Valerie Caulin

With my site’s tagline “freelance writer and coffee addict”, it’s not unusual for me to write a post about coffee. My entries revolving around my Silay and Talisay trip may seem overrated or long overdue but my short trip to those cities gave me countless tales to share.

One of these was our coffee experience and for any real coffee lover, not just  for those who drink for the sake of looking “intellectual” or European; native coffee is the king of the brews..Our coffee experience in Silay City was nothing fancy like any coffee shop sprouting all over the country but purely good coffee–the aroma, the “body” and of course, the flavor.

The island of Negros is not just known for sugarcane  plantations and sugar but for coffee lovers too. Even before the neo-colonialism of Starbucks in the country and the pop culture of drinking coffee; Negrenses as the locals are known have been enjoying their coffee all throughout the day and households roast and brew their own coffee. And so when I started planning for our trip, I was listing down coffee as one of the “things to do”.

It may be on top of my list but we did it almost at the end of our trip. But as the common saying goes, “it’s worth the wait”!.

Kapehan Sang Silay, is like the official coffeehouse in the city with the affluent mixing with the “common” people. When we woke up a little bit late than we planned, we went straight to Kapehan Sang Silay. From afar, you can see some nice cars parking in front of a modest establishment and when we entered, there was really no fancy with the interiors. The cafe was so simple and the people though looking at us were so laid back puffing their cigarettes and as I assume discussing the day’s affairs of cockfighting and harvests..

When we got our coffee..it was a sight to behold. The color of the coffee and its distinct native aroma was heaven for me. Forgive me for I can’t find another word to describe my first sip..it was “orgasmic”.

The placewas very simple with the best coffee..people visit the cafe simply for their coffee as observed by my companion. It was also a time for me to let my “neophyte” coffee-lover friend to distinguish native from instant coffee; and it took him another cup to taste the difference ( he was busy taking his shots that his first cup was cold when he had the chance to drink it).

I guess, it was the best part of our trip and there was a reason why we had our coffee during our last day. What a perfect way to “end” our trip in the memorable cities of Silay and Talisay with a cup of native coffee..how I wish the rest of my coffee-lover friends were there to sip the peninsulares of the coffee world.

When I got home,  I never had another cup of coffee for that day( I usually have 3-4 cups in a day)..the coffee I had in Silay perked me up throughout the day. And I hesitated to make another cup of instant Nescafe, I felt like betraying the native coffee of Negros.

To end this somewhat boring travelogue with coffee addicts can only relate to…if you are in Silay, drop a visit to Kapehan sa Silay which is just across the Parish church of the city to have the best coffee break.

Photos by: Ace Francisco