Kape Diaries

I discovered a small yet charming coffee shop tucked within the Marfori area.

I found out about the coffee shop from one of my food/coffee trip buddies. He shared with me about two new coffee shops that opened within Marfori and its nearby areas. I got excited and planned to visit it after payday.

But I could not wait.

It was on a hot Monday afternoon when I first visited Oye Coffee along Turquoise St., Marfori.

THE PLACE

Oye Coffee is located at this new-ish commercial building a few meters from the corner of Turquoise St. where Lachi’s is located.

The coffee shop had a very simple yet inviting façade. I was quickly drawn to it.

I opened the door into a charming coffee shop. Under the face mask, I was smiling as to how cute the place is.

One side of the coffee shop was painted in this shade of orange that is very easy on the eyes while the other side, which was near the counter, was a colorful mural.

This is a small coffee shop and had limited seating options. There was a table of four on the left side of the shop. This is the most comfortable seating area at the coffee shop. However, I avoid sitting here when I am alone considering that there might be customers who come in pairs or in threes.

There were two chairs that are near the entrance each with a coffee table. For someone my size, I find this to be the most uncomfortable. I struggle to get up.

I also loved how well they keep their comfort room clean and smelling good.

The coffee shop also has WiFi, which allowed me to catch up with some work.

Lastly, there were bar stools at the window. The barstools were amusingly high. With my short stature, I did struggle to get on those stools. I find it to be laughably embarrassing thinking how I was struggling to get on or off the stools for all to see. Not only me, but I am sure, others struggled too. Thankfully, they placed step stools to make it easier to get on or off. This has now become my favorite spot at the cafe.

Another thing I liked about the coffee shop is its overall ambiance. I find it to be quite relaxing. It is one of the coffee shops in the city where I am at peace and relaxed whenever I visit.

FOOD and BEVERAGE

Oye Coffee offers regular espresso-based drinks, non-coffee drinks, sandwiches, pasta, and some pastries. They have a cake display case and may offer some cakes in the future.

For my recent visits here, I had their Oye Burger (P270), Oye Montesandwich (P175), Oye Tunasandwich (P130), and Creamy Pesto. For the drinks, I was able to try their Kappeccino (P80), Kape Americano (P100), Iced Caramel Latte (P110), and Citrus Americano (P100).

Let’s talk about the Oye Burger. If my memory serves me right, aside from the staple ingredients you put in a regular burger — lettuce and tomatoes — it also had honey and mayo. I completely forgot about the meat but the patty was juicy. Regardless of forgetting what was in it, the burger was delicious. I like that note of sweetness from the honey and that patty was juicy.

The Oye Montesandwich was the star of my visits. I ordered it on two separate occasions. The Oye Montesandwich is a French toast sandwich with ham and cheese topped with confectioners’ sugar. The sweetness just balances out the savory from the ham and the cheese. Their French toast was also cooked properly and was not soggy.

The Oye Tunasandwich and Creamy Pesto were good too.

Another standout was the chips that came with the burger and sandwiches. I know those were neither potato nor banana. However, I suspect they were cassava. Anyway, those ships were perfectly crunchy and well seasoned. I would not mind buying a pack of those.

Meanwhile, I was happy with all the espresso-based drinks here. Those were a pretty good cup of coffee. But my standouts were the Kappeccino and Citrus Americano.

The Kappeccino wins in the presentation department. It was so cute and Instagrammable. Aside from looking good, the Kappeccino was also a delicious cup of cappuccino.

The Citrus Americano was my favorite. It was the perfect iced coffee drink to order at Oye Coffee on a hot afternoon.

In my last visit, I also ordered their strawberry eclair and chocolate chip cookies.

I liked the eclair. There may be a bit of a bias there because I like strawberry-flavored desserts. Their strawberry eclair just hits the spot. I liked that when I took a bite of it, I got a bit of a mouthful of strawberry filling.

The chocolate chip cookie was good but not my type. I like my chocolate chip cookies on the chewier and softer side.

THE SERVICE

The coffee shop is mostly self-service — you order at the counter, water is at the counter, and most of the time, you get your food and drinks at the counter.

I experienced very good service here during my recent visits. The Oye Coffee team was approachable, friendly, and courteous.

The way how they placed step stools for the bar stools was also an indication of their mindfulness for their customers.

I also think that food and drinks were served promptly. It was not a long wait to get what you ordered.

OVERALL

Oye Coffee is hands down among my favorite new discoveries this year.

This charming coffee shop offers a good cup of coffee and food. The Oye Motesandwhich and Citrus Americano will definitely be regular orders of mine moving forward.

The coffee shop also has this welcoming and relaxing ambiance that I love about it. It reminds me of those small coffee shops I read about in books or mangas or see in a slice-of-life anime.

I simply love coming back here. It is one of those coffee shops that turn my bad day into a good day. They are really “Your friendly neighborhood coffee shop.”

I would recommend you come and visit here. I hope you will also have a good time here just as I had.

OTHER DETAILS