Starbucks Reserve has landed in Manila! As of this moment there are 3 branches already open in Manila. We went to the branch in Burgos Circle in The Fort.
From the outside it looked like your regular Starbucks. We even went to the other regular branch in Burgos Circle on the same street just on the opposite side of the rotunda. You can tell from the words printed on the glass door handle that you’re in the right branch.
The usual merchandise lined an entire wall by the entrance.
New Starbucks Reserve mugs and drip coffee cones were available in this store.
The menu was the same except for the addition of single origin coffees.
The food display was new and improved. What’s new are the two scones that were the main reasons for my visit. You see, I love scones and it is quite difficult to find good ones in Manila.
They had four single origin coffee beans that day. I wish they had a description of the coffee’s tasting notes to guide us on what to order. We had to rely on the vague descriptions of the baristas.
There have so much more Starbucks Reserve Coffee beans on their website. I’ve tried a couple of varieties before which I got from the US so I was familiar with Starbucks’ more expensive choice beans.
Our orders of Sun Dried Ethiopia Yirgacheffe were brewed using the drip method which took a while since they were using only two cones. I was disappointed that our drinks were served in paper cups instead of the ceramic mugs even though they knew we were dining in.
My friends ordered their favorites which I ignored.
In turn they ignored my scones since I was the only scone lover in the group. I was most excited to try the savory scone first since most scones I’ve encountered in Asia were the sweet kind. Imagine my shock when the Black Pepper Cheese Scone P90 tasted sweet too!! Why o why? It reminded me of those rock hard sweet cheese muffins sold in the school canteen. The texture of the exterior was nice and crumbly but the interior was a tad too moist for my liking. Overall I give this scone a 5/10 because of the sweetness and texture. They should try Starbucks Hong Kong’s amazing Fig & Pistachio Scones. That was almost perfect.
The Apple Cinnamon Scone P90 fared a little better since it was sweet as it was supposed to be.
The tables were too low and too small or we just ordered too much? Anyway the set up didn’t feel conducive to a long stay and I guess that’s what they wanted to achieve. I can just imagine some might linger for hours if there was comfy seating.
Even though I wasn’t too happy with my scones I was satisfied with my iced coffee. Welcome to Manila Starbucks Reserve. There’s always room for good coffee in Manila and I’m happy to see you.
Starbucks Reserve
- Forbes Town Center, Burgos Circle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
- 212 Tomas Morato Avenue Corner Scout Dr Lazcano, Quezon City
- G/F, Keyland Centre, Dela Rosa St., Makati City
Shoot First Eat Later 