Being a resident of the City of Pines, I am in constant search for a cafe that suits my taste — one that serves good food, unforgettable drinks, and a “hard-to-leave” ambiance. Hatch Coffee is a cafe with a pretty laid-back vibe that is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the Baguio City life. If you are up for some peace and quiet, this might be your “perfect match”.
I was in Europe when I have heard of Hatch from a friend of mine. I was told that they serve some really nice cold brew and horchata that is why I was eager to try. I was planning to visit the café when I got back home, but then, covid pandemic happened forcing most (if not all) establishments to close or limit their service. So when cafes, restos and the like were allowed to operate again, I decided to finally push my long-overdue plan of trying out Hatch Coffee one Sunday afternoon.
Prior to my visit, I had to send them a message (IG account @hatchcoffeeph) to make reservations or to ask them for seat/ table availability. You have to do this because they are for everyone’s safety making sure that social distancing would be properly observed and that over-crowding will be prevented. As of the moment, they only accommodate around 10 people at a time.
It was raining when I arrived at Hatch with only 2 other people dining. I would have wanted to stay at the garden area but since it was raining, that wasn’t a good option. So I decided to stay by the bar which offers a pretty nice view of the entire place. It is a residential home converted into a café – just lovely!
Hatch offers several cold brew (black, latte, mocha), but the star of their café is the much talked about “hatchata’, Hatch’s version of horchata which is a traditional Mexican rice drink with cinnamon, and sugar. This was my outright choice since I ain’t really a fan of coffee and that for the longest time, I have been hoping we will have cafes in the city that offer more non-caffeinated drinks, in this case, horchata.
I got to try this drink for the first time in Madrid wayback 2018. The horchata they served me then was made of tiger nut instead of rice. Then, I got to taste the classic rice derived horchata in Barcelona last year. Both are actually good but the rice one tastes better at least for me. So, how did Hatch’s horchata fair? It’s pretty good – very refreshing even if it was a rainy afternoon, it didn’t bother me that I was drinking a cold horchata. It is something I don’t mind drinking all day long. Next time I come back, I will definitely try the “dirty” version of this drink.
So what food did I order to go with my horchata? A friend of mine suggested that I get their grilled cheese but being an avid fan of anything ube (purple yam), I was ready to ignore that suggestion and from the get-go, excited to taste their ube grilled cheese. So yes, I had ube grilled cheese which was truly palatine-satiating! The ube filling in between is generous. They also have longganisa and kimchi grilled cheese, something I would want to try next time.
I also ordered a piece of their calamansi tart, and calamansi muffin. The tart taste of these calamansi pastries came in as a surprise as they came off very natural. I prefer the muffin form over the tart though. They also have several cookies, and I bought a bag of their snickerdoodle cookies as a takeaway snack.
Hatch also serves burgers and sandwiches that you might want to pair up with various cold brew — which to some maybe an unlikely combination.
My tummy and my palate are happy that we have a new café in the city that is worth the moolah – from its drinks, food, and vibe… totally a match for my taste and liking.
Hatch Coffee is located along Easter Road (#135 to be exact), around 10-15 minutes away from the city center (depending on the traffic).
Update: You can also order from Hatch via FoodPanda. So in times like this, having these delicious drinks and food at the comfort of your own home, is a really good (and safe) idea.
Don’t be a wasted soul, be “juan”derlust. Take eat easy.
