I was at a new café that’s recently opened shop in Davao, Kangaroo Coffee Company. It’s on Tionko, just after Bangko Sentral. I’ve been there twice already: the first time with blogger friends, the night before our flight to Manila last week, and this time with Bob Martin (Mindanao.com, Live in the Philippines, among others). Unfortunately, at neither time was I able to try their food. Read the full story

The original franchise of Bo’s Coffee Club in Davao is at SM City. It’s on the ground floor of the mall, right in the middle of the walkway and near the atrium. This makes for a good vantage point for people-watching.

There are now two Bo’s Coffee Club outlets in Davao, but what I appreciate with the first one is their consistency. From the time they opened a few years ago and up to now, their coffee has always tasted the same. They brew their coffee rather strong (even their Americano), but I love the flavor. It’s rich and envigorating — just don’t take it in the afternoon if you’re the type whose sleep is affected by caffeine!

It can get pretty noisy there, especially when the mall is bustling with shoppers, so Bo’s at SM isn’t a very ideal place for relaxing. But if you don’t mind the racket, and because you’re out to grab that perfect mug of cappuccino or latté, spending an hour or so at Bo’s can be rather rewarding gastronomically. Ask for their durian pie! Read the full story

(For the life of me… my favorite coffee shop and I haven’t even blogged about it yet this whole time! Oh I’ve mentioned it here and there, but I realized just now that I hadn’t given Basti’s Brew its own post here. Shame on me!)

Basti’s Brew Coffee Station has a role in the history of wifi in Davao. It was the first coffee shop that offered wireless Internet connection in the city via Globe Innove — this was back in 2004, if I remember right. For a year the Internet connectivity was offered for free, and so it was Basti’s that “educated” the Dabawenyo to mix coffee and laptops. Then Globe started charging for Internet access (P100/hour!!), and people started going to a new coffee shop that was already offering free wifi. Eventually, Basti’s got its own provider and started broadcasting its wifi signal for free. By then, nearly all coffee shops had installed their own wifi routers to entice Dabawenyos into their establishments. Today, it’s de rigeur in Davao City for coffee shops (and even other kinds of establishments) to have free wifi. Read the full story

I was just blogging about Karl’s (my previous post), and I realized I hadn’t written about this coffee shop / restaurant where I am now! It’s called Sagay (named after a place on Negros island, near Bacolod), Casa Leticia‘s lobby restaurant. The food here is influenced by the owner’s Ilonggo roots. Try their kansi — it’s like sinigang, which is my ultimate favorite Filipino fare. Ilonggo food is decidedly of the maasim (sour) persuasion. Read the full story

In my old blog over at davaoenos.blogspot.com, I ran a poll called "Which is the best wifi café?" Well, here are the results after 41 votes. Of course it’s not definitive, but it does give you an idea, not of the best coffee in town, but of how many people access the Internet in coffee shops and my old blog. Hehehe!

Yeah I know, I write a lot about coffee shops. What can I do? I love coffee!

I’ve been preoccupied with my Japanese clients lately I haven’t had time to check out Davao’s newly-opened restaurants and cafés. But it hasn’t stopped me from noticing them. As soon as I have the time — and extra cash — I’ll sample all of these new places and their offerings.

There’s Barbecue Boss over at the K1 compound, F. Torres St. It’s an open-air affair and specializing in — you guessed it! — grilled goodies. If I’m not mistaken, they opened before Valentine’s. Read the full story

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.