Travel Café Philippines: A Gem of a Concept

The Philippine Department of Tourism and the Japanese Company Café, Co. Ltd. have jointly opened Travel Café Philippines in busy Lidabashi Station in Tokyo, Japan.

The especially themed coffee shop is the first to be dedicated to a single country destination, combining good food with the appeal of travel to an exotic and exciting destination like the Philippines.

Visitors to the Café can enjoy exquisite Filipino food and drinks and at the same time use the facilities to secure information on travel to the islands.

Multi-awarded restaurateur Glenda Rosales Barreto of the famed Via Mare developed the Filipino menu for the Travel Café Philippines in close coordination with Chef Ryo Hayasaka and Operations Manager Shinosuke Shimizu. Readily available are dishes well known in Japan such as lechon, adobo, sinigang, pancit, and barbeque.

Philippine coffee varieties barako and alamid are featured in the café, as well, along with Filipino favorites like halo halo, and the lumpiang ubod topped with special peanut sauce.

The modern interiors of the cafe was inspired by multi-awarded Philippine architect Bobby Mañosa, using Philippine materials assembled in the Philippines. The furniture pieces, from chairs made of abaca to the tables made from coconut shells, were designed by the Philippines' elite Movement 8 designers Budji Layug, Al Caronon, Locsin International and Far Eastern Corp. The icon for Travel Café Philippines is a masterpiece sculpture of stone and glass created by Filipino sculptor Impy Pilapil.

The café also features Philippine destination videos shown on plasma vision TV and Philippine songs and musical compositions as background music allowing visitors to truly enjoy the atmosphere of a trip to the islands using all five of their senses.

The café likewise serves as an information hub with a vast collection of travel references, as it is envisioned to provide an environment for making travel plans to the Philippines.

Visitors can browse through some resource materials such as books, brochures and video shows. A travel concierge is available to personally assist guests, answer queries on the Philippines, as well as recommend travel destinations and itineraries.

Travel Café Philippines aims to provide the Japanese - especially the women - with an opportunity to become more familiar with the islands for them to seriously consider the country as their next holiday destination.

Heading the DOT Team Japan is the energetic, full of ideas Rosvi Gaetos who is ably assisted by Stanie Soriano, while Benito Bengzon Jr. is Tourism Attache, Tokyo, Valentino Cabansag, Tourism Attache, Representative for West Japan and Araceli Soriano, Marketing Specialist Osaka.