Ang Dabawenyo

When I asked a Japanese tourist to describe Davao in one word, without hesitation she answered, "nonbiri". Relaxed. She was describing the general atmosphere, the pace of life, the way she feels whenever she’s in town. Many more visitors to our city feel this way. No surprise then that a coffee-shop culture has emerged here.

At my last count, there are now no fewer than 25 coffee shops in Davao’s urbanized district. For someone who’s been passionate about this heavenly brew, it certainly is a delight to witness the mushrooming of coffee houses just in the last few years. Compared to the present, my coffee moments at dear old Café Josefina in the mid-90s now seem so subdued, quiet. And there wasn’t much choice in the matter, either. Today, coffee lovers have a healthy number of choices — not only in the blends, but also in the character of the café that suits them. Here are a few of my haunts:

Basti’s Brew. The first word that popped in my head as I wrote this was ‘convivial’. Basti’s @ Victoria Plaza possesses an air of friendliness, and has such a great following that many can say that they’ve made friends with other patrons right there. While it wasn’t the very first honest-to-goodness coffee shop in Davao, it certainly was the one that pushed forward Davao’s coffee culture, in my opinion.

Blugré Café. This is most probably Davao’s pioneering coffee shop. Blugré was most likely the one that set the bar for all other shops to follow. While Basti’s has a relaxed atmosphere, Blugré has a decidedly business-like impression to it. Indeed, it’s a perfect venue for capping that deal, or for treating a client to a cappuccino break.

Bo’s Coffee Club (on F. Torres St.). Bo’s exudes a certain worldliness. It’s the one that’s probably closest to Starbucks in terms of appeal (well, it is a franchise itself). Most café goers might describe Bo’s to be exclusive, or in the local parlance, sosyal. So it might present itself as rather off-putting to the easily intimidated. The other Bo’s Coffee Club, the original franchise located in SM City, has a more affable charm.

51 Coffee Shop. They serve an exquisite Americano at 51 (pronounced five-one, by the way). They import their beans from Japan — thing is, Davaoeños might find the blends a little on the thin side. The owner runs the place like a typical Japanese coffee house, where you can expect the proverbial "Irasshaimase!" greeting. 51 Coffee Shop is huge, and is probably the most quiet of all.

Karl’s Koffee Korner. Now with 3 branches, Karl’s is the coffee shop that could possibly be known as a local franchise. However, its down-to-earth, gritty sort of appeal might not come across all too smoothly among coffee connoisseurs. But, it’s a comfortable place, especially the one in Buhangin.

The other coffee shops, like Copa Bossa, Formula Pete’s, Kasagingan, they all have their peculiar personalities as well. Some are easy to take; others take some getting used to. Some are instantly likeable; others, you have to let them grow on you. And all of this makes for an interesting café-hopping experience, don’t you think? Whatever your trip, I’m sure you’ll find that snug little café that fits you.

It all started when GlobeQuest (later known as Innove) connected Basti’s Brew in Victoria Plaza to the Internet and broadcast Davao’s first public wireless Internet signal. The service was offered free to the customers — at first, only as a promotional offer, but then the offer lasted for about a year! So when another coffee shop, Formula Pete’s, opened, I guess they thought it wise to offer free wifi access as well. Good for them and not so good for Basti’s because Innove had started charging for access by then. Lo and behold! it became a trend in Davao. Soon after, free wifi access to laptop-toting patrons were being offered at new and existing coffee shops. Hotels and bars and even malls followed suit as well. (What’s remarkable is NCCC’s mall-wide wireless connectivity.)

I think that this phenomenon is unique to Davao, because as far as I know, most wifi hotspots in the capital and in other urbanized cities are being offered for a fee. In big-name cafés in Metro Manila, for instance, 3rd-party providers charge for wireless Internet access, and the fees aren’t all that cheap either. What happened in Davao was simply the positive effects of sound business competition. And it sure is working quite nicely for Davao folk!

Here’s a list of free wifi hotspots that I already know about. If there are other places you know about, do let me know by leaving a comment here.

51 Coffee Shop, Victoria Plaza compound, beside MetroBank & Buffet Palace; Basti’s Brew @ Victoria Plaza & Legaspi St.; Blugré in Landco, Bajada; Bo’s Coffee Club, F. Torres St.; Casa Leticia, Camus St.; Copa Bossa in Tiangge, Ecoland (in front of SM City); Cups & lowercase, F. Torres St.; Formula Pete’s in Wheels n’ More Drive; Holiday Spa, F. Torres St.; K1 Family KTV, F. Torres St.; Kanto Bar in MTS, Matina; Kasagingan, F. Torres St.; NCCC Mall, Maa/Matina; and, Royal Mandaya Hotel, Palma Gil St.

Most of the hotspots here have good Internet connections; if I’m not mistaken, all of them are on DSL: PLDT myDSL, Innove, Pisolutions, BayanTel. From what I gather, people seem to be happiest in places where BayanTel DSL is connected. And where PLDT myDSL is, somehow the connection isn’t very reliable. Which is a wonder, because SmartBro — which is virtually in the same network as PLDT — is awesome.

Now, if we were talking about coffee, well, my personal favorite is the Americano (mild blend) of 51 Coffee Shop. Basti’s comes next in my list. Hmmm… I think I might do a survey soon.