Coffee, conversations and cuisine

So the story goes: A herder, Kaldi, went in search of his goats lost in the fields of Ethiopia, only to find them nibbling on bright berries, prancing and dancing about. Their sprightly bodies bobbed up and down, weaving through the shrubbery. Tired, confused and a tad curious, Kaldi sampled for himself a berry. Energized and elated, he shared the berries with some monks of a nearby monastery. What was this wondrous fruit that could bring such a vibrant effect? The monks frowned upon him; perhaps this new drug was the devil’s work and cast away the berries onto open flames. As they slowly burned, a heady aroma filled the air. The berries roasted slowly, intoxicating and enticing the once-skeptical monks.

From Africa to the Middle East, then to Europe in the 16th century, coffee has, just like the monks, intoxicated everyone. Soon men gathered round, powered by the dark brewage, their thoughts clarified and enlightened ideas spilling forth.

Louis Chevallier de Mailly so clearly remarked in 1702, in his collection of works entitled Les Entretiens des Caffés, “The cafés are most agreeable places, and ones where one finds all sorts of people of different characters. There one sees fine young gentlemen, agreeably enjoying themselves; there one sees the savants who come to leave aside the laborious spirit of the study; there one sees others whose gravity and plumpness stand in for merit. Those, in a raised voice, often impose silence on the deftest wit, and rouse themselves to praise everything that is to be blamed, and blame everything that is worthy of praise. How entertaining for those of spirit to see originals setting themselves up as arbiters of good taste and deciding with an imperious tone what is over their depth!”

Loaded with goodness: Portobello mushroom ciabatta at Coffee Bean & Tea LeafSong.

It was said that Voltaire drank up to 40 cups a day! No wonder his work is so prolific and Candide so innocently adventurous!

Personally? Don’t even bother talking to me before my first cup. As my mother will attest, any phone calls before that first sip will result in garbled grumbles. For others, it’s tea that oils their engines — a splash of milk, a touch of honey, fragrant visions of a faraway land diluted into a clear, soothing liquid.

There is something so comforting about a warm beverage. Perhaps it’s the way we hold the cup, two hands wrapped around safely, fingers interlaced, a gentle energy passing through the palms and into your soul. Like a security blanket, keeping us safe and happy alone, or melting the barriers with others.

From the cast of Friends at Central Perk to the lone romantic reading a book, hoping to find true love in between coffee stains and dog-eared pages, cafés have become the happy antithesis to bars. Alone in a café, you look like an intellectual. Alone in a bar, you look like a drunkard. Meeting with someone of the opposite sex in a café denotes friendship and the same in a bar — seduction. And, as almost always, with the beverage comes food. As the conversations grow long, the tummy rumbles, and appetites are whetted. Cafés have moved beyond sandwiches and muffins to real food.

“26th St. Bistro is for anyone that appreciates good-quality food at a fair price point,” explains Jay Ong, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s VP for strategic partnerships and project development. “We’ve always had food made to order but we’ve taken that to a completely different level.”

Patterned after the first full-service restaurant in Singapore cleverly called a “beanstro,” 26th St. Bistro has a full kitchen offering international comfort food with Californian flair like salmon fishcakes or grilled lamb chops with ratatouille and rosemary. They also offer all-day breakfast with Filipino favorites like US Angus tapa and chicken longganisa.

With its distinct, welcoming spiced smell, high ceilings and panoramic windows, the bright and airy interiors are conducive to brewing ideas. Since its recent opening, it has been a top choice for events and meetings. Set in the heart of bustling Bonifacio Global City, it’s definitely worth a visit. Situated so close to the buzzing night scene, I hope they soon stay open later than their actual 1 a.m., as I’d happily stumble out of Prive to scarf down their uber-crispy French fries to temper my inebriated state before heading home past my bedtime!

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Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s 26th St. Bistro, located on the ground floor of the NET Lima Building, 26th St. corner 5th Avenue, BGC, is open every day from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m.