Another page in my never ending quest to do yet another thing, here I am behind the bar at one of Manila's finest speakeasy cocktail bars. My partner Silvester Dan Samonte and I are now finalists at Glenfiddich's World's Most Experimental Bartender. Ditching adulting and coffee altogether for a switchup, we have some fun, carefree, and sweet ideas to transport you back to childhood. Frankly, what really want is to serve you a scotch experience that you're gonna wanna order 6 of. Cannot wait to serve you! Read More
Favorite things: my Pesado system
One of my favorite things these days is my Pesado 58.5 Tamper with Depth Adjuster. Paired nicely with Pesado's IMS basket and E61 competition screens (available at El Kapitan), I've been enjoying a consistency of high quality espresso extraction on a day to day, cup to cup basis. Read More
P.S. Cafe at Harding Road, Singapore
Stunning location! Set next to the Singapore Botanical Gardens, this cafe's greenery is healthy and biodiverse. Well positioned mirrors reflect the greenery all around. Large bouquets of fresh flowers bring in the aromatics and complete the outdoor vibe even when in the air conditioning. There's harmony. Coffee was good but not stellar. However, a well designed menu of great food means that the dining experience is quite balanced. It was the perfect spot for a Saturday brunch to wind down from a very busy week. Read More
Adelphi & Co, Kota Kinabalu
Many times, I have come across cafes that have quite expensive and -- frankly -- merely passable food offerings. And often this makes sense, as coffee flavors and excellence tend to get all the attention in these environments. That's why Malaysia's Adelphi & Co was such a refreshing and lovely dining experience. Surprisingly excellent food paired with equally stellar beverages. Balance! And while I would not call it inexpensive, you definitely get quality on your dollars spent. While we were there, Nica and I got to taste their steak and salmon dishes, paired with beautiful espresso Read More
My Thoughts After The 2018 Philippine Brewers Cup
What a ride! Last week I got to compete in the inaugural Philippine Brewers Cup and was able to bag the first runner up trophy. Losing sucks, I'm not gonna lie. Especially by a margin of justĀ a few points. You keep thinking about what you could have done differently. Rules that would have helped you (Section 15, Article A, ii 😅), they float in and out of your subconscious. This has been what my last day has been like. The truth is that I have a veritable multitude of thoughts about what transpired. I'm sure you have similar thoughts too if you were there. However, for this Read More
Pregio by Barista Caffe, Kota Kinabalu
It was a good morning at Pregio. We visited them at their main location, which also houses their training classroom. Coincidentally, we discovered that this is KK's arm of the Barista Guild of Asia. A pleasant surprise for us as, as the Philippine chapter of BGA and Barista Cafe often partners with us for our open cupping events in Kendo. If their training program follows the same standards as the Manila counterpart, this is probably a great place to learn the art of being a barista. Consequently, the shop itself had a very fun barista culture, with some very hospitable staff members Read More
Inch Coffee, Kota Kinabalu
Continuing our exploration into KK's developing coffee scene, we find ourselves inside Perdana Park to find Inch Coffee, one of the longer running and more established shops in Kota Kinabalu. While we were here, we treated ourselves to some fine coffees from around the world. As a multi-roaster concept, Inch is able to offer a variety of beans. While we were there, Artisan Roast Coffee Roasters, The Coffee Collective, and Norway's Angora Kaffe we're all being featured on espresso and brew bar. The bar itself is impressive in terms of equipment, boasting a quad grinder setup and a Read More