Heaven-in-a-cup: Something’s ‘brewing’ in Pop Talk!

 

The secret to a cup of coffee’s taste lies in the device used in brewing its beans. Craft Coffee Revolution took this to heart when it opened last year.

“Ganun pala ‘yun. Puwedeng imported o local ang coffee beans, pero depende raw sa paglalaga ang lasa ng kape,” Pop Talk host Tonipet Gaba said.

The cafe specializes in different kinds of brewing methods—the AeroPress, Clever, and Chemex.

In the AeroPress method, ground coffee beans mixed with hot water are placed in a cylinder and forced through a filter using a plunger to get the extract.

In the Clever coffee dripper, the extraction process is done by pouring hot water into a cone brewer that suspends the immersion. “With that hot water, nilalabas mo na ‘yung flavor,” Tonipet said.

The Chemex method, meanwhile, is a manual pour-over style which uses a glass flask and a thicker paper filter to remove excess coffee oils. “Parang wine siya, cleaner,” said Mike.

“It makes sense because coffee is basically acidic,” Tonipet added.

Coffee contains two kind of oils—the good and the bad. Paper filters help in removing bad oils, which cause ulcer and stomach aches.

Our reviewers noticed that there is a certain sweetness in Craft Coffee Revolution’s brewed coffee, but it is noteworthy to say that these are pure brews or “black coffee.” Black coffee has no additives and it does not have any cholesterol content, so health-conscious drinkers do not have anything to worry about!

“Tama ang timpla, it’s just right,” said Gui.

The shop also offers cold brew, which usually takes 12 hours to get the perfect extract.

Aside from coffee, Craft Coffee Revolution also serves fresh fruit drinks, desserts, and dishes like all-day breakfast meals, salads, sandwiches, pesto, and French toast with cookie butter.

“Maganda na ‘yung variety nila ng pagkain,” Mike said.

FINAL VERDICT: 9 pop points


COMMUNE
Address: HV Dela Costa St., Salcedo Village, Makati City
Price range: P150 to P250
 
 

 
Drinking coffee is more than just sipping in cups—it’s all about the total experience. That is, perhaps, the reason why latte art was popularized in Seattle by David Schomer in 1992.

But if you want to enjoy your drink and be amused with some interesting latte art, check out Commune coffee shop in Makati. Latte designs usually come in animal patterns such as puppy and rabbit.

Did you know that among all types of coffee, cappuccino makes the best base for 3D latte art because of its thicker froth? Cappuccino is basically espresso plus hot milk and steamed milk foam. The term cappuccino originated from the Capuchin friar’s hood—the color which resembles the frothy cream on top of the coffee.

Aside from latte, Commune also serves Café Americano (American-style brewed coffee) and iced mocha (espresso with chocolate and milk).

“May iced mocha, puwede siyang pambata,” said Arianne.

But more than latte art, Commune also boasts of authentic Filipino coffee, featuring beans that were delivered all the way from Mt. Matutum in Davao.

Even the variety of meals in their menu are proudly Filipino.

“Their adobo series, I like it, even their adobo sa gata,” said Tonipet.

And of course, the Commune coffee experience will never be complete without the best coffee partner—dessert!

"The pie can go well with any coffee concoctions, even with my Americano,” Tonipet said.

Arianne and Gui added that pie and coffee are also a perfect match.

FINAL VERDICT: 9 pop points


KUPPA ROASTERY AND CAFÉ
Address: Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Price range: P80 – P500
 
 

 
Kuppa only opened in 2012, but this coffee shop must not be underestimated!

It guarantees customers nothing but fresh coffee because it has its own roastery.

And more than that, its owner Karen Lo-Tsai is the only licensed Q-Grader in the country by the Coffee Quality Institute. Which means Conlin is certified to describe overall quality of coffee based on international standards.

Kuppa serves both local and also imported beans, including the French press-processed “Blue Batak” of Indonesia.

“Iba nga ito, earthy,” described Arianne.

Their Ethiopian coffee, meanwhile, is prepared through the V60 pour-over method. “It’s pour-over, so [slow] ang brewing niya,” said Mike.

“Para siyang herbal, para siyang tea,” Tonipet added.

Same with their coffee offerings, meals served in Kuppa are also very diverse, ranging from Asian cuisines, linguini, pizza, steak, egg sardines and even our very own crispy pata!

“I wasn’t expecting a crispy pata in a coffee shop,” said Arianne. “Okay siyang pampamilya. Minsan hindi kami nagkakasundo. Sa Kuppa, lahat magkakasundo.”

FINAL VERDICT: 9 pop points

Pop Talk airs every Saturdays at 8 PM on GMA News TV. For more information about other Pop places to hang out, check out our official Facebook and Twitter accounts. — Yuji Gonzales /ARP