UK's favorite and largest coffee shop brand, Costa Coffee today opens it first branch in the Philippines located at Eastwood Citywalk 1 in Libis, Quezon City. Costa Coffee is a welcome addition to the Philippine coffee scene dominated by American brand coffee shop chains. Coffee as a culture or fad, it's really interesting to find out what makes Costa Coffee different.
The most obvious difference is the warm, cozy yet vibrant interior of Costa Coffee. There's the usual neutral and earth tone colors and then there's a burst of reds, yellows and blues. Some area's blissfully bright and spacious while some dim corners perfect for intimate coffee moments with your special someone.
Another major difference lies in the blend of coffee beans used by Costa Coffee. While most American brand coffee shops use 100% Arabica beans, Costa Coffee uses their original blend of Arabica and Robusta beans called Mocha Italia.
So how was their coffee? To better understand the Costa Coffee culture, we tried their number one best-selling drink, the Flat White. UK Store Manager, Mark Schofield, who will be overseeing the opening of Costa Coffee in the Phillipines, showed us how the Flat White is made. We instantly noticed the consistency of the milk used. Technically called microfoam, the milk is steamed without reaching the point of forming froth, resulting to milk with ultra fine bubbles with a smooth and velvety texture.
Costa Coffee traditionally serves Flat White with a latte art and is best consumed as it is. We had ours without sugar so we could taste the unmasked richness of the Arabica with a hint of bitterness from Robusta, with a delicate natural sweetness from the milk. Finishing an unsweetened cup of Flat White gave me an impression that Costa Coffee appeals to a more mature group than to the more juvenile group with insatiable appetite for anything sweet.
Not to be missed are Costa Coffee's food selection, including cookies, cakes, tarts, muffins, pastries and sandwiches. We particularly loved the cookies, the cheesecake, the strawberry shortcake, and the mango sago mousse cake. Another thing that set Costa Coffee apart is that their pastries and breads are baked in-house, in fact, when you enter the coffee shop, you will not only smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, but also by the enticing smell of freshly baked croissants and pastries.
In terms of variety, Costa Coffee has a non-complicated menu. They have the Coffee-based beverages which you can have hot or ice shaken (vs. poured over ice). They also have ice blended drinks called Fostino, with coffee-based and non-coffee-based flavors to choose from. Drinks come in three sizes: Primo (12 oz.), Medio (16 oz.) and Massimo (20 oz.), while prices range from P100 to P185. Cookies are at P70, croissants are at P70-P95, while muffins, cakes and tarts cost P85-P150. Gourmet sandwiches are at P170.
So are you excited to finally try Costa Coffee? Now check-out what's in store for you if you attend the Costa Coffee's Grand Opening today in Eastwood. Some neat prizes and treats await you starting 2:00pm today. So on you coffee break, be sure you are with your officemates at Eastwood Citywalk 1 and be among the first ones to try Costa Coffee, and who knows what Costa has something for you to take home today. Check-out their Facebook page (see below) for more details.
Costa Coffee Eastwood
Eastwood Citywalk 1, Libis, Quezon City
Facebook: facebook.com/CostaCoffeePH
Instagram: @CostaCoffeePH
No comments:
Post a Comment