Fresh from the success of its Central Square branch, Muji Coffee has opened its second “counter” at the biggest Muji store in the country to date: SM North Edsa.
This means that Northies need not travel down south to experience what it feels like to enjoy k?h? in a minimalist cafe in the Land of the Rising Sun, but also have their fill of Muji Curry. Yes, all seven flavors of the Japanese brand’s iconic dish are available.
“Muji Curry is exclusive to Muji SM North Edsa,” enthused Cristina Dagdag, marketing manager of Muji Philippines Corp.
This gives southern folks a delicious excuse to brave the traffic up north this time.
The well-loved Muji Curry is one of the must-try dishes in Japan.
“Learn form the locals” is one of the basic principles of Muji’s product development.
“Muji’s R&D team visited the (countries of the) origins of curry — India, Thailand, and Malaysia — studied the local taste and food culture to come up with its own curry line,” explained Dagdag.
During the opening, we were served steamed rice and small portions of each curry flavor, so we could sample all of them in one go.
Made with tomatoes, the Butter Chicken Curry has the perfect sweet-and-sour blend, made extra flavorful with ghee and cashew nuts.
A Malaysian stewed dish with a refreshing aroma, the Chicken Masak Lemak is loaded with boneless chicken soaked in coconut cream, ginger, and lemongrass. If you want something hot and spicy, go for the Malaysian Chicken Curry.
Fans of Indian curry will definitely love the rich and full-flavored Dhal Curry (made with fully flavored toor dal and pigeon bean), and Chicken Keema Curry, inspired by Keema curry from North India. This savory curry dish has spiced, minced chicken, garlic, ginger, garam masala and 11 kinds of spices.
I personally love the Green Curry. It’s mild, creamy, and packed with so much flavor.
Those who want to enjoy Muji Curry in the comfort of their home can grab the Muji Curry pouches available at the Muji Coffee counter. There are also porcelain plates, cups and wooden/plastic ladles on sale to complete the dining experience.
What's Brewing?
Reminiscent of cafés in Japan, Muji Coffee exudes a laidback vibe. The brand employs wood in almost everything — the tables, chairs, shelves and counter itself — and uses real plants as decor. Its tracks and high ceiling give the illusion of space. The café can seat around 70 diners.
Here, you can enjoy a cuppa all by yourself or have a curry meal with the rest of the fam even on weekends without feeling constricted.
By the entrance, there’s a Water-Refilling Station where customers can refill their Muji My Water Bottle, or their own reusable bottle for free. That way, we can minimize single-use plastic, which harms the environment.
Muji Coffee uses local beans certified by Rainforest Alliance, the international non-government organization, for its craft brews. Choose from Americano, Cappuccino, Cafe Latte, and Cafe Mocha.
If it’s cold tea you want, check out the refreshing Peach Tea, Kiwi Strawberry Tea, Matcha Latte, and Ichigo Blueberry Tea.
Enjoy these drinks with pastries and sandwiches such as the Prosciutto Croissant, Chocolate Almond Danish, Matcha Cookies, and Fruit & Nut Belgian Chocolate.
The brand also introduces its first kids’ drink — the Iced Ichigo Milk and Iced Chocolate — exclusively at SM North Edsa. Children and non-coffee drinkers can now enjoy these milky and refreshing drinks topped with candy sprinkles
“Kid’s high chairs are also available for toddlers,” shared Dagdag. “SM North Edsa is a family mall. That’s why we extended our service by offering high chairs.”
There’s also Kid’s Play Area inside where moms can let their kids loose while eating or shopping for plants.
“This one is also exclusive to Muji SM North Edsa,” Dagdag noted. “It’s called the Green Plants area, where we sell local, harvested plants that we feel will look good in your homes, or go well with your Muji furniture.”
Bigger and Better
Muji SM North Edsa is the largest Muji store with a floor size of over 2,500 sqm. Aside from having a big floor space, what’s unique about the store is having two areas connected by a wooden aisle. All customers passing through will get the unique experience of being inside a Muji store unknowingly.
Area 1 is the retail area. It features over 4,000 kinds of Muji merchandise ranging from home ware to garments, furniture, stationery, and skincare products. With a much bigger space, Muji has prepared shopping carts for the very first time.
Area 2 houses Muji Coffee, the Kids’ Play Area, Green Plants, and the Service Counter, which is dedicated to all customers’ inquiries and special services.
Here, customers can also sign-up as a Muji member and redeem their membership card. Being a Muji member entitles you to a 2% discount when using a reusable bag, a free base shipping fee with a minimum purchase of P1,000 at their online catalog (mujiph.com), invitations to VIP selling events, free workshops and more.
“At Muji, we hope to enrich the lives of our customers and create a more convenient shopping experience perfect and convenient for the whole family,” said Dagdag.
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Muji is on the second floor of SM North Edsa’s North Towers.