Kim's Taste #39: The Den Coffee & Contemporary Culture

Hello everyone!

I know this has been long overdue, but I have to continue with my posts about the last time we were in Manila. It's been months since my last post about HUB: Make Lab, an incubator space for artists and innovators. Within that space in First United Building lies a coffee shop that was founded by artists themselves. That's The Den Coffee & Contemporary Culture. That's a mouthful, so I'll just refer to it as The Den.

_{This is the entrance part of First United Building, an art deco building that was completed in 1932. There's so much history in there, but they wanted to incorporate modern and contemporary tastes into the scene as part of Manila's attempt to rehabilitate old buildings. It became a space for contemporary artists and innovators that are into sustainable creations. The Den is an art space in itself which is not separate from HUB: Make Lab.}

As I always mentioned in my previous posts in this community, I'm not really into coffee, but I love the ambiance of coffee shops. The aroma of freshly roasted coffee that wafts into the air is just heaven, but I'll palpitate if I'll drink coffee, so I kept myself coffee-free. I'm more into tea, fresh fruit juice, or chocolate drinks.

I thought they exclusively offer coffee drinks, but good thing they have non-coffee options albeit very limited. I ordered iced chocolate for takeout because we didn't plan to stay long as we still have the Binondo food crawl as our main agenda for that day. I really wanted to stay longer because of the cozy atmosphere, but we didn't have the luxury of time. I will definitely visit next time to try their special drinks. They're boasting their specially crafted signature house concoctions and the Chocolate Earl Grey caught my attention. Well, there's always a next time to look forward to. I chose a safer option because I didn't want to have any stomach upset while we were roaming around Binondo.

Remnants of Old Manila are noticeable, although in a subtle way, like this black-and-white photo of Escolta. While waiting for our orders, we marveled at the displays all over the coffee shop. Most of them are for sale, but they're a little expensive.

Doubling as decorations of the coffee shop, it stayed true to its contemporary vibe that blended well with HUB: Make Lab. It's fascinating for someone like me who's not really immersed in the contemporary lifestyle. I know a friend who's into these kinds of things that when I posted something on my Instagram stories, she immediately reacted by saying she was jealous as she always wanted to visit such spaces. You can find almost anything in there from tote bags to t-shirts to old cameras. It will really pique your interest as you're waiting for your drinks to be served.

According to reviews I've read online, The Den is a coming-of-age tale of the owners. The owners are artists and cultural workers in Manila for years. To have that kind of space that caters not only to the taste buds but also to one's creativity is indeed a fruition of their passion.

I think this review is not much about the taste of their drinks, but about the space itself, which I find unique and interesting. It's not always that I'll have this kind of review of a coffee shop because I find almost all coffee shops to be the same and kind of boring in terms of interior design.

Wait. I haven't reviewed the taste of that iced chocolate drink that I ordered. Well, it was good. Really, that's it! It quenched my thirst after we walked a few meters toward Binondo Chinatown.

I guess that's all for this post. The next part will be the Binondo food crawl. It was epic, so stay tuned!

Kim Ybañez

_{Welcome to Kim's small corner in Hive. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits secluded destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines). He's also a trying hard photographer so stay tuned as he shares his photos and his thought process while creating them.}

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