by Edelito Mercene Jr and Hannah Millenne Pagaduan
If you’re tired of the usual crowded coffee shops, and just want a place to eat, study, and work in peace, head to Teachers Village, Quezon City where you can find a long list of homegrown cafes that will give you just that.
Hillcrest cafe
Upon entering Hillcrest, the coffee’s aroma and the books’ earthy smell atop the shelves will surely captivate you. The orange-colored brick wall and all the inspirational quotes painted on it add character to the cafe’s look. Its dim yellow lights and air-conditioned space make the cafe a conducive place to hang out, read, and study. It looks like a library and a coffee shop combined.
Hillcrest cafe is for the studious college kid and busy millennial.
Located at 48 Malingap Street, the cafe has comfortable sofas, high wooden stools, and spacious tables that fit laptops, books, and your favorite coffee beverage. Power outlets are available to juice up your devices. High-speed WiFi connectivity is not a problem as it is made available as one of the cafe’s services.
Bookshelves complement the busy vibe of the cafe. In the shelves, you will find books on different areas of interest such as religion, parenting, self-help, and lifestyle. You might want to check these books out during your study breaks.
Hillcrest boasts authentic coffee grounds from Philippine local farms. Beans in this cafe are exquisitely roasted, hand-ground and patiently brewed. Its Mountain Cold Brew Coffee, priced at only P115 (tall size), is made of premium Philippine Arabica beans that undergo 18-24 hours of brewing time. This brewing duration gives the iced coffee a subtle, smooth, yet sweet taste. Hillcrest also offers healthy options such as Moringaccino (malunggay coffee), sweet Mango Smoothie, and Fabulous Fiber drink made from bananas and oats.
For breakfast, Hillcrest’s new three-stack pancakes in flavors of choco-peanut, choco-orange, and banana blueberry will surely fill you up. Lunch cravings can be satisfied by ordering olive oil-dressed herb pesto combined with cheddar and mozzarella grilled cheese on wheat bread. Savory desserts, crepes, cakes, salads, are also available to accompany your already heavy lunch.
Catabolic cafe
Inside this Malingap Street cafe, a geometrically inspired space welcomes its customers: ceilings with three-dimensional triangular figures; comfortable sofas and wooden tables that are rustic and boxy, along with white brick walls protruding, and honeycomb-shaped floor prints as accents.
This cafe is definitely Insta-ready! But it’s also a sure visit during your hell weeks or late afternoon cravings. Like Hillcrest, Catabolic caters to the basic needs of college students: power outlets under every table; WiFi reaching all corners of the cafe; lighting suitable for hours of reading and writing, and there’s the classic go-to coffee, cookies, and brownies that will fill and wake you up during tiring review sessions.
Some Catabolic food incorporates Filipino-infused flavors to Western dishes. Catabolic offers Bagoong Rice with Chicken Pandan, Bibingka Waffle (baked rice cake), and Pares Rice with Crispy Tadyang priced at P180, P260, and P280 respectively. All these breakfast and lunch “comfort food” accompanied by sweets such as blueberry cheesecake, chocolate revel bars, and rainbow cake will surely give you the energy you need for your busy review days.
Catabolic’s coffee beans are from a local Manila roasting lab called EDSA Beverage Design Studio (BDG).
EDSA BDG’s “Dark Matter Theory” formula - made from caramel, cherry, and roasted nuts - is used for Catabolic’s Piccolo Macchiato and Cubano Cortado cappuccino drink. For the non-coffee lovers, classic coolers such as cucumber and strawberry lemonades are also available.
Ka·pe
For students craving for coffee, milk tea, frappes, pasta, or Filipino dishes, you name it! Ka·pe is the perfect place to be. Ka·pe is a Filipino-themed all-day breakfast restaurant and DIY coffee shop just along the famous streets of Maginhawa which offers a spacious area and a wide array of budget-friendly menu items, ranging from different coffee selections and milk tea to pasta and authentic Filipino dishes.
With this Filipino concept cafe, the first thing you will notice when you enter the space are the walls that are painted with the Alibata or the ancient Filipino script. Aside from this, they also offer tabletop games such as chess and sungka, which is a popular traditional Filipino game, to accompany customers while waiting for their orders.
The one thing that would really make your visit to this cafe worthwhile would be their DIY coffee experience which gives the customers an opportunity to make their own blends. For only 150 pesos, you already have that first-hand barista experience and create your very own version of coffee under the supervision of one of their staff.
Before making your coffee, you would be asked first to select the beans of your choice, either Batangas or Benguet coffee beans. Next, you would also have to choose the type of sugar you’ll be along with the option of additional add-ons. You would even be taught how to make latte art for your very own cup!
Aside from coffee, they also offer a long list of coffee-based and cream-based drinks with prices ranging from 50 to 160 pesos. Their flavorful and refreshing frappes are definitely must-tries especially to beat this summer heat!
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