Barista Magazine

OCT-NOV 2012

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trikes in the rain. The next day we were off to Cebu. The night we arrived, we were invited for dinner at the house of Bo's Coffee founder Steven Benitez. Bo's is a local coffee chain that started in Cebu and now has nearly 50 stores in the Philippines. Steve had a surprise for us: He had arranged for a local pinoy lechon (whole roasted pig) for us to be prepared by the same chef as had made it for author Anthony Bourdain. On his TV show No Reservations, Bourdain would go on to hail it 'the best pig ever. ' It was a great evening full of crackling pig skin, local rice dishes, wine, and laughter, with Steve's two little kids providing the entertainment by racing around the dining room making jokes. The rainy weather cleared up, and our two days in Cebu PHILIPPINES While in the city, we experienced some of the torrential rain Manila is famous for, and there was quite a bit of flooding in the metro and surrounding areas. Our hearts went out to those affected, and we talked with numerous people who literally had to swim or wade a bit to get to work. After five days in Manila, we were excited to get out of the big city and see some of the diverse areas of the Philippines. We spent a day in Angeles City, about four hours north of Manila, exploring side streets, local cuisine and culture, and riding motorcycle were spent relaxing by the pool, and café touring with Steve to get a feel for the coffee scene outside of Manila. With a four-hour flight delay in Cebu, as flights from Manila were still hit or miss, we were finally aboard the small plane that would take us to Boracay. Prior to our trip, I' d talked to friends with experience traveling in the Philippines, and the island of Boracay came up multiple times as a must- visit spot. Also, given that it was the rainy season in the Philippines, I looked at islands that were somewhat sheltered from the southwestern monsoons. We would spend six days there before flying back to Manila, and on home to Portland, Ore. And it turned out the information was spot- on: Days before we would leave for the Philippines, Travel + Leisure named Boracay the "Best Island in the World. " Boracay is known for its white beaches, and miraculously from the day we arrived, until the day we left, we enjoyed endless sunshine. We spent our days on the beach and exploring the small island via trike and on foot. We stumbled upon a coffee bar that had been on the island since 1996, called Real Coffee. It's owned by a mother and daughter, Lee and Nadine, who took a leap of faith moving to Boracay, and opened the first coffee shop on the island. The shop is known for quality coffee, as well as the Calamansi muffins, which are made from the local Calamansi (citrus) fruit. We went back multiple times and enjoyed chatting with Lee and Nadine about the life of a coffee shop owner in paradise. As my wife and I were combining a celebratory anniversary trip with the coffee work of our family business, we chartered a sailboat to take us to private beaches and snorkeling coves. It was a trip I'll never forget, as now two weeks later I am finally getting over the sunburn I brought home. Our trip was incredible and the most amazing part of the experience was the people. I have never been in a country with so much genuine kindness and friendliness. Everyone we met was so helpful and always smiling. I feel so fortunate to have been able to share my coffee knowledge with so many in Manila, and to have met so many local Filipinos and see many diverse places during our stay. We promised to return next year, and on the next trip, I look forward to traveling to some local coffee farms, growing high altitude Arabica coffees. See you again soon, Philippines! Mabuhay! 42 barista magazine

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