Spread Some Awesome

Budget : ~Php100-150 per drink, ~Php200-300 per dish

 

Duration : stay awhile, chill out

 

Bummers : service isn’t as awesome as before

 

 

 

I think that a majority of the people who cruise along the highway of Tagaytay never fail to drop a visit at Bag of Beans. Since I stayed in Laguna for about 7 years (studying and later on, teaching in UPLB), I used to go to Tagaytay to have dinner with friends or colleagues, enjoy the majestic view of Taal Volcano, and have a cup of hot coffee and eat a slice of warm bread from Bag of Beans. Even if I was already full after having a large dinner, I always manage to squeeze a cup of coffee from this rustic coffee store.

 

Bag of Beans was a place of solitude then. And it’s humble coffee shop is just small. We used to go there as a group and stay for awhile just only us. The place used to be so quiet because there were only a few customers going there. It has really changed a lot and I think its popularity especially to fellow foodies has allowed it to expand and now, Bag of Beans even have Breakfast and Lunch Buffets during weekends or holidays.

 

Due to its expansion, I think it became harder to manage. So there are times when it takes a longer time to get served because there are many customers especially during weekends.

 

 

 

Chilling out at Bag of Beans brings you closer to nature. And you will certainly appreciate it especially if you reside in the metro. The trees surrounding the dining area and the cool breeze blowing on your face will make you feel very comfortable hanging out in Bag of Beans.

 

 

 

Last time I went to Bag of Beans, I got the cabana. Unfortunately, you are required to spend a minimum of Php 1,000 to stay in the cabana. Well, the only perks of the cabana is it has a small bed on the side where you can lie down. And by the way, Bag of Beans has Wi-Fi but you need to spend a minimum of Php 500 to get its password. But the last time I was there, I wasn’t able to connect. Maybe there were just network issues that time. But talk about capitalism. Bag of Beans really has changed.

 

I bought a 100-gram pack of Civet Coffee (Php 1,100 per 100 grams) the last time I was there so I got the cabana.

 

 

Civet Coffee (or Coffee Alamid in the Philippines) is considered to be one of the most expensive coffee in the world. The coffee is made from the coffee berries eaten by the Asian Palm Civet and other related civets. The coffee berries pass into the civet’s digestive tract and excreted out of the body. In simple terms, this is the poo of the civet. It  is washed, sun-dried, roasted, and then brewed.

 

This is sold in Bag of Beans for Php 1,100 per 100 grams. This is supposed to make 8 cups of coffee. If you want to drink it there, you can ask them to brew it for an additional of Php 50 per cup. Yeah, it’s really a luxury drink. I think it should give me magical powers after drinking it.

 

 

The Civet Coffee is claimed to have many health benefits. But with that price, I believe only a few people have access to it. It’s nice crossing it out of my list.

 

I paired my cup of Civet Coffee with a stack of Chocolate Chip Pancakes (Php 185). It is topped with butter, mini chocolate chips, and powdered sugar. It was served with 2 slices of orange and a tub of maple syrup. It was a good day to start the day though actually we already had brunch at Antonio’s before dropping by Bag of Beans.

 

 

If you go to Bag of Beans, make sure you try their cheesecakes. The Blueberry Cheesecake (Php 145) is a heavenly dessert best paired with any of their coffee. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be the Civet Coffee.

 

 

I have also tried a few cool beverages from Bag of Beans in the past. I had the Frozen Chocolate (Php 110) and Coffee Choco Banana Frost (Php 145). I prefer the Frozen Chocolate because it’s sweeter and it has a more chocolatey taste.

 

 

I also have tried their fruit shake, particularly the Mango Shake (Php 120). For my taste, I prefer the coffee and chocolate-based beverage over the shake. I think I love a little sweetness and bitterness from a breakfast-like place.

 

 

Here is the menu from Bag of Beans Coffee Shop.

 

 

 

If you visit Tagaytay, check out Bag of Beans. Have a cup of coffee and relax under the shade of the trees.

 

Spread some awesome..ness..

Tags: cake, cheesecake, coffee, shake