Finally, Filipino coffee drinkers have a coffee bar that they can call their own, one that stocks and sells only Philippine coffee, from Benguet to Batangas, Sultan Kudarat to Tagaytay. Welcome, Kape Isla, a coffee bar that also extends its Filipino-centric theme beyond the coffee drinks on the menu; it is offering a mixture of different kakanins like bibingka (topped with queso de bola), suman with halayang mangga, and brazo de Mercedes – all a perfect match with your preferred cup of...Juan.



‘Our mission is simple: we want to build awareness on Philippine Coffee so that people here will specify that they want it when they’re out on a coffee run, and we want to boost coffee production here in our beloved country,’ says Bill Luz, President of the Philippine Coffee Board, a private sector-led group established in 2002, with members hailing from different parts of the coffee community: growers, millers, roasters, retailers, local government groups, agriculture credit sectors, the academe, and - like Mr. Luz himself – steadfast coffee drinkers.

Aside from being the flagship store that is bringing Pinoy coffee drinkers over two dozen merchants (from Nestle to Gourmet’s, Bo’s to Starbucks) under one roof, Kape Isla is also the umbrella label for all coffee products that use Philippine-grown coffee beans. And in lieu of Ella Fitzgerald and Nora Jones CD compilations, Kape Isla will play and sell our very own homegrown talent. ‘You can look forward to hearing the likes of Sitti and Sofia in the background as you flip through local magazines at your leisure,’ confirms Mr. Luz. Take a look around the place and you’ll find a unified aesthetic that is modern Filipino, with dark wood furnishings, clean edges, and shelves that display the best of Filipino pottery and craftsmanship.



‘Even though our merchants compete against each other in the market, they all believe in our concept, in our mission to promote Philippine coffee. So at Kape Isla, every merchant has equal visibility; there’s a two-week rotation that switches merchant exposure on an alphabetical basis,’ confirms Mr. Luz. So you may see an unheard of grocery-store brand as the featured merchant in March, and then a coffee juggernaut name a couple of weeks later. Kape Isla’s mission throughout the rotation program remains the same – to open the Pinoy’s mindset to Philippine-grown coffee, and to have the public demand the Pinoy coffee products when given the option between the imported stuff and our very own.



Aside from a barista’s exuberance with whipped cream (request it on the side if you don’t want a mountain on top of your cold drink; try the Choknut Coffee and the Coffee Milkshake, both P130.00), Kape Isla is certainly a loyalty-worthy café – one where you can find Coffee Board members talking to the baristas about putting ‘a little less water’ in one’s brew, and where comments and suggestions on how to make the ‘perfect’ espresso (P65.00) are appreciated.

Kape Isla is located at the Ground Floor of Serendra, Bonifacio High Street (across Market! Market!), Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. For inquiries, please contact Marge Barrero at (0917) 896-1423. For more information on the Philippine Coffee board, please visit their official website, www.coffeeboard.com.ph.

Photos by Jay Lara