Café Siriusdan is Proof That Cool Exists in Mandaluyong

(SPOT.ph) “Looking back, everything I’m doing now makes sense because they are things I’ve enjoyed even as a kid, including writing,” says Cyrus Dan Cañares of the design venture TravelFund by Siriusdan, reflecting on the career path he’s taken—from cruise ship photographer/videographer to soap opera writer and, finally, designer. Cyrus has been in the business of design for more than 10 years now, starting with selling his hand-painted pillows and poufs in 2012, the profits from which have funded his travels to countries like Japan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, and Vietnam the past decade.

Back then, he was writing teleseryes for ABS-CBN, but a writer’s salary could not sustain his love for travel. So he decided to transform what was just a creative outlet into a small venture. In 2021, at the height of the pandemic, he quit the soap grind and transformed his little operation into a full-blown artistic expression and business.

Today the handpainted pillows and poufs not only continue to fund his trips but they’ve afforded him the chance to expand the biz. He’s now refurbishing vintage furniture, he’s making apparel, and he’s opened a very cool cafe.

The making of ‘Hanoi House’

The same year he quit his job, Cyrus moved back to his childhood home in Mandaluyong and went to work converting his parents’ unused property along Halcon Street into a studio, showroom, and a coffee shop. Today, all his art and works for sale are contained inside one compound with easy access to the café which he says was three years in the making.

You wouldn’t think it looking at the structure from outside—that this barangay-hall looking facade hides one of the coolest hangout places in Manila, and that the cafe is but a gateway to more interesting spaces the more doors you open. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.

“I’m really happy with my journey with the coffeeshop, from being unsure to finally pushing through with it,” Cyrus says, adding that he’s been getting encouraging feedback from people who have visited his spot. “Sinasabi nila sa akin the space is inspiring them to be creative ... and these are fellow creatives which means a lot to me.”

Cool spot in Mandaluyong

Cafe Siriusdan is designed to be a hang-out place for artists, for people who love coffee (they serve serious brews; our photographer loved the Mix Salt Caramel Latte, with the salt part being a mixture of Asin Tibuok from Bohol, Asin na Buho from Zambales, Asin Tultul from Guimaras and Pink Himalayan Salt) and pastries, and for Cyrus’ clients still mulling over which chair or pouf or tapestry to purchase from his showroom.

Cyrus has partnered with his sister who is a pastry chef and owns Yummy Bakes by Joyce. The cafe is a perfect showcase of the Siriusdan mix-and-match and vintage-ethnic aesthetic and easily gives visitors ideas on how Cyrus’ creations could fit into a space.  On display are the many textiles Cyrus collected from Morocco, Nepal, India, Mexico, Sri Lanka over the years, and he mixes them with Filipino ethnic prints and his signature art-deco inspired paintings of shapes and symbolisms.

Here, there’s art and film everywhere you look—there’s a series of tapestry that includes a black and white Patis Tesoro design hanging on a wall of glass and wood; an “Eye” painting from Cubao Expo displayed just above a cozy corner of the café, reminiscent of the marquee pair of eyes in Baz Luhrmann’s Gatsby. There’s a framed movie poster of In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar-wai, one of Cyrus’ favorite directors. Below it, like a perfect complement, stands a pair of vintage cinema chairs. The distressed wall paint, use of old wood, solid-colored flooring in greens and blues plus the warm yellow lighting completes the organic and artsy vibe of the place.

Designing the café using a mixture of patterns can be tricky but Cyrus manages to keep the balance and achieve the look and feel he was aiming for—that of cafés in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. He has, in fact, dubbed this oasis the “Hanoi House.”

Keeping his art flowing

A door in the cafe opens to a sort of courtyard where a four-year old Talisay tree has grown so tall and lush it provides a perfect shade to the entire outdoor square. From here, you can see Cyrus’ retail space for his handpainted shirts. There’s a small office and a space for small creative workshops. To your left is a seating area with a wall full of Cyrus’ collection of paintings from his trips. To your right is small gate that leads to the workshop and showroom for his home furnishings.

The colorful pillows and poufs that started his design journey are still available on the wall racks but now sharing equal, if not occupying a bigger, space are his reupholstered sofa sets, stools, ottomans, wall-to-wall tapestries, and runners turning the whole place into one vibrant space. There’s no doubt the this was created by an artist who has travelled far and wide, and have gained appreciation for the art of different cultures. “[When I put up] Travelfund I was inspired by mud cloth and mud houses in Africa and yung indigenous designs ng Cordillerans and Mangyans.”  

It happens that his personal artwork integrates well with his collections from around the world.  “Looking back these are the same shapes na ginagawa ko nung bata pa ako,” Cyrus says referring to his hand-painted reflected in all his items including his apparel which are limited to polos at the moment. “They are the same shapes [I used to draw] but different iteration. In short, I’ve always been comfortable with shapes and colors. It’s always been in me."

Creative process

In describing his creative process, Cyrus says it all starts with photography and videography. “I do photography and videos, (creating) mini travel vlogs so I would remember my travel and that’s how I absorb things,” he shares. “Pag nandun na ako sa bansa na yun ang una kong tinitingan is kung anong pwede kong bilhin na mga tela or crafts. Pag balik ko sa studio, I get inspired by all the tela and I would mix them with Filipino patterns and fabrics,” he adds. “It has to flow,’ is a guiding principle that Cyrus has applied in all his creations since he started designing. “Hindi siya pinipilit. If I find myself thinking too hard about a design I would stop and come back to it.  That’s my guiding principle in life also. It has to feel organic.”

Years steeped in design has helped Cyrus master mixing print with other prints without the final product looking like a garish mistake. “I don’t know if there’s a technique but ang bottom line na nakita ko is just confidence--that you know what you’re doing. [I know something will work] kasi it responds to my impulses, tapos lagi ko iniisip is ‘I have to like it.”

Travelling is still very much a part of his creative process although he sees shorter trips in the horizon now that his business is expanding. He says he has been to more than 50 countries since working in a cruise ship in his 20s but there’s still more countries to aim for. “I want to go to Africa, the only continent na hindi ko pa napuntahan. I want to visit countries in south and west Africa and hunt for beautiful fabrics.”

Beyond travel, Cyrus, a big cineaste, wants to make a film one day. “That’s next for me because it’s one of my childhood dreams,” he reveals. This just means we will see more of this creative’s work, but this time in a different medium.  “I feel it’s happening pretty soon. I just turned 40 last November and turning 40 made me realize that whatever I can dream, I can achieve.” 

Photographs by Jilson Tiu