I was looking for an alternative to the regular coffee shops I go to; so I asked a couple of friends for some suggestions. My friends recommended to try out the 24-hrs Dayaw Coffee and Tea in SM Lanang Premier, Davao City. According to them, the internet here is quite fast and the food and beverage are good.
PLACE
The coffee shop is located at the second floor of the Fountain Court, SM Lanang Premier’s outdoor food strip. It is a 24 hour coffee shop at a mall. It is quite small compared to the shops that I regularly visit. There are seats inside and outside the shop.
Table seating is usually good for one to two persons but you can combine nearby tables to accommodate a group of three or four.
The place is also device friendly, meaning there is ample outlets to plug your chargers in. Also they do not charge your charging nor require you to order a certain amount to charge.
It is usually full during the mall hours but you do not need to worry that it would be noisy since I noticed that most of the customers here are students and professionals who are either busy studying or working and are usually alone.
The music is also at the right volume and is not annoying.
I also like how clean they kept the shop. The staff are regularly checking the store to see if there is anything that needs cleaning. I am also impressed how clean their comfort room is but I noticed that they do not immediately change the tissue rolls that are about to run out.
FOOD and BEVERAGE
In my visit here, I ordered Chicken Tocino (P120) and Apo flavor (white chocolate and hazelnut) of their Barista’s Mix (P100 for 12oz), a flavored coffee drink.
The Chicken Tocino (sweet cured chicken) was delicious. It was well cooked and flavorful.
However, the Apo flavored Barista’s Mix I ordered was a disappointment. It was too sweet for my liking. Though it is a coffee drink, I think the hazelnut and white chocolate flavors overpowered the coffee. I was only to drink only about 1/4 of it.
A few hours later, I ordered their Sikwate (P95 for 12oz), a hot chocolate drink. It was simply delicious and I enjoyed every sip of it.
Dayaw Coffee and Tea has a variety of beverages and food to choose from that are reasonably priced. There are both coffee-based and non-coffee drinks while for the meals, you can order a set or ala carte from the menu.
SERVICE
I find the service here really great. The staff were accommodating, polite, and attentive.
You do not have to call their attention to have your glass of water refilled. I also noticed their attentiveness and helpfulness to one of the customers who changed seats. When she transferred her things to the table behind me, the staff immediately assisted by transferring her food and beverage.
I also noticed that they clear and wipe the table immediately after a customer leaves. This is not something I usually see in some of the coffee shop I usual go to.
Orders were served in less than 15 minutes, which is good.
I was disappointed about their wireless internet connection. When my friends told the WiFi here is fast, I was expecting that it can rival that of CBTL-The Peak but that was not the case.
On a really good day, I am able to download, surf the internet, stream music on Spotify, and watch YouTube videos at 480p, 780p, or 1080p all at the same time with little to no problems at all at CBTL-The Peak. Youtube videos I want to watch, which are opened in one tab each, load fast while downloads or uploads are completed in less than 30 minutes for most files, though those that are more than 500mb take at least an hour.
However, here are Dayaw, the Youtube videos in 480p, 780p, or 1080p load slowly. Large files take a while to download or upload while files below 200mb take less than 30 minutes. Based on my experience here, I am only able to download two items at a time only.
In terms of access, they use a voucher system. Once you are connected to the WiFi, you will be automatically taken to a login page on your browser where you have to input the voucher number. They are also implementing the one voucher, one device policy.
You only have access for three hours, after that you can request for another voucher but you have to have a purchase of at least P95.
At the same time, despite my disappointment with the WiFi, it is still good for those who need to do some research or finish some work online.
I do not mind getting access to the WiFi using a voucher but I wished they give you an option of how long you want to use the internet like they also have vouchers for four or fiver hour use.
BOTTOMLINE
Dayaw Coffee and Tea is a decent coffee shop. It is great for professionals and students. Since it is somehow secluded, due to its location, you don’t need to worry about noisy customers dropping by late at night.
There is a variety of meals and beverage you can choose from and are also reasonably priced.
I may be disappointed with their WiFi but it is still better than some of the other coffee shops I’ve been to.
If it is only located near my place then I think this would be an alternative coffee shop that I would regularly come to.
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