Jake and I decided (well, I decided mostly) to become foodies and try new places for this Boracay trip. When in Boracay, eat local--that's what they always say so we made an effort to eat at restaurants and spots you'll only find on the island. No to Yellow Cab, Starbucks, Shakey's, save for Andok's when we were craving barbecued chicken and sinigang.
I'm attempting to write food reviews now--yes I'm pretentious, so I'm starting with our breakfast experience at the famous Real Coffee and Tea Café. I've been eyeing this last year but we opted for other local spots, and I had to deal with a very cranky sleepyhead (ehem, Jake).
But anyway, Real Coffee is a couple of steps away from our place so it was very convenient to just grab our things and head out for brekky. It's located in a small alley, within sight of the beach, and there are kitschy signs all over the bahay-kubo place advertising their menu and mostly inspirational quotes. I especially loved the quote on on the counter where we sat.
Being a bookworm, I was also dying to check out the books covering their wall under the second-floor ladder. The place is so homey, they even had labeled personal mugs for their usual customers by the counter. Just above us, there were pictures of celebrities who regularly patronize the place.
I was feeling like a hypebeast that morning so I ordered their specialty--calamansi muffin and Real Coffee. Jake also got a muffin for himself but was already itching to eat elsewhere for his tapsilog craving. They bake the muffins right in front of you, I even got a huge kick out of seeing the girl chop walnuts and mash bananas for banana muffins while we were eating, so you know you're eating freshly baked goodies.
I took one bite of my muffin and immediately gave myself a mental slap on the head for forgetting how much I hated citrus-y pastries. I can't stand eating lemon squares and it was only when Jake kept saying, "tastes like Becky's Kitchen lemon squares" that I regretted my order. Jake, on the other hand, loooooves lemon squares and key lime pies so I gave him half of my muffin. I spent the remainder of our breakfast date pining for a banana muffin but I was saving my appetite for breakfast number two at Red Coconut. The muffin was good, though, if you like lemon-y treats. It's slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and was still hot and had that freshly-baked taste going on.
Their signature coffee, Real Coffee, was strong and flavorful. I especially liked the little milk shot glass that came with it. However, being an avid coffee drinker, I couldn't help but wish it tasted stronger and, I dunno, more home-made like. It tasted like your average brewed coffee and for all the hype, I was a bit disappointed. Or maybe I was expecting too much. It is, after all, just brewed coffee with a shot of espresso.
Despite my wrong muffin choice, I would still eat brekky there. The place is the perfect breakfast date spot if you want a homey, breakfast by the beach ambiance. It's rustic, kitschy, and feels exactly like a quaint little island establishment.You wouldn't find this in Manila, for sure. Maybe next time I'll order a banana muffin and ask them to add a shot of espresso or syrup to my brewed coffee, then I'll get an omelette for the Jakester to go with his calamansi muffin. Perfect.
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