ST. ALi Coffee Opens First Philippine Outlet at Opus Mall
A Melbourne staple for artisanal coffee and inventive brunches has just opened along Libis in Quezon City. ST. ALi Coffee opened its very first Philippine outlet last October 1, 2024 at the Opus Mall inside Bridgetown Destination Estate and is set to uplift the local coffee scene with its unrivaled dedication to craftsmanship and community.
This new hip cafe brings its distinctive Australian coffee culture to Manila. You can find it at the ground floor of this new luxury mall, right beside the main lobby entrance. The Hungry Kat was invited to the exclusive media sneak preview last September 30 where we got to sample some of their signature coffee and iced beverages as well as a few interesting brunch dishes to start the morning.
The spacious cafe comes with cozy interiors that can be a venue for quick coffee breaks or long family gatherings.
ST. ALi is one of the first cafes that defined specialty coffee in Melbourne, Australia. Since its inception in 2005, ST. ALi has been an industry leader in direct relationships with farmers, in-house roasting, expert coffee brewing, with a best-in-category food offering.
It has since expanded to several cafes and restaurants all over Australia, with its first international location opening in Jakarta, Indonesia. Manila is just its second foreign outlet, with many more countries including Singapore planned in the coming years.
ST. ALi derives its name from Ali ibn Umar al-Shadhili, a fourteenth-century Sufi cleric from the mystical Sufism branch of Islam. Al-Shadhili spent time in the court of the sultanate in Southern Ethiopia, where he learned of a strange berry that promoted wakefulness, which he took back with him to Yemen. As Yemen is generally recognized to have introduced coffee to the rest of the world, he is now considered to be the patron saint of coffee.
We were hosted by none other than Lachlan Ward, the CEO of ST. ALi Coffee from Australia. Lachlan introduced the brand and spoke about the values and drive that have led to their international success.
He also gave the guests a history of coffee culture in Australia as well as the different types of coffee and products they serve. They have a coffee called Magic which is an icon of Aussie coffee. This is a 3/4 full, double-ristretto based flat white which is uniquely Melbourne. It offers a balanced texture compared to traditional cappuccinos.
ST. ALi was brought to the Philippines by Stewart Ong, President of Butter & Salt Group Inc. which is the company that gave us M Bakery whose banana pudding I really love. Plans to bring ST. ALi in the country actually started in 2019 but was delayed due to the global pandemic. After 5 years, we finally have this new premium coffee place in Manila.
Now it's time to try some of the elevated brunch classics and new-wave signature iced drinks that make ST. ALi a renowned name in the world of cafes.
I ordered their Iced Latte which comes with a combination of espresso and milk. ST ALi sources their coffee beans from Brazil, Columbia, and Australia but they will also be introducing coffee blends sourced from local farmers.
There were several interesting brunch items served for guests to try. The Hummus Breakfast comes with poached eggs, parsley pesto, crispy chickpeas, curry leaves, ST. ALi chili oil, and baguette.
It's definitely a different type of breakfast meal with its curry flavors and a little spicy kick. This will really wake up your taste buds in the morning.
On the other hand, the ALi Granola has mango curd and passionfruit and is doused with cold milk. This is like eating cereals but is much much healthier.
The Coconut Rice Pudding is a creamy coconut rice pudding with a hint of vanilla. This one is breakfast and dessert all rolled into one surprisingly delightful dish.
The brunch items were paired with some of their specialty drinks like the Coco Mingle which is a Coconut Iced Coffee. Sip and taste the top layer first before mixing it all together.
The Squid Ink Risotto is a heavier brunch dish for those who like rice with their breakfast. It is cooked with charred octopus, red grape and chili salsa.
There's also the Turkish Eggs which comes with poached eggs and served with peshwari naan, herb labneh, pepita and sunflower seeds, plus ST. ALi chili oil. This also has an explosive combination of flavors and spiciness that will surely kick start your morning.
My favorite item that morning was the Tokyo Omelette. This pretty dish comes with fluffy egg omelette wrapped in nori and topped with bonito flake butter, pickled enoki mushroom, and smoked eel. I can definitely have this for lunch or even dinner.
Served together with the Tokyo Omelette was the Matchamansi, a vibrant and tangy matcha tonic prepared with calamansi. This was also my favorite beverage during the media launch with its vibrant Asian flavors.
For dessert, guests can choose from the various cakes and pastries on display at the counter. We had a sample of their strawberry cake, ube cake, and blueberry cake and they were all rich and delicious.
Customers can also bring home the ST. ALi experience by getting any of their coffee blends and preparing them at home.
ST. ALi formally opened its doors to the public on October 1, 2024 with special guests leading the ribbon cutting. Together with Stewart Ong and Candy Lu of Butter & Salt Group Inc. was Lachlan Ward, CEO of ST. ALi; Atty. Thomas de Castro, Quezon City District 4 Action Officer; and Faraday Go, Robinsons Land Corporation Executive Vice President. If you are a coffee lover and want to take your coffee experience to the next level, head over to ST. ALi in Opus Mall and indulge in the Aussie coffee culture right here in Manila.
ST. ALi Manila
G/F Opus Mall, Bridgetowne Destination Estate, Quezon City
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ST.ALi Melbourne has been known as the pioneer of artisan coffee who serves high-quality blends for locals and tourists alike. However, their offerings can sometimes be intimidating for those who are not accustomed to coffee-culture. In this reimagining of ST.ALi products, I take the liberty to translate the highly technical description of ST.ALi brews and replace it with the day-to-day situation every customer can relate to, supported with the satirical nature of emoji language and captions:
1. The Classic Cool Brew
Our ice-cold coffee made from the highest quality beans is ready to cool off your head in any situation. Put on those sunglasses and enjoy the summer weather!
2. The Just-A-Friend Flat White
If only your relationship with your, uh, best friend is as simple as our flat white coffee. At least, this combination of silky smooth full-cream milk and aromatic blend is enough to resolve any awkward situation.
3. The No, I Am Not Mad! Americano
Cold, bitter, strong, and 100% will wake them up from their ignorant actions. You can serve this badass drink to your nemesis or just enjoy it by yourself.
(3rd photo)
4. The Definitely Not Last Minute Gift Pack
Our special coffee mug and a 250g of Sleigher blend is a perfect combination for a (not) last-minute gift!
Aussie World Barista Championship contender Matt Perger has a handy tutorial on V60 technique for Melbourne roaster, cafe and all-round coffee empire St Ali
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If I said "I love truffles", it would be an understatement. I am obsessed about them! IF by any chance I get to sample a truffle degustation, I'd be the first one throwing money at the restaurant for a seat. As with this particular situation when a friend re-tweeted a pop-up event show casing truffles.
On the night of the event, I was overwhelmed by my sheer excitement as well as the giant black winter truffles being passed around the table. The people next to me were just as excited, especially not knowing what truffle tasted like nor the reason for its hype.
My first experience with truffle was in Milan. A simple bowl of al dante spaghetti with shaved tuscan black winter truffles. It was the most delicious and memorable dish I have ever had - and have been hooked since!
Our menu for the night:
The 5 courses were a play on various re-constructions on meals the chefs loved, experimenting with various truffles from across Australia.
Course #1: Confit of egg yolk, granola, shredded truffle served over warm celeriac milk.
"'This is probably my only favourite dish from the entire menu. Creative, delicate and incorporates both flavours and textures very well. Definitely something I wouldn't mind having every morning"
Course #2: Chook & Chips. A (CUB - cashed up bogan) twist on roast chicken & chips
"This was an utter disaster. I have never been served roasted chicken and truffles in my life - roasted chicken? A dish that stands out on its own because of the herbs and spices it is usually covered in?! The worst part of all is the fact that the chicken was dry and stringy. HOW DARE YOU SERVE ME STRINGY CHICKEN! This dish was suppose to show case truffles - not to make it fade into the background!"
Course #3: Mushroom Risotto - that is all. As boring as the name suggests.
"This was severely disappointing and boring - who hasn't done this? Yes, yes. You tried to mimic the natural surroundings of truffles with crushed hazelnuts and charred eggplants but you know what could have made this extra special? Wild Boar perhaps? You know, pigs are used to sniff out truffles!"
"I tried to savour large shavings of truffle to achieve maximum truffle flavour satisfaction - only to be let down by the dry bark-y texture and a lack of truffle essence. Did I pay $80 to taste bark?!"
Course #4: Fromager d'Affinois with truffles, with apple and celery - Up class cheese and crackers.
"Another saving grace - but the fact its a method used by many, just shows the creativity coming from the chefs (which isn't a lot). Who doesn't like a creamy d'affinois with tasteless rind?"
Course #5: Chocolate mousse in liquid nitrogen served alongside chocolate sponge cake
"What I hate more than molecular gastronome, is molecular gastronome. And the fact that these chefs tried to explain the difference between exo and endothermic reactions with "Cooking foods in Positive Heat and Negative Heat" makes me want to punch them in the face."
"If you want to play with liquid nitrogen, at least do it right. The fact that the mousse was not cold (hard) nor warm just showed how little they know about proper utilisation of (l)Nitrogen. And sponge cake or crumbs cake? It was dry and and had uneven doses of... God forbid. Truffle oil. Sigh."
This was without a doubt the most awful display of truffle incorporated into a degustation menu. They lack ingenuity, flavour, texture, proper matchings and almost everything under the sun. The most depressing thing of all, is the fact that a large number or truffle virgins have been bastardised by what they thought proper truffles should taste like. If you attended this dinner, please forget everything you have tasted. This is like a one night stand with a very drunk / non-responsive partner.
