BLK 513 Leans Further Into the Darkness at Their New Café

APT BLK 513
Verve Tower 1, High Street South Block, Taguig City 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/apt.blk513
Open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on (Mondays to Thursdays), 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Fridays to Sundays)

(SPOT.ph) People have long assumed that BLK 513 gets its name from the color of its charcoal-infused frozen yogurt. While it does sound logical that BLK stands for the color black, it isn't the case at all. The local frozen yogurt is named after the place where the owners met in Singapore. 

The owners, Kim Sy and Abi Sy, met at a place called BLK 513 in Singapore. If you're wondering what you can find at that exact spot, there stands an apartment. This, much like BLK 513's origins, became the inspiration for their new concept store, the APT BLK 513. 

Important: The correct way to say the name is Apartment BLK 513, not "apt" BLK 513.

Also read:
SPOT.ph Roundup: The Essential Froyo Spots in Manila
Fro-Yeah: BLK 513 Has Opened Their First "Digital" Froyo Store

Check out BLK 513's new coffee store, APT BLK 513:

APT BLK 513 is an extension of BLK 513 as it has a wider menu that goes beyond the black froyo abyss. Don't act surprised to see black coffee, black pastries, and black desserts on the menu because APT BLK 513 doesn't steer far from what BLK 513 does best, which is infusing powdered charcoal wherever they can. 

Here's a guide to APT BLK 513's drink menu:

The beverage menu is divided into three categories: Classic Brews, Signature Brews, and No Coffee. For the stickler type of coffee drinker, the Classic Brews stay as straightforward as it could get. They have all your essentials: Espresso (P120), Cortado (P130), Americano (P140/hot, P150/iced), and Flat White (P160). They use medium to dark roasted coffee beans with origins from South America and Ifugao, which give you chocolatey and nutty notes.

The Signature Brews lean toward coffee drinkers who like their cup of joe on the sweeter and (literally) darker side. There's the Black Velvet (P185/hot, P195/iced) which is pitch-black coffee with sweetened crema on top; the Dark Side Latte (P185/hot, P195/iced) which is the milkier version; and the Salty Dark Cream (P215) which is basically similar to the latte but with a pinch of salt to enhance the sweetness of the drink.

On the sweetest side, APT BLK 513 has signature brews that make for a great sippable dessert. There's the Sweet Dark Latte (P210/hot, P220/iced) that makes use of a sweetened charcoal latte and tops it with salt foam and crumbs of their crunchy Hijacked Cereal; the Choki Choko Mocha (P210/hot, P220/iced) that also uses charcoal coffee but adds chocolate sauce and chocolate shavings on top; and the Too Good Cookie Latte (P220), a charcoal latte with chocolate sauce at the bottom and a thick salty-sweet foam with the Too Good To Be True Charcoal Chocolate Cooke on top. The cookie is meant to be crushed and mixed with the drink, which gives each sip more texture.

On the other hand, the No Coffee drinks are for those steering away from caffeine. The options are limited to milky drinks such as Black Tea Milk (P150/hot, P160/iced), Choki Choko (P180/hot, P190/iced), and Matcha Milk (P190/hot, P200/iced).

Guide to APT BLK 513's food menu:

Aside from the black froyos that are available at the store, all of APT BLK 513's pastries and cakes are infused with charcoal powder too—even the sandwiches. One of our favorites is the Lava Bun (P130), a soft, airy bun with dark molten chocolate in the center. It's best to have it heated—which renders the outside crisp and the dark-chocolate center to ooze out like molten lava when you cut through. 

There's also the Triple Banana (P140) which is reminiscent of a chocolatier, black version of a banoffee pie. As the name suggests, it has three kinds of banana in it: the decadent chocolate cake which has a tinge of banana flavor, banana cream in the center, and is topped with actual banana. Since the entire dessert is coated with chocolate, make sure to slice across to make sure that each bite has the cream and banana.

Elsewhere on the menu are BLK 513-ified versions of classic pastries—including the Dark Side Brownie (P130) and its total opposite, the smoke show that is the Blackout Cake (P200). The latter is a tall, dark chocolate cake with a silky black ganache that's meant to be drizzled all over the cake. There's also the Dark Side Cheesecake (P220/slice) which is your regular cheesecake but with Zebra-esque black stripes and crust.

And for those with no sweet tooth—shocking to know they exist, we know—APT BLK 513 does have savory items too. They have two grilled cheese sandwiches that both have charcoal-infused bread that's used to sandwich the melted, stretchy Emmental and Mozzarella combo.

The Turnkey N' Cheese Toastie (P250) adds small slices of smoky, salty turkey ham along with gooey cheese, plus a slather of sweet raspberry jam to tie the flavors together. The Cozy Adobo Toastie (P250) has shredded slow-cooked adobo brisket that was cooked on the sweeter side but still with a bit of acidity, plus caramelized onions for that distinct sweetness.

Watch out for APT BLK 513 promos:

APT BLK 513 opens its doors on June 29. On opening day and the first weekend, they have a total of three promos for both paying customers and non-paying customers.

The first 100 paying customers get six months of APT BLK 513 complementaries. They get a special APT BLL 513-exclusive tenant card that permits the cardholder to have one gift each month, from July to December. Gift possibilities include a free drink, a free froyo upgrade, or a discount for a minimum purchase.

For non-paying customers, the first 100 to fall in line can get a BLK 513 Purpose pint on the house—or in this case, on the Apartment. From June 30 to July 2, there will be a promo that ties one coffee drink and one pastry of your choice that'll be sold for a certain price.

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