Sulawesi brew and lip-smacking Wagyu Yakinuku Bento in a Kissaten in Makati

Bryan Chua is a self-confessed coffee crawler. His olfactory membrane, so to speak, is keenly developed—he can smell the best roast anywhere in the world. Whatever brew he finds, he shares it with the rest through Key Coffee Kissaten, a coffee shop that recently opened its third branch in Glorietta 2, Makati City, near Holiday Inn.

Key Coffee, said Bryan, is one of Japan’s oldest and most respected coffee roasters, with more than 100 years of history. The Philippine franchise is a modern take on the famous kissa, Japan’s traditional coffee shop.

He’s also a foodie, a worshipper of good food. As a businessman with sophisticated taste buds, Bryan—president of Boosterfoods Inc., the umbrella company of foodie spots like Key Coffee Kissaten and Duck & Buvette (the restaurant that serves the rock-star duck confit—knows that the best way to serve enticing food is by collaborating with excellent local chefs. So, at his newest restaurant, the coffee shop is not without the best meal.

To prove a point, here’s a quick bite. A tad tangy with umami-rich taste describes the Yuzu Karaage. The ginger-garlic marinated chicken dish is made more appetizing with homemade yuzu sauce. Lip smacking. And we are only in the appetizer.

Then there’s a quick sip of Toarco Toraja Cofee, from Sulawesi, Indonesia and is one of the best that Key Coffee roasts.

“Though Japan does not grow coffee, it has nevertheless the best craftsmen who roast coffee beans. And these are the most flavorful coffee beans from all over the world, like Indonesia, Colombia, and Guatemala that are brought to Japan for roasting.”

At Key Coffee Kissaten, Toarco Toraja is not just any blend; it has a story to tell. “After World War II, almost all the coffee plantations were left unfarmed and this rare coffee was almost lost, until in 1978, Key Coffee made it a mission to reintroduce this coffee for everyone to enjoy,” Bryan said.

The caffeine experience at Key Coffee Kissaten is on high gear as it serves hand-dripped and siphon-brewed coffee. Its Blue Mountain blend is all about smooth, balanced and premium flavor. If you opt for Dark Kissa Blend No. 8, you will savor a rich, dark roast that is an ode to traditional Japanese coffee shop flavors.

There are T’boli, Cololombian and Ethiopian coffee blends as well—and the list gets long.

Key Coffee Kissaten is a partnership among Bryan, his wife Kathleen Joy Chua and brothers Marvin and Jamieson Chua. They are joined by chefs Mianne Manguiat (as corporate head chef) and Alexa Versoza (as commissary and R&D head).

Each branch of Key Coffee Kissaten is a community space where café, dining, and bar culture come together under one roof. EC Studio architects Noel and Yolanda Bernardo designed the uppity industrial yet homey look and feel of the Makati restaurant.

“This branch in Makati is called Key Coffee: Ginza Salon and pays homage to Japan’s Showa era Ginza where the most upscale kissatens were first introduced. The food and drinks we prepared for this branch stay true to that heritage of being more upscale and more refined (quiet luxury) for the discerning Makati market. Dishes like our premium wagyu bento sets and our coffee pairing bento are exclusive to our Makati branch,” said Marvin.

For the main dish, Key Coffee Kissaten in Makati serves the Wagyu Yakiniku Bento consisting of marinated wagyu striploin, onion yakiniku sauce, steak rice, assorted okazu and miso soup. Divine.

There’s also the Wagyu Tataki Bento, a heavenly experience of grilled A4 wagyu striploin, soy-garlic sauce, white rice, assorted okazu and miso soup.

And if it’s raw meat that you fancy, the Wagyu Tartare Bento suits your tatstebuds—what with the tender and mouthwatering raw marinated A5 wagyu picanha (the prized rump cap or top sirloin cap).

Seafood lovers will find delight with the restaurant’s Grilled Cod Bento. Its Crab Ikura Udon is a magical marriage of fresh, handmade udon noodles, crab-fat sauce, lumps of crab and ikura. What a delicious pop the ikura creates in the palate; the taste of the sea is refreshing in these orange salmon eggs.

The sweet endings at Key Coffee Kissaten—be it in Mitsukoshi Mall in BGC, Opus Mall in Quezon City or in Glorietta 2 in Makati City—are always a come-on, a crowd drawer themselves.

Key Coffee Jelly and Panna Cota is a heavenly mix of bittersweet coffee jelly and milk custard slightly drenched in amaretto syrup. The Mango Motchi Crema Parfait is a delicious incantation of citrus cream, cinnamon toffee sauce, mochi and matcha ice cream.