Dean & DeLuca
By Alessandra Sy and Bea Nazareno, Year 12 

Dean & DeLuca is a popular restaurant that originated from the streets of New York. Since we’ve experienced the coffee from their New York branches in Soho and Broadway, we had pretty high expectations. After visiting the restaurant, we immediately noticed that it strayed far from its market-type ambiance. It would have been preferred if they had retained some of their NYC roots, as they seemed to completely rebrand their image, causing it not to feel like the authentic Dean & DeLuca. However, if you are judging the restaurant without experiencing the original branch in New York, and purely on the Manila base, it’s a great place to grab a bite and have a sip of coffee.

Coffee

The Manila heat made us gravitate towards ordering their iced Hazelnut Chocolate Latte and their iced Macadamia Nut Latte, both orders at 180php. Although both beverages are pretty sweet, you can still distinctly taste the coffee, giving it a good balance. Over-all, their coffee is good if you prefer sweet beverages, but if you genuinely have a taste for coffee, it’s definitely not the place for you.

Price

Dean & Deluca is a pretty pricey restaurant. The most expensive caffeinated beverage is the iced Matcha Green Tea Latte, which costs 220php, and the most affordable cup is a hot Americano at 125php. Although costly, the portion size is much larger than any other cafe, which counteracts the price. Although the coffee is delicious, the portions only come in one size, which is a downside for those who want less but have to pay the same price.

Atmosphere

Dean & DeLuca’s atmosphere can be summarised in one word: loud. The restaurant’s constantly buzzing with customers, so noise is always in the air, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Although they have great service, due to it’s busy environment, the intimacy of the servers with the customers is lost. It’s much more difficult to gain their attention as they always have someone else to serve. Location plays a big role in this, since it’s right by Rockwell and an apartment building, so peak times are definitely lunch breaks. The interior is predominantly white with black accents, and photos of New York plasted all over their walls. This makes the place seem very open and bright, despite being packed with customers. Dean & DeLuca is definitely a place to go with family, or with friends to hang out, but not a place to be productive unless you are comfortable with revising in a loud environment.

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Find Dean & DeLuca at Ground Floor, Edades Tower And Garden Villas, Amorsolo Corner Waterfront Drive, Rockwell, Makati City

Open Mondays to Sundays at 8AM to 12 Midnight

Follow their social media account:

Instagram: @deandelucaph

Habitual Coffee
By Alessandra Sy and Bea Nazareno, Year 12 

We found out about Habitual Coffee upon hearing that its unique café only serves coffee that is brewed using an AeroPress: a coffee maker known for its smoothest and richest brews. Its drinks have claimed the prize of the 2nd runner-up at the 2015 World AeroPress Championship, and the winning prize at the 2015 Philippine AeroPress. The road leading to this hidden beauty is almost always congested with traffic, but we knew it would be worth it when we arrived to try the prize-winning drinks of this speciality café.

Coffee

We ordered the Flat White single origin espresso, and Rose Chai Latte, a non-coffee bestseller. The Flat White, a beverage prepared by pouring microfoam over a single shot or double ristretto shot of espresso, is delicious because of its strong, authentic coffee taste. It’s the perfect drink for those coffee addicts out there. The Rose Chai Latte is a beverage we ordered as it stood out the most amongst the vast selection. The taste is unique and distinctive with its dominant cinnamon flavour. 

Price

Habitual Coffee’s prices are fairly reasonable; however, they could be considered quite expensive due to its small portions. Its most affordable beverages are the Espresso, Long Black, Hot Chocolate, Iced Chocolate, Cream Earl Grey Tea, and Oolong Tea, all for the price of 120 php. On the other hand, its most expensive drink is the Iced Mocha for 180 php.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere of Habitual Coffee is very calm, stemming not only from the spacious industrial interior, but as well as the lack of noise from both the customers and staff. It’s definitely a place you can go to when you need to be productive and get cracking on the work you’ve been procrastinating. The café offers fast wi-fi, which makes it easy for you to access your e-mail. It has a quiet setting with soft music playing in the background, and is a real contrast to its neighbour, a crossfit gym!

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Find Habitual Coffee at 2135 Chino Roces Avenue, Legaspi Village, Makati City

Open Mondays to Saturdays at 7AM to 9PM, and Sunday at 7AM to 7PM

Follow their social media accounts:

Facebook: Habitual Coffee

Instagram: @habitualcoffee

Single Origin

By Alessandra Sy and Bea Nazareno, Year 12

Having only opened five months prior, Single Origin is a fairly new café in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) that serves a variety of savoury dishes and quality coffee. It’s name pays homage to single-origin coffees, which, as it’s name suggests, means coffee grown within a single known geographic location. Upon hearing this, we decided that it was definitely a place to try and decide whether it lived up to its name.

Coffee

We ordered two of their best-selling drinks: Valrhona Mocha and Salted Caramel Latte. The Valrhona Mocha consists of espresso with textured milk and Valrhona chocolate. It tastes like mocha with a hint of dark chocolate - perfect for chocolate lovers and coffee drinkers alike. The Salted Caramel Latte contains espresso poured over homemade caramel and textured milk, topped off with sea salt. The taste of coffee in this drink is more prominent than in the former and, with that being said, the taste of the salted caramel is just as strong as that of the coffee, mixing together in perfect harmony.

Price

Single Origin’s prices won’t hurt your wallet too much. The most affordable cup of coffee is the Americano: a simple 8oz cup of espresso pulled over hot water for only 120php. On the contrary, their most expensive cup of joe costs 260php; the Bliss Tiramisu is composed of 2 shots of “bliss” espresso with Grand Marnier, whipped cream, and cacao powder. Not too pricey (and without compromising the quality of their coffee), Single Origin is a great place to go after a tiring day in school!

Atmosphere

Single Origin exudes a very relaxed and laid-back vibe that blends effectively with its rustic interiors. The lighting is dim, and the music playlist is heavily influenced by the rock classics. It’s the perfect place to unwind after a long day of shopping (which is convenient because its location is at the end of a long shopping strip leading up to 7th avenue).

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Find Single Origin at Second Floor, C3 Building, Bonifacio High Street Central, BGC, Taguig City
Open Mondays to Sundays at 7AM to 12 Midnight
Follow their social media accounts:
Facebook: Single Origin
Instagram: @singleoriginph

Precynct
By Alessandra Sy and Bea Nazareno, Year 12

Precynct is a newly opened Melbourne - inspired café in Pasig. Upon hearing the abstract name, we assumed that it was going to be just another pretentious wannabe hit that attempts to attract all the hipsters. However, we thought that the point of this column was to review different cafés in the Metro (regardless of our perceptions), so we gave it a shot. Seeing the sign outside, we had a bad feeling; it seemed dark, and the location was secluded in a corner where you wouldn’t see it if you weren’t looking for it. But as soon as we stepped inside, we were proven wrong. Based on our experience, we can confidently say that Precynct is a rising café to look out for in Manila, and has solidified itself in our 

top favourites!

 Coffee

We asked the woman who was serving us what her personal favourite was off the menu. She told us that for hot drinks, it was the Bitter Burnt Better, and for cold drinks, it was the Precynct Iced Coffee. The Bitter Burnt Better is made up of "thirsty" espresso, burnt local honey, and steamed fresh milk. What set this apart from the other cafes that we have been to was the fact that the coffee was served with mole bitters: a combination of alcohol, water, cacao, paprika, and spice. The waitress added 5 drops of this onto the foam of the coffee, which burnt the area it touched; the taste was unique and delicious. The Precynct Iced Coffee is the cafe’s best seller and contains Yardstick 12-hour cold brew, fresh milk, rose water, and ground cardamom. Personally, what made this beverage stand out is that it didn’t taste watered down in the slightest, not even as time went on and the ice melted. Refreshing and strong, it is definitely a must try. 

 Price
The beverages at Precynct are a bit pricier than those at your average coffee house, but to be perfectly honest, it is worth it. Its most affordable non-alcoholic beverage is the Small Victory, which contains warm and fluffy milk, chocolate dust, sprinkles, and homemade marshmallow. It comes at the price of ₱90. Its most expensive non-alcoholic drinks come at the price of ₱280. One smoothie contains cacao, berries, banana, and house almond cashew milk; the other is made up of mango, banana, chia seeds, and house almond cashew milk.



Atmosphere 
Precynct’s atmosphere is very relaxing and will easily put you in a good mood. Aside from the smiling staff (who were lovely), the background music has a pop feel paired with an indie-rock cadence - uplifting and lively. The ambience of the café can take you away from social media, and centralize your attention to the one you’re with. It’s perfect for catching up with a friend.

 





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Find Precynct at Ground Floor, The Grove Retail Row, E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Ugong, Pasig City
Closed on Monday, Open on Tuesdays to Sundays at 10AM to 6PM
Follow their social media accounts:
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @Precynct

 

COMMUNE
By Alessandra Sy and Bea Nazareno, Year 12

Commune has always been one of our favourite places to hang out in. When it closed down a few months back, we were devastated. However, upon learning that they were relocating, we were more than ecstatic and had high expectations for its renewed opening.

The old location was smaller, and had different styles to its interior. Although it was quaint and quirky, it came across slightly hectic. The new location is much more spacious and has a consistent style throughout the space, whilst still keeping its warm atmosphere. Since relocating to the heart of Makati, the new Commune has come back even better than before.


Coffee
What sets Commune apart from other small cafes is undoubtedly its 3D latte art. Its cappuccino isn’t only Instagram-worthy, but it also appeals to the taste buds of coffee lovers everywhere. Its signature cappuccino is neither  too sweet nor too bitter, and definitely a must-try. If you want your coffee to be on the sweeter side, the Café Mocha may just be the drink for you. Although it comes with 2D art instead of 3D, it is still pleasing to the ‘gram aesthetic!





Cuisine + Menu
Commune’s cuisine is traditional Filipino breakfast food, served throughout the day. Easily, we recommend the Beef Tapa or the Chicken Tocino. They’re not on the menu, but they’re still some of their most popular dishes. Dessert-wise, their Carmen’s Best Cereal Milk ice cream definitely takes the prize. This can be enjoyed on it’s own, or with a cookie. More recently, Commune has some new additions to their menu, like cookie shots, which pairs just as well with the ice cream. Tasting authentic and homemade, Commune’s food reminds anyone who grew up in the Philippines of home.



Price
Surprisingly, Commune’s food comes at low prices. Its most expensive dish is Pollo all’agrodolce over rice at 255 php, and their most expensive non-alcoholic drink is the Iced Mocha at 165 php. And their most affordable dish is 75 php for a cupcake, and, saving the cash in your wallet, its low-cost non-alcoholic drink is 90 php for an espresso. It’s the perfect hangout spot for anyone on a budget!





Atmosphere
Commune’s atmosphere is very relaxing and productive. The music plays at the perfect volume for you to be able to  concentrate on your work and jam out at the same time.

Plus, the wi-fi’s a big bonus.

INTERVIEW 

with Iñigo Alvero, one of the business partners

How long have you been working for Commune?

I’ve actually been helping my friend out in the old one whenever I’m free, a couple of months last year. So when we opened this new one in September, I came in as a business partner.

Why do you think people love Commune so much? Why do you think people come back?

Our strength is really in the coffee, so that’s number one. I think a lot of people go for the ambiance, they like the design, for the aesthetic. We also get a lot of good reviews for the service, the staff are mostly friendly and we pretty much know the regulars.

What has working in Commune taught you?

One thing I’ve learned is that the way you do business now, you really have to have a strong online presence. We don’t really do advertising and whatnot, but we do get a lot of posts with our 3D Cappuccino art. So mostly word of mouth.

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Find Commune at 36 Polaris corner Durban Streets, Poblacion, Makati City
Open on Mondays to Saturdays at 10AM to 6PM and Sundays at 11AM to 6PM
Follow their social media accounts:
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @communeph