Coffee and me

 I  am from a Philippine province known for its brewed coffee (kapeng barako) hence, I have an intense liking for coffee. I didn't grow up in the time when people would literally brew the coffee beans in my province but I saw my dad while I was growing up, pouring coffee over his rice and that was delicious he said. I never tried doing that but some people - the older ones - never outgrew that habit. My dad has now been living in the US for almost 15 years but he still missed mixing his coffee with his rice. Weird? Perhaps, but it doesn't change the fact that it brings an unfathomable happiness to my dad's eating. Perhaps, it always reminded him of his childhood because every time I saw him do that or he tells me and my brother stories about coffee + rice, his childhood stories will come next - them having to do hard labor just to go to school in the 60s and 70s, his funny yet rebellious escapades, etc.

Unlike my dad, I grew up with commercial coffee. We have Nescafe at home. I'll add sugar and creamer then smell the aroma... That was coffee for me while growing up. The nice part of coffee is smelling the aroma. I never forget to do that before having my first sip. It's very relaxing. I started doing that while I was a kid and I haven't outgrown that habit. In fact, I smell any food before eating them. But the best part of it is the chat that comes with it. I remember when I was a kid in Batangas. Every Saturday morning, we will have coffee and pandesal (bun). Morning breakfasts took forever because it goes with stories - how the week was for my parents, how me and my brother did in school, what are the plans for this weekend, etc. The stories are endless and coffee gets better with the chat...

I moved to Manila when I was in college. I lived (and still living) with my brother and my aunt. My parents decided to work in the US that time. I had less of coffee on weekdays but I did taste Starbucks. I am a habitual kind of person. When I like something, I will stand by it for like forever. When I'm in Starbucks, I only order caramel macchiato or mocha frappuccino (on hot days). They taste best for me. Chat time has changed. I then shared stories with my college friends - accounting homework, hunky university varsity player, etc.
 

When I started working, my friends and I discovered an alternative - Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Guess what I order all the time? Ice blended mocha! haha =p    I love spicy tuna linguine. In fact, I tried doing my own version of it at home. My boyfriend loved it and he's a good cook. But Coffee Bean's is unbeatable. Chat time changed again - toxic work week, boss from hell, upcoming movies, etc. With my second employer, I was sent to Singapore for work. There I discovered another coffee place - Ya Kun Kaya. From that time on, I declared that Ya Kun's was the best coffee I've ever tasted. Going home, I missed the coffee. I will never enjoy coffee as much as I enjoyed Ya Kun's coffee. I missed the coffee for years until this year...

My family and I go to Robinson's Place Ermita in Manila to do grocery weekly. The mall had a renovation in very recent years. Midtown was added which now houses higher end stores and al fresco dining. I always have fun going to Robinson's with my family and do grocery but very early this year was momentous for me. Beside the supermarket was a familiar store - it was a Ya Kun Kaya!!! I can't explain my happiness. Finally I can taste that wonderful coffee again.

I introduced my aunt and my brother to their coffee. My brother is not a coffee drinker though he grew up in Batangas like me. On the other hand, my aunt is in love with her home mixed coffee. But both of them tried Ya Kun's when I insisted. They liked it! Now, almost weekly, we go there to taste their best tasting brewed coffee with condensed milk. The store's vintage posters say that the secret is in the socks! What???? that was my reaction when I first saw it. They're fresh new socks, don't worry haha. In fact today, they're not using socks anymore. They use clothes that filters the coffee. I watched a crew prepare a coffee once. He filters coffee with one container with cloth filters then pours it to another container with cloth filters. He will repeat the process a number of times before he finally pours the coffee on their trademark cup and serves it.

 

Its aroma is perfect! Smelling it for me is heavenly. It is even more wonderful when paired with their famous french toast with kaya (coconut jam). Whenever I eat this combo, I feel like nothing could go wrong. I'm not kidding. For coffee addicts like me, coffee is therapy. They offer meal options and I always order meal E - brewed coffee with condensed milk, french toast with kaya, and egg. Prices are reasonable (and cheaper than Starbucks' or Coffee Bean's)

 

Here's Ya Kun Kaya's menu from Munchpunch.

http://www.munchpunch.com/ya-kun-kaya-toast-naia-2/menu

 

I'm not sure if these are the only branches in the Philippines but here's a list from muchpunch as well.

http://www.munchpunch.com/ya-kun-kaya-toast/

 

Coffee drinking has evolved for me but I am just glad that I found a new coffee experience, this time chat time again is with my family... I don't know what coffee does to you but to me it's a total experience - the aroma and the stories. Coffee and me... You can try Ya Kun and see for yourself... Enjoy! :-)