I have heard of a coffee shop that serves #YKW coffee beans that is hidden at the heart of Legazpi Village right across the Park, but you won't find it if you weren't looking for it. Like any other day it was time to satisfy my curiosity so I set out to find this hidden coffee oasis.

Once you see the Cyrano Wine Shop along Legazpi you may find yourself a little confused because the wine shop itself isn't too big yet you will find the standard sauvignons and merlots on the shelves, but soon after you will notice a normal sized bright brown wooden door at the edge of the room which appeals to your curiosity and pulls you in and as you open it, you will find yourself into the Curator!

The wood from the upholstery and the bar and the artworks are sourced locally sourced

The Ambiance

The Cyrano wine shop's aesthetics is your typical store with huge windows and with huge shelves to accommodate their wide selection of wines, but once you see the Curator you will be surprised by the total departure from that design language where there are a lot of textured concrete with accents of steel pipes, steel switches and wooden upholstery. It is a modern take on concrete rustic look which amazingly is classier than the sum of its parts.

The wood from the upholstery the bar and the framed artworks and the art themselves are sourced locally which is a reaffirmation that Filipinos are capable of world class craftsmanship that leaves you smiling whenever you sit down and relax at this place

 

The Coffee, The Cocktails and The Service

Similar to Satchmi, they get their beams from #YKW, so EDSA Beverage Design Group staples like the Winds of Winter, Ethiopia Yirga Cheffe and the Panama Carmen Estate are present which in my book is already a winner. All that's left is whether their machine and their baristas are up to par.

As I've had my Ethiopia from EDSA once before I already had my expectations set; however, I was surprised that the signature fruity flavor at the end which I am not a big fan of wasn't as strong as I remembered. I liked it and with that two-thirds of the equation is set!

I then asked the kind baristas as to how this was so. Apparently, It is still up to how the barista who calibrates and who prepares  the ingredients. I promptly asked for the barista who calibrated and praised him.

This wasn't the first time that I had a lot of questions and Giann, Sonny and Ivan were all very kind to accommodate my curiosities and observations with regards to the beverages and the coffee. Their passion for their craft really shines as they patiently listened and answered my queries with out fail. It came to the point that they let me inside the bar and let me try making my own espresso.

It immediately catches your eye because of its copper color and Steam Punk Aesthetics!

Their machine is the Italian made Victoria Arduino which immediately catches your eye because of its copper color and steam punk aesthetics. It was wonderful to take her for a spin even though it was just pulling the huge lever that made a clicking sound to tell you it's done.

As for the cocktails I was only able to try their latest creation, the Shako-WHAT-o which at the time was only three days old. It was an amazing creation that was made from different ingredients and their home made cold brew which the only draw back was the fact that I couldn't sleep that night which could be a huge appeal for some people.

The Chakawhato is made with several ingredients along with their home made cold brew!

I am already finding reasons to come back so I can try the following: the Catcher, the Miss Gardner and the Rye 'n Gosling. I hope to come by again real soon.

The Price

Their coffee starts at Php 120.00 while their juices and cocktails start at Php 250.00 and can max out at Php 800.00 per drink. They also serve a variety of coffee partners like Beef tapa Brioche, and the Doughdealer Cookies that start at Php 90.00 where it can max out at Php 450.00 like the chiken Pastel.

A showcase of their Barista's Skill at Latte Art!

The Verdict

Overall Verdict: A

Beverage Quality: A

Service Quality: A

Bang for your Buck: A

Do you want to Contact 'The Curator Coffee and Cocktails'

Address: 194 Legazpi St. cor. C. Palanca St., Legazpi Village, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
Telephone number: (+63) 916-355-4129
Website: www.thecurator.com.ph
Instagram: @thecurator_
 Operating Hours: Mon-Thurs: 7AM to 2AM; Fri-Sat: 7AM to 3AM; Sun: 7AM to 6PM

With a rise of the MP3s in the early 2000s, I could walk around with my whole music library. Loving music never felt so good. That is until my birthday came a couple of years ago where a reunion with my High School 'Barkada' happened and my friend Peter introduced me to his new found passion: high-end audio.  That night, he let me listen to one of his favorite albums that was in a Vinyl (the old LP records) Rip FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) format. I could hear the different guitar strums, the drum beats, the vocals, the blending and etc. DISTINCTIVELY. I was dumbfounded to discover that audio was far more complex than I had imagined.

I hated him for that because after that day I could never go back to MP3s. In a way, it was like comparing those foreign colored print textbooks with embossed text that was on thick glossy paper to the mass market photocopy like print on thin fragile paper.

Though it seemed that MP3s took over, it may never really did because Vinyl sales were stable at the time and is now on the rise and one of the major distributors of it is Satchmi and at 2014 they opened their store at the 4th Floor of the New Mega Fashion Hall at the SM Megamall complex. 

The facade feels very inviting!

The Ambiance

When you get to the 4th floor of the Mega Fashion Hall, you will find a store that looks like it came from the early nineties. You know the ones with the huge windows with the signs painted on the glass which are held together by wooden frames and concrete columns that surround a pair of tall bright red doors. Orange lights radiates from the inside catching your attention and inviting you inside. Whoever designed this place pulled off the blend of industrial and rustic look. It is similar to the stores you see in an episode of FRIENDS from the nineties.

Wonderful Acoustics and Warm Lighting Relaxes You

What astounds me is the blend of the wonderful acoustics and warm lighting which ends up relaxing and encouraging you to get what work you need to be done. It is a place that I find solace when I really want to be productive. I am still wondering how I can be so productive here even though they have a lot of things that can distract you. The wonderful mural and the different accents truly bring this place to life!

I wonder how I can be so productive when there are a lot of things that can distract you

 Here is a video of what you will see and of what you can do when you get there:

The Service

They carry a wide selection of vinyls from the modern to the classics. You can also reserve a copy of a vinyl should you wish to get it as soon as the next shipment arrives; however, if you are new to this you would need a turntable to play your new vinyl. They offer the Motorino turntables which cater specifically to the amateur music enthusiast in a wide variety of designs. In fact you can have the designs unique to you. They have a line of uniquely painted ones displayed. Go crazy! I mean I did, because I saw one with R2-D2, a Pokeball and a TARDIS.

You can have them designed unique to you. I saw one with R2-D2, a Pokeball and a Tardis!

They also carry lifestyle accessories such as high quality socks and ties. You will enjoy the texture and craftsmanship of the ties itself. If you are like me, then the only problem is that I have yet to have a tailored suit to match any of their collections. I am adding that to my bucket list.

You will Enjoy the texture and craftsmanship of the ties itself!

The staff attends to your needs may it be to the music or the coffee. You will especially enjoy just sitting around, doing your work or maybe reading a book and ask about the details of some of their products. For example, I asked about the beans from the coffee they served me and the Baristas were kind enough to answer all my questions from the beans to their machine and to their own personal process. I also asked quite a bit to their sales associate about the vinyls and turntables.

They are more more than happy to guide you through their different drinks and coffee beans!

At the time, it wasn't too crowded. So my Cafe Latte came within five minutes of my order. Nothing beats quick high quality service. I just can't get enough of the Winds of Winter Beans from EDSA Beverage Design Group. (to which I will write more about soon)

Here is a video of one of their Baristas showcasing their hand-crafted speacity Coffee:

The Price

Satchmi's vinyl offering starts at Php 1000.00 and maxes out depending on the vinyl itself.Their Turntables like the Motorino II starts at Php 7799.00 while the Rega starts at Php 17500.00.The Hand-Crafted Coffees start at Php 100.00 and maxes out depending on the complexity of the beverage. I personally love their Lattes.

The Conclusion

Satchmi is primarily a music lifestyle store where you are welcome to browse their wide selection of vinyls, turntables and accessories. It is also a place where you can sit down, read a book or do some work while having an amazing batch of their Specialty Coffee while listening to their high quality audio. You can also take it to-go. Whatever floats your boat. Whether you already are an enthusiast or are just curious. There is no better place than this to come and tickle your fancy.

While listening to their High Quality Audio

It is a wonderful place that celebrates the wonders of old and brings them to the modern times. If you are a vinyl lover then there is no question whether or not you should visit this place. Go, Go Now. However, if you are new to this and want to know more, then the staff will be there to satisfy your curiosities. If you're like me who wants to enjoy quality music with a great cup of coffee then Satchmi may be a good place to visit every now then.

If coffee is not your thing and you want to hangout with your loved ones, The Farmacy is a good choice, and with the blazing heat of Manila summer, it is the perfect place to hang with ICE CREAM!

Do you want to Contact 'Satchmi?'

Address: 4/F Mega Fashion Hall, EDSA, Mandaluyong City

Telephone number: (02) 401-6905

Facebook: Satchmi Official Facebook Page

Operating Hours: Mon-Sun: 10AM to 9PM