Cold and gentle breeze wafting in the air, rain is crashing down non-stop. Who’s not allured into getting a warm cup of joe?
Well, we got your back. In partnership with Fil-Chi Ho Tsia Ho Dim and in line with CHiNOY TV’s support for local micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), here’s a compilation of places where you can get drinks that will definitely kick those rainy day blues.
Brewing Season Café
It’s a neighborhood specialty coffee shop that is well-known for its fusion of flavors and creating an entirely new drink experience.
Owner Fionabelle Ongkinglok admits Brewing Season Café is in fact a fusion of her two passions—baking and her love for coffee. She shares the original plan was really to franchise a popular café but then, after encountering several hurdles especially about franchising fees, Fionabelle thought, “why not create our own brand?”
Driven by her spur-of-the-moment decision, she enrolled in several courses on barista training, baking, and entrepreneurship. The café opened its door just this August but the feedbacks they have been receiving from customers are mostly on the positive side.
Must try: Blue Flower Latte and Dirty Avocado
Brewing Season Cafe’s Blue Flower Latte
It’s uncommon to see a blue coffee, right? Their Blue Flower Latte has been dubbed as the ‘work-from-home companion’ by students and office workers who love this drink. It will definitely get your caffeine fixed with two shots of espresso mixed with butterfly pea flower syrup and a splash of milk.
Brewing Season Cafe’s Dirty Avocado
Another Instagrammable drink they have is the Dirty Avocado. This drink has a chocolatey espresso complemented by the creaminess of fresh avocado slices and fudgy choco surprise at the bottom of the cup. While some may think that the combination is odd, once you take a sip, you will surely get addicted to its goodness!
Bonus tip: Try their Taiwanese Jumbo Chicken Chop. It’s pretty huge for a side snack!
Know more on Brewing Season Cafe’s menu here!
Moody Manila
Whatever you may be feeling, this place will always get you in the mood with their cold brew coffee.
Mark King Lim said Moody Manila is a business that came to life after the start of the lockdown. Mark and his partner have been making their own coffee for quite some time, so they have decided to make it a money-making hobby.
Mark shares they also see the business as an avenue to help people survive the COVID-19 pandemic since Moody Manila donates a portion of its profits to several student-led donation drives and charities every month. He adds, through their quality coffee, they will continuously bring hope and joy to the customers and the people they help out in this crisis.
Must try: Cold Brew Concentrate, Mocha Cold Brew, and Caramel Cold Brew
Moody Manila cold brew coffee comes in all shades
Moody Manila’s cold brew comes in all shades. From the richly dark concentrate to their creamy delicious vanilla cold brew, whatever shade of coffee you want, there will always be one for you.
Take note that the cold brew concentrate is not like your ordinary iced coffee. Contrary to what you might think, it is highly caffeinated but with a mild mellow yet full-body taste. Cold-brew concentrate is also less acidic than the regular iced coffee so it won’t upset your stomach.
Moddy Manila’s Mocha Cold Brew and Caramel Cold Brew
Moody’s version of Mocha Cold Brew is a chocolatey treat that has a perfect balance between coffee and chocolate. Meanwhile, their caramel creation is packed with creaminess and sweetness from their rich syrup. It’s definitely a must grab for those who have sweet tooth.
Want to try Moody Manila’s drinks? Click here!
Betterdays Café
A proud locally home-grown brand, Betterdays Café started two years ago when third-wave coffee, as well as milk teas with boba pearls, became worldwide trends.
Mon Tan shares that he and his team thought of establishing a warm and inviting hangout space where families and friends go to whenever they want to talk and have quality time. Their team, a group of caffeine enthusiasts, wanted to offer real and freshly brewed coffees and teas at an affordable price range and so they pushed through with their business idea.
He explained that what makes the café stand out is the special process that they call ‘infusion brewing,’ replacing the usual bulk brewing. Betterdays Cafe’s teapresso machine guarantees that every cup they serve has the best taste and aroma from the tea leaves and the high-quality Arabica beans they use.
Must try: Brown Sugar Pearl Latte with Cheese Cloud, Cheese Cloud Café Latte, and Awesome3 Hokkaido Milk Teapresso
Betterdays Cafe’s Brown Sugar Pearl Latte with Cheese Cloud
Betterdays Brown Sugar Pearl Latte will surely add sweetness to your day. The cheese foam atop gives a perfect contrast to the rich caramel sweetness of the brown sugar syrup with the right oomph from the chewy pearls.
Betterdays Cafe’s Cheese Cloud Café Latte
Who would have thought that coffee and cheese can go together? And Betterdays Café made that happen! A mix of steamed milk and espresso with a floating layer of cheese foam that has a hint of a nutty and salty taste. This drink will surely bring the sunshine to your Zoom meets or e-gatherings.
Betterdays Cafe’s Awesome3 Hokkaido Milk Teapresso
Another best-seller is their Awesome3 Hokkaido Milk Teapresso. This drink has three sinkers: boba pearls, egg pudding, and grass jelly. Betterday’s customers can also choose any milk teapresso flavors they want that will go with the topping three-at.
Learn more about Betterdays café drinks here!
Basquette
For those who want to give the experience of making your own coffee, Basquette knows just the thing for you.
They started out as a gift shop with the purpose of bringing both creativity and convenience to the act of gifting, and to remind people that it’s easy to make others feel loved and special. They curate special gift boxes per request of the customers. This includes their Morning After Gift Set comprising a french press, a beautiful mug, and two packs of ground coffee beans.
Chabeli Cua, the owner of Basquette, said due to the pandemic, they tried to expand and incorporate baked goods with the brand’s sense of gift-giving since there are quite a number of people turning into quarantine bakers just as the lockdown began. They partnered with some local bakers to create a menu of home-baked food items.
Must try: Morning After Gift Set and Baked x Rise Duo Package
Basquette’s Morning After Gift Set
There are a million ways to make brewed coffee but the easiest and cheapest way to do it is by using a French press. Basquette’s Morning After Gift Set is very ideal for morning persons who want their cup of joe in a single snap.
Basquette’s Baked x Rise Collaboration Set
Basquette recently launched their Collaboration Gift Set comprising of Baked by Basquette and RISE bottled coffee and milk teas. They added fun-sized revel bites and chunky chewy cookies that are irresistibly good for any occasion.
See more of Basquette’s gift sets here!
