Brew UP: Good Specialty Coffee for Less!

I was checking my Twitter feed one afternoon when I came across a tweet about the newest cafe in UP called Brew UP by Palengkera. I got really thrilled with the announcement because 1) I live in a UP dormitory and it would only take me a short walk to reach the place 2) It could be a cozy hangout place for me and my college friends since it is near our home college and 3) I am a certified coffee lover. Plus, the menu seems easy on the wallet!

So, I visited Brew UP a few days back. The cafe occupies a small corner on the second floor of ISSI (Virata Hall along Emilio Jacinto Street inside the UP Diliman campus). It has a laid-back, homestyle feel to it, a little less fancy compared to most cafes in malls. They have wooden stools and tables, and brown couches that complement the earthy interiors. It can only accommodate up to 30 people at a time. But luckily, my friend and I did not wait too long to be seated.

They have an open kitchen that lets you witness how your food and drinks are being prepared. 

It is also interesting to note that almost all the ingredients they use are locally sourced from small-scale farmers, and  other charities around the country. One of their goals is to help small businesses earn as well. 

They serve Sagada, Mindanao Barako, and Benguet Arabicana coffee that are all available in regular pourover, inverted aeropress, and cold drip. The prices range from P70-P95. For non-coffee drinkers, they have Tsokolate Tablea, fruit sodas, iced teas, and fruit shakes. 

I chose the regular brew Sagada coffee because I've been meaning to travel to this place. Well, at least now, I already had a taste of their specialty coffee. Thumbs up! 

We also tried their bestselling Tablea Cake (P90), and their Cold Drip Benguet Arabicana coffee (P70). The cake was a bit too sweet for our liking. You can also choose to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side for P20. 

For me, the star of our meal was the Pugon Sampler. It includes the Hamon Bautista (ham and quezo de bola), which brought me a Christmas-y feel by the way, the Hubadero (homemade skinless longganisa, tomato, lettuce, basil, and sukang Iloko mayo), and Anak ng Tinapa (smoked fish spread, basil, and lettuce). These three delectably cute sandwiches were a treat! Plus, it is only for P60. You can also order each as a full pugon sandwich. 

Here are other dishes from their menu:

Turbo Chicken Rice (P95)
Broiled Marinated Chicken, Killer Drippings Drippin' Sauce, and Fresh Greens

Sam's Sardinasosyal (P95)
Spanish sardines, Tomatoes, Capers and Basil tossed in olive oil and garlic

I had a great time hanging out at Brew UP. Props to their good-tasting coffee and meals, creativity, and concern for small Filipino enterprises. This could definitely be my regular hangout place.