Cafeccino

Citadel of comfort food
By Earl D.C. Bracamonte


Not merely a coffehouse nor a dessert station, as many would be misled by its signage, Cafeccino is the place to go whenever your palate craves for something closer to home; where meaningful conversations flourish with the help of great-tasting comfort food. Featuring a diverse menu created around delicious flavors and dependable quality, it is the perfect hub to while away time with kith and kin.
From the same F&B team that manages and operates gourmet hotspot Dome Cafe, Cafeccino delivers the same home-away-from-home dining experience that patrons of the Australian coffeehouse have come to love. Here, Dome bestsellers meld with their original recipes in an expanded menu. Food servings are generous with plates filled with varied sidings.
Start the day right with a wide array of breakfast sets. Tickle your global palate with themed dishes as the French Connection, Nuremberg sausage and Cheese Hungarian or, if you're hankering for flavors most Pinoys root for, go Filipino with chicken tocino, beef tapa or bangus belly. Omelets and savory crepes like the Everything-In-It omelet or smoked salmon crepe offer more breakfast options.
Share brunch with a colleague or friend. Start with Minestrone, a deep-red Italian soup thickened with carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and tomatoes; then split a Goat's Cheese salad, a sizable plate of mixed greens tossed in strawberry vinaigrette, roasted pine nuts and pan-grilled Feta cheese.
You may also reserve their spacious meeting room for a working lunch of up to thirty covers. With a sumptuous spread from the kitchen, you and your work mates will be more inclined to hammer out those business plans. Sample tasty starters like a bowl of potato wedges, garlic fries and chips with two different dips or tuna balls with homemade lemon aioli sauce. Then pass around the canape plate filled with baguette slices topped with a number of choices: salmon & olives; minced chicken on a bed of greens; ham, cucumber and tomato with roasted garlic mayo; sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers and Feta cheese; or quail eggs wrapped in ham. Or opt for the restaurant's specialty burgers made from 100 percent US Angus beef patties on a bed of lettuce, onion and tomatoes for the classic blend; or bacon, mushroom and cheese for the Surprise blend. The elegantly-appointed private booth is equipped with an LCD projector and multimedia screen which allows for seamless presentations, made savvier and Internet-ready with their free WiFi service.
For a mid-afternoon merienda, cruise over a selection of pizzas and pastas. There's the 3-mushroom pasta featuring button, shiitake and enoki mixed together. Vegetarians would love their spinach pasta while meat lovers would delight in their Vigan longganisa pasta with its ample toppings of the well-loved sausage mixed with hard-boiled eggs and fresh veggies.
“Cafeccino is a new concept offering comfort food that diners will enjoy. The ambiance is relaxed and we serve good food unlike the stiff haute creations of other food outlets. We are an Australian brand but most of what we serve are from local produce with very few essential imports,” shared chef Mayok Bumanglag. Her Ilokano ancestry showing in her signature all-Filipino Vigan pasta.
And for pleasurable family dinners, choose from any of their large-plate entrees; from seafood to chicken, and beef to pork. Dads can have the beef belly, a slow-roasted Angus beef short plate seasoned with the finest herbs & spices while moms can enjoy Chef Mayok's chicken pot pie, a dish of diced chicken thigh fillets cooked in bechamel sauce and smothered with puff pastry. For the brood, there's fish & chips, a dish of beer-battered fillets with Cajun spice-coated potato wedges; pork roast to share; or their must-try crab cake, that's pan-fried breaded crab meat with mango salsa and mash potatoes. For a dose of white meat, indulge in their chicken steak, pan-grilled fowl breast with button mushrooms and bacon smeared with bourbon sauce and garnished with American cheese just before serving.
Meals are never complete without sweet endings. Try any of their specialties like the New York cheesecake that approximates the yummy, melt-in-your-mouth goodness of the real Manhattan classic; the sinfully decked Devil's Food cake; or the healthy carrot cake, all served as slices, minis or as an entire layer.
Beverages are varied as well. There's hot coffee staples like the cinnamon-laced cappuccino, single/double shot espressos and macchiato as well as cold smoothies like Affogato, Dome Twister or Chococcino. But I suggest you try Choc-A-Block, a concoction of Hershey's chocolate, vanilla ice cream, coffee essence and milk blended with whipped cream and sprinkled with choco chips on top. Delish!
While waiting for your meal or take-out food, you may pore over their latest selection of local and international gazettes and magazines or simply take in the homey ambiance of their tasteful interiors.
Perks to look out for include the Dome Connoisseur Card for discounts and freebies, as well as free delivery to residents and workers within the Eastwood City Cyberpark. They're open from 7 AM 'til midnight on Sundays through Thursdays and later to 1 AM on weekends.
Visit Caffecino at the ground level of the Eastwood Mall Promenade in Libis, Quezon City. For more information, simply call 470-3950 or 470-3722.