The second floor of the Ark Avilon Zoo has a magnificent view deck where you can see the waterfalls and the Ortigas skyline. It also has an Ala Eh! Cafe Amadeo coffeeshop where you can savor scrumptious snacks and pastries as well as an interesting selection of Philippine coffee (more on that later).
The glass-enclosed Cafe Amadeo didn’t turn out to be your ordinary coffeeshop. When we entered, my kids’ curiosity was fixed somewhere. They were not interested in looking at the phone camera but in something……
… they were glued to the sight of butterflies flitting through the vines and flowers!
Kudos to the owners of Cafe Amadeo for this interesting child-friendly concept. My city-bred kids must be so immune to electronic images and the concrete walls of our apartment they get to be totally enthralled with the sight of butterlies !! As they played around, I order a cake and a locally-brewed coffee called Pahimis Blend, a refreshing fusion of arabica, robusta and barako coffee.
Cafe Amadeo is actually owned by a cooperative of coffee producers from one of the Philippines’ finest coffee-growing towns, Amadeo, Cavite. I must say this is one of the best places to savor Philippine coffee, aside from Figaro. They sell the hard-to-find and expensive Alamid coffee which is made from civet droppings. The Arengga website has excellent info on the unique Coffee Alamid.
“Coffee Alamid is Philippine Civet Coffee from wild civet droppings on the different forest floors of Philippine mountains. The Paradoxorus Philippinensis is a civet which belongs to the mongoose family – a nocturnal animal which uses its nose to choose the ripest and sweetest coffee cherries and relentlessly eats them during coffee season. Gathered very early in the morning usually before the sun rises, the forest dwellers climb the mountain and pick the civet droppings on the forest floors. On a good day, a gatherer can collect one kilo of civet droppings .
Coffee Alamid is a blend of the Philippine’s finest Arabica, Liberica and Exelsa beans. When roasted, it exudes an almost musical, fruity aroma. It has a strong, sweet , dark chocolatey taste that is perfect for that morning kick or high power meetings.… ”
Bought a few bags of local blends for my Christmas gifts. I figure that by supporting merchants like Cafe Amadeo, we do our part in helping Philippine farmers and upland people as well as the booming local coffee industry 😛
if only i have younger kids, it would be nice to bring them there. On the other hand, who knows baka they will like it there too. Enjoyed seeing your kids enjoying themselves.
Ajay, curious ako sa lasa ng coffee na yan…care to share?
btw, ang lalaki ng nga kids mo ha 🙂
Hi Noemi. The place is perfect for hanging out by adults too:)
Thanks Thess. A cuppa coffee coming your way 😀
civets are mammals.
Wow, I still remember going to a butterfly farm more than a year ago with my family. 🙂 Butterflies love water with sugar so it attracts them too.
I’m not a coffee drinker myself but even if I were, I don’t think I’d try those droppings.
ajay, your kids are lovely 🙂 and nothing beats the sight of them enthralled by nature… or just anything that gets their attention for more than 10 minutes.
you are looking lovely yourself. if i were a coffee drinker, i would definitely put this café in my must-visit places… my dad is, so when he visits manila, i’ll set up a date with him para may bonding chuva kami. 🙂 lapit na yon!!! ilang tulog na lang.
How much is Alamid coffee per kilo… i wanna try some myself..
So this coffee is made from civet crap?! Ewwww. =)
nice infos…. keep on posting your fabulous adventures on different places and names of establishments… promise to visit your site frequently.
paki add nadin po mga details ng shops numbers and address hehe tnx..
i am selling amadeo’s alamid coffee, roasted and powdered (by order) for only PhP 15,000 per kilo. in case you want, just beep me up 0905-379-0802.