Coffee Empire Marks the Rise of Third Wave Coffee Concept in the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!
If it was not for coffee, I guess we would all be too sleepy right now. It's what totally wakes us up every early morning and what keeps us awake late at night. It is the reason why people are always watching out for coffee break - their favorite time of the day aside from lunch break and the end of office hours.

But there is this coffee destination that is ambitious enough to redefine the Filipino's coffee experience and it just recently launched its very first branch along the stretch of West Avenue in Quezon City. The brainchild of Chef Ernest Joggler Martin and entrepreneur Anthony Lim, the Coffee Empire, banking on the third wave coffee concept, aspires to the highest form of culinary appreciation for coffee.

"The preparation of this well-loved beverage has become an art. Each step is specifically calculated, from the sourcing of the raw coffee beans, to the roasting, all the way to the final brew.With Coffee Empire opening its doors, Filipinos will be experiencing some of the finest coffee of the world alongside the best our country has to offer."

Cafe latte art at Coffee Empire

"Passion, wisdom, knowledge, desire and creativity brought together the individuals responsible for the evolution of the concept that is, Coffee Empire."

The Coffee Empire offers a wide selection of high-grade, hand-picked coffee beans roasted to perfection and served at its peak where the balance of tastes, texture and aroma is achieved.

Coffee enthusiasts and aficionados may look forward to the wide selection of coffee beans from both domestic and international origins likeBenguet Atok, Sagada, Guatemala Fancy Antigua Santo Domingo, Brazil Ceraddo SS - FC, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe OCR, and Columbia RFA Organic, among many others.

Coffee Empire collectible mugs

So what is Third Wave Coffee? The term "Third Wave" gets a lot of use these days and is often met with confusion. It was coined in 2002 and refers to a movement to produce high-quality coffee, and consider coffee as an artisanal foodstuff, like wine, rather than a commodity. Third Wave Coffee aspires to the highest form of culinary appreciation of coffee, so that one may appreciate subtleties of flavor, varietal, and growing region – similar to other complex culinary products such as wine, tea, and chocolate.

If this is the Third Wave, what were the preceding two?

The First Wave culminated in post World War II freeze-dried instant coffee (there were patents for instant coffee as early as 1893, but the technology that enabled freeze-drying was only discovered through research done during wartime). This vacuum-packed form had a long shelf-life, which made the coffee readily available, and was cheap.

The Second Wave focused on ‘Specialty Coffee’ – an emphasis on the coffee beans’ origins, as well as how the beans could be roasted to achieve different flavour profiles. This was when coffee started to be thought of in terms more like wine. It was the pendulum swing away from instant and packaged pre-ground coffee, with its low quality and limited taste variations.

Shirt at the Coffee Empire

There are now  several coffee shops emerging as Third Wave cafes - each one trying to elevate the coffee brewing business into an elegant art form.

This is where they will start roasting their coffee

Inside this hip new spot that will surely be a hang-out soon, the coffee is complemented by the food served. The Coffee Empire kitchen serves an array of gastronomically satisfying dishes categorized as modern comfort foods comprised of salads, soups, bites, mains and desserts, to satisfy the diners' cravings.

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Perfect combination starters at Coffee Empire

Multi-awarded Chef AC Agra developed his mouth-watering dishes with the use of various Asian, Spanish and American influences while utilizing modern French techniques that resulted i meals that aim to satisfy customers with a complete sensory experience.

Great looking and equally great tasting shrimps

Say cheese!!! Grapes and three kinds of cheese

Dessert at its finest served also at Coffee Empire. If you only knew how it was made, you'd be totally impressed

Can't wait to bite on to that huge fish

The lamb was so soft and tender to the bite

The veggie salad was smoking hot with dry ice effects!!!

I can't get enough of breads from all over

The kitchen is huge enough to serve many dishes

A kitchen crew prepares the dessert for the evening

The entertainment is impeccable

 Aside from the coffee beverages, the Coffee Empire also serves specialty drinks such as wine, cocktails and draft beers to add delight to its customers who wants more options to spend the night.

Aside from coffee, they have a wide selection of drinks at the bar

All smiles from the many guests that night during the launch of Coffee Empire. Wazzup Pilipinas was invited as among their selected guests to cover the grand launch and also the Cafe Latte Art competition.

Isn't that bearded guy Carlo Maceda?

Guests are all smiles to the camera

Look at these three beauties! Thanks for the warm pleasant smiles!

I know why the lady at the right is all smiles

More smiles from our beloved guests at the Coffee Empire

That lady in the center is really cute

OK...the closed eyes from a couple of them were intentional...

He brewed my great tasting coffee from Sagada

Another team player to elevate the status of the Coffee Industry

Hhhmmm...sporting black and red outfits that night

Opening message for all the invited coffee loving guests

Coffee Empire made excellent use of that wall space on top to display images from a projector

The VIPs of the event at Coffee Empire

Our host, consultant Cesar Erfe, shows off the iPhone as prize for the Cafe Latte Art competition

Coffee Empire coffee cake

Opening the door to the coffee roaster room

The judges careful score the two competing cafe latte art designs and determines the winner

Many spectators excited to see the final outcome where they will declare the winner

One of the two finalist for the Cafe Latte Art competition

 

Another finalist for the Cafe Latte Art competition

Meet the two finalist that will soon begin battling it off for the best cafe latte art design

and so after several eliminations, we finally have a winner!!!!

The winner showing off his Cafe Latte Art designs

Chef Martin also says that "Through Coffee Empire, we want to share our passion for awesome coffee paired with excellent food. It is an experience that brought us all together,a nd we are hoping that it will also be experienced by all those who will step inside our coffee shop."

Congratulations to the winner of the Cafe Latte Art competition, and of course to the owners of Coffee Empire for coming up with such a splendid restaurant that has truly earned the name Coffee Empire. Their passion for coffee goes beyond meeting the expectations of the third wave coffee movement. Be sure to watch for the opening of the restaurant soon!

Do drop by really soon! It's at #74 West Avenue, West Triangle, Quezon City (beside Hap Chan).

Check out more updates about the Coffee Empire from their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Coffee-Empire/232090526957737

More photos can be seen at the Wazzup Pilipinas Facebook page soon: https://www.facebook.com/wazzuppilipinas

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