EMPIRED Issue One

ISSUE one

Empired a year of great coffee

ERNEST MARTIN Publisher JOY CELINE ASTO Managing Editor MARK CHUA JOY CELINE ASTO ERNEST MARTIN Photographers CHARMAINE CASTILLO Layout Design

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Coffee Empire #74 West Avenue West Triangle Quezon City 410 - 0189, 410 - 0192 www.coffeeempire.com.ph www.facebook.com/coffee.empire.ph www.instagram.com/thecoffeeempire

Empired ISSUE one

In This Issue Emperor’s Note Welcome to the Empire Barista Spotlight Qualities of a Good Barista The Green Room Coffee Empire Roster of Beans A Year of Great Coffee (Cover Story) The Road to Highlands Barista Picks Chef Recommends

On the Cover A Coffee Bounty Photo by JOY CELINE ASTO 3

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EMPEROR’S NOTE Happy first anniversary to the Coffee Empire family! I’ve had a great experience with everyone since the shop opened last March 2014. I’ve been in coffee industry for nearly two years but I still consider myself a newbie and still lacking a lot in knowledge. But for me, coffee means many things other than a cup of drink, such as a concept and an interesting product.

I always keep in mind the mission for starting this shop: to improve the coffee culture in the Philippines. When you enter a coffee shop in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan or Malaysia, you will be surprised to find out that their customers already know what kind of taste they want in their coffee. They can even tell if you are wrong when you describe the tasting notes to them, and also point out the mistakes of the barista while making a cup of coffee.

I strongly believe that Filipinos will also be able to reach that level of appreciation for coffee. The key lies in being exposed to vital coffee knowledge through events, activities like cupping, enrolling in barista training, and trying out different coffee varieties in different coffee shops.

With this mission in mind, we at the Coffee Empire have been doing every possible way to serve the best cup of coffee – from taking care of the beans from farm to table, minding the storage of green beans, and being meticulous about coffee bean roasting procedures, to using the best possible equipment for brewing, minding the temperature of milk, and checking the taste and flavor of the coffee we serve. This dedication also extends to the creation of our food offerings, the quality of coffee education we offer, the service we extend to our customers, and the relationship we establish with clients who source coffee beans from us.

Looking at our first year, we believe that we have to be in the right position before we can start talking, before we can start the lessons, and before we can reach our mission for the local coffee industry. We thank everyone for the support we’ve received in the past year and we hope you’ll continue to share our passion for great coffee!

Anthony Lim CEO

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Welcome to the Empire We are Coffee Empire and great coffee is our mission.

Passion, wisdom, knowledge, desire, and creativity brought together the individuals responsible for the evolution of the concept that is The Coffee Empire. We strive to be the leading café in the Philippines in terms of Specialty Coffee Program, Coffee Roasting, and Food and Beverage pairing and service. The Empire, as it is fondly referred to, is the first Third Wave café to open along the stretch of West Avenue in Quezon City, offering a mix of as much as 20 varieties of coffee beans.

These are all roasted to perfection and brewed in all methods possible, and paired with food prepared in a contemporary style that merges a varied selection of cuisines.

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The Empire was established by some of the country’s coffee and food experts with vast experience in food service, beverage service (including recipe development, brewing methods, extraction methods etc.), technical services, training, consulting services, information technologies and marketing. Our team takes pride in diversity of skill sets, all of which when combined, provide the most comprehensive operations not yet experienced in the Philippines.

Our team has also streamlined the division of responsibilities which ensures fluidity of operations and business growth over time.

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Barista Spotlight: KEVIN JOHN CRUZ Story and Photos by Joy Celine Asto

Meet one of the skilled baristas that make your cup of coffee just the way you want it.

Kevin John Cruz began his barista career in 2009, when he learned about the Barista Guild of the Philippines from his then professor, Henry Magalona. He went through numerous trainings and seminars on coffee making, including Barista 101, 102, and latte art classes. Since then, he marked his career with two important achievements, bagging the Best Espresso award during the World Food Expo (WOFEX) 2014 and emerging as the 2nd Runner Up in last year’s Indonesian Coffee Festival.

Since then, he marked his career with two important achievements, bagging

the Best Espresso award during the World Food Expo (WOFEX) 2014 and emerging as the 2nd Runner Up in last year’s Indonesian Coffee Festival.

Asked about what made him decide to pursue a barista career, he simply mentioned a widely quoted advice: “Do what you love and you’ll never work a single day in your life.”

What makes or goes into a good cup of coffee for Kevin? “I have a sweet tooth,” he reveals.

“I love it when my espresso tastes sweet and blends well with perfectly steamed milk.”

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Signature Beverage

by Kevin John Cruz

Kevin tells us more about the signature beverage he crafted for two barista co

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ompetitions last year.

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Barista Spotlight: KEVIN JOHN CRUZ

During the preparation for WOFEX Barista Competition in August 2014, we wanted to come up with a mixture that will go well with our espresso. For this competition, we used single origin Ethiopia Sidamo with a blend of 60% medium roast and 40% light roast. For the Indonesian Coffee Festival in October 2014, we used single origin Ethiopia Konga Yirgacheffe. Considering the notes, tastes, and characteristics of both Ethiopian Coffees, we then finalized all our ingredients and method to be used for the signature beverage.

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Ingredients:

45 g orange 35 g apple 25 g grape skin 他 oz maple syrup Espresso

Method: We used siphon because we wanted to extract all the flavors of the fruits and at the same time to come up with a clean and smooth hot drink. We used orange because of its refreshing feeling and citrus taste, grape skin to give it a tannic appeal, maple syrup to provide smoky sweetness, and apples to act as a neutralizer to bridge out the mixture and the espresso with its watery sweetness.

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Coffee Profile: Ethiopian Konga Yirgacheffe Sourced from the Yirgacheffe district in southern Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Konga Yirgacheffe is grown at an elevation that ranges from 1,800 to 2,200 meters above sea level. Choice heirloom cultivar cherries undergo a natural process where they are handpicked and sun-dried over raised beds.

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Distinct from the typical Yirgacheffe with floral notes and lemon acidity, the Konga Yirgacheffe treats you to flavors of different berry fruits and a very sweet finish that embodies the overall flavor of this variety. This versatile variant is best prepared hand-brewed with paper filter but works great for espresso-based drinks as well.

Variety: Ethiopian Heirloom Elevation: 1800 – 2200 masl Roast Level: Light Process: Natural Verdict: Paper filter, hand-brewed

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7 Qualities of a Good Barista Story by Ernest Martin Photos by Ernest Martin and Joy Celine Asto 16

Thinking of pursuing a career as a barista? Coffee Empire’s General Manager lists down the necessary qualities that will help you become good at the craft of coffee-making.

Nowadays, more and more young adults here and abroad are interested in becoming a barista, for whatever reason it may be. It would be helpful for them to know what the industry – including us here at the Coffee Empire – is looking for in their baristas.

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1. Ability to accept new information It is an inherent fact that baristas should strive for more knowledge in their quest to become better.

Obtaining new information is not as easy as reading something from the Internet, or just a private read on a book you picked up somewhere; the ability to learn new information dictates the quality of the information you will receive. It is very important to know the source and basis of the information you are getting. This new information helps you in becoming creative, thus making your coffee beverage more suitable to you and those who will taste it.

2 Ability to persevere and be patient Perseverance and patience are the driving force of a barista. Learning the different methods of preparation entails a lot of training, tons of frustrations, a lot of wasted ingredients,

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and a lot of tiring days and nights of practice. All of these, however, help you become better. Being a barista does not mean learning today and becoming a barista tomorrow; your daily progress will soon pay off if you persevere and have the patience to learn.

3. Ability to exude excellence and quality in coffee preparation In coffee preparation, we should not stop at just “okay.” We should always aim for an extraordinary experience when it comes to the quality of the product served, even if it’s just for you or you are to serve your coffee to another person, that cup should have the quality expected of the drink.

Being able to serve drinks of excellent quality is a reflection of yourself and how you see coffee personally. Coffee taste is very subjective; we have to make sure that even if coffee taste is subjective, our goal is to serve only the best one, regardless of kind.

4. Passion Passion for the craft of coffee is something that cannot be taught; it is something that starts within the person. Passion for coffee is by far the most important quality of a barista.

The previous qualities mentioned will simply be easy if you have the passion and love for coffee. We must always strive to be inspired and keep the flame burning.

5. Humility A barista’s ability to remain humble of his knowledge is something that will be imitated by all the other baristas around him. It should be in the nature of a barista not to be overly flamboyant with his craft and still accept fruitful pieces of advice and teachings given to him.

6. Ability to teach others as how he was taught Most of the time, a barista would teach a newbie the way he was taught. This is very important because the knowledge that is passed on would actually dictate and inspire the newbie on his quest for baristaship.

Never teach another if you are not inspired to teach, and never perform any technique if you are unwilling; if you do, you will kill the inspired learner’s enthusiasm.

7. Being a “people person” Baristas should be, by nature, very talkative; they should not only explain the coffee they are serving but also become entertainers sometimes. The viewers (customers) should at least like the presentation, as we are in the hospitality arena after all. Be serious in making and doing the artistry in coffee making but be jolly in accommodating customers as they are the lifeline of the business. If you are too serious and quiet, make your coffee in the library. EM

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The Green Room Brewing the perfect cup starts from storage, as the beans’ environment affects the quality of the end product. Placing it in a controlled environment preserves its natural qualities, while neglect affects the flavor’s aspects one day at a time. Coffee Empire has a Green Room where all green beans are kept fresh and in top quality.

The Green Room is where The Coffee Empire stockpiles all raw coffee. We guarantee all our guests that we serve only top quality products and to assure this, we maintain this room with the following parameters:

Room Temperature: Room Temperature: degrees Celsius 16-2016-20 degrees Celsius

Humidity: Humidity: % - 50% 30 %30 - 50%

Air Quality: Air Quality:

& Fresh CleanClean & Fresh

Having these parameters ensure the best attributes for taste, as green coffee remains unadulterated. Hotter temperatures dry out the raw beans as heat contributes in the loss of moisture, while humidity may decrease or increase the moisture in each bean. The air also needs to be purified for any contaminants that may pollute the aroma of the raw beans.

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COFFEE BEAN ROSTER OF COFFEE EMPIRE Coffee empire’s vast selection of coffee beans are truly one of a kind in the Philippines. From careful selection through various growers to a tailored roasting style and profile, we make efforts to ensure that the overall experience from each cup will be unforgettable.

LOCAL COFFEE Benguet Atok Variety:

Typica and Bourbon

Elevation:

Roast level:

Verdict:

1100 – 1400 masl Light to Medium

Process: Washed

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Tasting notes:

Delicate flavors of cacao chocolate, hints of cracked pepper with mild acidity and sweet finish Best for espresso and espresso-based coffee; goes well with Siphon as it produces lots of complexities.

COFFEES OF THE WORLD Specialty Grade Panama Geisha Natural Process Ethiopian Sidamo Ethiopian Konga Ethiopian Sidamo Yirgacheffe Guji Area Natural La Esmeralda Variety:

Variety:

Variety:

Heirloom Ethiopian

Elevation:

Elevation: 1700 masl

1800 – 2200 masl

1800 – 2500 masl

Roast level:

Roast level:

Roast level:

Roast level:

Process:

Process:

Process:

Process:

Tasting notes:

Tasting notes:

Tasting notes:

Tasting notes:

1500 – 1700 masl Light

Natural

Very fruity, with every cup having hints of red berries, peaches, plum, and blueberry. Also has vibrant floral aromatics and tasting notes of lemongrass.

Verdict:

Perfect either as handbrewed or as espresso.

This coffee brings happiness in every cup!

Light

Natural

Tea-like, with herbal aromatics and flavors of jackfruit and lemon juice. This coffee is sweet to the tongue, and has a very clean entrance and exit.

Verdict:

Great for cappuccinos as it gives a fruity fusion for the espresso and milk. However, we’re still in conflict, as we really love it with any hand brewer.

Ethiopian Heirloom

Variety:

Geisha

Elevation: Light

Natural

Different from the usual Yirgacheffe with floral notes and lemon acidity, the Konga Yirgacheffe will give you flavors of different berry fruits. It has a very sweet finish that exemplifies the over-all flavor of the coffee.

Ethiopian Heirloom

Elevation: Light

Natural

This coffee punches a lot of flavors; notable flavors for this coffee are lemon and lemon grass.

Also gives out lots of floral aroma.

Verdict:

Best when hand-brewed with paper filter.

Verdict:

Best when hand-brewed with paper filter.

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THESE ARE T OUR GREAT Guatemala Fancy Antigua Santo Domingo SHB Variety: Bourbon

Elevation:

Brazil Fazenda Dutra Variety:

Yellow Catuai

Variety:

Bourbon and Pacamara

SL28, SL34

700 - 1300 masl

1,250 – 1,650 masl

Elevation:

Elevation:

Roast level:

Roast level:

Roast level: Medium

Roast level:

Light to Medium

Process:

Process:

Process:

Process:

Medium

1675 masl

Washed

Pulp Natural

Fully Washed

Fully Washed

Tasting notes:

Tasting notes:

Tasting notes:

Tasting notes:

Medium-bodied coffee with clean, balanced, “Bourbon” character and hints of lemon and lemon peel.

Verdict:

Best with any handbrewed method with either metal or paper filter.

This coffee has caramel sweetness with hints of milk chocolate. Creamy and round. We are reminded of the traditional coffee flavor with this coffee as it embodies both the flavorful coffee, tangy taste and vanilla flavor towards the end.

Verdict:

This is fantastic for espresso and handbrewed coffee.

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Variety:

Kenya AA Asali

1300 – 1600 masl Light

Elevation:

El Salvador San Judas Farm

Aside from hints of dark chocolate and nuts, this coffee has a very good creamy texture with caramel and spice finish.

Verdict:

Best with any handbrewed method with either metal or paper filter.

This coffee has a pleasant cocoa and blackcurrant fragrance, a strong cocoa flavor with some subtle wine and fruit characters present upon cooling, followed by a vanilla and caramel finish.

Verdict:

Best with any handbrewed method with either metal or paper filter.

THE REST OF T COFFEES Ethiopian Harrar Variety: -

Elevation:

Brazil Cerrado Variety:

Typica and Bourbon

Elevation:

Indonesian Bali Kintamani

Indian Thippannali Estate

Variety:

Variety:

Typica and Bourbon

Elevation:

-

Elevation:

1,300 – 1,900 masl

800 – 1,200 masl

1,300 – 1,700 masl

1100 – 1400 masl

Roast level:

Roast level:

Roast level:

Roast level:

Medium to Full

Medium to Full

Medium to Full

Medium to Full

Process:

Process: Washed

Process:

Natural sun-dried

Process:

Fully Washed

Tasting notes:

Tasting notes:

Tasting notes:

Tasting notes:

Sun-dried

Known for its winey, fruity, floral-toned acidity—bright in the cup, even intense—and a rich, pungent, and heady aroma that is wonderfully reminiscent of blackberries; with complexity and spicy tones. Also has a lingering finish.

Verdict:

Hand-brewed method whether with metal or paper filter; may also be made as espresso.

Dark cacao, nuts, and good acidity

Verdict:

Espresso and handbrewed

Sweet and heavy-bodied with floral aroma and flavors of berries and chocolate.

Verdict:

Any Hand brewed method whether metal or paper

A coffee with bold intensity and low sweetness, earthy-musty flavors, caramelized sweet/ bittersweet aspect, and a hint of pipe tobacco flavor.

Verdict:

Best with any handbrewed method with either metal or paper filter.

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COVER STORY

A Year of Great Coffee

by Joy Celine Asto As with any establishment or organization celebrating their first year, Coffee Empire felt compelled to look back at the milestones that dotted its journey so far. Beginnings are never easy and maintaining the momentum can be even more of a challenge. Curious about things fared for the first Third Wave coffee shop along the stretch of West Avenue, I sat down with Coffee Empire’s General Manager Ernest Martin and asked for a run-down of the pursuits and goals that the cafÊ met with success and pride as its first year rolled on.

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What are the highlights of target quota for bean supply, The specialty coffee scene Coffee Empire’s year of bridged stronger ties between in the Philippines as of the our shop and the coffee farm- moment is still very young. great coffee?

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ers, and brought over several Coffee Empire has several Coffee Empire baristas abroad highlights from the past year. for lessons and ocular visits.

Two of our baristas joined and made it to the finals of the Which of your visions as a World Food Expo (WOFEX) specialty coffee enterprise Barista Championship, one were you able to achieve in of them bagging the best in the past year?

Espresso Award. Kevin John Cruz, one of our senior baris- One of the visions that we tas, was able to make it to the have achieved so far is to Finals of the ASEAN Barista educate our neighborhood Cup and finished 3rd over- in drinking better coffee and all. Two of our baristas also understanding the different made it to the Finals of the methodologies involved in Philippine National Barista the craft. More customers Championship, bagging the appreciate our hard work in 2nd and 4th place awards. producing the best possible taste that can be achieved As for our shop, we were able with coffee. to sustain loyal customers by providing them the best H o w d o y o u s e e t h e possible coffee within the Philippine Specialty Coffee area. We also reached our scene in the coming years?

There will still be more difficulties in the coming years for all specialty coffee outlets in the Philippines, but I can see that the future is very bright for all of us. I also see that there will be more independent specialty coffee shops that will open, and that more people will begin to appreciate the coffee that we are serving. It might be the end of blended coffee and the dawn of iced coffee.

Wanting to create a picture of how the specialty coffee culture in the country fared in the past year, we asked some of our friends in the industry to share their own highlights, achievements, and visions realized in their own great year of coffee.

Vincent Fideles, Afters Espresso and Desserts In 2014, we added a few niche drinks in the menu which included The Gibraltar, Shakerato, and FrappĂŠ. We encouraged both first timers and regulars to try them out, which resulted in introducing them to their new favorite drinks.

Our goal as a coffee shop is to serve as a stepping stone to specialty coffee. Hence, we strive to hone our craft and introduce people to quality coffee. People have been introduced to how we brew things, and it became

a reason for them to come back for more.

We see the local coffee scene growing even more in the coming years.

Third wave coffee shops are slowly becoming a trend. Local roasters are also finding the potential in Philippinegrown coffee. Even major coffee chains are doing their part by introducing specialty coffee shops to their customers. We are surely hoping to see the local coffee scene grow and strive.

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Andre Chanco, Yardstick There were two highlights for us from last year. The first was being able to roast specialty coffee in our facility here in Legaspi Village, Makati City.

Roasting locally allows us to preserve the freshness of the coffee and offer varying flavor profiles through our roasting philosophy. The second was being part of the WOFEX trade show.

A main part of the business is our distributorship of La Marzocco and Rocket Espresso machines. During the show, we were able to establish our presence as the official istributor of these top-notch espresso machines here in Manila.

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In the past year, we were able to achieve our vision to launch our coffee education program. Not only

do we have our own workshops, but home and professional baristas can now sign up for the certification courses under the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe. These are internationally recognized certificates that can be attained if the participant demonstrates an excellent understanding of specialty coffee during the certification course and exams. From the consumers’ side, we see that the interest in specialty coffee in the country will move from latte art to home brewing. More customers will start buying home brew equipment and experimenting with home brew recipes. At the industry level, there will be a slow but steady adoption of better coffee and better equipment.

Miguel Santiago, The Barista Box This past year, we successfully launched our first truck inside Ateneo.

We’ve only been in operation since September, but so far, we’ve been successful in pushing our brand by forming various partnerships both in and out of the coffee industry while still maintaining a high standard for ourselves and our coffee. Among the visions we were able to achieve in the past year was creating a cafe with a vibe and personality unlike any other.

The specialty coffee scene in the country will definitely grow, but whether or not cafes will be sustainable enough to last 10 or even 20 years will always be a problem. My only wish is for cafe owners to vkeep their concepts simple enough so they don’t lose track of the point of being in the coffee industry. At the end of the day, it’s not about who’s has the biggest cafe or the best toys.

It’s about pushing our industry with good, accessible coffee and cafes.

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The Road to Highlands Story by Joy Celine Asto Photos by Henry Magalona

In December last year, the Coffee Empire visited the community of Kabayan in Benguet, Cordillera Province to interact and establish a trade partnership with the coffee farmers in the area through a seminar. The Empire’s Food & Beverage Specialist Henry Magalona tells us about the team’s journey to the highlands in this story.

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When speaking of the local coffee growing industry in the Philippines, coffee from the lowlands of Batangas and Cavite immediately come to mind for some, the area being the first coffee growing site in the country. However, the Philippines is actually among the few countries with regions conducive to growing four commercially-viable varieties of coffee: Liberica (Barako), Robusta, Excelsa, and Arabica. The highlands of the Cordillera Region, especially from Ifugao and Benguet, have become particularly wellknown for having some of the best types of Arabica coffee, with many coffee enthusiasts reportedly scouring the markets and reserving their stash even before harvest starts in November.

Aware of the demand for their coffee beans, the farmers of the Cordillera have been seeking for ways to increase production, maintain the quality of their harvest, and establish trade with regular buyers from the lowlands.

These concerns were among those addressed by the Coffee Empire Team, led by Food & Beverage Specialist Henry Magalona and joined by Head Barista Michael Guieb and Japanese post-harvest expert Hirofumi Yamamoto, upon visiting one of Benguet’s coffee growing communities.

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“We travelled 3 hours from Baguio City in a windy, bumpy, and narrow road to Kabayan, one of the communities of Benguet in the heart of the Cordillera Mountains. We were invited to talk to the coffee farmers of Kabayan and demonstrate the coffee-making process. We also motivated them to continue planting coffee plants, stating our interest for them to regularly supply Coffee Empire with Benguet coffee of the best quality.�

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During their visit to the farms, which sit 1,800 meters above sea level, the team had a firsthand experience on how the community handles and processes their coffee beans.

“They have the best natural methods of processing coffee beans, which involves using spring water from the river for washing the beans, and drying them the stones along the river instead of a the concrete surface,” Henry also observed. “Our Japanese post-harvest expert also showed them the honey method of processing beans to supplement their existing methods. This ‘semi-washed’ process involves leaving the mucilage coating – with a consistency similar to honey – of the beans intact. With this, we agreed for six communities of Kabayan to supply us with coffee beans

processed through the honey method.”

Asked about the highlight of their trip to the highlands of Benguet, Henry stressed the farmer to barista concept that the Third Wave Coffee Movement has become known for.

“Creating a link between the coffee farmer and the barista is important in pursuing the Third Wave concept, and this visit allowed us to experience this very concept first-hand.

Of course, our dedication to great coffee and passion for this coffee concept only began with this visit. As part of the trade partnership we established with the coffee farmers of Kabayan, we will soon be back on the road to the highlands to check and ensure the quality of their harvest.” EM 35

CAPPUCCINO Espresso + steamed milk + milk foam. We do a wet cappuccino as a standard. Feel free to tell us if you want a dry cappuccino.

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Barista Picks Craving for a caffeine fix or a refreshing drink? Find out which coffee and noncoffee beverages to indulge in straight from Coffee Empire’s baristas.

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ICED MOCHA Espresso + Coffee Empire chocolate + steamed milk.

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AMERICANO No frills yet full-bodied cup of espresso and water.

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FRESH FRUIT SMOOTHIES Only the freshest fruits blended into refreshing drinks.

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CUBAN MOJITO Rum, lime, sugar, soda water, mint, and ice.

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LEMON MARGARITA Freshly-squeezed lemon, tequila, sugar, sour mix, and ice.

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GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH Grilled mozzarella and cheddar cheese in wheat bread served with potato wedges.

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Chef Recommendations Treat your tastebuds to some of Coffee Empire’s delectable dishes, recommended by the kitchen team headed by Chef Ernest Martin himself.

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LECHON KAWALI A Filipino favorite; Fried and seasoned liempo with crispy skin, pineapple rice, and homemade apple jam.

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BABY BACK RIBS Dry-rubbed ribs topped with homemade barbecue sauce and served with choice of potato wedges or garlic rice and coleslaw.

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STEAK AND EGGS Slab of beef tenderloin with demi-glace sauce, sweet potato mash, sunny-side-up egg, and sautĂˆed vegetables.

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CARBONARA Rich cream pasta, shaved parmesan, sous vide egg, and bacon strips.

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WRONG SANDWICH Maling, scrambled egg, bell peppers, honey mustard, and pesto on brioche served with potato wedges and side salad.

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Empired ISSUE one