We’re fans of UCC’s Hubert Young’s taste for good Japanese food, like UCC’s Tan Tan Mian Tonkotsu Ramen and MITSUYADO SEI-MEN’s Double Cheese Sauce TSUKEMEN!
So when we heard about his new venture, MENTORÉ, we decided to visit their standalone store beside Fairmont. We hesitated at first because it highlights itself as a “Coffee + Bar”, but I’m glad we still went because they actually have a full line-up of the latest in Japanese cuisine.
It’s a nice place to hang out with friends or meet with business partners over good coffee and a yummy selection of Japanese food.
Check out our MENTORÉ experience…
MENTORÉ’s flagship store is a bit intimidating to go to at first, especially with the kids.
The ground floor has a Coffee Bar Laboratory where they showcase the different methods of brewing your coffee.
They offer 5 different ways to enjoy coffee (from mildest to strongest):
- SYPHON – Highly charismatic visual appeal in coffee making. Produces a smoot medium body and flavorful cup using a medium ground coffee. Best with high acidity coffees.
- POUR OVER – Basically the drip method, a cone-shaped paper filter is utilized to extract coffee. Water at off-the-boil is carefully spread over medium fine grind coffee with an unfailingly clear, fragrant, and seductive coffee cup.
- WATER DRIP – Precisely measured cold water is allowed to drip over medium coarse ground coffee over 8 hours. This produces a brew which is silky with deep coffee notes without the usual acidity.
- FRENCH PRESS – First used in French restaurants. Uses a fine mesh filter plunger unit attached to the lid to separate ground coffee from hot boiling water. Uses coarse ground coffee and produces a heavy-bodied coffee.
- ESPRESSO – Coffee done with the espresso machine extracted from 7 grams of fine grind coffee at a temperature of 95 deg C with 9atm in 25-30seconds. Produces an ounce of very rich, syrupy, and robust brew. Not for the faint-hearted.
MENTORÉ COFFEE MENU: Crop to Cup (Story of Mentore UCC) | Coffee | Arranged Expresso | Tea and Chocolate Drinks, Juices/ Health Drinks, Soda/ Beer/ Wine
You can choose from their MENTORÉ signature blends or get one of the Single Origin coffees.
✮ Water Drip Mentore House Blend (P130 +10% service charge).
Tried the water drip house blend and it was very smooth, a bit strong, with just the right bitter aftertaste. Best appreciated if taken black.
There’s a corner private room at the ground floor that you can reserve.
(Downside is this table is near the restroom).
The second floor is a big dining area with a great view of the Raffles & Fairmont gardens.
For big groups, get this corner table for added privacy.
For families with kids, we recommend the couch table overlooking the first floor.
MENTORÉ FOOD MENU: Kobe Yoshoku Omurice | Yoshoku Spaghetti & Soup | Japanese Curry | Yoshoku Pilaf, Gratin and Doria | Grilled and Fried Food | Sandwich | Salad and Side Dish | Clair and Kobe Sweets
The food is Japanese Yoshoku food, which is contemporary Western food done the Japanese way.
✮ Mixed Fry Platter (P430 +10% service charge).
Our favorite in MENTORÉ! Chicken katsu with shrimp tempura, mashed potato, and vegetables. The meats are fried well, not too oily and with a light crunch, while still keeping the juiciness of the meat.
It comes with garlic toast. Good for sharing and great value for your money. 🙂
Shrimp Penne Gratin (P340 +10% service charge).
This is just like Carbonara with buttery, creamy Japanese white sauce and topped with melted cheese.
Just OK and a bit overpriced for the taste and size.
✮ Chicken Cutlet Japanese Curry with Rice (P400 +10% service charge). Thick, fragrant “curry meat-sauce” mildy spiced with a hint of sweetness, mixed with a variety of vegetables and protein, served over hot steamed rice.
We initially ordered the Pork Cutlet but the pork was too tough. They were gracious enough to replace with the chicken katsu version. I like the Japanese curry sauce, which is a little bit spicy.
Kobe Yoshoku Pork Omurice Special with Hamburg (P400 +10% service charge).
For something different, try the omelette stuffed with buttered tomato rice. It comes with two vegetable lumpia, tomato, and cucumber.
The hamburger tasted like it was mixed with vegetables or with extenders — it has a different aftertaste. But it tastes good if you put the special homemade Hayashi sauce.
I love the yummy cakes of UCC but we decided to try the new desserts on the menu.
✮ Clair Mango (P200 +10% service charge).
This crepe is served in a thin crispy waffle style, topped with frozen fruits, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce.
It’s an interesting twist to the normal waffle and crepe, not too heavy and just enough to satisfy your need for a sweet finish. And the boys loved it!
Mentoré Matcha Parfait (P230 +10% service charge).
The parfait was also interesting but you have to mix the cereals, red beans, and green matcha to experience all the flavors. Another sweet ending!
Mentoré is a nice place to have a satisfying meal, interesting desserts, and a good cup of coffee. My recommendations include the Mixed Fry with the Chicken Katsu, Clair Mango, and their Signature Blend & Single Origin Coffees. I love the standalone ambiance of the place with a great view of the gardens.
Budget is about P700/person.
MENTORÉ COFFEE + BAR
Park Terraces, Glorietta, Ayala Center
Park Drive corner West Street, Makati City
(beside Fairmont Hotel & Raffles Suites)
Related Blog Post:
Dude 4 Food | Elevating Your Coffee Experience at Mentore Coffee+Bar By UCC
✮ – Recommended
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
P.S. Also visit their SM Aura Premier Store located at SM Aura, C5 Road corner 26th Street,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
I hate when you highly recommending a specific dish (Mixed Fry Platter) and I cant see the substance on your photo, How I wish the restaurant / Cafe put some effort in making the plate more presentable.
Thanks Christian for the comment. I should have taken a better angle of this dish.
Anton