Little-known coffee shops for those who want their brew sans the crowd

Gone are the days when 3-in-1 coffee fixes in chipped mugs and hot paper cups are enough. If there’s anything the back-to-back construction of coffee shops in every commercial establishment proves, it’s that coffee-drinking has evolved from our grandpa’s morning ritual to every yuppie’s stress-relieving, status symbol-sipping, urban essential-toting energy drink. 

 

And with long lines of thirsty coffee-drinkers to quench, coffee shops have to make sure their assembly lines deliver the coffee fast, accurate and on-the-dot. 

 

This is not necessarily bad for people-on-the-go, but for those who want the time to sit back, relax, daydream and read a good book, there are alternative, little-known coffee shops that offer a more laidback atmosphere, free Wi-Fi access (without the extra cost!) and of course, great coffee. It’s just a matter of finding them as most of these shops are tucked in not-so-commercial establishments or at best, sandwiched between bigger, more popular shops. 

 

I found mine in three cafés in Quezon City and I can’t wait to find more. Consider this my first installment. 

 

KaffeCaffe: Keeping it simple on Banawe Street 

 

As the auto supplies capital in the metro, Banawe Street might be one of the busiest streets in Quezon City. KaffeCaffe owner Angela Ferreria, however, admits she rarely gets car enthusiasts as customers.   

Located across the National Orthopedic Hospital, this two-storey shop in attractive yellow and brown design has mostly medical students and Banawe residents as regulars. “We do draw in the so-called gray market at night,” Angela adds. 

 

While KaffeCaffe has the same homey interiors expected of a typical commercial café, coffee here is done carefully, if not painstakingly. Iced mochas are served in glass mugs, cappuccinos and lattes in white cups, made special with a little coffee art. A customer might have to wait a while, but at least no one hollers your name and your order. 

 

I enjoyed their iced mocha with its right combination of bitterness and sweetness. Among the pastries, the red velvet cupcake was a standout. The cream cheese frosting was not smooth, which was perfect since I like my icing a bit grainy.   

After much prodding, Angela admits a couple of celebrities have been sighted in the shop, but prefers to keep this a hush-hush. After all, she has always envisioned KaffeCaffe to be a corner coffee shop, a community café if you will, preferring to keep it quiet and simple. And if ever she makes another branch, God-willing, she will choose another not-so-popular location. 

 

Address: 46 Banawe cor. Maria Clara Streets, Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City

Parking: There are parking slots right in front of KaffeCaffe.

Open from: Mon-Sat, 7 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun, 8 a.m.-11 p.m.

 

Afters: a dessert café with a bar lounge-feel   

Vincent Fidelis’ fledgling café is called Afters, located right beside a coffee shop giant along Tomas Morato Avenue. Yet, Vincent remains unfazed, thankful that customers who are on their way to the bigger shop become curious and eventually find their feet inside the door.   

Inside, the shop is darker than the usual coffee shop, defined by its masculine, rustic and earthy interiors. If not for the coffee brewing machine, gelato and cake display, I would have thought it was a bar instead. 

 

Afters veers away from the usual coffee shop by trying to be more of a dessert café with its unique tandem of coffee brews and frozen delights.

 

I haven’t tried affogato before (I’ve always been wary of blending my cold sweets with hot drinks) but became a fan after tasting Afters’ vanilla gelato poured with an espresso shot. 

 

For one, the gelatos are really good, with just the right sweetness. I recommend the flavors popcorn, Ferrero, salted caramel and my personal favorite, stracciatella. For me, it’s a plus that these are made from scratch in their kitchen, instead of being sourced out.

 

For the coffees, customers will not find their menu lacking as they have them from the brewed coffee down to the lattes. According to Vincent, they use medium dark roast beans from Thailand and Indonesia.   

Since Affers just opened February this year, their menu is still a work in progress. Vincent promises a gourmet menu including gelato cakes and frozen yogurt cheesecakes soon.

 

Address: 20 Lansbergh Place, Tomas Morato Avenue, Quezon City (opposite RCBC Savings)

Parking: Parking is a bit tricky since Afters shares space with other occupants of the building. There are available spots along side streets for eager diners though. 

Open from: Mondays to Sundays, 8 a.m. to 12 m.n. 

 

Ghenne’s Coffee Shop: a grocery’s eye candy

 

I first heard of Ghenne’s from my sister who raved about the food in a coffee shop in Shopwise, Libis. Being a food technology graduate and a fine cook herself, my sister is my sort of “watchdog” when it comes to dining.   

Soon enough, I tagged along with my mom during one of her grocery trips and slipped inside Ghenne’s coffee shop, which was surprisingly sophisticated and modern. While most coffee shops are predominantly earthy in color, Ghenne’s is an eye-candy orange and red with some accents of brown.  

 

For lunch, I had their mixed seafood pasta, which exceeded my expectation. There were more seafood (shrimps, clams, mussels and squids) than pasta, swimming in a bed of homemade tomato sauce, which I finished off with my bread and butter. During my next visit, I ordered a schnitzel sandwich, which went well with a piping hot cup of brewed coffee.

 

Coffee-lovers like me will find Ghenne’s abundant with coffee options—whether it’s your usual glass of mocha frappe, a relaxing ice-blended matcha green tea, or for the more adventurous, their siphon coffees like Colombia Excelso and Ethiopian Sidamo. Siphon coffee originated from Japan, where coffee is “siphoned” in a glass hour-like machine to create a smooth delicate brew, with little or no bitterness. 

 

Ghenne’s has been up and running for two years now and with no publicity at all, it has managed to have a following among loyal customers who appreciate Ghenne’s offering of European cuisine, while at the same time meeting their caffeine needs. Not bad for a coffee shop business that Vicente Uy and Ricky Khoo made just to have an office.   

“We don’t have an office, so we decided to make a coffee shop. We hold our meetings here since we have a conference room anyway. So it’s great that at the same time, we make money,” Ricky says. Their coffee shop is named after Ricky’s wife Ghenne (pronounced as Jean). 

 

Asked if they have plans of branching out, Vicente says another branch right beside their Yang Chow restaurant on Marcos Highway is in the works. But definitely, Ghenne’s will remain one of those places people will look and head out for. 

 

Vicente adds, “I like that it’s not too commercialized. People come here for the good food and for a real quiet time. They don’t like their coffee shop crowded.”

 

Address: G/F Shopwise Libis, E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Quezon City

Parking: The best in town. Both the outdoor and indoor parking in Shopwise are free.

Open from: Mon-Sun, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. 

–KG, GMA News