EDSA Beverage Design Group (EDSA BDG) in Makati

EDSA Beverage Design Group has made a name in the local community as one of the prominent players in the third wave coffee industry. With its first branch aptly located along EDSA, it has received a lot of love from caffeine aficionados. Focusing more on quality and its coffee studio, it took this cafe 4 years before it decided to open another branch. And this time, it was at the posh The Grid food hall in Powerplant Mall. 

Hello, EDSA Beverage Design Group (EDSA BDG). 

EDSA BDG is the first stall you'll see when you enter The Grid. Serving as the beverage counter for the food hall's concessionaires, this cafe offers more than a good cup of joe. 

First Sip: Common Folk

I'm usually a morning person. But I turn into a grumpy old lady whenever I lack sleep for days. Thankfully, cafes are popping here and there for that needed source of energy. And one of the coffee shops I've been targeting for months is located just a few steps away from my latest shoot location. 

Hello, Common Folk. 

Second Sip: Craft Coffee Revolution

My mom is a big fan of Craft Coffee Revolution ever since she tasted this third wave coffee shop’s cakes. I only had its cappuccino on my first visit and I wasn’t exactly impressed. But since my mom was craving for its sansrival cake, we found ourselves having afternoon snack at my mom’s favorite café.

Hello, Craft Coffee Revolution!

My mom quickly ordered a slice of Macadamia Sansrival (PHP170) while I ordered Flat White (PHP140). My sister didn’t order any as she was not in the mood for cakes and wasn’t fond of coffee from cafés as she find it too strong for her liking. 

My mom’s cake was served first and it was… just okay for me. It wasn’t sweet so I guess that’s why my mom liked it. It had a light taste and it was not overly buttery making me feel less guilty for having a few bites. There was a relatively generous sprinkle of macadamia bits and that is probably the reason why a slice is a bit expensive. 

New Café in Town: Caravan Black Coffee Company

Say hello to the newest coffee shop in BGC!

The Caravan Black Coffee Company is currently on its soft opening and is ready to serve you from 8am to 9pm, Mondays to Fridays and 8am to 5pm on Saturdays. For now, they are closed on Sundays until further notice.

The shop is close to Manam and a Japanese restaurant I failed to take note of. Just look for a hat and you'll find Caravan Black! 

Moving on...

The door was quite heavy and I failed to open it myself. Luckily, one of the owners saw me struggling and helped me. 

I went straight to the counter and was greeted by the friendly cashier. I wasn't in the mood to drink anything hot so I settled with Iced Caravan Choco (PHP130) and had it to go as I wanted to be home before it gets really dark. 

I was given a piece of numbered paper and was asked to wait for my drink. 

While waiting, I admired the nice interiors of the café. I find the hat lights so adorable! There is also a communal long table for solo diners (I think). Communal tables are becoming a trend now in cafés and restaurants. Sadly, only a few are open to mingling with fellow diners. I guess most still strictly follow the "Stranger Danger" rule. 

Restaurant Love: Toby's Estate Coffee Roasters

I have always been a fan of Toby's Estate. I love its Flat White coffee as I need not add sugar to make it drinkable. I still remember the first time I tried it in Century City Mall after exploring Hole in the Wall, then a new foodie place. It was love at first sip. But I never get a chance to try its other offerings such as savory dishes and desserts till last month.

Hello, Toby's Estate Coffee Roasters!

I finally got to visit the Salcedo branch of Toby's Estate which serves savory and sweet dishes! Yay! But since we were all full from our Tsumura Sushi Bar & Restaurant  lunch, we just focused on drinks and desserts.

I was planning to order Toby's Estate's popular dessert Bucky's a la mode (PHP260) but J mentioned that it is not as good as the Sticky Toffee Pudding (PHP190). I trust J's taste so I went with the latter. For beverage, I went with my favorite Flat White (PHP150) and R ordered the Iced Chocolate (PHP150, 16 oz).

First served was the Sticky Toffee Pudding. Served on a dented tin bowl, the others commented on its poor presentation. "It looked like a dog's dish!" says one of my companions. And to be honest, it does look like one. Some restaurants do the same but manage to pull it off nicely. I'm just not sure if it was the dents that made it look so sad. 

Coffee Love: Local Edition Coffee & Tea

I love coffee. I can drink five cups a day and still be a-okay. Fine, I will be giddier than usual and laugh at mundane things but hey, my heart still beats at a normal rate (at times). But aside from salmon sashimi, a good coffee place is my weakness. I get so thrilled whenever I discover a quaint new coffee shop.

Since the Dinner in the Dark will start around… well, dinner time, my favorite Dragon lady and I decided to visit one coffee shop after a quick stop at Lusso. T recommended that we try Local Edition Coffee &Tea and I got curious with it since I saw a few food bloggers post a lot of photos of the coffee with Iced Gem Biscuits. It is kind of a blast from the past seeing that snack. I’m sure the 80’s kids could relate.

When we arrived, the place was almost empty as there were only two other tables occupied.

We approached the counter and stared at the menu. We noticed that there are steps to making your coffee. First, the base—coffee or tea. Second step is to choose the preparation. Last is where you could customize—level of sweetness, hot or cold, and strong or regular. T and I both chose Flat White coffee (PHP135). We also ordered an Oatmeal cookie (PHP60) for us to munch.

It didn’t take long before our coffees were prepared.

I skipped the sugar this time around as we were told that the coffee isn’t bitter and is naturally sweeter compared to other coffee. True enough, it wasn’t that strong and I was able to finish my drink without sugar.