Review: Seattle’s Best New Brownie Javakula Collection
Restaurant Background
Founded in the 1970s, Seattle’s Best first found its way to the Philippines in the year 2000. Its first store was located along E. Rodriguez in Quezon City. Of course, in the 24 years since it’s been here, Seattle’s Best has expanded beyond the north and is now dotted around Metro Manila. For our taste test, we headed to their Valero branch, located in Makati City.
Vibe and Venue
With multiple branches around the country’s central business district, Seattle’s Best has become an obvious favorite among professionals. Their Valero branch has become a top spot for meetings, lunches, or merienda coffee runs. Bathed in warm light and furnished with fashionable grey walls, the Valero site is both cozy and modern. Aside from the usual couches and tables, it also offers patrons a smoking lounge for guests who need to unwind.
The Menu and Its Highlights
Imbibing the creative spirit of its namesake city, Seattle’s Best offers seasonal drinks that are sweet, fun, and indulgent. This quarter, they introduce their newest menu: the Brownie Javakula collection. They come in four iterations of remastered dessert drinks, all of which come with a coffee base. You can find the Classic Brownie, the Brownie Walnut, the Blondie Brownie, and the Cream Cheese Brownie at Seattle’s Best branches around the city.
Before this latest introduction, Seattle’s Best had come up with a Ghirardelli milkshake and chocolate drink collection, an Ube Deluxe collection, and even a summer milkshake collection that featured avocado and sweet corn flavored beverages.
How Much Does It Cost
The Brownie Javakula line follows the same cost as Seattle’s Best regular Javakula flavors. The Classic Brownie variant goes for P225 while the rest of the menu comes up to P245. Those who frequent the coffee shop know that other drinks – from their iced and hot beverages to their Italian sodas – have a typical price point between P160 to P250.
Pastries are understandably less expensive, with sweet treats and savory bites costing anywhere from P70 to P150. Of course, expect to pay more for meals such as pasta, paninis, and breakfast skillets as these usually retail between P200 to P300.
What We Tried
We begin a very filling meal with a sip from every variant of the Brownie Javakula Collection. First up, the Classic Brownie Javakula and its nutty counterpart, the Walnut Brownie.
The difference is found in the syrup: while the former is made with vanilla, the latter features a couple or so pumps of walnut syrup. Both are topped with delicious, chewy brownies and whipped cream but only the Classic comes with a chocolate sauce drizzle.
Chocolatey and sweet, the Classic Brownie is slightly sweeter than the Walnut, with a more straightforward taste. Those looking for a nostalgic childhood drink can expect to be comforted with this one, no doubt. Meanwhile, the Walnut Brownie iteration carries more depth, with just a hint of that fun, nutty aftertaste.
Our personal favorite, however, has to be the Blondie Brownie Javakula. Firstly, the blondies on top are insanely delicious. We were genuinely disappointed not to see a full blondie for sale on the pastry display. These bites were chewy and sweet, and come freshly baked with an aroma of vanilla. Compared to the previous two we tried, the Blondie Brownie drink has a lighter taste profile, almost akin to white chocolate. The beverage is further flavored with vanilla syrup and blondie bits – an absolute hit.
Lastly, the Cream Cheese Brownie Javakula. Though this drink looks simpler than the others – without the grandiose whipped cream topping – it does come with a generous layer of indulgent cream cheese. The taste profile for this particular Javakula leans more towards a mocha than a chocolate; it’s also something of a textural treat as bits of brownies make for a fun cooler that add a bit of bite.
Of course, we couldn’t go without trying some items off the food menu. We start off with an egg sandwich. Creamy, egg salad is sandwiched between the café’s signature buttery soft croissant. Those looking for something filling – think: cream, mayonnaise, and butter – are sure to enjoy this as a pick-me-up.
This was followed by a personal favorite: the smoked salmon and cream cheese panini. This offering comes with a side of crunchy potato chips (vacuum sealed in a bag if enjoyed for take-out). The best part about this sandwich is the generous portion of cream cheese and smoked salmon, both of which taste incredibly fresh too. To balance the rich taste, the panini also comes with shredded lettuce.
Seattle’s Best also serves up a new menu of delectable offerings that you can’t miss: pasta. We first sampled the Cajun pasta; it is a linguine dish that comes as a filling main. It is topped with bacon and slices of schublig for added protein. Served with buttered Ciabatta sticks, it is both creamy and spicy, a fantastic balance that is best enjoyed with a cold drink.
Lastly, the truffle pasta. This recipe is something of a classic; while many restaurants have their own take on it, Seattle’s Best offers their very own, made with al dente penne. Aromatic mushrooms take center stage on this cream-based pasta. Subtle hints of truffle and generous portions of bacon bits add depth of flavor too. The dish also comes with buttered Ciabatta sticks to make for a hearty entrée.
Location: Seattle’s Best Valero, Ponte Salcedo, Salcedo Village, 120 Valero, Makati, Metro Manila
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