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Three things: (1) It’s 2020 and I vowed to try more coffee shops and restaurants in Manila, (2) I miss my favorite country Indonesia, and (3) I have to finish some task for my teaching job. As I was searching for a new place in town to stay, I came across this new coffee shop where I can finish some work. When I saw that there is some “Indonesian-style” coffee shop in Makati, I can’t help but rush to try it, and it’s called Hokkie Coffee Makati.
Indonesian-Style Coffee Shop what?
Prior to going to the coffee shop, I checked out its menu to see if they happen to have something lunch-ish to eat in their menu since I haven’t had my lunch (so imagine me drooling with excitement to hope there might be some mi goreng, nasi goreng, or perhaps sate). I’m sad to see there’s none, but hey they have cakes and pastries! So I pre-planned my order then went to the place.
So what is “Indonesian” about this coffee shop? To be honest, I know for a fact that Indonesia is a big producer of coffee, but I never got the chance to know the coffee culture here. Apparently, Indonesian style involves the use of palm sugar and fresh milk (something the Indonesia fan in me doesn’t know yet huhu shame on me!), and Indonesian-produced coffee are less acidic. Oh, now that’s my destiny! 🙂
Moreover, the name “Hokkie” is a Chinese word meaning “fortune” and is apparently a popular word in Indonesia (again, something I did not know about my favorite country!).
Hokkie Coffee Makati Location: Exportbank Plaza
Hokkie Coffee is located in a corporate building in Makati City. My overall comment with the location of the coffee shop is that, I wish its location is better. I tried accessing the building through the main lobby, but it turns out only employees and visitors of the offices there can enter. I was asked by the security to access the coffee shop through the back entrance of the building facing Urban Avenue. I think it has regular customers who work at the building, but I wish it’s more accessible by people outside the building.
The Ambiance, the Staff, and the Service
The cafe looks nice from the outside, but I was a little surprised to realize that it is a very small place when I entered. I started ordering my chosen menu items. The staff were nice and efficient. I was asked if my order is for take-out (I think they are used to take-out orders that’s why they ask it by default), but I said I’m having dine-in order.
What made me stay despite the small place: it has wi-fi and they have electrical outlets for those who wants to plug their gadgets. Perfect for my objective! Oh, they also play nice relaxing music.
I just wish the place is a little colder, and they could do something with the sound of the blender (it’s too loud huhu). But since this is a new place, I believe they have a lot of opportunities to improve. 🙂
So, what did I order?
Before anything else, here is a snippet of the menu of Hokkie Coffee:
And I decided to order the following:
Nutella Banana Bread Toast (Php80)
I love love love this toast! Aside from I love the combination of banana and Nutella, I love how the bread was toasted. I love the idea of this food. the price is cheap and so worth it!
Iced AvoChoco (Php135)
To be honest, I am not certain about when exactly is the ‘avocado season’ in the Philippines, because avocado shakes seem not to be available all year round (at least in my uni cafeteria), but I am thankful enough to have tasted some real avocado shake again! I could have ordered some coffee to see how they adopt the “Indonesian style” they were marketing, but I could always use a next time. And one thing’s for sure: When in Makati, I would always drop by Hokkie Coffee to order some Iced AvoChoco. Yum!
The Verdict
The place might look uncomfortable at first glance because it’s a little small, but I really felt comfortable working with my laptop when I stayed at Hokkie Coffee. The wi-fi speed was good, the general ambiance is nice (but again, they could use a lower temperature for the AC), and I had a productive day and a yummy dining experience at Hokkie Coffee. I will definitely recommend this to friends and students, specifically those studying at the nearby university where I used to teach. Overall, I love it! I’ll dine at Hokkie Coffee if I’m missing Indonesia.
Lastly, I’m guessing the owner/s might be Indonesian/s. If so, I’m hoping to meet them to learn more about Indonesia! 🙂
Hokkie Coffee Contact Information
Unit 4, Ground Floor, Exportbank Plaza
Gil Puyat Avenue corner Pasong Tamo Avenue
Makati City
+639052143119
hokkiecoffee@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/hokkiecoffee.ph
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hokkiecoffee.ph
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Thank you very much madam