isn't anyhting special, the cheesecase was meltingly good.

Bag of Beans would be/should be a Tagaytay staple from now on. Loved it! <3