Every time I go home, I always look forward to eating in my favorite restaurants in Bacolod. Aside from meeting my friends and relatives, I always want to rekindle a memory of my childhood in the restaurants I have long known and loved.
Among these restaurants on my list is Kuppa Coffee and Tea. Even though they have been in business for 5-6 only, the place itself is very memorable to me. Located across St. John's Institute (Hua Wimg), Kuppa used to be the former home of Celine's Ice Cream Parlor, a 60-ish diner which had the best Banana Splits and Ice Cream Floats in town! Another dish I usually eat there is the French De Luxe sandwich.
But because Celine's wasn't doing well as it used to, the family decided to change the establishment. The whole antique building was demolished, including the home of the owners (Tan) located in the second floor of the building. With its disappearance came a new breed of coffee, dessert, and delicious food known as Kuppa.
The whole facade of the establishment has even evolved. I could still recall how the building used to look like an old Spanish style building, the same ones that still stand on its neighborhood. In its place now stood a modern piece of architecture-- one that would attract lots of people.
Who knew it was only this change that would relive the glory of the ice cream parlor?
But change was good for the parlor. I remember that before the parlor evolved, there would only be 1 customer sitting in the establishment. To add to this, the restaurant was located across a Chinese school. This was bad for business because students loved to loiter in the parlor.
But because Kuppa was a tad bit more expensive than its former life, the people who frequented the cafe have also changed. The students have turned into young adults and those who are searching for a quiet night out after dinner. Yes, our age group have traded in their wild, crazy nights into a cozy evening surrounded by friends.
I made my way to Kuppa a few days ago, so I could savor the dish I have long missed: Wimpy's Burger. This is an open faced sandwich that had melted cheese topping on one side and a burger patty with gravy on the other.
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Wimpy's Burger, Kuppa Coffee and Tea
(P95) |
But since Mimi (my companion) was also planning to order the dish, I decided to get the French DeLuxe-- a triple decker of tuna or chicken spread and ham, covered guiltlessly with melted cheese.
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French Deluxe, Kuppa Coffee and Tea
(P130) |
Despite it being delicious, there is only one French deluxe sandwich in town that I favor the most. But I'll talk about that next time.
For coffee, I missed Kuppa's
White Cloud Mocha so I decided to order it. I really love drinking coffee that contains white chocolate in it. I even order the same kind of coffee in
Cafe Bob's (more later). I only wish this was also available in
Manila.
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White Cloud Mocha, Kuppa Coffee and Tea
(P70) |
For dessert, I invited Mimi to check out the different cakes on display. If you don't want to eat cake, you can always try out their delicious
gelato.
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| Kuppa Gelato, Kuppa Coffee and Tea |
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| Cakes on Display, Kuppa Coffee and Tea |
There was one particular cake that caught both our eyes, the moment we entered the cafe. But since I saw a mini Fruit Tart on the display case, I decided to let Mimi have hers. For the price of Mimi's order (Choco Peanut Butter Bomb), I got to order a Strawberry Panna Cotta and Fruit Tart. I decided to get the two so I could take more pictures.
I really liked the Fruit Tart because it was so good! It was not too sweet and too bland. I really liked it because it came in miniature sizes. I did not lose the taste after one serving, which is what made it more appealing to me! Plus, it only cost P50 for 3 pieces already!
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Mini Fruit Tart, Kuppa Coffee and Tea
(P50 for 3 pieces) |
As for the
Strawberry Panna Cotta, I originally wanted the Mango version. But since it was out of stock, I decided to try the strawberry. I think if it were Mango, I would have enjoyed it much better. Now, I have to be biased with this because I'm not really a huge fan of Panna Cotta and Creme Brulee dishes. I think they are gooey and weird tasting. I liked Kuppa's Panna Cotta, which to be fair, is already a plus. Back in 2007, I got to try Kuppa's
Green Tea Creme Brulee. Even though they still sell it, I warn you now DON'T ever order it! It tasted like lotion. Again, it's a bit biased because I don't like the taste of
Green Tea.
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Strawberry Panna Cotta, Kuppa Coffee and Tea
(P60) |
Now for the finale. Mimi ordered the Choco Peanut Butter Bomb. Upon entering Kuppa, this was the very first dish that caught our eye. This was strange because we both arrived in different times.
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Choco Peanut Butter Bomb, Kuppa Coffee and Tea
(P85) |
When you first look at it, you'd think it's hard and sticky. But once you pierce your teaspoon through it, it's really very soft. The top layer is cream and the base is moist chocolate cake. Between the two, you have an ample supply of peanut butter which makes the dish worthwhile. Everything is then covered with a soft blanket of chocolate ganache.
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Choco Peanut Butter Bomb, Kuppa Coffee and Tea
(P85) |
Mimi really liked this dish. I even took a picture of her enjoying her order.
It reminded me of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! Hmmm... Now I'm craving for one. ^,^ I'm looking forward to my next visit in Kuppa! They also have a salad bar and I'm excited to try it out! When you're in Bacolod, make sure you visit Kuppa! You'll know why we Ilonggos love it so much! Oh, they also have free Wi-Fi!
Kuppa Coffee and Tea is located in the corner of Tindalo-Hilado Sts., Bacolod City. If you want to get here, just tell the cab driver to take you to Kuppa, across St. John's Institute (Hua Wimg/ Waming).
