The Sunday coffee date with select friends from the media and blogging community was one memorable experience, if only because we would be tasting coffee in Antipolo. Horray! Tayo na sa Antipolo…known for its manga, suman and kasuy.
If you have not been to Antipolo for the last 10 years, like my husband and I do, you will marvel how this area in Rizal have grown by leaps and bounds. There are now more malls and various business establishments around. But the best thing is the road-widening that took place on Sumulong Highway.
Urbanization has definitely come to Antipolo, but its charm as a provincial destination by the slopes of Sierra Madre Mountains, about 26 kilometers east of Manila, and barely two hours away from Manila still make it a perfect haven for tourists and foodies, as well. The once “Pilgrimage Capital of the Philippines”, where Manilans would spend the weekend to go to church and pay respects to the Virgin of Antipolo, or Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, now boasts of new dining hot spots.
Because it was a Sunday and our host, public-relations practitioner-turned-full-time painter Ginny Guanco, provided van service for us, the travel from Cubao was a jiffy. In no time at all, we were ushered in to a homey, well-lit, Scandinavian design interior of The Daily Beans owned by childhood buddies turned business partners: Joshua Tarraya (accountant), Dan Tarraya (manpower services), Jojit Restauro (travel sales manager) and Francis Guanco (creative director).
Why a coffee shop? The Tarrayas own The Daily Beans along Kilometer 56, Manila East Road in Barangay Hulo, Pililia, Rizal. With a business name ready and a successful venture in that part of Rizal, they thought of branching out. And the result was the Antipolo coffee lounge and restaurant branch in the bustling area of San Roque, Antipolo City, along the Sumulong Circumferential Road fronting Unciano Colleges, which had a successful soft opening during the Christmas holiday.
The Daily Beans began its operation in 2011. According to store proprietress Sally Tarraya, the idea of putting up a coffee shop in the middle of a long road along Pililia Rizal, where daily commuters and travelers pass on their way to Caliraya Laguna, Quezon and other tourist destinations, was a smart move due to its ideally strategic location. The new branch in Antipolo is in another strategic location, since it is fronting a school and a hospital. And in the EM Gems building where it occupies, it is the only coffee shop amidst the other eateries.
For the past five years, she said people of all ages have been frequenting this haven, where they can rest and chill while ordering their choices of freshly grinded coffee brewed and extracted on a daily basis, where they can select from Choco Java Chip and Mocha Peppermint Frappuccino; Cappuccino, Latte, Mocha for their Hot Coffee; with their favorite pasta or cheesecakes. The store has become a part of the everyday lives of its customers.
For the opening salvo for the grand launch this New Year, The Daily Beans Antipolo has added more new features, an extensive variety of dishes, and a diversity of drinks ranging from coffee, tea, served either hot or iced; frappes to smoothies made from fresh fruits; each carefully brewed, blended and mixed to bring out the best soothing taste to compliment the Filipino palate.
I love coffee. The stronger it tastes and the aromatic it smells, the better for me. That’s why I always enjoy a trip to coffee shops and coffee-tasting or cupping activities. And we’re glad that Master Barista Dave Dource of Barista Guild Asia PH, was the special guest at the Sunday’s Grand Opening showing guests how to differentiate coffees from Brazil, Costa Rica, Ethiopia and Benguet, among others, as well as the different brewing methods.
Overall, The Daily Beans coffee is smooth, the ice coffee is caramel-y, but not sugary, and the cappuccino is excellent with the coffee’s bitterness blending well with the foamy milk. Meanwhile, the crocheted mason jars for frappes and smoothies make the drinking experience more fun providing come on for the younger sets and the young at hearts.
The selection of pastries is excellent and the pasta dishes do not disappoint. With very reasonable price and big serving one couldn’t ask for more. Moreover, the homey feel, family ambience, quality and sincere service, warm relationship with their crew are outstanding factors for repeat visits.
The Daily Beans has a wide assortment of food and beverages to choose from their menu. There are pastas, such as Tuna Casserole, Chicken Pesto, spicy Caliente or the all-time popular Spaghetti Meatballs. In the snacks section, one has a choice of Clubhouse sandwiches, Sloppy Joe nachos, Cheese n’ Chips and salads, among others. All-day breakfast favorite Beef Tapa come with free brewed coffee. Homemade pastries and cheesecakes of different variety with your beverage of choice are a must-try.
“One thing we are really proud of is that we do not use additives, seasonings, like MSG or broth cubes. For our beverages we do not use pre-mixed powder. Everything is healthy and natural. We make our own chocolate sauce, sugar syrup and other fresh ingredients. Our homemade cheesecakes are authentic, rich and satisfying,” Dan Tarraya said.
So the next time you’re around Antipolo, or, perhaps, after a visita iglesia of the famous Antipolo Church, head to The Daily Beans for a relaxing cup of coffee. The presence of the four friends or anyone of them, who all agreed to be on hand in the business, would be a big bonus. The owners are more than willing to chat with customers regarding their coffee experiences.
Of course, no trip to Antipolo is complete without buying the troika of suman–mangga–kasuy. So we dropped by the pasalubong stall along the highway where piles of newly cooked suman (glutinous rice usually cooked in coconut milk and sugar then wrapped in coconut leaves), mounds of roasted kasuy (cashew nuts) and carabao mangoes were on sale. Other pasalubong goodies and delicacies available were broas, peanut brittle, polvoron, turrones de mani, lengua, uraro and glazed peanuts.