DINING | The Coffee Library in San Juan, La Union

halfwhiteboy - the coffee library san juan la union 01
The 2nd floor of Surf Town's The Coffee Library.

Everyone seems to be flocking to La Union these days, San Juan in particular. Now where do you get your coffee fix there? El Union probably? But there's another coffee shop in the area, located right along the highway--The Coffee Library.

Interiors and ambiance
Unlike the carefree beach vibe of the more popular El Union, The Coffee Library is cut out of the same template as most coffee shops that it's easy to forget you're in Surf Town.

Wood, though light-toned, permeates the two-storey space, complemented well by its cream-colored walls where several Southeast Asian rugs are hung for decor. But unlike some cafes that espouse mood lighting and a little darkness, The Coffee Library is bright and airy, bookended by floor-to-ceiling glass windows that allow lots of natural light in. They also have outdoor sections on both front and rear of the cafe.

halfwhiteboy - the coffee library san juan la union 02
The Coffee Library facade.

halfwhiteboy - the coffee library san juan la union 03
Seating by the entrance, with the counter on the right.

halfwhiteboy - the coffee library san juan la union 04
The space is bright and airy.

halfwhiteboy - the coffee library san juan la union 05
At the garden at the back of the cafe. I'm just not sure if they also serve customers here.

The overall vibe is still relaxed but a little more polished than its San Juan counterparts. My main complaint, however, lies in the absence of a clean and decent restroom. It was just yuck.

Where to stay in San Juan, La Union?
Check out: Flotsam & Jetsam Artist Beach Hostel: Nice and hip place to stay in San Juan, La Union, BUT...

Food and service
The cafe offers Vietnamese, Filipino, Italian, and Turkish coffee, plus tea, frappes, chocolate, juices, and smoothies. We ordered Vietnamese coffee (Php 80) because we love it and thankfully it was good enough.

What's confusing about this place, though, is that it offers rice meals like pork chop, beef salpicao, and even kare-kare! I mean, the salads, sandwiches, and pasta may be normal coffee shop fare but kare-kare? They even have pizza and pho. What's good, however, is that they're reasonably priced.

Ironically it's in the dessert department where they're seriously lacking. You expect lots of pastries from a coffee shop but no, they only offer s'mores and a la mode versions of crispy suman, apple pie, and turon. That's it.

halfwhiteboy - the coffee library san juan la union 06
Their take on a deconstructed s'mores dessert, turon a la mode, and Vietnamese coffee.

We tried their version of deconstructed s'mores (Php 95) and turon a la mode (Php 95). Sadly the former is not up to par with its San Juan neighbor. The chocolate wasn't melted thoroughly, which I blame on the type of dish they used, a ceramic bowl that was way too deep to afford a proper melt. The turon wasn't much of a delight either. The only saving grace was the Vietnamese coffee.

Service was just about right in terms of efficiency. Thank heavens they're not like the other restos in the area!

******************************
In hindsight
The Coffee Library is a fairly nice place for hanging out, however confused they are with the food that they serve. Well at least you have a go-to place when you're really hungry and want "real food." Even though it doesn't speak of a beach vibe you'd expect from a place like San Juan, it's still worth a try. For coffee at least. And oh, I hope they provide a proper restroom for customers.

facebook.com/thecoffeelibrarysjlu

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

LOOKBOOK | Barong Tagalog and sneakers for 'Buwan ng Wika'

Image
Looking oh, so dignified here. Although the celebrations are normally concentrated in elementary schools, August is Buwan ng Wika (Language Month) in the Philippines. Along with dressing up in various traditional Filipino costumes, schools usually hold programs and contests showcasing the national language and traditional Filipino songs and dances. Our department decided to join in the fun by designating a special day yesterday where everyone was required to wear a traditional Filipino costume reinterpreted for modern times. Two years ago when we first held this event, I found myself wearing an ethnic-designed shirt with a malong . This year I decided on a Barong Tagalog , considered our national formal wear for men. But no one wants to go all formal on a Friday, so I wore my Barong Tagalog with sneakers . I thought, if a full-on suit works just fine with sneakers, a barong would be just as perfect with this type of footwear.
Read more

FRAGRANCE | Green Cedar EDT by Bench: An environmentally-conscious offering from the Philippines' premier retail brand

Image
A few weeks ago, I found myself wandering inside Bench Powerplant Mall. And what else would catch my eye but two fragrances by their lonesome twosome, positioned far away from the rest of the brand's scent offerings. They're Basil & Neroli and Green Cedar , both EDTs and part of the  Bench Better Made line . The frags are purported to be vegan and cruelty-free. They come in 125ml dark brown glass bottles and brown paper cylindrical boxes. Nice packaging there except for the cheap, plastic cap. No big deal, though, since they're just Php 428 apiece. 
Read more

FRAGRANCE | Rajo Uno EDT by Bench: An inexpensive local gem

Image
Philippine retail giant Bench has been many a high schooler's go-to shop for cheap colognes, myself included. And even during my college years, Bench has remained a staple. I remember  Bench Ei8ht was very popular with many people back then although my favorites were their body sprays Cielo and L'Amoureux . Through the years their roster of fragrances has only grown by leaps and bounds, with a lot of them made in collaboration with celebrities and fashion designers like Rajo Laurel .
Read more