Hineleban Café (pronounced as hě-nē-leu-bän) is the only farm-to-cup third wave cafe co-located with a bike and surf shop in Manila. Founded by Claudia Perrine and family with the mission to change the way Filipinos appreciate coffee in the Philippines.
The concept of the cafe highlights the traceability of the coffee beans, the process from the farm to your cup, and how it improves the lives of Filipinos and the environment. Talking with the Barista’s is like getting a Coffee 101 appreciation on third wave coffee and the Bukidnon coffee ecosystem.
On your next coffee meet in Makati, make sure it’s a Hineleban date. Here’s what to expect:
HINELEBAN CAFÉ
Ground Floor, 830 Arnaiz Avenue (formerly Pasay Road), Makati City
Email: mothertreeventures@gmail.com
Telephone: +632 816-4772
Facebook: Hineleban Cafe
Instagram: @hinelebancafe
Website: http://hineleban.org/
Operating Hours: Monday to Friday (7 am – 9 pm), Saturday – Sunday (9 am – 7 pm)
Related Blog Post: Philippine Artisan Trade (PH@): Secret Batala Bar, Bambike, & Art Gallery in Makati!
Hineleban Cafe is located along the busy street of Arnaiz Ave corner Paseo de Roxas (in front of Croque).
Hineleban Café showcases the coffee and other products of Hineleban Foundation and the tribes they work with.
They are involved in every aspect of production from planting to harvesting to processing to roasting. They see and take part in every painstaking step of the way and that’s why they are so passionate about every cup they serve.
Hineleban Coffee and Alternative Brews Menu | Adlai Dishes, Breakfast & Sandwich Menu
Imagine drinking your coffee with a high ceiling ambiance surrounded by surfboards and bikes.
You can seat in the limited tables with your computer or hangout in the lounge area or in the counter table over looking Arnaiz St.
We encourage you to talk to the baristas and ask them about how their coffee is made and their signature adlai dishes.
To experience specialty grade coffee, try their Honey Processed beans that they brew in front of you.
This coffee has been graded 86.25 by licensed quality graders from the Specialty Coffee Association based in Seattle, USA.
The fact that Hineleban’s coffee is categorized under this pays respect to their 8 years of hard work in the farm.
While the coffee most of us are used to is a bit dark and nutty, Hineleban’s Honey Processed beans are a bit fruity and tea-like.
They usually serve it hot but you can also ask them to serve it over ice, which I have to admit, is my favorite way of drinking it.
If you want something different, Hineleban Café also serves alternative brews that came out of experiments that the baristas frequently conduct.
You have to be familiar with some of the terminologies: Aero Press, French Press, Kalita and Siphon.
D’Claude (P170).
We tried D’Claude (named after the owner Claudia), which is their Honey Processed bean brewed through an Aeropress with a dash of Timenugan honey.
If you prefer black coffee with sugar, this could be the drink for you. The honey isn’t overpowering and provides a subtle sweetness that balances out the coffee’s slight bitterness.
(Trivia: Did I mention that their honey is organic and is from Hineleban Farms as well?)
Cafe Au Lait (P160).
They also have something for milk lovers – the café au lait. This one is their Semi-Washed bean that is also hand-brewed.
While most specialty coffee shops don’t add milk to their hand-brewed coffee, this one has steamed milk on top of it. We recommend it for those who like very light tasting coffee taste with a lot of milk.
Adlai Dishes
While coffee is the main product of Hineleban Café, what we keep coming back here for are their adlai dishes.
They discovered adlai during a drought in Mindanao when nothing else could be grown but adlai. Known as a heritage grain, adlai is known by many other names such as Job’s Tears or Chinese Barley. However, what makes their
However, what makes their adlai different is that unlike barley, it’s gluten free. It also is low-glycemic and is high in protein, which makes it a healthier rice alternative. While it is not yet as common as rice, Hineleban sees it as a possible Filipino staple food.
While it is not yet as common as rice, Hineleban sees it as a possible Filipino healthy staple food.
Chicken, Shrimp, and Fish Curry Adlai Bowl (P250).
The sauce is what you would expect from a typical curry stew with hints of ginger. A lot of us liked the mix of flavors that went especially well with the chicken, fish, and shrimp.
Longganisa Hubad (P250).
They also have breakfast adlai bowls such as the hubad na longganisa and their adlai tapa that is made by their consultant, Sabrina Artadi. These breakfast meats have no preservatives in them and are both homemade.
While the longganisa was garlicky and delicious, the real standout is their adlai tapa.
Adlai Tapa (P250).
I have to admit that I’ve been to Hineleban a few times and I’ve always ordered this dish because of how well the flavors of the tapa with vinegar and atsara (pickled papaya) blend together.
They also serve this with egg cooked the way you want it. Our recommendation is to get it with the salted egg. It’s the best way to eat it with the perfectly cooked adlai.
Herbed Mushroom over Ciabatta (P170).
For those looking to get a lighter bite, the café serves sandwiches. It has cheese with the mushroom and it’s a pleasantly light dish, definitely only for merienda.
Final Thoughts
The coffee is good and the adlai dishes are great but the real reason you have to visit Hineleban Café is the cause behind it.
With every cup of coffee they serve is a story that comes with it. With every cup comes several tribes whose lives have been improved with the partnership they have with Hineleban. With every cup comes Hineleban’s commitment to quality every step of the way.
So we urge you to visit not just to enjoy the coffee and the food but to also learn about what goes behind making that cup that we too often consume without thought.
Congratulations to Claudia and Perrine family for bringing Hineleban Cafe in Manila!
HINELEBAN CAFÉ
Ground Floor, 830 Arnaiz Avenue (formerly Pasay Road), Makati City
Email: mothertreeventures@gmail.com
Telephone: +632 816-4772
Facebook: Hineleban Cafe
Instagram: @hinelebancafe
Website: http://hineleban.org/
Operating Hours: Monday to Friday (7 am – 9 pm), Saturday – Sunday (9 am – 7 pm)
Related Blog Post: Philippine Artisan Trade (PH@): Secret Batala Bar, Bambike, & Art Gallery in Makati!
Live an Awesome Life,
KRIS LANDRITO of TEAM OUR AWESOME PLANET
Disclosure: Our meal was courtesy of Hineleban Cafe. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.
P.S. Hineleban Café also sells bags of their beans that you can brew at home. When you purchase a bag, Hineleban Foundation will plant a tree on your behalf as part of their Sip and Reforest Program.
You can also name the tree and see it for yourself on their website. Please visit http://hineleban.org/