Coffee Unplugged & The Health Walk @ IRRI Sports Fest

* Coffee Unplugged was at IRRI yesterday for a sports fest booth together with Health Walk partners, Ashoka Indian Healthy Cuisine, Satya Graha Cafe and Restaurant, Jus Right, Makiling Hillside Delicacies, and new supporter, Makiling Organics.

* Coffee Unplugged brewed Rwanda Peaberry and Ethiopia Yirgacheffe coffee (roasted by Luca & Tosh Coffee Lab) on pour-over and Aeropress (iced or hot).

* Today, Coffee Unplugged will be brewing again at Ashoka Indian Healthy Cuisine in Umali Subdivision for their monthly eat-all-you-can Indian buffet.

The 2014 Road-Widening Challenge!

View from across the road.

* The road-widening project of DPWH started a few weeks ago in Brgy. Maahas, Los Banos. As we saw our neighbors from across the road close down their businesses temporarily and their front yards demolished, we couldn't help but wonder how long it would take for them to finish and finally reach our side (South-bound) of the highway. 

* Just last week, we saw the sidewalks getting ripped open starting from the Maahas Bridge about a hundred meters away from the cafe. Other cautious entrepreneurs, like our "suking tindahan," already demolished their establishment to make way for a speedy summertime renovation. 

* The road-widening project may reach us this week or next week, we really don't know. But the main concern is how we will be able to operate with this "development" project standing in the way of our business. FYI, the road-widening will cut our parking lot in half and our takeout building will be demolished. 

This will be gone. Goodbye! 

* As of today, we haven't thought of a strategy yet to cope with this dilemma. Do we close the cafe for a month and take a long vacation (if that would happen, I can work at the farm full-time)? Do we close the cafe here and find a vacant spot somewhere else where we can operate for a few weeks for free (is that even possible in this world?); or do we continue to operate and entertain walk-ins, literally, those who come here "walking" since we cannot accommodate the cars (golly, look at the photo again, good luck parking in the middle of the highway)...or do we simply encourage walking, commuting, biking, or even riding a horse? 

* It's a cruel world out there. And this is a new challenge for us. And then again, whatever happens we know that God is in control. 

#CafeAntonioWeeklySpecials for May 26 to June 1

Dish: Garlic Shrimp Pasta (Php 275)

Beverage: Orange Tarragon Iced Tea (Php 80)

Coffee: Iced Rwanda Peaberry on Aeropress (Php 110)

#CafeAntonioWeeklySpecials

#CafeAntonioWeeklySpecials for May 19-24

Dish: Chicken Barbecue Pizza in White Sauce (Php 315)

Beverage: Mandarin Orange Iced Tea (Php 80)

Coffee: Sagada Arabica Pressed Coffee (Php 110)

Coffee Unplugged & The Health Walk @ the 5th Balik Bukid Country Fair

Rick Jason O'Brewer at The Health Walk booth

* Yesterday, Coffee Unplugged and The Health Walk participated in the 5th Balik Bukid country fair for the first time! Everyone had a blast (including my multicab's rear tire)!

* The group has been planning to join this event for quite some time. Through the efforts of Kisig Lopez, owner of Satya Graha Cafe and Restaurant, we were able to join the event. Those who participated were OJ of Makiling Hillside Delicacies; Kisig and Angel of Satya Graha; Jason of Coffee Unplugged; and Maya of Malaya Eco Tours. Ashoka Indian Health Cuisine, Jus Right, Living Life Well, and Kaphe also sent promo materials to give away.

* Kisig, Jason, and I compiled the promo materials and put them in three hundred Health Walk Packs with free Health Walk Discount Cards to give away as part of our Mothers' Day promo. We started at around 12:30 pm on Friday and ended at 2 am the next day! Then we had to wake up at 3:30 am to set up at the fair. Jason and I picked up OJ at their house in Collegeville and then we met Kisig at Crossing. While driving in SLEX, my multicab got a flat (and shredded!) tire because our load was too heavy and I gambled not to put air in the van's tires. We had to wait for the maintenance truck to change the tire because I forgot to bring my toolbox! To add insult to injury, I got lost twice on the way to Sta. Elena which was very weird because I've been there several times! Probably my brain wasn't working anymore.

Photo by Gwyneth Williams

* Finally, we arrived at Sta. Elena Fun Farm, the venue for Balik Bukid, safe and sound. We made a lot of new friends while we were there. We were greeting people with an enthusiastic "Welcome to Los Banos...the Narnia of Laguna!" to those who came to our booth. It was Mothers' Day so my family was there to visit me. Some of my friends and batchmates from high school and college (Jenni and Mon; Gail and Ian), my teachers at UPOU, and permaculture classmates from Cabiokid (Gwyneth, Dhanny, and Django) were there as well along with Charlene Tan of the Good Food Community, a supporter of The Health Walk, and some Cafe Antonio customers who were curious to try our handmade coffees. 

* Much thanks to Jason for helping grind and brew the coffees. He was really putting so much effort grinding the coffee using the manual coffee mill. He even used the Aeropress when I was not in the booth. A true blue, CAntoneer and constant Coffee Unplugged brewer! Actually, it's our first time to serve espresso, cappuccino, and latte for Coffee Unplugged.

* Mucho thanks to the organizers of Balik Bukid for letting us join the event. We hope we can join again in the 6th Balik Bukid! More power to you guys!

* To the Health Walkers, let's volt-in ika nga ni Kisig! Gig lang ng gig!

#CafeAntonioWeeklySpecials

Weekly Specials 

Dish: Garlic Shrimp Pasta (Php 275)

Beverage: Mango-Orange Fruit Shake (Php 120)

Coffee: Iced Ethiopia Yirgacheffe on Aeropress (Php 110)

Balik Bukid: A Country Fair at Sta. Elena Fun Farm

* Coffee Unplugged together with members of The Health Walk (Makiling Hillside Delicacies, Satya Graha, Ashoka) will be joining the Balik Bukid event tomorrow. We will be giving away free Health Walk Packs containing freebies and other fun stuff from member Health Walk destinations in Los Banos. 

* We will setup our booth before 7 am and I guess we will stay there until the event ends in the evening. Hopefully we can make new friends and inspire them to visit Elbi. 

* Happy Mothers' Day!

New Gadgets for Coffee Unplugged

Aeropress from Kevin Fortu of EDSA Beverage Design Studio

Hario Coffee Mill from Jonathan Choi of Magnum Opus Fine Coffees

Portable Gas Stove from South Supermarket (Moka Pot not included, that's my brother-in-law's!)

Portable Solar Lamp from RC Alcazar of UPOU-OA Batch 2

* We will have a coffee brewing booth at Balik Bukid in Sta. Elena Fun Farm, Canlubang on May 11 together with our friends from The Health Walk. See you there!