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Coffee culture is a large part of our food scene for several reasons: the first of which is that we’re always on the lookout for a place to stay at, to read a book, to work, or to meet with loved ones. Preferably with good coffee, good food, and good ambiance.
But rarely do we find an assuming resto-cafe pulsing with so much passion; whether for food, for coffee, or for the arts. Buku-Buku Kafe is all of the above – a creative haven for families, barkadas, dates, bookworms, and artists eager to collaborate and create, with exceptional comfort food to boot.
Book a table and get a P250 off!
From the very beginning, it was always a family affair. Inspired by the travels and experiences of the whole Santiago family, siblings Jessica and Nico and their mom Lyn wanted to create a space close to home that would encourage artists in their community to collaborate over good food. Their first branch was in SM Dasmariñas, Cavite in 2015 before expanding and sharing the love at SM Southmall, Las Piñas.
One look at the many book shelves and even a book chandelier featured in their SM Southmall branch, and it comes to no surprise that it was originally a book cafe. Their father came up with the name – working in Malaysia for five years, they were talking about the cafe via FaceTime, and he suggested Buku-buku kafe, literally meaning “books cafe” in Bahasa.
Fun fact: Some of the books scattered around are their actual childhood books! You can see some title pages scribbled with their names.
The concept of a book cafe quickly evolved on its own into an arts resto-cafe. They left most of the books in the shelves and started offering arts and crafts materials for sale. The walls are also decorated with photos and artwork by artists they’ve met along their way.
Building a safe space for expression, music, poetry, and crafts, they make it a point to interact and collaborate with the various people they meet. They also host music nights, open mic events, and workshops.
While other cafes might have their brews and blends at the forefront of the menu with food available for the sake of having food, Buku-Buku Kafe puts the spotlight on theirs. Serving Filipino comfort food, they put a Southeast Asian twist that opens the doors to other cuisines and cultures but are still made approachable to our palate.
With a lot of Malaysian-inspired dishes due to their father’s background, they also offer many vegan, vegatarian, and pescatarian options as well including their must-tries like Vegan Quesadillas, Tuna Benedict, and Black Ear Mushroom Noodles. But whatever you end up ordering, unbuckle your belts because the servings are large – perfect for a big barkada or a really hungry date.
I Love You, Tofu
Filling balls of tofu served with sweet & spicy sauce, fresh coriander, and delicious mushroom rice.
Buy 1 Get 1 for onlyP350P175!
Crispy Mushroom Rice
Oyster mushrooms fried in gravy and served with salted egg sauce over a steaming cup of plain rice.
Buy 1 Get 1 for onlyP210P105!
Tsokolate-eh
A hot cup of locally blended table cacao
Buy 1 Get 1 for onlyP198P99!
Book a table, get a discount, and even get free dessert if you answer a survey right after your meal!
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(02) 805 4632; (046) 424 0681
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