Even before I went to visit the coffee shop, I was drawn in by a particular section of Commune’s
thoughtfully decorated walls. This particular wall is almost always the
main attraction of their social media marketing strategies. On a stark
white wall, there are three images: two ladies gossiping over coffee,
one woman on the phone, and a man thinking to himself, “That COMMUNE
drink was good!” In brief, this is the story of what Commune is all
about: good coffee, good company, and good conversation.
Commune’s owner, Ros Juan, is a coffee lover and
social media maven all rolled into one. “The whole concept of Commune is
to give people a place to talk,” she shares. “Here at Commune, people
have the option to have coffee or cocktails, or even take lunch, dinner
or light snacks. But what makes it different from other coffee shops is
that we take social networking offline here. I organise workshops and
tweet-ups—these are meet-ups for people who are active on Twitter. It’s
basic community management, which is the physical manifestation of what I
like to do.”
Inside Commune, located at Salcedo Village
The menu is modern Pinoy in nature. “We’re talking about slow food
here,” Juan says. “Think of the kind of food that you would serve in
your own home. Most of our vegetables come from our own farm, and the
chicken that we use is of the free-range variety. We also have our own
blend for our coffee—a mix of Robusta and Arabica. These are all
Philippine beans.”
Rosemary Herb Chicken Sandwich
The first dish that I was asked to try was their best-selling Rosemary Herb Chicken Sandwich (P295).
As a sandwich lover, this particular dish was highly enjoyable for me.
All the homegrown ingredients used were fresh, and the delicious sauce
ties everything very well. Even the bread itself is a standout in the
scheme of things (which is unusual as far as sandwiches go), as it is
special malunggay wheat bread. The sandwich also comes with their house
salad, which is a sweet treat thanks to the dried mangoes and candied
cashews.
Side Salad
True to modern Pinoy form, their adobo rice meals come wrapped in sweet-smelling banana leaves. Their Pork Adobo (P190)
is a wonderful take on a beloved home-cooked dish. It is, in essence,
very similar to what you might prepare at home, but makes a solid impact
as a bold, flavourful dish, nonetheless. This viand, in particular,
goes spectacularly well with the red rice that Commune offers. I also
had the Chicken Adobo Sa Gata (P190), a recipe slightly
more unfamiliar and a bit more exciting regardless of the subtlety of
its flavours. This was served with plain white rice.
Pork Adobo
Chicken Adobo Sa Gata
For a dessert coffee power combo, I had the Apple Pie (not on the regular menu) and a cup of Café Mocha (P110).
The apple pie, a creation of Ros’ niece, is a secret family recipe that
very few know of. Unlike most pies, it is flakier, more flat and
stuffed to the brim with apples. The coffee, following the Commune
Blend, is an excellent pick-me-up. It is aromatic, rich and energizing
thanks to the kick that the Robusta provides.
Apple Pie
Café Mocha
Due to the continuing popularity of social media, Commune is
definitely going to be a place of interest for the months to come.
What’s great about this particular coffee shop, though, is that it
brings us social media-savvy folk back down to earth by stressing on the
importance of the basics. Smartphones are fantastic inventions and all,
but it’s always a good idea to step back and take things offline from
time to time.
Inside Commune, located at Salcedo Village
Rosemary Herb Chicken Sandwich
Side Salad
Pork Adobo
Chicken Adobo Sa Gata
Apple Pie
Café Mocha
No comments:
Post a Comment