Naga City - Different strokes for different folks. Perhaps this is why Nagueños continue to put up coffee shops in Naga catering to the different personalities there are in this small city. While the obvious thing is many of us love coffee, why do we still keep on having our caffeine fix outside the comforts of our home? A question where senior parents often ask to the young ones today. Many of us look for our "third place" (pardon Starbucks for borrowing your coined words) that is after our homes and school/work place. Secondary to the food and coffee, we value the experience that we get from the place, something that we don't get while having a cup of coffee at home.
*UPDATE Aug. 28, 2015*
Anthosia Cafe V. 2.0 is now at Taal Avenue, Corner Bulusan St. Naga City
CLICK HERE for the newest blog post about Anthosia Cafe.
September of 2014 a coffee shop along Panganiban Drive opened its doors to Naguenos named Anthosia Café mainly owned by a laywer and photographer, Atty. Allan Macaraig. It is a law office by morning and coffee shop by afternoon until night time. Now what is the café all about?
Though love is in a heart shape, Robert Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love, that is love with PASSION, INTIMACY and COMMITMENT, fits Anthosia Café well enough because of the following reasons:
Passion for coffee and food.
Intimacy for customers. Customers are allowed to express and de-stress in an artistic way.
Commitment for local and national artists and their art in all forms.
Kape, tsa'a, at iba ang kwento ng pag-ibig. Anthosia is becoming a place for the romantics, hopeless romantics, the hopeful, the friend-zoned, the single, the taken and the taken for granted and ______(insert your current status and mood).
Organized mess. Anthosia has a "mess" that only people who loves art in all forms will understand. A mess that is positive that will let you appreciate anything that you see and hear inside the shop. The whole coffee shop is full of stories from all the four corners of the room, the walls and even the ceiling. The space is amazingly maximized. Old cameras, phone, interesting books, vinyls and a turntable, photos, paintings, toys that will bring you back to 90's and whatnots.
Little space means more intimate moments. Limited tables and chairs inside the coffee shop is something that the patrons of Anthosia got used to. The room is divided into four areas which can basically accommodate four groups of people with at least 4 to 5 persons. Sabi nga sa Dream Dad na teleserye, "Sa tamang panahon", in the right time you'll be able to own a corner in Athosia and have your me/we time and enjoy what Anthosia has to offer. In due time you'll surely chance upon a seat vacant for you, patience is a virtue. Anthosia did not dream of having too much space, having a small place will mean a chance for customers to gain new friends. Little space will mean more INTIMATE connection with the place itself and the people around you.
There are also tables and chairs outside the coffee shop, right enough for customers who smoke. As of writing, a long table has been added outside to better serve the increasing number of customers.
Care to add more books? Yes you can donate!
Love can be as simple as one solid and one liquid. Choosing your food in Anthosia is very simple. Drinks in hot or cold, food in pasta, pizza and a little bit of pastries. Limited choices does not mean poor options because just like love, it shouldn't be complicated. It's easier to choose in an unassuming menu, but true to Anthosia's desire, they can give you their best PASSION for food and coffee. The theme of Anthosia basically covers Philippine heroes, honored Bicolanos and artists both local and national. Just look at how the food were ingenuously named.
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| Anthosia offers Coffee, Tea, Pizza and Pasta and everything in between. |
Pricing is VERY affordable. All you need is at least P50 for the drinks and a pasta or pizza for only P120. I must say that their pasta so far has the most ample serving size for a price of P120 among the coffee shops in Naga City.
"Pan de Oriang", the heart-shaped pizza of Anthosia named after Andres Bonifacio's wife. This is one of the best sellers of the shop. Not only that it's VERY affordable but it also tastes good. On the photo is the "Lakambini" version. They also serve "Salawahan" Pan de Oriang, with two flavors in one. Now you know why it's called salawahan.
Drinks are now served in Mason Jars.
Maria Pasta Suplada (Linguine + tuna + marinara + Paprika + Parmesan)
Kape Senyorita (Espresso + Chocolate Milk + Macadamia)
Tarraleaf is Anthosia's House Blend Cold Tea. The classic glass were now replaced with Mason Jars. This was during my first visit. Pinoy fries bears the Ph flag of course!
Hasta Pasta Siempre
(Linquine + tuna + white sauce, sweet + parmesan)
Spanky Rigor (Pasta)
A poem written on the ceiling and a blackboard for special and "limited edition menu".
I was able to try the Spanky Rigor pasta before and it was good (Photo below)
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| Spanky Rigor pasta |
Two of my favorite displays in Anthosia, the turntable and the classic telephone. Though the turntable is a new one with digital features, I could not help but miss our own turntable with stereo when I was little. We still have lots of vinyls at home and maybe one day I could buy a new turntable for my parents. We all know that a sound from a vinyl is entirely different and for me it touches the soul of a person in a different kind of way. To satisfy my curiosity, I used the phone and called our office, it's in perfect condition!
Do they look familiar to you?
Express and De-stress. If you are aware of Displacement as a defense mechanism which involves taking out frustrations on people or objects that are less threatening, one can somehow do it in Anthosia. How? Let's say someone broke your heart, you can:
1. Order a Pan de Oriang, the heart-shaped pizza and be the one to slice it. Imagine that it's his/her heart and not yours please. Remember that it's only a symbolic way of taking out your frustrations.
2. Write a note or a poem for that someone. Like this -->
3. Browse the notes and scribbles of the customers. You'll be relieved that you are not alone, others might have a more heartbreaking experience than yours, be thankful.
Remember that you can write or draw anything, if you're feeling fine, then write something positive, your happy thoughts and illustrations can brighten up someone's gloomy day. But then again, at the end of the day continue to fight those negative emotions, Anthosia will not solve your problems, they will only give you an avenue to express and de-stress.
Commitment to local artists. While well known artists are enjoying the limelight, Anthosia has been very supportive to local artists. They feature artists every month and this strengthens and inspires Naguenos and Bicolanos in a very good way. Get in touch with Anthosia and share your art.
Check out this campaign for the month of April
In the spirit of promoting literature and the arts, Anthosia Café will accept, from April 1-30, 2015 (National Literature Month), a poem or a drawing in exchange for a cup of brewed coffee, tablea, or hot tea. Please ask the barista for the Kaperaso notebook (270mmx380mm sketch pad with the above as first page).Mabuhay po kayo!
Kaperaso
Kape + Tsa'a: Obra sa Baso
Special mention to Direk Kristian Cordero for sharing with us this worthy exercise
SOURCE: Anthosia Café Facebook Page
I'm not a poet nor an artist, I hope I gave justice to what Anthosia is worth. This is the only way I can help spread the worthy cause of the café. I hope I also get a cup of coffee for this? Haha But kidding aside, I can truly say that Anthosia is more than the coffee. Oh and by the way, I have recently noticed that Anthosia is also promoting other coffee shops in Naga through their Facebook page. This gave me the perfect sign to finally feature them. I have been following the growth of Bicol Brands ever since I started NCD. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Anthosia is the first coffee shop who promoted it's supposedly competitors in the café industry here in Naga. I truly admire Anthosia for this move.
A word of thanks also to RJ for the table reservations whenever I and my friends visit Anthosia. More power to Anthosia Café! Mabuhay ang mga Bicolano artists!
So there you go guys, if you haven't visited Anthosia yet, it's never too late!
*UPDATE Aug. 28, 2015*
Anthosia Cafe V. 2.0 is now at Taal Avenue, Corner Bulusan St. Naga City
CLICK HERE for the newest blog post about Anthosia Cafe.
Anthosia Café
Panganiban Drive, Naga City (in front of NIA)(+054) 881 1805
anthosiacafe@gmail.com
Instagram: @anthosiacafe #anthosiacafe
Law Office Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00 am - 12:00 nn
Café Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
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