Blue Bay Walk welcomes third-wave coffee with UCC Clockwork

MANILA, Philippines - “Third-wave coffee” is a global movement that seeks to restore the pleasure of drinking coffee to its intimate, artisanal roots. In Manila, one of the epicenters of this advocacy is located right at Blue Bay Walk in Pasay City.

At the forefront of this revolution is the Philippine franchise of Japanese coffee brand UCC with its trailblazing concept store dubbed “Clockwork.”

While special blends and espressos are still ubiquitous items in the bar area, single-origin coffees take center stage in this store. Near the main entrance, a plethora of beans sourced from single farms in Guatemala, Brazil, Panama, Colombia to our very own Benguet, Davao and South Cotabato is showcased to lure hardcore coffee drinkers or adventurous diners to experience what real third-wave coffee is all about.

“Folks are now approaching coffee in a deeper way and are more involved in ways how their coffee is being served to them,” says UCC CEO and chairman Hubert U. Young.  “These are the people who outgrew the tastes of the ‘second-wave’ coffee drinkers.”  

UCC Clockwork religiously follows third-wave imperatives such as light roasting — as opposed to incinerating the beans — to bring out its unique properties. That’s because a genuinely excellent bean needs only a lighter roast to draw out its fine qualities.

The movement also revives traditional methods of coffee preparation like the vacuum coffee maker or siphon, and pour-over method.  However, Young noted that regular UCC coffee shops were already one step ahead of the game by popularizing the siphon method — with a twist, using halogen lamps instead of a flame burner — well before the trend hit.

Another distinctive aspect of the third-wave movement is the importance of timing in yielding the perfect cup. Thus, the name Clockwork, which is hinged on the premise that coffee preparation has to be precise. “We are exact. The ratio between coffee and water, and the timing involved, whether it is pour-over, cold-drip, siphon or espresso have to be precise,” Young adds.

UCC fare is also available at this branch along with new offerings such as cold-press juices, unique entrées, sandwiches and desserts. UCC Clockwork begins serving flavored beers and cocktails from 9 p.m. onwards.

The addition of UCC Clockwork to the roster of trendy restaurants and shops at Blue Bay Walk reiterates its identity as the latest lifestyle hub by the bay in Pasay City. Beside UCC Clockwork is Yamato Bakery Café, a haven of yummy breads and pastries that are popular in Japan. It also serves a small selection of sodas, juices and coffee. Also along the row is ramen house Mitsuyado Seimen, known for its interiors depicting a small Japanese village. Its unique take on ramen, served in a deconstructed style, highlights the freshness of its noodles.

Blue Bay Walk is also home to other restos such as Project Pie, Angel n Kiss, Conti’s, Outback and The Food Club, as well as shops like Nail Cocktails, Jesi Mendez, Flying Dutchman, Switch, Grind, Payless and Superga. Patrons can look forward to even more choices opening soon, such as Crisostomo’s, Manila’s Best Coffee and My Deli Spa.

For information, call 857-5577, visit www.bluebaywalk.com.ph or follow the UCC Facebook account Blue Bay Walk, and Twitter and Instagram accounts @bluebaywalk.