Handcrafted brunch creations at Artesa Deli + Coffee, Kapitolyo

In Kapitolyo, Pasig’s foodie haven, a new mecca for brunch-aholics and more has just opened its doors.

Called Artesa Deli + Coffee (and named after the Catalan word for “handcrafted”), this cafe elevates the casual and leisurely brunch out into an artform.

Founded by three friends – Mikho Villarosa, Edrian Chua and Jef Lim – Artesa elevates seeks to be Kapitolyo’s one-stop shop for high-quality, curated yet reasonably priced coffee and food products.

My friends from #WeLoveToEatPH and #SaanSaPH and I recently visited Artesa Deli + Coffee for a late brunch experience, where we were treated to:

Chimichurri Burger (Php175). A juicy patty of 100% US beef cooked to medium doneness topped with pickled cucumbers, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, and house-made chimichurri sauce with a side of crispy fried wonton chips.

Cubano (Php235). One of the cafe’s best-selling sandwiches, this dish features ham and fork-tender, smokey pulled pork accompanied by pickled cucumbers and cheddar cheese in a lightly buttered and pressed Cuban bread and also with a side of those addictive fried wonton chips.

By the way, Artesa’s sandwiches are all buildable which means that you can customize your sandwich by adding-on items such as extra beef patties, fried chicken fillets, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, bacon strips or fried egg.

Tomato Gravy Rice with Chicken (Php220). A tender fillet of chicken is battered, panko-crusted and shallow-fried to a crispy golden brown before being placed on top of steamed rice drenched in a savory yet slightly tangy gravy of beef drippings, tomato and spices, then garnished with corn kernels.

For dessert, we had a a rich New York-style Cheesecake (Php160/slice), a decadent Chocolate Cake (Php160/slice) and a delightful Black & White Cookie (Php60/piece), all of which feature an artisanal quality. (Artesa also sells whole cakes; you just need to order them three days in advance.)

We were also given our choice of drinks which included:

Espresso Soda (Php165). This is perfect for those who like to taste of coffee with a slight fizz.

Matcha Latte (Php150 for hot). A rich comforting drink made with real matcha powder.

Iced Mocha (Php150). A masterful blend of coffee and chocolate, and, thankfully for me, may even be sweetened some more with the addition of honey syrup.

Homemade Iced Tea (Php75). This drink may be served sweetened or unsweetened.

Orange Julius (Php90). This drink is reminiscent of the beverage popular when I was a kid.

Artesa’s menu is still small but well-crafted such that each item is a masterpiece, it’s taste and quality assured. These are perfect for a leisurely brunch, a quick snack in the afternoon, or any time of the day you want a tasty treat.

Thanks to the Chef Jef and the lovely staff of Artesa for having us!

Artesa also aims to highlight the quality of local micro-entrepreneurs: it sells jars of Spanish sardines, organically grown mushrooms with tinapa or tuyo, as well as spicy and garlicky cuttlefish crunch, among others. The cafe also incorporates these in some of their dishes as an ingredient or as sides. Do check them out when you visit the store.

Artesa Deli + Coffee is located at Unit 2, D Strip, Building 20, United Street, Kapitolyo, Pasig City, open Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 10pm. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 945 5979018.

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I attended a foodie meetup held here wherein food and drink items were served to allow us to sample the fare. These were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my blog posts on breakfast joints around the metro: