Located just by the entrance of Mission Hills Subdivision in Antipolo City, Roots and Herbs Coffee is the nearest coffee shop in my house. Most Restaurants and Coffee Shops in Antipolo City are located either at the Sumulong Highway overlooking area or in Antipolo Town Proper (or Bayan, as locals call it). Rarely can one encounter commercial food establishments operating in the upper part of the town.
Roots and Herbs Coffee Shop which boasts of serving healthy good quality coffee and dishes is one of the few.
I first heard of Roots and Herbs Coffee when I was still living in
Manila. They have a branch somewhere in Quezon City and some of my
friends swear by the goodness of their frappe including the interesting
Malunggay/Moringa Frappé. I never really had a chance to visit any of
their branch in Manila. Little did I know, the opportunity will present
itself when I'm already here in Antipolo.
This was the coffee shop I wanted to pay a visit after doing some grocery shopping in Rustan's Supermarket
at The Village Center but ended up dining at Marison's Filipino Restaurant instead. We had a great dinner at Marison's but we intended
to skip dessert since we were expecting to have some coffee frappé sweet
fix at Roots and Herbs Coffee.
Roots and Herbs Coffee Shop is big enough
to accommodate roughly 20 person by my estimate. There is an area just
right beside it which I was told functions and special occasions are
held. There is also al fresco dining area which is perfect if diners
wants to feel the cool Antipolo breeze while sipping their coffee.
Although
the location is slightly hidden, I often notice number of people coming
in and out of the place. That alone is a good indication that they must
be serving something good.
My dad who isn't really a big fan of anything sweet went for Roots and Herbs' Green Tea Lemon (Php48/small, Php88/big) and boy was it a big mistake! Judging by its look, I was already on the fence if it is indeed a legit green tea - those kinds we enjoy in other coffee shop and from the country where it comes from. Turns out, this green tea is Roots and Herbs own concoction. It is their own rendition of green tea and I respect that. But I am not really a fan.
It was too sweet for my liking considering I got a sweet tooth. It literally tasted like melted candy! We asked for an extra cup of hot water in the hope that it could be the saving grace of the tea but still, it tasted like candy. It was so sad we couldn't help but laugh it off because my dad was avoiding sugar like a plague and then he was served a tea that will put any candy to shame.
We were supposed to order some cakes but we were taken aback by the sweetness of the green tea we decided against it. My dad said, perhaps some other time when the sugar in his system brought by his super sweet green tea was already flushed out.
Since my father cannot refuse any sandwich which has cheese pimiento in it, especially those which are homemade, he had a serving of Cheese-Pimiento Pandesandwich (Php48). According to him, it somehow helped offset the sweetness of the tea. I tried a bite and I agree with him. It was not mind blowing yes, but it wasn't bad either. I love the thoughtful addition of lettuce. If only the bread wasn't toasted that much (I find the bread a tad hard to bite into) it could have been a perfect affordable sandwich treat.
After tasting the green tea, my mother and I were preparing ourselves to be disappointed for another sugar overdrive since we know that frappés are inherently sweet. Good thing though that we got it right this time.
My mother had Roots and Herb's Mocha Frappe (Php88) and she's happy with her choice. The coffee was not too strong nor it was too sweet. The quality and taste were at par with coffee shops with big names we usually go to when in Manila.
I on the other hand went for Roots and Herbs' Malunggay Coffee Frappe (Php88). The idea of combining coffee and malunggay in itself is weird, but then again, these days, malunggay is one of those healthy stuff you combine with other food for its health benefits. It was a first time for me to try malunggay and coffee combination and I find it surprisingly good and interesting.
The taste kind of reminds me of herbal coffee in sachets you can buy in health stores my mother used to buy in the past. Those kinds with Ganoderma ( I am not even sure what the hell that is, all I know is that it brings distinct taste to the coffee which is not that bad after all. And I was told it's healthy so, there.) Not a hint of herbal taste as I expected, but you know there's something in there more than the usual components that a coffee frappe has.
The taste kind of reminds me of herbal coffee in sachets you can buy in health stores my mother used to buy in the past. Those kinds with Ganoderma ( I am not even sure what the hell that is, all I know is that it brings distinct taste to the coffee which is not that bad after all. And I was told it's healthy so, there.) Not a hint of herbal taste as I expected, but you know there's something in there more than the usual components that a coffee frappe has.
So the Frappé at Roots and Herbs Coffee did not disappoint. I love the taste, thank goodness it wasn't overly sweet just like their green tea. They only have one serving size and it is as big as the Grande size from the famous green siren. For only Php88, it surely is affordable compared to other coffee shops.
Although the green tea was a tad disappointing, I like Roots and Herbs Coffee, all things considered. The prices are very affordable, the food attendants are efficient, although it would help if they'll be trained to smile to customers, and the place is nice and clean.
Had I not been out to try different
restaurants and coffee shops in Antipolo for my Antipolo Food Trip Blog Series, I can see myself visiting Roots and Herbs Coffee Shop more
often, after all, they're just near my house. A good friend who lives in
Antipolo informed me that Roots and Herbs Coffee also serves great
pasta dishes and rice meals, so I will definitely try them out next
time.
Roots and Herbs Coffee
AHEAD Bldg. (Near Transfiguration of Christ Parish)
Mission Hills Subd.
Antipolo City
Faceook: /rootsandherbsantipolo
