#st.aliph

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

www.stali.com.au

www.facebook.com/st.ali.manila