Cheyenne Suarez

BGC eats: Singapore's Common Man Coffee Roasters opens 2nd PH branch

Article (news)

Karen Flores

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781061660834food-3.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="The BGC branch of Common Man Coffee Roasters also serves the Philippine-exclusive Taho Latte. Handout"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The BGC branch of Common Man Coffee Roasters also serves the Philippine-exclusive Taho Latte.<em> Handout </em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>It&#x27;s been about half a year since Common Man Coffee Roasters (CMCR), a cafe brand from Singapore, quietly soft opened its second Philippine branch in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig. </p><p>Located at West Gallery Place, the 128-seater cafe is bigger than CMCR&#x27;s flagship location at Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati, which was <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/ancx/food-drink/restaurants/01/19/24/singapore-cafe-common-man-perks-up-ph-coffee-scene">launched back in 2024. </a></p><p>It&#x27;s also noticeably work-friendly with reliable Wi-Fi and communal tables with sockets to keep multiple gadgets powered up, making it an easy choice for digital nomads and nearby office workers looking for a change of scenery. </p><p>And since it opens as early as 7 a.m., CMCR&#x27;s BGC branch has also been attracting residents in the area as well as the active crowd, who gather at the cafe&#x27;s al fresco area post-workout to socialize, fuel up, and get a caffeine boost.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780939952143Al Fresco.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="CMCR BGC&#x27;s al fresco area. Handout"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">CMCR BGC&#x27;s al fresco area. <em>Handout</em></span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780939997380Common Man Coffee Roasters West Gallery Dining Area (2).jpg" style="width:960px;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="CMCR BGC&#x27;s roastery and west gallery dining area. Handout"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">CMCR BGC&#x27;s roastery and west gallery dining area. <em>Handout</em></span></span></span>Of course, coffee remains the main draw — an interactive bar area lets customers watch Common Man&#x27;s baristas in action and ask about their favorite brews, and the in-store roastery allows them to get a closer look at the process.</div><p>&quot;Coffees are not one size fits all,&quot; DJ Caingat, CMCR Philippines&#x27; roast master, told ABS-CBN News. &quot;We deliberately created different profiles for each origin as each has a different moisture content and intensity.&quot;</p><p>&quot;We aim for a balance of sweetness, mouthfeel, and acidity,&quot; he added. &quot;We want to empower the coffee and release their innate flavors.&quot;</p><p>Currently, CMCR&#x27;s beans are sourced from Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia, and Ethiopia. The Singaporean chain, however, has a specialty coffee blend that is exclusive to the two Philippine branches.</p><p>Created by Caingat, Araw-Araw is meant to represent the Filipinos&#x27; everyday cup with its layers of complementing profiles.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780941077639Bar.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Araw-Araw (leftmost) is CMCR&#x27;s main blend in the Philippines. Handout"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Araw-Araw (leftmost) is CMCR&#x27;s main blend in the Philippines.<em style="text-align:left"> Handout</em></span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178094110551620260504_120127.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Araw-Araw (leftmost) is CMCR&#x27;s main blend in the Philippines. Handout"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">CMCR BGC&#x27;s interactive bar area. <em>Karen Flores Layno, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span>&quot;It fits the Filipino palate but at the same time, it tries to provide an opening for them that coffee can be fruity,&quot; Caingat said.</div><p>&quot;Filipinos like their coffee chocolatey and nutty,&quot; he noted. &quot;Once you sip it (Araw-Araw blend), you get that profile. Later on, you will get the fruity flavor.&quot; </p><p>Caingat hopes to one day include single origin coffee from the Philippines in CMCR&#x27;s lineup. &quot;For now, we&#x27;ll use Filipino expertise to exemplify the Filipino profile,&quot; he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781061497113food-2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="CMCR roast master DJ Caingat (left) shows a bag of Araw-Araw beans at the BGC branch&#x27;s roastery. Karen Flores Layno, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">CMCR roast master DJ Caingat (left) shows a bag of Araw-Araw beans at the BGC branch&#x27;s roastery. <em>Karen Flores Layno, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>Araw-Araw can be ordered as a hot or cold beverage, with the beans also available for sale for those who want to try brewing at home. But there are actually two fun ways to try this CMCR Philippines&#x27; main blend — the Taho Latte and the Turon Latte.</p><p>As their names suggest, the Philippine-exclusive beverages combine double espresso shots with familiar sweet treats. The Taho Latte is the more popular of the two because it doubles as breakfast with all the works: soya bean curd, sago, brown sugar syrup, and fresh milk.</p><p>The Turon Latte is not too far behind with its contrast of textures — the soft bits of banana puree, the creaminess of condensed and oat milk, and the mini crispy banana roll garnish on top. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178094113259720260504_115812.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Turon Latte (left) and Taho Latte. <em>Karen Flores Layno, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>Complementing the coffee is CMCR&#x27;s all-day menu, which features mostly healthy comfort eats. The Common Man Full Breakfast remains a favorite for a reason: it&#x27;s a hefty plate of two free range eggs, bacon, pork sausage, herbed tomato, hash brown, portobello mushrooms, baked chorizo beans, and sourdough drizzled in olive oil. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781061347014food1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt=" Common Man Full Breakfast (left) and Mushroom Avocado Toast. Handout"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"> Common Man Full Breakfast (left) and Mushroom Avocado Toast. <em>Handout </em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>There&#x27;s also a selection of salads, pastas, sandwiches, and desserts, with the Mushroom Avocado Toast and Green Hummus as surprise standouts. </p><div><em>CMCR BGC is located at West Gallery Place in BGC, Taguig and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. </em></div>

<p>It's been about half a year since Common Man Coffee Roasters, a cafe brand from Singapore, quietly soft opened its second Philippine branch in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.</p>

It's been about half a year since Common Man Coffee Roasters, a cafe brand from Singapore, quietly soft opened its second Philippine branch in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.