Toby's Estate

Taz Tuazon

5.0

Toby's Estate serves the best Espresso-based beverages in Metro Manila. It's no secret how much I love their Cappuccino or Gibraltar made with their popular Woolloomooloo blend - with rich dark chocolate notes and a bit of spice that's a perfect base for most espresso drinks. It's the reason why a lot of coffee lovers keep coming back.I understand that some customers might prefer a more mellow version of the Woolloomoolo blend. Rather than richness of dark chocolate, they would much rather have subtle milk chocolate notes that's a tad bit fruity (think Malagos). That's how the Salcedo Blend came about to cater to these types of coffee drinkers, but I'll get to the new blend in a bit.We were invited to Toby's Estate Whitespace at Chino Roces Avenue Extension for a roasting demonstration and were introduced to the new Salcedo Blend. It was my first time at their roasting facility and it was great to see the level of detail and care that Toby's Estate Philippines puts into making sure that the quality of their coffee is kept at a high standard. Here's what you need to know about their Whitespace store and the Salcedo Blend.

Jamcie Yago

5.0

This branch seems to have the friendliest staff. Has parking slots for about 20-25 cars and is very very private. The coffee shop itself is about 50-70 meters off the main road so it's really quiet here :)Everything you need for your perfect coffee spot, they have it all here. Don't forget to try their seasonal menu! 👌🏻😁-Salcedo Blend-It has notes of guava, smooth chocolate, and toasted hazelnut with a sweet muscovado finish. This blend NEEDS NO SUGAR 👌🏻 It's naturally and satisfyingly sweet 🙌🏻 I had mine in flat white (P150.00).-Black Sesame Bagel with Cream Cheese-This one's a fix on their menu. They have several bagels but their black sesame seems to be the most striking. Kinda nutty and strong. They have about 3 variants of cream cheese: bacon, jalapeño, and classic. I had classic on this one because the bagel itself is already packed with flavor. (P95.00)-Corned Beef and Hash-It has three layers of goodness! First one is the very very very crispy but moist HASH BROWN. Middle layer is a bounteous serving of CORNED BEEF (it's super chunky, promise!). For the top layer, two EGGS seasoned with paprika and some herbs. (P350.00)-Mushroom Pasta-Mushrooms were never this interesting! It was like eating rare to well done steaks! One piece is different from the other. Great texture, generous serving, perfect for cold brew. 👏🏻

Tristan Samson

4.0

These days, people seem to get more lethargic due to the rainy weather. Who doesn't like being under the sheets and doing nothing, right? But of course, one needs to beat periods of procrastination and to be able to do that, one has to load up on some caffeine! One of the best places to go to when you need to get your coffee fix would have to be Toby's Estate. I was invited months ago together with other bloggers, to visit Toby's Estate in Whitespace, at Chino Roces, Makati. Whitespace is an events place and here is a hidden branch and a commissary. It is an awesome place to hang out to, given its laidback setting and simplistic interiors. It provides a comfy space that's perfect when you're in the mood for a nice cup of coffee and some quiet time. Here, we also got to witness the step-by-step process they strictly follow in roasting their beans. I was feeling pretty hyped up when we got to their facility. It was actually breathtaking to see with my own two eyes the specific steps and ways they follow in roasting beans. They were keen on the details and careful in prepping up their brew. Their Master Roaster, Raoul de Peralta, gave us the details as to how Toby's Estate get to come up with their blend. As a roaster, you need to ask yourself first what tasting notes you would like to have in your blend and which single origin coffee beans should you mix together to achieve these notes.Apparently, you can get both good and bad notes in your coffee, depending on the quality of the bean. To enjoy your brew, one must be extra critical in roasting. For example, if you underroast, your brew might end up tasting like cardboard. On the other hand, if you over do it, it gets wasted. Here we also got to learn about their Salcedo Blend. This one is actually named after where their flagship store is located. For base, they use the coffee beans from Brazil, mixed up with the Sumatra ones. Before we got to try this, we had a sip of their single origin bean first so as to have an idea of the tasting notes they want to combine for this one. It has hints of guava, chocolate, toasted hazelnut, and muscovado in it.I highly suggest you have Salcedo Blend either as a Cappuccino or as a Gibraltar. This way the tasting notes get to be more emphasized. Another dessert was added into their menu, which is the Apple Tart. This sweet treat would pair well with your coffee of choice. The lusciousness of the tart was complemented nicely by the crumbly pecan nuts and the light whipped cream. I also had some bagel here too. You may choose to have it in plain, whole wheat, and black sesame. It goes with your choice of cream cheese flavor, so you can pick between Garlic and Chives or Scallion and Cheese. If you are feeling somewhat adventurous for something spicy, then you should have their Jalapeño Cheddar.For all you caffeine vultures out there, a visit to Toby's Estate is a good reason to rise and shine with positivity and anticipation. I guess it's time now to wake up, head on over to Toby's Estate, and smell their aromatic coffee.