How to Enjoy a Good Cup of Coffee & Still Arrive Early for That Morning Huddle with your Team

Every coffee drinker has a preferred brewing method. Me, I love brewing coffee in my Moka; it’s the perfect way to start my day. It takes around 30 minutes to prepare and enjoy my morning fill, and more if there’s good company at hand for small talk and laughter. 

But like everyone else, I turn off the alarm and go back to sleep only to wake up in a frenzied panic because I’m already late for an important meeting. Of course, I can always schedule meet-ups at a good coffee house, but that isn’t always the case.

Coffee Invitation

I was invited to a product launch at the Parc Royale Building, in Ortigas, last November 29. Hesitant at first because “product” means that I must endure long, boring talks about something, which I’m not remotely interested in and with people who are maniacally passionate about it and trying to convince the audience to automatically share the same excitement as if it was as easy as copy-paste.

Lest I be rude and walk out of my hosts, I’m a prisoner for the duration of the presentation. But it’s coffee, so I braved the incorrigible Metro Manila traffic in the pursuit of caffeine. Luckily, there were no long, boring talks and zealous speakers asking us to cough up a couple thousand bucks and register as a member, so kudos to the organizers for this.

Drumroll….

Introducing the New elcafé. Bursting with Exciting 5 in 1 Taste.

In this world, full of coffee and network marketing, I’ve been invited to, and have tasted, coffee plus, plus, plus…. 3 in 1, 5 in 1, 7 in 1… These “products” tastes ranged from good to bad. Fortunately, elcafé fared well in my taste-test.

I’m not exaggerating when I say exciting 5 in 1 taste. I told MJ, the organizer, that it didn’t taste like gamot (medicine). I genuinely liked it. Sure, it had that weird, funky aftertaste, maybe because of the Ginko Biloba or Ginseng, but it was tolerable, for sure. I’ve had far worse.

Verdict.

All-in-all, I enjoyed the Elken elcafé 5 in 1 Coffee. It’s a welcome surprise from the direct selling world that sells pungent-tasting, healthy coffee that people would never trade for their grande at Starbucks. I highly recommend it as a healthy substitute for your home-brew when in a hurry, or something to bring to the office to avoid the stale coffee at the pantry.

Brewing Time

You only need 150 ml of hot water, stir in the coffee mix, and voila, a nice cup of coffee to wake you up on a cold morning. It takes less than five minutes to prepare; less if you already have hot water (preferably 85-90°C).

With that, I'd like to give a shout-out to MJ Catriz for the invite and to Elken for the welcoming atmosphere. 

In case you’re interested, you may go to their office at the Ground Floor of Parc Royale Building, Julia Vargas Avenue Corner Emerald Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. For more info, please visit their website http://ph.elkenglobal.com/.

Finding Two Vegetarian-friendly Restos and an Old Tower in Historical Dumaguete City

As a vegetarian traveling to and fro, food becomes a critical factor in choosing where to go. Only, sometimes, you just go without a clear idea of what awaits. And it's this drama of discovery that makes travel so exciting.

Recently, my wife and I went to Dumaguete City in Central Visayas and, surprisingly, found places with vegetarian options. Here are two of the city's well-kept vegetarian-on-the-menu secrets:

Coco Amigos

Coco Amigos, in Rizal Boulevard, serves vegetarian pizza (Php 160.00) and vegetarian curry with rice (Php 130.00). The curry is a little bland for my taste but I personally liked the pizza. Both servings were big enough for sharing. (Tip: we were so hungry when our order came, I wasn't able to take a snapshot of the food. So come before you are really hungry.). Extra rice (Php 25.00).

Sans Rival Cakes and Pastries

Photo by Romy Sollorano

This place has been a staple in the Dumaguete food scene for decades. The Sans Rival (Php26.00/slice), Sylvanas (Php15.00/pc, Php125.00/box of 10), and coffee (Php 40.00/cafe latte, Php55.00/cafe mocha) capped off our second day. It's dessert heaven.

In our last day, we went to the main store at San Jose Street to buy pasalubong (gifts) for friends and family back home. Much to our surprise, there are two vegetarian dishes on their menu: pesto lasagna (Php130.00) and spaghetti with tomato sauce (Php120.00). We enjoyed the treat and hired a tricycle to the airport for Php80.00 (special trip).

Moving on. Many factors add up to a great travel experience in the Philippines. For me, finding vegetarian picks in quirky tourist spots add pizzazz to an already popular historical and cultural destination. That the place has beautiful beaches and cool people deserves a must-visit ranking.

Traveling gives one an opportunity to learn about other people, languages, food, customs, and traditions. Dumaguete is one of those places that seems too good to be true: history, culture, beautiful beaches, waterfalls, lakes, gentle people, peace and order. To just settle down, unwind, and release stress makes it a worthwhile vacation spot.

An Old Tower

Belfry Tower | Photo by Romy Sollorano

History buffs who come for a visit should check out the Dumaguete Belfry Tower.

Pirates in olden times used to swoop down and snatch whatever they can from the townsfolk. Because of this, the Visayan word daggit (meaning "to snatch") came to represent the place. Spanish historians recorded it as Dumaguete .

Originally built as a watchtower to help protect local inhabitants, the Belfry Tower (circa 1760s) on Perdices Street is an architectural and historical landmark one shouldn't miss.

A cozy coffee shop in Quezon City

Long before Starbucks came to the Philippines, we Filipinos already had a fondness for coffee ingrained into our consciousness. I remember growing up in Laguna, years ago, and drinking a special coffee brew every time we came home from a visit to Batangas. This special brew, kapeng barako as I found out much later, emitted an aroma that made me feel good, tastes great, and was the companion to many late night or early morning meetings.

I've recently discovered a coffee shop in West Avenue that serves great kapeng barako, with a twist. It's a small place with wi-fi and a quiet ambiance good for meetings or dates or just to hang around. Aptly called Varacco Cafe, it also serves cakes, pastries, noodles and cold beverages as well. 

So, if you happen to pass by West Ave., in between the corners of Cavite Street and Del Monte Avenue, drop by to sample the "kape" and share your experience with us.

UPDATE: Varacco Cafe closed shop.