I went home to Las Piñas for the weekend to spend time with Mr. Wiggles, the puppy Jericho and I had adopted. I usually go home on weekends now to spoil the little guy with treats, hugs, and lots of love! This particular weekend, we took a drive around BF Resort looking for a place to just hang out, and came across Mystic Brew Café and Curios.
Were were actually looking for the Peaberry Cafe, a place we had featured on Groupon Philippines when I still worked for the company, and was surprised to see Mystic Brew there instead. Turns out (at least according to our server), they're under the same management, but one of the owners had a different point-of-view on what they wanted for the look and look and feel of the place, and came up with the Mystic Brew instead.
I don't get the red wayfarer glasses. Maybe it's a mystic feng shui thing? You can see their poster is chock full of Illuminati symbolism - the sun representing Orisis, the Sphinx, the butterfly, the Mesepotamian dude whose name I forgot - all in red wayfarers! Très bizarre.
I didn't quite understand why they called themselves the Mystic Brew until I stepped inside of the café. It was like everything that was considered occult just vomited on the walls and tables of the space. The vibe was more psychedelic-Brit-hippie-in-the-70s than anything else. It's kind of cool yet slightly creepy.
We checked out their box shop filled with teapots, bird cages, and other doodads. What I found amusing was that they also sold custom-made wands. That should be a sure buy for little kids and die-hard Potter fans. Or crazy kooks who think they're wizards and want something better than a twig to fling around.
Their MP3 player was blasting Beatles songs the entire time we were there, which gave us the feeling of being in London back in the '70s, especially with the downpour outside. Ah, London - grey, soggy, and the perfect backdrop for anything to do with witchcraft and wizardry.
After getting an eyeful of their quirky decor, we were really looking forward to what they would be serving up! Skipping the sandwiches and pasta, I opted for their Gingerbread Latte (P100), Jericho got a Butterscotch Blended Drink (P140), and we shared an order of Funnel Cake (P120).
Alas, the decor was deceiving, and the drinks and dessert didn't live up to our expectations. When I think Gingerbread Latte, I can't help but think of Starbucks version: a thick, foamy, Christmas-y latte. What I got was a small cup with what tasted like instant coffee with a dash of cinnamon. If this isn't instant, then can somebody please tell me why it tasted so watered down?
Jericho's Butterscotch Blended Drink fared slightly better. We'd try to scoop up some of the whipped cream on top with our straw and take a sip of the drink. That is until he was halfway though it and realized all that was left in the glass was whipped cream and ice. All the butterscotch syrup ended up at the bottom of the glass as well, which was a very unpleasant surprise for him.
The Funnel Cake was more like an oversized Belgian waffle covered with confectionery's sugar and chocolate syrup. It was ok, considering that the place is a hole-in-the-wall in suburbia, but I guess we were disappointed because the decor with the magnifying glasses, Chinese checker marbles, and tarot cards oversold itself in terms of their look, but grossly underdelivered with their offerings. Kudos to the staff though, for knowing their stuff, what to recommend, and excellent service!
The Mystic Brew didn't cast it's spell on me or Jericho, but the cafe has a lot of promise. I'd definitely come back here again if I find myself mucking around Las Piñas, once they sort out their menu. They've invested a lot in the look, what about investing in a decent chef to create Mystic Brew specials rather then your boring, run-of-the-mill pastas, sandwiches, and rice toppings?
*Update: We went back a few months later for lunch and to use their wi-fi, and it seems their food selection just got weirder. I tried their Sausage with Mystic Glaze, excited to see what their take on bangers and mash would be, but was once again sorely disappointed when I got served with that thing you see below.
Now tell me that isn't just the saddest bunch of sausages you have ever seen. After I got over the badly executed presentation and got to tasting the food - it was alright. The sausages were nicely spiced and the Mystic Sauce to be more sweet than savory (great for very Filipino taste buds) while the mashed potatoes came off as a bit dry. Oh well, they tried.
Mystic Brew Café and Curios
511 Capitoline Hills St.,
BF Resort Village, Las Piñas
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday: 11am - 12am
Saturday: 11am - 2am
