Locally grown Arabica and Robusta beans are taking center stage at City of Dreams Manila’s outlets.
Philippine coffee was first highlighted at The Roaster at The Garage VR Zone and food park. Opened in October 2018 under the helm of Chef Andi Budiman—together with a team of skilled baristas including Jordan Yniesta, a “coffee roaster”—The Roaster caters to discerning coffee-drinking public.
Being one of the few establishments in the city that owns a state-of-the-art Probat 5 machine, City of Dreams completes the farm-to-cup cycle, and roasts all of the locally sourced coffee in-house.
The café also highlights other designer brews, including Moca, a medley of double espresso, cacao ganache, textured milk, and enhanced with a garnish of grated chocolate and cocoa powder; Spanish Latte, which combines double espresso with textured milk and muscovado sugar; and 9 to 5, a mixture of single espresso, steamed textured milk, hazelnut syrup, and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Local coffee is also showcased in staple brews including cappuccino, latte, and macchiato, among others, that are available at City of Dreams Manila-operated dining outlets and signature restaurants including Crystal Dragon, Nobu Manila, and Red Ginger.
City of Dreams Manila sources the beans from local farmers, specifically in Matutum, South Cotabato and Atok, Benguet for the Arabica beans; and in Lipa, Batangas for the Robusta beans.
Robusta beans from Lipa, Batangas are known for their full-bodied taste and earthy finish, with notes of peanuts; while Arabica beans from Atok, Benguet exhibit flavors of latik and tangerine resulting in a creamy mouth-feel with hints of citrus and tropical fruits. Those from Matutum, South Cotabato deliver a taste of grapes and toasted almonds, whereas the blend of Atok beans and Lipa’s Robusta beans results in flavors of walnut, cacao nibs, and dried prunes.
The luxury resort’s initiative to support Philippine coffee produce was realized through a collaboration with Philippine Coffee Board Inc.
“Together with PCBI, we are proud to help uplift the Philippine coffee industry through supporting local farmers, whose produce deserves to be put into the spotlight. We invite coffee enthusiasts to discover different local coffee profiles in our restaurants,” said Kevin Benning, City of Dreams Manila’s chief operating officer.
More than advocating for local coffee, City of Dreams Manila is pushing for the highest standard of sustainability as about 63 kilos of used coffee grounds are repurposed and gathered daily from kitchens and outlets and then brought to the property’s vermicomposting area to be transformed into organic fertilizers.