In search of liquid gold
Posted on 2 March 2009 by Blogie in Roundup | 8603 views, 15 today
One of my guilty pleasures is good coffee — that elixir of the gods. And that’s one of the rare reasons why I miss Metro Manila. In Davao, we don’t have the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (my most favorite café) or UCC (whose coffee offerings might be overpriced, but are excellently brewed). There may have been a number of coffee shops that have opened in Davao in the past year, but sad to say, only very few really know how to serve to a discerning coffee lover.
Not that I’m a certified coffee connoisseur, but I think I do know what good coffee is.
My favorites, so far, are Kangaroo Coffee Company’s Americano and Espresso con Panna. In my estimation, it is this coffee shop that seems to have invested the most time and effort into perfecting their brews. And their customer service. And their scrumptious food (which could, however, use larger portions). My only real complaint now is that they’re closed Sundays.
In the past weeks, my friends and I have been doing the rounds of Davao’s newest coffee shops: Coffee for Peace in Matina, La Core in Victoria Plaza, Brewedkaster, Lorie’s, Chicco di Caffè, the new branch of Tata Benito’s on Legaspi Street. Still, none of them surpasses (or even approaches) the quality of Kangaroo’s coffee. 
Chicco di Caffè does serve a mean Espresso con Panna, though. They boast of having a US-trained barista… although, there was something wrong with the Caffè Americano that I ordered the first two times I was there. But, they’re still very new (as of this writing), so I’ll give them a few more weeks and then I’ll give them another go. They’re in this new building on the corner of Roxas Avenue and Padre Faura St., near the Ateneo de Davao college campus.
Coffee for Peace. Now that’s an idea, don’t you think? The owners donate a portion of their income to the farmers of Mindanao, as well as to other beneficiaries all over the country. This NGO also conducts training programs for skills enhancement among the less privileged. So when you have a cup of joe at Coffee for Peace, you are in fact helping out. I just wish they’d make the experience as gratifying taste-wise as it is soul-wise.
The other new coffee shops? Let’s just say I wouldn’t bring my coffee-loving friends there. Then again, I believe in second chances…
It’s going to be quite a spell before we see the likes of CBTL in Davao. In the meantime, coffee lovers will have to settle for the slim pickings hereabouts. Aside from Kangaroo, there’s also Bo’s Coffee Club, the one in SM City. Basti’s Brew too (but they do have a slight problem with consistency…) — but the service is top-notch and their place is always good for people-watching. 
Also, Fagioli Coffee Club and Caffè Firenzo offer some good alternatives. For a different experience, Kopi Roti is a good bet.
Where do you go for your caffeine fix in Davao?
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45 Responses to “In search of liquid gold”
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21 March 2009
[...] considering that I hate the smell of durian. So if you’re in Davao, hop to the nearest the Kangaroo Coffee Company store and try the Kape Balos. Their desserts are just as great. You might even stumble on some [...]
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Emski: yummy...... thanks for the recipe sir blogie.. ill...
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ana armedilla: hi, im setting up a small cafe in our village, can...
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Tibo: They closed the store in Jacinto ext. They opened ...
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joe opiano: try nyo ang durian pie ng sagay rest...it's the be...
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Joan: i miss davaoooooo...
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sonny: can't wait to eat there..jejejeje...
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louie: how are you father tom? are you still in davao. ke...
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rngjr: its 234-6299. Please do call and try us...........
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jc: how much ang prices dito? ranges ng prices?...
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drew
2 Mar 2009
For me Kangaroo is the best followed by Kopi Roti and Fagioli. These new cafes have their work cut out for them.
Blogie
2 Mar 2009
They sure do!
TTimmy
2 Mar 2009
How about the Latte from the Nescafe Coffee machine at NCCC matina’s Bowling alley? lulkatz. Seriously though, all the above coffee places you mentioned offered decent coffee, but one absolutely horrid Coffee i’ve ever tasted was the latte at Karl’s Koffee at Jack’s Ridge, my goodness, it tasted like toasted rice boiled in water and I kid you not, I’ve tasted toasted rice in boiling water. They should do something about it….
Blogie
2 Mar 2009
Leche ka! You made me LOL here at Basti’s!
TTimmy
2 Mar 2009
I’m glad i made you lol, did you spew coffee through your nostrils? ahahaha.
Blogie
2 Mar 2009
Thankfully not!
drew
2 Mar 2009
@TTimmy: it’s Karlo’s Coffee Station
Mindanao Bob
2 Mar 2009
Hi Blogie – I think the coffee at Kangaroo is pretty good, but I find their customer service to be lacking, though.
Hey, I’m getting into roasting green beans myself, and brewing here at the house. I just bought a french press today, and am waiting for a friend to ship me some beans. I’ll keep you posted. My friend says that after drinking these freshly roasted beans you’ll never go back to a coffee shop again!
Blogie
2 Mar 2009
I remember your experience with their customer service… but have you been back since? In my view, Kangaroo’s service is one of the best among Davao’s coffee shops.
Looking forward to having coffee at your place! Along with some of Feyma’s cookies, I hope? :hungry:
Mindanao Bob
2 Mar 2009
Hi Blogie – Regarding customer service at Kangaroo – I am not sure which experience you are speaking of. However, both Feyma and I have been there many times, and the level of service we receive is just so poor that we try not to go there anymore. We have given them many opportunities to improve, even specifically requesting that they do this or that, and they look at us like we are crazy or something. Nothing unusual that we are requesting, just the kind of service that we normally get in any other coffee shop that we go to.
When you say that their service is one of the best, I must be missing something, because I can’t see where they give any service there. They even refuse to serve the coffee to us. I mean there will be 3 or 4 employees at the counter just talking and laughing among themselves, but they won’t even serve the coffee to your table? Have they changed that? I mean, it is not unusual to expect that an employee will come bring your coffee to you, instead of just yelling out your name!
Anyway, no biggie, we all have places that we like and places that we don’t like, variety is the spice of life, after all!
Anyway, on the topic of bean roasting… once I get the beans, I’ll practice a bit, and when I have it down, I’ll invite you over for sampling!
Brendel
2 Mar 2009
I go for Kopi Roti’ s brewed cofee + a dollop of condensed milk.
Blogie
2 Mar 2009
Hmmm… I think Kopi Roti puts more than just a dollop of that…
Brendel
3 Mar 2009
Kaya pala their kopi reminds me of yema each time.LOL.
Blogie
3 Mar 2009
Kopi Roti’s coffee does have a distinct flavor. But, it’s too strong for me, and I don’t like the condensed milk. Their tea is much better (but I try not to stir it to avoid getting the condensed milk mixed).
MiGs
3 Mar 2009
KANGAROO is the BEST!
And i could attest that they provide better customer service now than their first few months of operation.
But, yes Bob, they still don’t serve the orders! wahahhahaha…
@BOB! coffee tasting! joins me!
Blogie
3 Mar 2009
Actually, they follow the style of foreign coffee shop chains’ in serving food / drinks. This is how they do it at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, etc. :nerd:
Mindanao Bob
4 Mar 2009
Blogie/Migs – So, if they don’t serve the items you order to your table… I’m just curious… what service do they provide? Taking your cash?
I just find it ridiculous that there will be 3 or 4 employees doing nothing, yet they just yell out your name to come and get your coffee. That is a total lack of service to me.
Blogie
4 Mar 2009
But isn’t that how they do things at those international coffee shop chains?
Let’s go back to Kangaroo soon, Bob. You’ll see they’re more efficient now, and no employees are hanging around doing nothing.
Tere
8 Mar 2009
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (in IT Park Cebu) served our coffee to our table.
With regards to Kangaroo, they really have this policy of “self-service”. But then again they won’t lose anything if they get to serve coffee to their customers’ table if there are only few around. I have nothing against Kangaroo as their staff especially the management have been very kind and accommodating to us.
I guess Bob you should try to go back there with Blogie and maybe it will be a different experience.
Mindanao Bob
4 Mar 2009
Who cares about “those international coffee shop chains”? Every coffee shop in Davao serves coffee at your table. Is it better to offer poor service just because it is “just like the International chains?” Or, is it better to give good service and be better than the international chains?
For me, I can go to any other coffee shop in town and be able to relax, enjoy talking with my friends, and not have to listen to hear my name being yelled out so I can go get my coffee.
I’ll ask again…. what service do they provide, other than just taking your money? They don’t do anything else for you that I am aware of.
Blogie
4 Mar 2009
For one, they remember the names and preferences of their regular customers. They always smile when talking to customers. They don’t leave abandoned tables with dirty dishes (as is the case is many food establishments). They keep their place clean and bright.
C’mon Bob, it’s unfair to say “other than just taking your money” — they do serve good quality coffee and pastries, and they’re all value for money.
Mindanao Bob
4 Mar 2009
Hi Blogie – I don’t think it is unfair to say what I said, I think it is just the truth. There are lots of places that offer good quality coffee and pastries in town. I am not trying to be mean, just pointing out a fact. Cleaning up the tables is just their job, nothing beyond what they should do, in my opinion.
Let me tell you what happened that really turned me off from Kangaroo, then you tell me how good the service is. A few months ago, Feyma and I went there with a few other people. A friend of mine was having a concert there at Kangaroo (he is in a band). There were a lot of people there, maybe 150 or so, even the parking lot was full of people. We had to go outside to find any place to sit. No problem, that’s how it is when it is crowded. We all went and ordered our drinks and food. Feyma and I had been regular customers there since they first opened the place. Feyma requested that since there were so many people there, could they please just serve our items at our table, and pointed to where we were outside. They said they would be happy to do so. When the stuff was ready, one of the employees came to the door, opened it up and yelled at us to come and get our coffee. There were like 150 people there, and all of us had to get up and fight through the crowd to get get our stuff, after we had been told that they would serve it to us. I find that not only poor service, but downright rude (and you are saying that I am unfair?). Honestly, I have never gone back since, nor will I.
It just showed me how much they valued my patronage there. I can go to Blugre, Bo’s, Basti’s or Tata Benito’s and they treat me like a king there. Why go to a place where they treat me like I am bothering them?
Blogie
4 Mar 2009
Bob, first of all, you know me better than that. I did not call YOU unfair. In my opinion only, I said saying that about them was unfair. The statement, Bob, not you. Are we fighting here??
OK, that was one instance where you felt you were treated badly. Aren’t we all entitled to a few mistakes? Like Migs said, they’ve improved now. When I was there the first few times, I did get my feathers ruffled too.
I will bring this to the attention of the owners of Kangaroo, so that they might rethink their way of serving their customers. (They did say that they always want to get all kind of feedback. Now that’s what I call good service.)
You and I just have different views, Bob. I respect your views, and I know you respect mine. But I’m surprised that you’d think I was calling you unfair.
Mindanao Bob
4 Mar 2009
Hi Blogie – I think you misinterpreted what I said. I never said (as far as I can find) that you said I was unfair, I said that you said what I was saying was unfair. I personally don’t feel that I said anything other than the truth. I do not think we are fighting, just we have different opinions. Just like over on my WowDavao blog, you said yesterday that the service at Mamu’s is not good, but improving. My experience at Mamu’s is that I have always had excellent customer service there. So, our opinions or customer service expectations just differ, and I have no problem with that.
Yes, I understand that everybody makes mistakes. But, I had multiple customer service disappointments at Kangaroo in the past before that event that I described. That event was simply my last straw, and I decided that I would not be going back. I go back again to lots of places that make mistakes. But, if a place makes a mistake and I talk to them about it, then they keep doing the same thing over and over again, then I have to decide if I wouldn’t just prefer to go elsewhere. The fact is that there are lots of coffee shops in Davao that have good coffee (my opinion) and also treat me well. So, I just choose to go elsewhere.
Just to be clear – I don’t think you were calling ME unfair. I think you were saying that what I said was unfair. I think that everything I said was fair, and based on the facts that I have observed at Kangaroo over many visits there.
Blogie
4 Mar 2009
Ok, Bob. Like I said, I’ll let the Kangaroo people know about your complaint, so that they might improve.
Oh and I don’t think we have differing views of what good customer service is. What good customer service is, that’s constant, and it is definable. It’s simply that we have just had different experiences at different places.
Mr. Onecho
18 Mar 2009
yEAH….. I LIKE YOUR COMMENT.. THATS FAIR MAH DEAR FRIEND.
jr fine coffee
21 Mar 2009
I agree to your comment Bob…..normally coffee monsters matters the quality of coffee BUT what matters most is the good and satisfyng service.
Elyong
7 Mar 2009
While it’s good to have all these confusing-coffee-flavors along with their confusing-coffee-names, i still love my instant coffee, coffee creamer and sugar at home (not the instant 3-in-one).
When in coffee bars with friends, i usually order cappuccino, no surprises with lesser disappointments.
Blogie
8 Mar 2009
I know what you mean about having cappuccino instead. But, when a cafe doesn’t know how to make espresso, even with all that froth, you’d still be able to tell…
Onecho
13 Mar 2009
Nagtatalo pa kayo about it… Baka may maapakan na kayo. Specially may mga coffee shops na involved. Kung may reklamo tayo Go directly to the Management… Supervisor or Manager on Duty… Ako, thats what i did para naman wala tayong maargabyado diba. it’s my own opinion lang… kasi minsan nagkakamali tayo kung sa meaning ng FREEDOM. Anyway.. ano pa ba ang magagandang lugar na pedeng puntahan dito sa Davao. bars, restaurants, beaches etc. thank you
junelle
8 Mar 2009
I actually like the idea that they call on their customers to come and get their coffee because it’s fun. When they ask us for our name, we tell them it’s life, ever or whatever crazy stuffs we think at that moment. So when they call on us, they say like “cappuccino for life!”. It’s also funny how they mispronounce one’s names, I get mine mispronounced all the time.
Blogie
8 Mar 2009
Hahahaha!! :rofl:
junelle
8 Mar 2009
Ay may bago, coffee for peace! hahaha… There’s a coffee shop near Insular Village beside Monterey yata yun, I’m not quite sure. It was a disaster talaga. The place is small and cozy sana except that they have a Bravia inside. I did not enjoy my coffee and blueberry cheesecake that time because they were showing Final Destination 2. Who would with all those bloody and gory scenes?
Blogie
9 Mar 2009
Maybe it’s a coffee shop for horror-film lovers.
dyosa
9 Mar 2009
Stumbled upon your blog.
I am so happy to see someone from DVO who’s also a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf fan.
I’ve been to Kangaroo Cafe the last time I went to DVO and I must say, I like their coffee. I might be dropping by DVO soon and I’m hoping to do my personal rounds on the many coffee shops in the city.
Blogie
9 Mar 2009
Thanks for reading my blog, fellow CBTL fan!
Mr. ONECHO
13 Mar 2009
Good Day! Blogie…. I just would like to ask some questions: What is your Standard of Coffee Specially CAFE AMERICANO? how do you want your cofee to be sereved? I think we have different standards when it comes to taste. I’ve been to Chicco Di Caffe almost everyday. It’s conveniently located at Roxas Cor. Padre Faura Street. (for the benefits of those doesn’t know the place). Your comment seems your promoting that COFFEE SHOPS. SIGURO MALAKI BAYAD NILA SAYO. for that opinionated comments.
I’ve been to COFFEE BEAN , STARBUCKS but they have almost the same taste of coffee, I am a Coffee Drinker, and my fantasy is different taste and blend of coffee.
But i guess, for the newly open Coffee Shop, you will expect some lapses of their SERVICES…
Day and night , a lot of customers spend their cup of coffee everytime i pass by the Coffee Shop.
The customer Service and the Smile of their Crews are one their best services they give for every customers.
dindin
16 Mar 2009
the coffee shop in insular/monterey with the bravia is cafe la buen. i know the owner and i’ll make sure to send feedback through this. sayang kasi kung hindi nya malaman. hopefully that will help improve things there.
btw, i went na to bryan’s/la piscine friday. and went back yesterday. they do have good food there and i especially love their garlic pasta side dish and the grilled veggies on focacia and the orange rosemary chicken. thank you for facilitating my “discovery”
keep writing
ian
19 Mar 2009
hey guys got friends who will meet at Caffe Firenzo, i heard its a new cozy spot.. i miss Davao and im curious about the place. hope they will like it.
Mr. Onecho
21 Mar 2009
Try ka rin mag visit sa CHICCO DI CAFFE, sa may roxas.. nice ang place and very accessible. malapit lang sa ateneo at Marco Polo hotel.
Dennis
20 Mar 2009
Cafe La Buen closed months ago. The place is now called Jose Rafael Fine Coffee with new owner. They just opened a week ago. The place was fully renovated. A lot have commented how cosy and relaxing the new place is.
They serve 100% Arabica beans from Australia and food of Modern Australian influence. They also have a Loyalty card – you get your tenth cup free.
Wifi ready.
JERAIDS
21 Mar 2009
Jose Rafael Fine Coffee was amazingly gave me satisfaction interms of their good quality coffee plus a relaxing ambiance.. They also offered alternative drinks and a frozen white chocolate special which is I can say “A ONE OF A KIND “…