MANILA, Philippines – Bo’s Coffee has built a reputation for its quick grab-and-go format, which solidified the brand’s appeal among young college students and workers from the late 1990s to the 2000s.
Starting with its first store at Ayala Center in Cebu City, Bo’s Coffee went on to open other iconic branches, including its Katipunan location beside National Book Store across Ateneo de Manila University.
In 2020, the brand aimed to capture a new generation of over-caffeinated college students with the launch of “Daily by Bo’s.”
A new Bo’s baby
At nearly 30 years old, Bo’s has decided it’s time to expand its reach with the opening of the first Bo’s Bistro.
Built on the brand’s three pillars of Community, Coffee, and Culture (3C’s), Bo’s Bistro embraces its Filipino roots and identity in a full-service restaurant setting.
With new food offerings — from pasta and sandwiches to staple Filipino dishes — the brand integrates coffee beans into its recipes while developing flavors that appeal to the Filipino palate. The result is a careful balance between culinary experimentation and staying true to familiar taste profiles.
More than that, Bo’s Bistro makes it clear that their brewing and cooking process is just as important as the dining experience. Throughout the restaurant, the company proudly incorporates design elements inspired by its long-time cacao, coffee, and tea partners, as well as the cultural enterprises it has worked with over the years.
This creates a transparent and grounded identity of the company that allows Filipino diners to connect with the brand’s latest expansion.
A story behind café walls
Bo’s Bistro marks a departure from its typical robust, dimly lit coffee shops, opting instead for a brighter and livelier space. When customers enter, they will see tapestries from the Cebu-based weaving community, Anthill Fabric Gallery, on display on a wall.
The cultural enterprise has partnered with Bo’s Coffee since 2013 to support and provide indigenous weavers with sustainable economic opportunities. Not only does this highlight the cultural identity Bo’s Bistro aims to celebrate, it also reinforces the pillar of culture that the brand integrates in its concepts.
This sense of community and cultural awareness that Bo’s Coffee champions serves as a bridge for customers to feel more at home and connected to the brand. “Bo’s Bistro is a Philippine brand of hospitality, so we really want to showcase the talents of our partners here in the Philippines in order to build a community,” said Bo’s senior brand and marketing manager Rain Ramos.
The effort doesn’t stop at décor, as Bo’s Bistro also actively sells and promotes its partners’ products. These include Tsaa Laya, which offers flavored tea blends like calamansi and mango-infused leaves; Cacaomistry, which produces handcrafted instant cacao mixes; and Theo & Philo, which makes high-quality chocolate bars using locally sourced, single-origin cacao beans.
Slowing down the dining pace
Amid the hustle culture that comes with convenient coffee stores, Bo’s Bistro has decided to slow things down by providing customers with dishes that are meant to be slowly savored, rather than scarfed down quickly or on the go.
Bo’s Bistro goes experimental with its new lineup of artisan coffees. Spotlighting the farmers behind these high-quality brews, the use of single-origin espresso is the foundation of their new beverages.
Among the coffee manufacturers that Bo’s Bistro has partnered with are Kalsada Coffee, which supports farmers in Benguet and Bukidnon; and Dream Coffee, which supportst Tboli farmers.
One standout is the Iced Earl Grey Tea Latte (P195), which uses Earl Grey-infused syrup and foam that puts a twist on the standard latté. This unconventional pairing of coffee and Earl Grey tea proves to be an impressive combination with its depth of flavor.
Earl Grey combined with the single-origin blended espresso from the Sitio Kisbong coffee mill creates a strong, roasted flavor that is softened by the floral undertones of the Earl Grey syrup.
The Iced Pistachio Latté (P195) is Bo’s take on the popular pistachio-flavored trend on social media. Served with a pistachio syrup, this latté is topped with matcha and pistachio foam.
The drink combination is reminiscent of a hazelnut latté, as the nuttiness of the pistachio emboldens the taste of the espresso. The matcha, on the other hand, is barely present but enough to add a layer of bitterness that enhances the sweetness of the syrup.
Throughout the dining experience, the most common food item that every waiter recommended is the Liempo Kare-Kare (P329). Admittedly, the idea of eating a creamy Filipino dish sounded overwhelming when paired with thick, milky coffee. However, this meal match-up was anything but overly intense.
Instead of being drenched in kare-kare sauce, the crispy fried liempo lay on top of a reasonable layer of sauce, enough that the pork could be tasted without being drenched. The vegetables were also tucked inside the kare-kare, allowing customers to add or remove as much sauce as they wanted.
Another surprising dish on the menu was the Squid Ink Seafood Pasta (P329). The garlic and olive oil balanced well with the salinity of the squid ink-infused pasta. The scallops were also cooked just right.
The Caesar Salad (P329) is an appetizer option. It was a standard Caesar salad; the only things to note were the croutons, which were seasoned and crisped nicely, and its creamy sauce which was tangier than what is served in other restaurants.
Sandwich lovers can opt for the BLT (P369) served with chips — a universally-loved choice you can’t go wrong with.
Bo’s Bistro also serves all-day breakfast, including the Honey Soy Spam (P299). The soft, chewy spam absorbs the sweet glaze for a fully marinated bite, paired with fried rice, a sunny side-up egg, and atchara.
Alcohol might be the last thing you’d associate with Bo’s Coffee, but Bo’s Bistro adds a fun surprise with its cocktail selection. Many of these drinks are crafted with coffee-infused vodka, like the Espresso Martini (P350) and Creamy Brew Mix (P299).
Other standouts include the Apple Cinnamon Kick (P299), infused with Red Horse beer; the Serbesa Fizz (P350), featuring 1800 tequila, San Miguel Pale Pilsen, fresh lime, and Cointreau; and the Chelada Twist (P299), a San Miguel Pale Pilsen with fresh lime and a Tajín salt rim. A personal favorite is the Watermelon Brew Cooler (P299), a refreshing mix of San Miguel Pale Pilsen, watermelon syrup, vodka, and lemon juice.
Bo’s Bistro is an example of a brand that cares deeply about the identity it has built over the years.
Rather than hastily entering the restaurant business and selecting mainstream food items to make, they have instead developed recipes that showcase the high-quality products of their partner organizations to Filipino diners.
More than just fancy menu items, Bo’s Bistro creates meals with a story to tell, reminding customers that their coffee beans represent years of culture, history, and the livelihoods of many workers.
Bo’s Bistro is located on the Ground Floor of Greenhills Mall, San Juan City. It is open from 10 am to 10 pm daily. – Rappler.com
Mika Layda is a Rappler intern studying Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in English Literature at the Ateneo de Manila University.