Kitchen by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
UG/L SM Megamall (outside Building B), EDSA corner Julia Vargas Avenue, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Facebook: www.facebook.com/coffeebeanphilippines
Open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Monday to Thursday), 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Friday to Sunday)
(SPOT.ph) The sensationalized opening to this article would be, “Forget what you know about CBTL,” but it would also be a demonstrably false one. More of an expansion than a new concept—and it isn’t new, because they first opened very quietly in 2020—Kitchen by The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf really takes the menu places, giving this bigger version of the popular watering hole a wider swing at cutting your cravings down to size. On the other hand, it might also leave you with new ones.
Also read: 10 Under-the-Radar Cafés in Manila for Your Next Coffee Run
There's a lot to love at Kitchen by The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Megamall:
We start with the most important meal of the day—because you should, as much as you can. You’d think it’d be hard to top a dish simply called Chorizo & Egg Skillet (P455), given its paprika-smokey, sausagey goodness served with eggs, a respectable garlic rice, and fried tomato topped with a sprightly pesto. You’d think. But the Pancakes with Blueberries (P365) are a stack of fluffy, delicious discs of destruction, in that you will want to eat the whole plate when it’s so clearly for sharing. With a tart-sweet blueberry compote and whipped cream that isn’t just for show, it’s that idyllic, slightly elaborate breakfast that people dream of being able to make every day.
The Spinach Dip (P185) looks a little dainty, but it’s another great shareable item that indulges what needs indulging. Salty, creamy, and with a slight funk, the dip’s combination of mozzarella, parmesan, and feta sit well on the accompanying crackly bread. Some of you may have had this already at CBTL’s other concept, 26th St. Bistro.
We know, we know. You’re thinking, ‘Salads, SPOT.ph? Really?’ But between the California Cobb (P395) and the Shrimp & Pomelo (P395), you could turn into a genuine leaf lover. The former is a hearty mix of chicken, avocado, tomato, and cheese—among other things in that absolute forest of lettuce—with a rich but tangy in-house ranch, serving a little culinary confusion in the form of, “I thought this was salad. Why is it satisfying, and why am I full?” The latter is definitely more airy, with a sharper coconut-lime dressing and crispy rice noodles to really bring the punchy pomelo, tender shrimp, and the aromatic cilantro and mint together. We cannot stress enough how good this salad is—not “good for a salad,” just good. Both are easily shared, too, so there’s the added bonus of bang for your buck.
Served with what can only be described as a crunchy nest of shoestring fries and some seriously tasty chipotle rice, the Steak Chimichurri (P675) rides right between tender and firm because of the use of a top blade cut. The chimichurri is perfectly herbaceous, rounding out the whole dish.
But if you want a true multitasker—much like Kitchen’s whole menu, frankly—the CBTL Burger (P455) is The One. Celebrating a promotion? Order this burger. You’ve met the perfect person but they’re in a relationship? Get this burger. You encountered that one person at work who sucks four times in the same day? This specific burger. It’s got the right amounts of juice, salt, and smoke, with gooey cheese and umami-sweet caramelized onions, served on a sturdy-but-soft oatmeal bun. The fries don’t steal the show by any stretch; if anything, they’re solid emotional support potatoes. Paired with whatever Iced Tea (P145) du jour Coffee Bean’s got going, and you’ve got the perfect afternoon set up.
And as far as non-traditional (read: non-Italian; i.e. yup, there’s cream) pastas go, this Carbonara (P365) easily claims the title as one of the better ones. It’s neither too rich nor too salty, and we have reason to believe that they undercook their noodles a little to go finish full al dente in the sauce—but that’s only us. Rather than using the canon method of using the egg to coat the spaghettini, it’s poached and set on top for the diner to break themselves.
While, ostensibly, you’re not about to find a brick oven in the back of a Coffee Bean, Kitchen’s pizzas can be called upon to scratch that itch, should it arise. No, seriously, the crust is thin but not slack, with a doughy snap—it passes the test. We liked the Prosciutto (P595) for the fresh tomatoes and bright, perfectly acerbic arugula, balanced out by the cured meat in question.
Whether you’re ending a meal or you frequently start out the day with a major sweet tooth, you’ll be spoiled for choice. The Tostones with Vanilla Ice Cream (P195) deliver crunch, sugary sweetness, and the slight rum-honey notes of fried banana—nothing ice cream doesn’t absolutely belong on. Similarly, the Affogato (P195) takes your favorite frozen treat and dials it up to whatever fuels the War Rig from Mad Max: Fury Road with that large, rather punchy shot of espresso.
Perhaps the best way to describe the appeal of this place is that it captures what you want out of restaurant dining anyway, without looking to shock you with every new order. And in a way, what we tend to want when we eat out is what we can’t achieve at home, which doesn’t always have to be a 12-course tasting menu, lovely though they are. More often than not, it’s just a stack of fluffy pancakes and-slash-or an excellent burger—sometimes in the same place.
Photos by Kit Singson
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